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Spin star Mendis set for Australia
THE answers to Australia's prayers for a new top class spinner could come from Sri Lanka, with speculation spin 'mystic' Ajantha Mendis is set to live in Melbourne.
Mendis, 26, has an Australian girlfriend and is widely believed to be planning to move to Melbourne after competing in tomorrow night's World Cup Final.
Cricket Victoria is interested in recruiting the star Sri Lankan spinner with the mystery "carrom ball'' and chief Shaun Graf confirmed on radio SEN this morning had discussions with his manager.
"He'd be quite an exciting prospect for Victoria at the moment,'' Graf said, nothing the lack of spinners in state cricket.
Graf said that intially Mendis would play for Victoria as an overseas player but after a year would be selected as a local.
But Graf confirmed he believed that after 12 months residency in Australia Mendis, who has played 15 Tests and 50 ODIs for Sri Lanka, would also be eligible to be picked for Australia.
The key question is whether he would make himself available.
The national side has struggled to settle its key spinner since the retirement of Shane Warne, with Nathan Hauritz's spot taken in the Ashes by Tasmanian's Xavier Doherty and World Cup selection Jason Krejza .also in the mix.
Since his debut in 2008, the highly-rated Mendis has taken 85 ODI wickets at an average of 19.67 and 61 Test wickets at an average of 31.96 and would be a potent weapon in the Australian attack.
The selection of foreign-raised players for Australia is rare, the notable exception being batsman Kepler Wessels, who eventually went back to play for his native South Africa.
England's side has featured a variety of foreign-raised players over the past two decades, including present day skipper Andrew Strauss and batsmen Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott.
Mendis is believed to be in a serious relationship with a girl from Melbourne's eastern suburbs and would be certain to be made welcome by the city's big Sri Lankan community were he to choose to live here.
And that is likely, former Sri Lankan batsman Asanka Gurusinha told SEN this morning.
"I heard that straight after the World Cup he's moving here to Melbourne,'' Gurusinha said.
"He's got some relations and he's got some friends (here). He was here during the summer looking
Spin star Mendis set for Australia | Herald Sun
THE answers to Australia's prayers for a new top class spinner could come from Sri Lanka, with speculation spin 'mystic' Ajantha Mendis is set to live in Melbourne.
Mendis, 26, has an Australian girlfriend and is widely believed to be planning to move to Melbourne after competing in tomorrow night's World Cup Final.
Cricket Victoria is interested in recruiting the star Sri Lankan spinner with the mystery "carrom ball'' and chief Shaun Graf confirmed on radio SEN this morning had discussions with his manager.
"He'd be quite an exciting prospect for Victoria at the moment,'' Graf said, nothing the lack of spinners in state cricket.
Graf said that intially Mendis would play for Victoria as an overseas player but after a year would be selected as a local.
But Graf confirmed he believed that after 12 months residency in Australia Mendis, who has played 15 Tests and 50 ODIs for Sri Lanka, would also be eligible to be picked for Australia.
The key question is whether he would make himself available.
The national side has struggled to settle its key spinner since the retirement of Shane Warne, with Nathan Hauritz's spot taken in the Ashes by Tasmanian's Xavier Doherty and World Cup selection Jason Krejza .also in the mix.
Since his debut in 2008, the highly-rated Mendis has taken 85 ODI wickets at an average of 19.67 and 61 Test wickets at an average of 31.96 and would be a potent weapon in the Australian attack.
The selection of foreign-raised players for Australia is rare, the notable exception being batsman Kepler Wessels, who eventually went back to play for his native South Africa.
England's side has featured a variety of foreign-raised players over the past two decades, including present day skipper Andrew Strauss and batsmen Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott.
Mendis is believed to be in a serious relationship with a girl from Melbourne's eastern suburbs and would be certain to be made welcome by the city's big Sri Lankan community were he to choose to live here.
And that is likely, former Sri Lankan batsman Asanka Gurusinha told SEN this morning.
"I heard that straight after the World Cup he's moving here to Melbourne,'' Gurusinha said.
"He's got some relations and he's got some friends (here). He was here during the summer looking
Spin star Mendis set for Australia | Herald Sun
well at least better than Pakistani fielders hehe
