Waughs retained in Australia Test squad

Australian test captain Steve Waugh and his twin brother Mark, facing the end of their one-day careers, have been retained in the squad for the Test series against Pakistan in October.

Australian Cricket Board selectors named a 14-man squad on Saturday for the series against Pakistan at a venue yet to be decided.

Off-spinner Nathan Hauritz was also added to the squad at the expense of experienced leg-spinner Stuart MacGill.

Mark and Steve Waugh were dropped from world champion Australia's one-day squad earlier this year.

Both were overlooked for the one-day team for upcoming series against Pakistan and Kenya and the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka as well as an Australia A tour of South Africa, heightening speculation they would not be part of Australia's World Cup campaign.

But selectors kept faith with their test captain Steve and elegant batsman Mark for the test series against Pakistan, which is likely to be played in either Sri Lanka or Sharjah because of security concerns in Pakistan.

Hauritz was named in the Australian test squad for the first time.

"His inclusion will also give us some added variety in the spin bowling department by having a player that can offer us quality spells of off-spin," chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said.

Hauritz is part of Australia's one-day squad which leaves on Monday for Kenya tour and the Champions Trophy.

The Australia squad is: Steve Waugh (captain), Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Bichel, Jason Gillespie, Nathan Hauritz, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Brett Lee, Darren Lehmann, Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath, Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne, Mark Waugh.

Mail Cricket Editor