da aviator aposta： LONDON, England – An emotional Michael Slater was stunned to learn that hewould be replaced by the out-of-form Justin Langer for the Fifth Ashes Testat the Oval
Will Swanton22-Aug-2001LONDON, England – An emotional Michael Slater was stunned to learn that hewould be replaced by the out-of-form Justin Langer for the Fifth Ashes Testat the Oval.Slater said today he cut short captain Steve Waugh, who will wait until justprior to tomorrow’s Test to decide whether he had overcome a torn calfmuscle to play.”The meeting yesterday was quite brief,” Slater said.”At times I wear my heart on my sleeve.”Being told I was dropped for the last Test was enough, more than I couldhandle at the time.”Slater, with 170 runs at 24 in the series, has been supplanted by Langer,who will be given the opportunity to open the innings despite not playing inany of the Ashes Tests.Langer has scored 183 runs in five first class games at an average of 20.33.”It’s a big change for us at the top of the order,” Waugh said.”Slater’s form hasn’t been what it should have been and Justin deserves hischance.”There are always related issues but that’s for the selection panel. Slaterhas been dropped on form,” he added, quashing speculation the 31-year-oldhad been dropped for disciplinary reasons.Slater was fined after missing the bus for team training two days before theHeadingley Test.Asked if that incident was at the heart of his dumping, Slater said: “I hopewe’re living in a world bigger than that.”It was an honest mistake that morning.”Unfortunately I’m into my gadgets, I bought a new phone and the alarmdidn’t go.”I’m not the only one to do it on this tour.”He said he didn’t miss training, and felt “comfortable” with how he hadcarried himself on tour.Waugh badly tore his calf muscle during the Ashes-winning Third Test atTrent Bridge and missed the fourth Test at Headingley, won by England.”I’m pretty confident of playing but I’ll wait until tomorrow morning I’vegot to be somewhere close to 100 per cent,” Waugh said.”It’s a Test match I want to play. It doesn’t add much significance thatit’s the last one,” added the 36-year-old, who is unlikely to tour Englandagain.Waugh said that if he was fit Simon Katich would be left out after makinghis debut in the Fourth Test.He downplayed Slater’s omission, saying his days as a Test batsman were notyet over.”Of course he has a Test future,” Waugh said.And Slater, who has been dropped before in his 74-Test career vowed to fighthis way back into the side.”I’ve underachieved this tour. I’ve got all the faith in the world in theleadership of this team and on the selection.”My main aim is to get back into the first Test side in our Australiansummer.The quicker I get over the disappointment the better chance I have to beready for that first Test match. It is a burning desire now.”