England gamble on Atherton against Australian pace attack

The former captain, who had an injection to his lower back on Tuesday, was included in a 12-man squad for the Ashes opener. But the gamble could backfire when he faces an Australian pace attack led by Glenn McGrath, who dismissed Atherton seven times in six Tests in England last year.

Seven of the nine times McGrath has taken Atherton's wicket have been to bouncers and Atherton's bad back restricts foot movement, which leaves him a sitting duck. But with Mark Butcher making only nine runs from five first class innings on tour, England had little option but to go with Atherton.

Fellow batsman John Crawley was also included in the squad despite being assaulted in Cairns last Sunday night. Crawley suffered cuts and bruises to his face but was one of seven batsmen named by England for the Test which will face a battery of Australian fast bowlers. With no Shane Warne to bamboozle England's batsmen, Australia have gone for pace to take advantage of the Brisbane and Perth wickets in the first two Tests. McGrath and the resurrected Jason Gillespie hope to emulate Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson who terrorised England 25 years ago.

Gillespie, who got help from Lillee to remodel his action which had caused stress fractures to his lower back, looks like getting the nod over Michael Kasprowicz for the third fast bowler's spot behind McGrath and Damien Fleming. Captain Mark Taylor, who will be playing his 100th Test on Friday, is known to favour Gillespie's raw pace and aggression. Gillespie claimed a career-best 7-37 at Headingley last year to set Australia up with a 2-1 series lead. England also chose a three-pronged pace attack headed by Darren Gough with support from Alan Mullally and seamer Angus Fraser while off-spinner Robert Croft got the nod over Peter Such.