Selectors in pace predicament.

SHAUN Tait and Stuart Clark have become the centre of a selection room shootout for the prized final pace place in Australia's World Cup squad.

Neither has a chance to advance their cause because the squad will be chosen on Thursday before Australia's next match on Friday, the first limited-overs tri-series final.

Tait's sizzling form on Sunday, when he pushed the speedometer to near-world record 160kph against New Zealand, has put him in firm contention for the fifth and final pace place in Australia's 15-man squad.

One, but not both Tait and Clark, will be chosen.

Glenn McGrath, Nathan Bracken and Brett Lee are certainties while Mitchell Johnson is considered just ahead of Tait and Clark.

It is an agonising choice for the panel, which feels deeply indebted to Clark for his stunning Test form which carried Australia to recent series wins against South Africa and England.

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