September 03, 2008	Wednesday	Ramazan 2, 1429

NEW DELHI, Sept 2: Pakistan’s great all-rounder Wasim Akram on Tuesday backed Cricket Australia’s (CA) move to send all-rounder Andrew Symonmds back home on disciplinary grounds.

Refuting suggestions that CA’s move was a bit harsh, the Pakistan pace legend told newsmen that the incident was a pointer for cricket administrators in the subcontinent who, Wasim suggested, often followed double standards on disciplinary issues. “You think the decision is harsh because Symonds went fishing,” Wasim said. “But that is why Australia is Australia. You need a certain level of commitment to maintain excellence. Team ethics are a must. In the subcontinent, players miss games and are not even punished.”

According to CA officials, who penalised the volatile all-rounder within 24 hours, Symonds can’t even appeal against the decision. Contrast this with the state of affairs in the Pakistan Cricket Board, where Shoaib Akhtar continues to be eligible for selection in spite of a long list of misdemeanours and an avowed disdain for maintaining fitness standards. The BCCI, too, has often been lax, with the Harbhajan Singh case following the Sydney Test fracas, and Sree Santh’s repeatedly boorish on-field behaviour, still fresh in memory.

Wasim, here as part of a Cradle Sports initiative to organize a Delhi and District Cricket Association-affiliated schools cricket league and skills camp, added: “You might think going fishing and skipping a team meeting would not merit such stern action, but it’s also in a way essential because you come to realise the seriousness of what you are doing. Here (in the subcontinent), you can get away... nothing happens. People having disciplinary issues keep playing, the boards here keep delaying action. It’s good Australia have maintained high standards of discipline.”

Wasim, though, is not a fan of Australia’s grassroots cricket schemes. “I don’t know why we keep Australia as the benchmark,” he said, “We have to get over the Aussie culture. Cricket and talent thrives here, in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and we have our own coaching methods which we must develop. Only we can teach our youngsters how to swing the ball on slow tracks, they can’t.”—Agencies