Arthur excited to have full-strength pace attack
May 02, 2012 15:18:29 UK
Mickey Arthur has said that the idea of having all of Australian fast bowlers fit and available for Test duty later this year is a source of great excitement for him.
For the next six months, Test cricket will take a side position on Australia's cricketing calendar, as they have an ODI tour of England lined up, which will be followed by the 2012 Twenty20 World Cup.
After that, the longest version of cricket would once again become their top priority as South Africa and Sri Lanka will both tour Down Under for Test cricket, before Arthur and company depart for their four-match Test series in India. Then in a few months' time, Australia's much anticipated Ashes Series with England will take place.
The 2013 Ashes series will be played in England. Australia are 4.50 to win that series, while the English are 1.44 to do the same. A drawn series is priced at 7.00.
While four of Australia's premier fast bowlers Mitchell Johnson, Patrick Cummins, Peter Siddle and James Pattinson are currently unfit, they will surely have recovered when Test cricket resumes later this year. And the possibility of a full-strength pace attack with plenty of options has got Arthur drooling.
He said: "We've got seven quick bowlers going for those positions ... we're in a really good position at the moment with that squad. It's pretty mouth-watering when you've got some of those bowlers coming back into our set-up. We've got to be quite clever with it. We're getting to the point where we can have a look at players and then rest them if we need to. It's a luxury we do have."
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