One of the worst kept secrets of recent weeks has been confirmed this morning with Michael Slater's appointment to the New South Wales captaincy for the state's closing game of the Pura Cup season.

The Blues' selectors have recalled Slater, at the end of a troubled personal season, to lead their team in the Pura Cup match against Tasmania that starts in Hobart on Wednesday.

Slater's return, and his elevation to a leadership post that has already had four different occupants this summer, was conditioned by the absence of several of the side's senior players.

First-choice captain Steve Waugh is on tour with the national side in South Africa; regular stand-in leader Shane Lee is still suffering the effects of a serious knee injury; and Glenn McGrath, Mark Waugh, Brett Lee, Michael Bevan and Stuart MacGill are also all on international duty. Young batsman Graeme Rummans, who is serving a suspension following a positive drugs test, was also excluded from consideration.

The Blues' selectors reportedly exhausted a range of options in their choice for a new leader, ultimately placing Slater on a shortlist of four candidates. His readiness for a recall was then confirmed with a belligerent innings of 56 from 49 balls in a game for the University of New South Wales club side on Saturday.

Slater, 32, was axed from Australia's Test team in August last year and from the state side two months ago on the back of form that had yielded just 330 runs from 16 innings at domestic level this summer.

The ex-Test opener's much-documented fall over the last year has also included the break-up of his marriage and the termination of contracts with his manager and the Nine Network.

Last-placed New South Wales will be aiming to relegate Victoria to the bottom of the Pura Cup table when it arrives for its match in Hobart. Opponent Tasmania is at the other end of the standings and will be seeking to secure a place in the competition final, to be played later this month.

The full squad is: Michael Slater (capt), Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Phil Jaques, Grant Lambert, Don Nash, Matthew Phelps, Corey Richards, Dale Turner, Vaughan Williams.

© 2002 CricInfo Ltd