Shaun Tait aims to lift struggling Australia

Shaun Tait hopes to be able to kick-start Australia's one-day campaign against England with express pace after his surprise call into the touring squad. The tourists are 2-0 down following defeats at the Rose Bowl and in Cardiff and Tait was summoned ahead of the third ODI at Old Trafford after Nathan Hauritz, the offspinner, was forced to fly home with a foot injury while there are also concerns over Ryan Harris who has a groin injury.

Tait, who has retired from first-class cricket since his brittle body couldn't withstand the strain, has been playing in the Friends Provident t20 for Glamorgan and was given a hint by touring selector Merv Hughes that a call could be coming as he watched Thursday's match. His last ODI was in February 2009 and since then he has forged a specialist Twenty20 career, playing a key part in Australia's progress to the World Twenty20 final in Barbados.

While his body can't cope with the stress of first-class cricket, he continues to push the speed gun to its limits in limited-overs cricket and will provide the cutting edge to an Australian attack, lacking a host of key quicks, that has struggled to contain England's batting in the first two one-dayers.

"Hopefully there are a couple of overs in there that I can make an impact and if I do get a game and get a couple of early wickets," he said. "We'll see what happens here. It tends to reverse swing a bit up here in Manchester from what I have seen in the past."

Tait's one-day recall will be a new test of his fitness after he has remained injury-free through a whole season for the first time in his career but he doesn't know whether hitting top pace throughout 10 overs is a realistic aim.

"I am not sure about that, we will see," he said, "but no doubt about it, I will be able to get through. You never know with the speed gun it just depends on the day you turn up and see how your body is feeling. You have those days when you come out and bowl with good pace and some days not so much. All I can do is give it every thing you want."

He is also hoping to begin correcting a poor record on English soil. In seven matches for Glamorgan this season he has five wickets and in 2004 he had a forgettable stint with Durham where 18 first-class overs cost 176. He made his Test debut in the following summer's Ashes series, but struggled to make a major impact at Trent Bridge or The Oval.

"The times I have bowled in England I have not gone that well," he said. "I played a couple Tests here and I had a stint with Durham which was terrible when I was younger and for Glamorgan I have bowled okay, nothing brilliant. So we will see how we go and hopefully I can improve on that."

His call-up has also raised hopes that he will be considered for Australia's World Cup campaign in the subcontinent next year, where express pace and the ability to find reverse swing will be valuable. Tait played a key role in the 2007 tournament in the Caribbean when he helped spearhead Australia's unbeaten campaign.

"It is nice to be back in the squad and that the selectors are still thinking of me as a one-day cricketer which is fantastic," he said. "We have another set of fast bowlers on the sidelines at the moment that are pretty handy. It will be pretty interesting to see what the set up is like leading into the World Cup. For now I will just concentrate on this game and hopefully help Australia get this series."