Australia in a spin over worsening figures

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The figures were prepared for Cricket Australia and presented to the board's annual general meeting last week, at which chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch was reappointed for two years, despite the recent Ashes defeat. Hilditch and his panel have been criticised for sending five spinners through a revolving door to the Test team since Stuart MacGill retired in June last year. But in his report to the AGM, Hilditch said the selectors were placed in the impossible position of having to pluck a spinner, Nathan Hauritz, out of grade ranks for last summer's Adelaide Test because of the dearth of slow bowlers in first-class cricket.
Peter English is former Australasia editor of ESPNcricinfo