Say what you will about their character or the legality of their bowling actions but Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Asif do seem to be making a difference to the Australian team. While the two struggle to make in time for the World Cup, there are many who are trying their best they don’t! And what business Andrew Symonds and Matthew Hayden have addressing this issue is anyone’s guess! Perhaps just because they are Australian, they think they can talk about anything.
So Symonds has shot his mouth off with complete disregard to the orders he has been given by Cricket Australia. “We’ve been told to be very tightlipped. But put it this way: imagine if it was one of us. Imagine if it was Matty Hayden or someone else. Imagine what the world would say. I’ll leave it at that,” he said. Okay Symmo. For your benefit, tightlipped means stay quiet. Purse the lips so tight that no sound escapes… especially words!
It amuses me no end that for a team in a bit of strife, Australia continue to lord over the others. Sure they are defending the title, but for an injured player who may not play the first month of the tournament, that’s a lot of talk! For the pace duo, though, there is opposition from within Pakistan too. Javed Miandad, the ever-opinionated, has suggested that Pakistan forget about the two pacers and continue with their campaign. Fair suggestion and one that may benefit the Pakistan team.
By the way, did we tell you what Hayden has to say about the affair? Mind you he’s being tight lipped: “It’s a laughable point among our players because we’ve worked very hard to be clean athletes. It’s ludicrous and it’s not fair.” To be honest to Australia, they did keep Shane Warne away when he tested positive and Hayden’s pointed comment unconsciously includes Warne in the list of ‘unclean athletes’!
Speaking of Shane Warne, Imran Khan has raised a cry for him to be included in the Australian side. “Had I been the captain of Australia, I would have asked Warne to be there for the World Cup,” Imran said. “I would have told him to forget the retirement thing. He fits very well in the one-day side considering the situation.” With or without a drugs test, Mr Khan?
The view from the Pakistan team about the two pacers is interesting. Captain Inzamam ul-Haq seems to think they are injured. Serious! He said he was “hopeful about them becoming fit enough before the World Cup”. Fit? Don’t you mean clean? Maybe he should chat a bit with Symonds and Hayden!