BANGALORE, 19 August 2003 — Australian Test captain Steve Waugh yesterday blamed television replays for putting too much attention on sledging and said modern cricket was played in a good spirit.
“There is far too much talk about sledging,” said Waugh. “Generally, these days cricket is played in the right spirit and occasionally things do go wrong. “And when they do go wrong you have 20 or 30 television replays and people come to talk about it.
“There are many good things happening in the game. One should not focus on one or two bad things happening in the game.” Former Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee recently reacted sharply to Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar’s comments last month accusing Australia of harming the game’s image through their on-field sledging.
Lillee said: “Sledging has gone on since W.G. Grace and it will go on as long as any sport is played, not just cricket. If they think it’s too bad, the authorities are there to stop it.”
Gavaskar warned the world that players may come to blows if personal abuse was not stopped immediately. “Those who are defending sledging are those who practice it,” said Gavaskar, taking a swipe at the Australians. Waugh said sledging was “misinterpreted” and there was a lot of “conjecture” about it. “My definition of sledging is when someone has been giving personal views in a one-on-one situation or a group of individuals against one person. I believe that is sledging,” he said.
He said Australians did not indulge in sledging and it was not acceptable in world cricket but it was being spoken about during the recent weeks too much.
Zaheer Gearing Up for Life After Srinath
Left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan says he is ready to take on the mantle of India’s main strike bowler from Javagal Srinath, who is expected to make a decision on his international future within the next two weeks.
Srinath, 33, opted out of a training camp for 36 Test probables due to a knee injury and is likely to miss the Test series against New Zealand.
“It’ll be a great honor to represent the country as the leading strike bowler,” Khan told reporters yesterday. “I’m ready if Srinath is unable to play but with responsibilities, the pressure and expectations are going to be high.”
Spinner Kumble Bats for His Tribe
Top Indian spinner Anil Kumble yesterday lashed out at critics for favoring batsmen more than bowlers, saying it was unfair to expect miracles from spinners in every match. “The media and everybody else is lenient when it comes to batsmen, but they expect instant results from spinners,” said the leg-spinner, only the second bowler after Englishman Jim Laker to grab 10 wickets in a Test innings.
Kumble, taking part in a physical fitness camp here for India’s probables, said spinners should be given a fair trial because they needed more time than batsmen to settle down. “Only then should they be judged whether they are good or not,” said India’s second-highest wicket-taker after Kapil Dev (434) with 349 victims in 76 Tests.
Hossain in Line to Play Against Pakistan
In Karachi, Mohammad Sanwar Hossain, who was reported for a suspect bowling action last month in Australia, is set to play for Bangladesh in the first Test against Pakistan starting tomorrow. Hossain, primarily a middle order batsman who bowls off-breaks, was reported by match officials for his action last month after the second Test against Australia in Cairns.
“He can give the team extra spin options in the Tests if they are played on slow tracks,” said Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore. Hossain was sent to a biomechanics expert in Brisbane with Whatmore and Bangladesh cricket officials said the Tests had shown he did not have a major defect in his bowling action.
“He is in contention to play in the Test given he is the only off-break bowler in the side and the pitch for the match looks a bit dry,” Whatmore added.
Under International Cricket Council (ICC) rules the 30-year-old, who has played eight Tests and 26 One-Day Internationals for his country, has two months to work on his action with his cricket board.
He can play international matches during this period, although if he is reported again in Pakistan he will face a lengthy procedure to get his bowling action cleared by the ICC bowling action review committee and would not be able to play during this period.
Afghanistan to Compete in Pakistan’s Cricket Season
Pakistan will include Afghanistan in its inter-district tournament for the third time to promote the development of the sport there, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said yesterday. “The Afghanistan Cricket Federation (ACF) requested us to allow their team to appear in one of our tournaments and we have included them in our non-first class inter-district tournament later this year,” it said.
“Afghanistan’s federation is trying hard to come up and as a friendly promotion we have allowed them entry for a third time,” PCB general manager Zakir Khan said. The Afghanistan Cricket Federation is trying to muster support from International Cricket Council (ICC) and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to develop the game.
