By IANS,
Sydney : Former Australian all-rounder Greg Matthews has a solution to shore up his country’s dwindling stocks of spin bowlers. The off-spinner is ready for the call-up and says his fingers were itching to have a go on the spin-friendly Indian pitches.
That could be a tongue-in-cheek barb from the 49-year-old at the two spinners Australia chose to go with to India, but in all mock seriousness says he is available for the series.
Matthews should know a thing or two about Indian pitches. He had match figures of ten for 249 in the tied Test in Madras in 1986, bowling with his pullover on in hot humid conditions.
As he prepared for his 31st summer in Sydney grade cricket to help Sydney University’s emerging stars, Matthews quipped: “If somebody said to me, ‘You’re on a plane to India tomorrow’, there’s no way I’d embarrass myself.”
“I could run in and steel myself for five days and do the business. I was happy with my form last summer, and I’m sure my statistics could have been even better had a few catches not been dropped and lbw appeals not turned down,” reports Daily Telegraph.
Matthews could more than make a case for a spot in Ricky Ponting’s team, in which untested Bryce McGain and Jason Krejza are set to lead Australia’s spin bowling ranks in India.
Matthews topped the statistics last summer in the Sydney grade competition, picking up 36 wickets from 148.3 overs at an average of 11.19.
He will play fourth grade for Sydney University alongside 19-year-old son Nolan.