|
|
|
| October 9, 2005 | Sunday | Ramzan 4, 1426 |
McGrath back for final game; Pietersen doubtful
MELBOURNE, Oct 8: Premier pace bowler Glenn McGrath is expected to be back for Australia in Sunday’s dead final Super Series one-day match against the World XI here. McGrath was rested from Saturday’s 55-run defeat of the world team with leg stiffness but captain Ricky Ponting said he would be fit for the third game in a series the Australians have already clinched after winning the first two contests by 93 and 55 runs.
Simon Katich, who has enjoyed a prolific scoring series as Matthew Hayden’s opening batting replacement with knocks of 58 and 47, is in doubt with a groin strain.
“He’s having treatment and it will be monitored tomorrow,” a team spokesman said on Saturday.
The World XI may be without England’s Ashes star Kevin Pietersen.
Pietersen pulled up in the field clutching his hamstring in the last over of Australia’s innings of 328 for four on Saturday and batted with a runner in the world’s reply of 273.
“Kevin’s got a slight strain,” World XI coach John Wright said on Saturday.
“He had a scan and we’ll make a decision tomorrow morning.”
Meanwhile, Wright defended the concept of the best cricket team versus the rest of the world in the face of two heavy one-day defeats by his team.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) invested heavily in the Super Series of three one-dayers and a Test match, pitting the best players in the world against the world’s top one-day and Test team Australia.
But the series has a huge credibility problem after the Australians whipped the World XI by 93 and 55 runs.
The two anti-climactic contests have prompted critics to forecast an end to future Super Series on the international cricket calendars.
New Zealander Wright, the former coach of India, said the Super Series offered a unique contest for international cricketers and he hoped the ICC would not dump it after Australia’s overpowering performances.
The one-day series goes to a dead rubber on Sunday with only pride on the line for the beaten world all-stars ahead of next week’s six-day Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Asked if the concept was in danger of being canned, Wright told reporters:
“I would personally hope not. It gives the players a wonderful opportunity to play together, I have seen that this week.
“The media will judge it on the results, but I have seen how much enjoyment the players have had, they enjoy meeting each other, discussing things and having a meal together.
“The losses are hard to take because we’ve got big pride, but I have seen a lot of enjoyment and interaction between the players, and from that point of view it’s been excellent.
“Some of the cricket we saw yesterday was outstanding, so it does give a platform for something a bit unique and a bit different, as long as it is not overdone, say hold it every four years.”
Critics have claimed a lack of passion in the world team against an Australian team that have shown they were hungry to hit back after the immense fall-out at home from their Ashes loss to England.
“The passion is there. Because of who they are and where they’ve come from and the team meetings we’ve had, the (passion) is certainly there,” Wright said.
“It’s that same old empty feeling that you do experience when you don’t come out at the right end of the game, so the big thing is tomorrow’s match is important because the challenge of the series has gone and you will be able to judge us from that point of view. We can’t drop off that easily.”
Apart from Kumar Sangakkara, Chris Gayle and Andrew Flintoff with the bat and spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Daniel Vettori, the collective world team has been desperately disappointing, with a lack of cohesion and player responsibilities within the team.
“You speak realistically, honestly. We came here to win cricket matches and we don’t like to lose cricket matches, no matter who it is, particularly when it’s a big event,” Wright said.
“It is utterly no sense of being a junket. There is too much professionalism in this team.
“These guys are professional and as far as I am concerned I’ll back them from that point of view. We just need a couple of big performances.”
Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds said the widespread criticism of the Australian’s team’s Ashes performance had stung the players to hit back on the field.
“We’re a proud side, we don’t like to be beaten. Some of the things that have been written have stirred the boys up to the betterment of the team,” Symonds told reporters.
“We’ve reacted pretty well to the way people have looked at us.
“The Test players looked like it (Ashes defeat) had soaked in and they had all thought about it and it was time to do something about it, and get chests out again.
“It was a case of don’t be ashamed of what happened and let’s learn from it and use it as our next challenge.”—AFP
|
|
|
|
