Australia's bad week got even worse today when vice-captain and wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist withdrew from the side to play New Zealand at the SCG on Thursday (Jan 17) after returning home to Perth. Gilchrist, the one member of the team who is normally certain of his place while others are rotated, will be replaced by the uncapped Ryan Campbell. "After the recent birth of my son Harrison I was extremely keen to spend some time with him and my wife Mel," explained Gilchrist. "I'm grateful for the chance to do just that in the midst of a busy schedule."

Since he became undisputed No.1 at start of the 1999-2000 season, Gilchrist has played in 45 of 46 one-day internationals. The match he missed was the World Series game against Zimbabwe at Hobart in 2000-01, he was rested and replaced by Brad Haddin.

Campbell, 29, another hard-hitting Western Australian wicketkeeper-batsman, was a surprise selection for the Australia A side which beat New Zealand and South Africa earlier this month. He turned in two good performances with both bat and gloves.

After being dropped by his state during a poor 2000-01 summer, Campbell turned down a lucrative offer to move to Victoria and forced his way back into the WA side at the start of the current season. But his career figures in one-day cricket are modest - an average of 23 and just one hundred.

Gilchrist is expected to rejoin the Australian squad in time to face South Africa at Brisbane on Sunday (Jan 20).

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