Western Australia drop Pomersbach

Langer retires from one-day games

Cricinfo staff

February 14, 2008

	Justin Langer played 100 one-day matches for Western Australia © Getty Images

Justin Langer has taken another step towards full retirement by stepping down from one-day cricket for Western Australia. Langer will continue in the Pura Cup team, although there is a strong chance he will end his state career completely at the end of the season.

This month Langer, 37, became the first man to play 100 one-day matches for Western Australia and he will walk away with a state record 3372 runs at 35.12, including seven centuries, 23 half-centuries and a highest score of 146 against South Australia at the WACA in 1999-2000.

Although the Australian selectors pigeon-holed Langer as a Test specialist - he played the last of his eight ODIs on the 1997 Ashes tour - he was a valuable limited-overs batsman for the Warriors. He captained Western Australia to the one-day title in 1999-2000 and was still a useful contributor this season, when he averaged 31.53 and struck a run-a-ball 105 against Victoria.

Tom Moody, the Western Australia coach, said Langer's experience would be greatly missed. "It's a wonder why he never represented Australia more regularly in limited-overs matches given his relative success in the brief period he played for his country and his outstanding domestic form over his long career," Moody said.

"But his retirement from this form of the game now opens the door for another player to take his place. Having played four debutants in this year's Ford Ranger Cup competition, there is no doubt we have the talented players that can step in and fill the breach left by Justin's retirement."

That depth will be tested for the first time against Queensland at the Gabba on Saturday, and the Warriors have also made the surprise move of axing Luke Pomersbach from their 12-man squad. Pomersbach has been the state's leading scorer in the Pura Cup this season and made his Twenty20 international debut in December, but he has not been as successful in the FR Cup with only 78 runs from seven games.

"This will be a great learning experience for Luke and I am sure that he will bounce back from this minor setback and become a better player for it," Moody said. Pomersbach will be joined on the sidelines by Adam Voges, who is recovering from a minor hamstring strain, while Chris Rogers, Matt Johnston and Brett Dorey have been included.

The Bulls have the slimmest chance of reaching the final, needing a double bonus point in this match and hoping Victoria lose to New South Wales on Wednesday. Shane Watson comes into the side in place of Chris Swan for the game, which is Michael Kasprowicz's last as a Queensland player.

Queensland squad Jimmy Maher (capt), Shane Watson, Clinton Perren, Aaron Nye, Craig Philipson, Nathan Reardon, Chris Simpson, Lee Carseldine, Chris Hartley (wk), Ashley Noffke, Michael Kasprowicz, Scott Brant.

Western Australia squad Luke Ronchi (wk), Shaun Marsh, Chris Rogers, Marcus North (capt), Sean Ervine, Theo Doropoulos, Matt Johnston, Aaron Heal, Brett Dorey, Steve Magoffin, Paul Davis, Ben Edmondson.

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