Buchanan thrills father with Bulls selection

John Buchanan's son Michael is on the verge of a Queensland one-day debut after being named in the Ford Ranger Cup squad for the season-starting game against Tasmania at the Gabba on Wednesday. Buchanan, a batting allrounder who played in the Twenty20 competition last season, was the only new face in a squad missing Michael Kasprowicz with a worrying back injury and the Australian trio of Symonds, Watson and Johnson.

Buchanan, 23, last night delivered the news to his father, who is with the Champions Trophy squad in India, and the Australian coach was "thrilled". "He's very happy at the moment," Michael, who scored a century in a 2nd XI match against South Australia last week, said. "He's been a very big influence, not just for cricket, but rugby as well."

While batting is Buchanan's preferred discipline, he has been opening the bowling for his new club University while Kasprowicz has been injured and his versatility appealed to the Queensland selectors. Buchanan is not assured of a place in the final XI on Wednesday and will probably battle for a spot alongside Chris Simpson and Nathan Rimmington. Rimmington has also been named in the Pura Cup side for the game on Friday as a replacement for Kasprowicz.

The squad announcement coincided with Terry Oliver signing a new two-year deal that will take him past Buchanan as Queensland's longest-serving coach. Oliver has been in charge for the past four seasons and was behind the Pura Cup victory at the Gabba in March.

"I'm not a big one for milestones so I wasn't aware that I would go past Buck,'' Oliver said. "It's very pleasing in a way because Buck set the platform up for the coaches who have followed in Bennett King and myself." Buchanan was coach between 1994 and 1999 while Oliver took over from King in 2002.

Tasmania's Michael Di Venuto and Adam Griffith have been passed fit for Wednesday's game and the Pura Cup fixture after returning from county stints with minor injuries that forced them out of the squad's pre-season tour. However, Tim Coyle, the coach, said both players will be "100 percent ready" to face the Bulls.

Queensland FR Cup squad Jimmy Maher (capt), Matthew Hayden, James Hopes, Clinton Perren, Craig Philipson, Brendan Nash, Michael Buchanan, Chris Hartley (wk), Andy Bichel, Chris Simpson, Ashley Noffke, Nathan Rimmington.

Tasmania FR Cup squad Daniel Marsh (capt), George Bailey, Michael Bevan, Travis Birt, Luke Butterworth, Michael Di Venuto, Xavier Doherty, Brendan Drew, Brett Geeves, Adam Griffith, Ben Hilfenhaus, Tim Paine (wk).

Queensland Pura Cup squad Jimmy Maher (capt), Matthew Hayden, Martin Love, Clinton Perren, Lachlan Stevens, James Hopes, Chris Hartley (wk), Andy Bichel, Ashley Noffke, Daniel Doran, Nathan Rimmington, Brendan Nash.

Tasmania Pura Cup squad Daniel Marsh (capt), George Bailey, Michael Bevan, Travis Birt, Luke Butterworth, Sean Clingeleffer (wk), Michael Di Venuto, Brendan Drew, Brett Geeves, Adam Griffith, Ben Hilfenhaus, Tim Paine.