Cricket World Cup: Desperate Martyn needs a lucky break.DAMIEN MARTYN Damien Richard Martyn (born October 21, 1971 in Darwin, Northern Territory) is a former Australian cricketer. He played for the national team sporadically in 1992-1994 before becoming a regular ODI player in 1999-2000 and a regular Test player in 2001 until his retirement in late has promised not to put Australia's hopes of retaining their World Cup crown in jeopardy. Western Australian batsman Martyn is hoping his fractured right index finger will have healed sufficiently to allow him to return to the side for Sunday's final at the Wanderers. The 31-year-old was forced out of the semi-final win over Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (srē läng`kə) [Sinhalese,=resplendent land], formerly Ceylon, ancient Taprobane, officially Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, island republic (2005 est. pop. in Port Elizabeth Port Elizabeth, city (1991 pop. 670,653), Eastern Cape, SE South Africa, on Algoa Bay, an arm of the Indian Ocean. It is a tourist center and a major seaport that ships diamonds, wool, fruit, and other items. on Tuesday after incurring the break while fielding against Kenya last Saturday. But Martyn insists he will be straight with captain Ricky Ponting Ricky Thomas Ponting (born December 19 1974, in Launceston, Tasmania) is an Australian cricketer and current captain of the Australia national cricket team (for both One-Day International and Test cricket). and coach John Buchanan
``I have a chance,'' saidMartyn.``But I haven't broken fingers before so that is really hard to judge. ``I have told Ricky and Buck that I am not going to jeopardise a World Cup final for the sake of playing. ``If I make myself available it will be up to the selectors whether they pick me on the day. ``Saturday is d-day for me in the sense I will have to field,catch and bat.'' So far contact with the ball has been avoided and the amount of pain Martyn experiences during a net ses-sion tomorrow will be crucial, with Alcott unwilling to administer pain killing injections, which would numb the hand and subsequently make fielding difficult. If he does declare himself ready, though,he could put his tour of the West Indies in doubt with the injury likely to get worse before it gets better. The 15-man squad leave for the Caribbean just five days after the World Cup party return home and the first Test begins in just three weeks. For the next 48 hours, though,Martyn is focused on the short-term task. ``It is a World Cup and I want to finish this off, theWest Indies and what happens there will be discussed with the selectors depending on whether I play on Sunday. ``If the injury doesn't come up it doesn't come up and I need to get it right because I don't want to play my cricket if I can't bat to the best of my availability.'' Ponting admitted after Australia's success over the Sri Lankans that selection for Sunday's final would be difficult if Martyn was fit. |
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