SYDNEY — Former Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne believes he still has the ability to play at the highest level and will consider coming out of retirement to play in next year's Ashes series if asked by captain Michael Clarke. “If your best friend says, ‘Mate, I want you to seriously consider making a commitment to Australian cricket and coming back out of retirement', (to) make myself available for selection, that's a different scenario,” Warne, 43, told the Herald-Sun newspaper in Melbourne. “Especially with back-to-back Ashes coming up next year, it could be a 12-month thing where you take three spinners with you and say, ‘Righto, work with these spinners and see how you go for 12 months.' That's a different kettle of fish. “I'm definitely not asking for Michael Clarke to come out and say that - that's a different scenario. “You asked me if I think I could still play international cricket if I wanted to just turn up, do my bowling and if the first Test match was in three weeks, do you think I could play, (then) I'd have no hesitation in saying yes - and I think I'd do pretty well.” Warne, who retired from international cricket in 2007, is the second highest Test wicket-taker ever with 708 dismissals. “From a purely bowling perspective, I don't think my form would be the concern, it's just the time and actually making that commitment again,” he said. “For me it's not a matter of whether I could do it or not - I have absolutely no doubt if I wanted to commit to try to make a comeback and go through grade cricket, first-class cricket and try to get selected ... that I could do it.” Australia ponders new order With a three-Test series against Sri Lanka starting next week, Australia has no time to dwell on what might have been after getting close to beating the best side in the world before being blown away at the end of a hard-fought series. Now it must decide who replaces Ricky Ponting at No. 5 in the batting lineup. With time running out before the tour of India and back-to-back Ashes series next year, coach Mickey Arthur and captain Clarke have suggested a completely new look to the top order might be on the cards. “We need a lot more consistency from our top four because we know at five and six we've got the best batsman in the world (Clarke) and Mr. Cricket in Hussey, we just need one-two-three and four to be giving us a really good platform,” Arthur told reporters. “We haven't discussed it yet but it'll probably be a guy that comes in and bats at three, with a possible move for Shane Watson to four.” Rob Quiney, who replaced the injured Watson for the first two Tests against South Africa, looks to have a good chance of a return, while Test rejects Phil Hughes and Usman Khawaja, as well as the uncapped Alex Doolan, are also in the mix. Arthur conceded there was plenty of work to do before Australia matches the standards set by his old team South Africa, but said there had been clear improvements since its last Test in Hobart, which it lost by seven runs to New Zealand. — Reuters
