Ashes Betting: Australia will have to do it without Tait

He's one of the quickest bowlers in the world and bowled a devastating spell in Australia's recent ODI win over England at the Oval but Shaun Tait has ruled out a return to Test cricket and that's a blow to Australia's Ashes chances....

Look on Cricinfo, the obsessively comprehensive cricket website, and there are 258 cuttings about Shaun Tait that span nearly a decade. At a quick glance it seems that around 257 of them are about injuries.

Ever since the lanky fast bowler first emerged on the scene in Australia he's been pulling, straining, stretching or breaking one part of his body or another. A shoulder here, a thigh muscle there, an elbow somewhere else. His unorthodox, slingy action just puts his frame through stress it was never designed to take. And when it's not been an orthodox physical injury, it's been a doubt about his mental state.

So if Tait, just 27 but apparently with a body that's about 30 years older, is suddenly being touted as the answer for the Aussies in this winter's Ashes series then you seriously have to wonder what the question was.

A week ago, of course, he produced the second fastest ball on record, breaking the 100mph barrier to rescue some pride for Ricky Ponting's team in a losing NatWest One Day series against England. Brought back with the Aussies 3-0 down, he suddenly provided some hope by inspiring a meaningless comeback. In an Australian team that has drifted from having one of the game's greatest bowling attacks to one of its weakest, there was a momentary thought that Ponting could have found the genuine quick who would give him some hope for the winter.

For a week Tait flirted with the idea, but he's now dashed all that by making it very clear that his decision, taken nearly two years ago, to retire from Test cricket was final. "I'm not going to play in the Ashes, it's as simple as that," he's said. "It's a selfish decision to try and prolong my career and I'm sticking by it."

And that brings Australia back to exactly where they were three weeks ago when Sky TV's David Lloyd was telling us in the Betfair Big Interview that backing England to win an Ashes series Down Under for the first time in 23 years was guaranteed money. The One Day Series win has brought the price in from [4] to [3.75], but who's worrying? Just for good measure there's a chance beginning today to look at exactly how Ponting's fast bowling options are measuring up in the mini series against Pakistan, but they don't look all that clever.

To be honest, even if Tait had been available, would it have made that much difference? He's been less than effective in his Twenty20 appearances for Glamorgan this summer and, guess what, that's been largely because he's been carrying injuries. He missed last Friday's clash with Surrey, returned to bowl four overs that cost 22 runs in a defeat by Kent on Sunday, and needs a late test before tomorrow's game with Somerset. Back the Cider side, who are [4.5] favourites to lift the Friends Provident trophy, to win at [1.6].

Five things you might not know about Shaun Tait

1. Born February 1983 in Bedford Park near Adelaide, his dad was a policeman in the small hillside town of Nairne

2. He started playing cricket alongside elder brother Jarrad at the age of seven, and was Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year in 2004.

3. He joined Durham that year but bowled 21 no balls in his debut against Somerset - and went home after only one more first class match

4. In his first spell bowling in the nets after being called up to an Australian squad for the first time he hit Ricky Ponting on the head with a bouncer

5. As well as playing for Glamorgan this summer he's signed for Chipstead, Coulsdon and Walcountians in Division Five of the Surrey Championship, to play alongside Jarrad