da bet esporte： BIRMINGHAM, England – England lost its captain today, while Australiafound another
da roleta： Will Swanton09-Jul-2001BIRMINGHAM, England – England lost its captain today, while Australiafound another.Nasser Hussain was ruled out of the second Ashes Test because of abroken little finger as Ricky Ponting was given the honour of leadinghis country for the first time in a four-day cricket match againstSomerset, starting Friday.Hussain gives the hosts, licking their wounds after a hiding in theseries opener by an innings and 118 runs, plenty of backbone and theydesperately needed him on deck at Lord’s.”The advice we have had from the specialist is that the fracture isstable and Nasser’s finger will be in a splint until next Monday,” saidEngland physiotherapist Dean Conway.”He should be able to start mobilising the joint thereafter but thespecialist’s initial thoughts are that he will be out of cricket foraround three weeks.”Alec Stewart, who lost six straight matches when he replaced Hussainduring the one-day series, said he never wanted the job again, so MikeAtherton and former under 19s skipper Marcus Trescothick are the leadingcandidates.”I think it’s time to move on,” Stewart wrote in his diary for theCricInfo website.”I’ve been captain and done everything that’s been asked of me and Ithink it’s better to look to the future now, so I won’t be putting myhand up for the job.”Hussain’s temporary successor will be announced later this week.Steve Waugh is being rested from the Somerset fixture, giving Pontinghis first shot at the captaincy, while strike bowlers Glenn McGrath,Shane Warne and Jason Gillespie have also been omitted.The Tasmanian, vice-captain of the Australian one-day side five times inthe last two years, will not have to introduce himself to the opposingskipper – his State team-mate, Jamie Cox.Queensland fast bowler Ashley Noffke, a late inclusion in the touringparty when Nathan Bracken was sent home with a shoulder injury, wasnamed for his first match for Australia.The team to play Somerset is: Ricky Ponting (c), Michael Slater, MatthewHayden, Justin Langer, Mark Waugh, Simon Katich, Wade Seccombe, BrettLee, Ashley Noffke, Damien Fleming, Colin Miller, Damien Martyn (12thman).
