Shaun Tait says no to Tests

Shaun Tait has knocked back a request from Ricky Ponting to return to Tests, ruling himself out of the Ashes series. Tait knows his body won't allow him to play the game's longer forms and he will continue to focus on one-dayers and Twenty20s, including next month's Champions League with South Australia.

He came back to Australia's 50-over team in England and his express speed - he hit 161.1kph at Lord's in July - made Ponting wonder about his Test prospects. "He just mentioned it quickly but nothing was really talked about," Tait said in Adelaide. "I think I have made it quite clear what I'm doing. Obviously, you get through a couple of one-day games and a few people get excited, I suppose, and there is talk about it."

One of those ODIs included a Man of the Match performance and the fastest ball in Australia's history. However, he remains realistic about his future, after breaking down so often in the past that he had to take time off for physical and mental exhaustion.

"I don't think they [the selectors] would ask me to play anyway," he said of getting a start in the Ashes. He has appeared in three Tests but none since struggling against India in Perth in 2007-08. After that experience he took a break and focussed on keeping himself in good shape.

"The body has been pretty good, touch wood, I have stayed on the park just playing the shorter forms of the game," he said. "It's never about anyone else ... it's a decision I made for myself and so far I have been happy with it, it's worked pretty well, so I'm sticking by it."