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Finger of fate may turn Martyn's way

Source: smh.com.au - November 19, 2005

Test discard Damien Martyn will have more time than expected to recover from a broken finger in hope of being retained in Australia's one-day squad for the Chappell-Hadlee series in New Zealand early next month. Now his inclusion may depend merely on whether selectors see the 34-year-old as part of their plans.

Martyn, dropped from the Test team after the Ashes but retained in the one-day side for last month's Super Series against the World XI, broke his right ring finger in an ING Cup match for Western Australia last Saturday.

The injury was originally expected to take two to three weeks to heal, counting heavily against Martyn's prospects of being retained in the squad for New Zealand that is due to be named immediately after the current Test.

But two developments have boosted Martyn's hopes. Selectors have delayed naming the squad until late next week at the earliest. And Martyn's finger has healed sufficiently to have West Australian team officials confident he will play in the Warriors' ING Cup match against Tasmania in Perth next Friday night.

National selectors' chairman Trevor Hohns said yesterday that the squad for New Zealand would be announced "in a week or more". Of Martyn's prospects for retention, Hohns said: "If he's fit, he'll be considered."

Hohns has made stronger endorsements of a player's selection prospects. But, as he has pointed out, Martyn's one-day international form has not been bad. He has averaged a robust 47 through 25 one-day internationals this year and since the start of the tour of England he has been Australia's third-highest scorer in that form of the game. He made 54 and 33 in the last two matches of the Super Series.

Martyn has also been in outstanding form for the West in one-dayers this season, making 110, 74 and 76 in his three innings.

Like Martyn, Simon Katich will be hoping his fall from grace in Tests does not affect his one-day international prospects. The left-hander was dropped after the first Test against the West Indies, yet has been in sound one-day form, making 58 and 47 as an opener in his two Super Series matches, and 37 and 51 in his two ING Cup games for NSW.

- TREVOR MARSHALLSEA