Melbourne, Feb 20: Leg-spinner Shane Warne is back in Australia`s Test team for the Sri Lankan cricket tour, 10 days after returning from a one-year suspension for using a banned diuretic.
On Friday, Warne was among the Australian players named for the three-Test tour — beginning March 08 in Galle, March 16 in Kandy and March 25 in Colombo. Since returning from his ban, Warne has looked sharp. He took 4/51 on Thursday and six for the match as Victoria beat Tasmania by 218 runs in their domestic first-class match. Last weekend, he took a wicket with his second ball on return to first-class cricket while conceding 48 runs in 10 overs for Victoria in a three-wicket loss to Tasmania in a one-day match. Warne was suspended last February after testing positive to a banned diuretic in an out-of-competition drug test. He returned from the ban on February 10 for Victoria`s 2nd XI in an interstate match against Queensland Academy. Warne hasn`t played a Test match since December 2002 but has 491 wickets in 107 Tests and is Australia`s leading all-time bowler. Australian squad: Ricky Ponting (captain), Adam Gilchrist, Jason Gillespie, Matthew Hayden, Simon Katich, Michael Kasprowicz, Justin Langer, Brett Lee, Darren Lehmann, Stuart MacGill, Damien Martyn, Wade Seccombe, Andrew Symonds, Brad Williams, Shane Warne. Bureau Report