Hodge deserves Test place - Border

Brad Hodge should not be written off as an international player and could have four years of Test and one-day cricket ahead of him, according to Allan Border. Hodge, who was axed from the Test team last January two matches after making a double-century against South Africa, had been overlooked for almost a year until chosen to replace Ricky Ponting in the fourth CB Series game at Brisbane.

Border, who was in between two stints as a national selector when Hodge was dropped, said there was no reason Hodge's career should have taken a downward turn and he deserved to be a strong candidate for the World Cup squad. "He is desperately unlucky not to be in the Test side," Border told The Courier Mail. "He made a double-hundred and a 60-odd. People say he had nine digs but a lot of guys take between 20 and 30 Tests to get his sort of numbers.

"That is the harsh reality where we are at with our cricket. You cannot afford to be off your game for any length of time. He is a quality player. He is 32 but to me that's mid-career and I think he can have four really good years in all forms of the game if luck goes his way at international level. He's a good striker of the ball, a sensible cricketer who is at the peak of his game."

Border also said Hodge's Victoria team-mate Cameron White could benefit from some training from Shane Warne to improve his chances of becoming Australia's No. 1 limited-overs slow bowler. "His power hitting is incredible and his legspinners are improving," Border said.

"We are not expecting Shane Warne-type results. I would like to see him work with Warney and see if he can turn his legspinner a bit more. He doesn't really turn that a great deal. He tends to bowl the toppie or wrong'un more. I'm not sure whether he needs to bowl a bit more round-arm. If he can improve his legspinner it would guarantee him a lot of international cricket."