Cricket: Tait will resist pleas to return to tests

ADELAIDE - Express quick Shaun Tait says he won't return to longer forms of cricket, even if asked by Australian selectors.

Tait played three one-dayers for Australia in England recently, prompting captain Ricky Ponting to ask the paceman to reconsider playing longer formats.

"He just mentioned it quickly but nothing was really talked about," Tait said yesterday. "I think I have made it quite clear what I'm doing.

"Obviously you get through a couple of one-day games and a few people get excited I suppose and there is talk about it."

Tait said he wouldn't return for the looming Ashes series if asked.

"I don't think they would ask me to play anyway," he said.

"You have got to put some performances on the board playing four-day cricket before you can just walk into a test side."

The 27-year-old hasn't played first-class cricket since January 2008, a decision he said he made to look after his body.

"The body has been pretty good, touch wood, I have stayed on the park just playing the shorter forms of the game," he said. "It's never about anyone else ... it's a decision I made for myself and so far I have been happy with it, it's worked pretty well, so I'm sticking by it."

Meanwhile, Ponting says Nathan Hauritz is his spinner of choice for Australia's forthcoming tour of India and the Ashes. Hauritz has 57 wickets in 15 tests and enjoyed a breakthrough season in Australia against the West Indies and Pakistan.

- Agencies