Cricket: Tait injury opens search for fast bowler

Shaun Tait's season-ending shoulder injury has exposed Australia's fast bowling options ahead of the new season, beginning with this week's Super Series cricket one-dayers against a World 11.

Tait pulled out of the Australian team yesterday with a torn cartilage in his bowling shoulder and initial diagnosis was that he could be sidelined for up to four months, meaning he would miss all of Australia's home tests against the West Indies and South Africa.

Selectors named New South Wales quick Stuart Clark as Tait's replacement in the one-day squad but Cricket Australia clarified that Clark was only in for the one-dayers at this stage and not for next week's one-off test against the World 11 in Sydney.

Reports today suggested that selectors would decide between uncapped Clark or New South Wales left-arm seamer Nathan Bracken for the test, with one-time incumbents Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz seemingly out of favour after poor Ashes tours of England.

Clark was called into the Ashes squad in England as cover for the injured Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee and appears to have the inside running on the third fast bowling slot should selectors decide to take that course.

Australia's other likelier option could be to use Lee and McGrath with legspinners Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill and allrounder Shane Watson.

The loss to the bowling stocks could not have come at a worse time with Australia out to restore their battered reputation after their 1-2 Ashes series loss to England and preparing to face the world's best cricketers in the Super Series.

"It's a big disappointment, I had no idea it was this bad an injury," Tait said.

"It just goes to show how things can change. You feel above the world and everything is going right for you and all of a sudden you get a blow like this."

Tait said the injury was not related to his sling-like bowling action.

He said he would be out for at least three months and was not confident about making an immediate comeback for Australia's series in South Africa in February and March.

AFP