Warne may return for Sri Lanka tour

Shane Warne may return to the Australian squad for their three-Test series in Sri Lanka next March, chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns hinted on Monday. Warne's 12-month suspension for taking a banned diuretic ends on February 10, just before the Australian team heads off for a five-match one-day international series in Sri Lanka.

Warne won't be available for selection in the one-day team but, with the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle not starting until March 8, he has time to state his case for selection in a four-day Sheffield Shield game for Victoria against Western Australia from February 16.

Hohns said the selection decision will be difficult. In an interview on Channel Nine on Monday he said, "Everyone expects Shane to come back and bowl well and I would have thought you wouldn't just lose that ability in 12 months." Hohns added, "As far as regaining his position in the Australia side ... there's a period of time there before we pick the Test match side to go to Sri Lanka where Shane will have the chance to play a couple of games for Victoria. Then we have to make the assessment whether he's bowling well enough to be included in that squad and of course we've also got Stuart MacGill, who is performing very, very well for Australia. It's a very difficult thing." Hohns has been in touch with Warne during the past few months. "He wants to play as soon as he possibly can but he understands he has to get a little more cricket under his belt as well."

Meanwhile, Hohns said the selectors were happy with the way Steve Waugh had announced his retirement. He also dismissed any suggestions of this being a distraction to the team. "We think Steve Waugh, being one of the all-time great players, should have that opportunity and the Australian public should have the opportunity to say thanks for all he's done for Australian cricket. It gives him the opportunity to finish the way he wanted to and we should all get behind him." He added, "I think our Australian team is quite capable of handling any distraction thrown at them."

He confirmed that the selectors had forgiven Brad Williams for his outburst on being omitted from the Australian XI to play in the Gabba Test. He said, "Brad made a throwaway line and quite frankly myself and the selectors weren't offended by it. Cricket Australia has dealt with it and it's now a dead issue and it doesn't bother us at all."