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Symonds can force his way back, says Barsby

Posted October 8, 2008 11:20:00
Updated October 8, 2008 15:44:00

Andrew Symonds... good chance for Gabba Test recall.

Andrew Symonds... good chance for Gabba Test recall. (Getty Images: Chris McGrath, file photo)

Queensland coach Trevor Barsby believes Andrew Symonds has a great chance of being recalled into the Australian team for the first Test against New Zealand at the Gabba next month.

Symonds was dropped from the Australian squad after missing a team meeting in Darwin two months ago.

But Barsby says Symonds has enough cricket in front of him to force his way back into the Test squad.

"Anything's possible. We've got three Sheffield Shield games and four one-dayers before that first Test and if he's scoring hundreds, it's going to be pretty hard not to pick him," he said.

The Bulls host Tasmania in the opening match of the one-day season on Friday and Barsby admits they have been strengthened by the addition of players of the calibre of Symonds, Ashley Noffke and James Hopes.

"It's been a blessing to have those three and then Martin Love fit as well," he said.

"Andrew Bichel's not too far off, so our whole side on paper looks very, very strong."

Queensland finished with the wooden spoon in the four-day competition last season and admits it is going through a transitional stage.

But Barsby said the Bulls are determined to win the Sheffield Shield, the one-day competition and the Twenty20 series.

"We've got four-day cricket, one-day cricket, Twenty20 cricket, we should be looking to get into the finals of all of them and winning them," he said.

"But there's a lot of work to do before that and we really need to make sure there's no excuses."

Tags: sport, cricket, australia, qld, brisbane-4000

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