Slater has fans but must do more to impress selectors

SYDNEY, Oct 13 AAP - Queensland cricket captain Jimmy Maher expects Michael Slater will fight his way back into the NSW team.

The former Test opener was today excluded from the Blues' side to play the Bulls in their opening round Pura Cup clash starting in Brisbane on Wednesday.

Selectors also omitted another former Blues skippers in Shane Lee.

"It's a bit of a shock ... they have been fantastic players for NSW and Australia over many years and I certainly would have expected both of them to be playing," Maher said.

"But I'm sure Michael and Shane will fight their way back in ... the NSW side isn't the same without those two guys because they've been so successful over a number of seasons."

Maher made the comments today after NSW's 45 run win over Queensland an ING Cup match at North Sydney Oval.

NSW chairman of selectors Brian Taber said omitting Slater was a big call.

And he said Slater's 193 in a Sydney grade game yesterday was good news, but stressed reputations counted for little.

He said the incumbent openers from the end of last season, Matthew Phelps and Corey Richards, were in superior form to Slater having both hit three hundreds in recent grade and second eleven games.

"Slats had about nine or ten knocks without really firing," Taber said.

"When he got those runs yesterday he was doing the best thing possible to say `OK guys I'm hungry, I want to get back in' so that's exactly the response we wanted."

Meanwhile, Taber offered some encouragement to Lee, who he said was a great talent and athlete.

But Taber said the all-rounder's inability to bowl medium pace at present because a niggling knee injury had kept him out of the team.

The NSW side chosen showed four changes to the one which finished off last summer against Tasmania.

Into the squad came new captain Simon Katich, fellow batsman Michael Bevan, leg spinner Stuart MacGill and all-rounder Dominic Thornely, who has yet to play a first class game.

Out of the side went Slater, batsman Phil Jaques and Vaughan Williams and spinner Dale Turner.

Doug Bollinger, yet to represent NSW was on standby for fellow paceman Stuart Clark who was chosen subject to passing a fitness test on an injured ankle.

The NSW team for the Pura Cup Game against Queensland is: Simon Katich (capt), Matthew Phelps, Corey Richards, Michael Bevan, Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Stuart MacGill, Nathan Bracken, Don Nash, Grant Lambert, Dominic Thornely, Stuart Clark (subject to fitness test), Doug Bollinger (on stand-by), 12th man to be named on the morning of the match.