Include Kreja in playing XI, says Border

Sydney, Oct 26 (UNI) Former skipper Allan Border has asked the Australian team management to include the 25-year-old New South Wales off-spinner Jason Krejza in the playing XI as the absence of any frontline spinner is hurting the prospects of the touring party in the four match Test series.

Kreja was included in the squad for the warm-up tie against the Board President's XI before the Test series. The off-spinner was totally unimpressive.

Later, he was dumped by Australia's tour selectors for the first and second Test and included Cameron White.

Border thinks Australia has to give Krejza a chance because he is a specialist spinner unlike White who is primarily a batting all-rounder.

''They've got to look at the spin option, that seems obvious.

That's an area that is an achilles heel,'' Border told the Sunday Herald Sun.

''Cameron White and Michael Clarke have done well, but they're not front-line spinners. They've taken Jason Krejza away, so we need to find out one way or the other whether he's the right bloke.

''I know he got unflattering figures in the tour game but that counts for nothing. If you've taken him away, there's a reason for that and now is the moment of truth. They've just got to have the guts to play him - and I think they need to,'' he added.

The former left-handed batsman also shrugged of suggestions that legendary spinner Shane Warne should be called back as the Australians are struggling to find any quality spinner after the retirements of Warne, Stuart McGill and Bradd Hogg.

Border added that all the 'recall Warne' stories in the media made for good newspaper 'fodder'.

''He's not doing anything - he's playing poker, isn't he? It makes good headlines, doesn't it,'' he quipped.

''Put it this way, he's probably still good enough, but it's all speculation and good newspaper fodder,'' he added.

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