The Ashes series is getting closer as the days pass and the Australian team is all set to take on the English team in one of the fiercest rivalries in world cricket. Shane Warne, the legend from Australia has made himself clear about the team selection for the first test of the Ashes Series in Cardiff. Warne backed Ryan Harris’s exclusion in the playing XI for the match at Cardiff.
Warne said that a fir Ryan Harris is always a better option to Josh Hazlewood. Warne added that Josh was excellent in the last few months for Australia and that he has great control over his bowling even with the new ball. He said that though Josh may seem perfect for the new ball in England conditions, he said that Ryan Harris is one of the greatest fast bowlers that the team has had in the modern game.
Hazlewood was named the man of the series in the recently concluded test series between Australia and the West Indies in the Caribbean. He had a great time for the Australian national team and has been a regular in the squad for almost a year now. He has an impressive average of 19 in his first 5 test matches and has picked 24 wickets for his team in those matches.
But, Warne felt that, with bowlers like Johnson who is a match winner on his day and Starc who is the best fast bowler in the world at the moment, according to Warne, Hazlewood should consider himself unlucky to miss out on an Ashes game. Warne also wanted Clarke to test Cook and his leadership abilities by putting pressure on the English team right from the start. He felt that the Australian team can expose the deficiencies in the English squad early in the series if they put enough pressure. The first test will be played start on the 8th of July at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.