Tasmania are hoping the return of Australian allrounder James Faulkner can lift them out of the doldrums as the Sheffield Shield reaches crunch time.
Absent from the Tigers' line-up since late November while fulfilling one-day international duties, Faulkner has been named in the squad to take on Western Australia starting on Friday at Bellerive Oval and is certain to play, coach Dan Marsh says.
"It's nice to have him back around the group (and) we should have him back for the rest of the (Shield season), fitness pending," Marsh told reporters on Thursday.
Needing a convincing win to leapfrog the Warriors out of last place, Tasmania welcome back a fit Faulkner, who is likely to feature prominently in the Tigers' bowling attack.
"He's in the best shape we've ever got him back from a bowling perspective, so that's really exciting," Marsh said, referring to the allrounder's chronic knee complaint which had previously led to Cricket Australia restricting his overs at domestic level.
"The last few times we've had him, he's been really limited, which means (this time) his body is going really well so we expect no limitations on Jim in this game."
The Warriors are chasing their third successive Shield win in Hobart and have named Andrew Tye and Cameron Green in their 13-man squad at the expense of Josh Nicholas and Liam O'Connor.
If picked in the XI, allrounder Green, 17, will make his Shield debut in the southern capital.
Tasmania: George Bailey (capt), Cameron Boyce, Alex Doolan, Jake Doran, James Faulkner, Jake Hancock, Simon Milenko, Andrew Perrin, Sam Rainbird, Jordan Silk, Cameron Stevenson, Beau Webster.
Western Australia: Adam Voges (capt), Cameron Bancroft, Hilton Cartwright, Ryan Duffield, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Michael Klinger, Simon Mackin, David Moody, D'Arcy Short, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Jonathan Wells.
