Steve Waugh on BD: "You're really seeing the birth of a cricketing nation."

Ahmed_B · #1 April 13, 2006, 03:04 PM

Waugh says heavy schedule backfired
By Jon Pierik
April 14, 2006
CRICKET great Steve Waugh says Australia's cramped schedule had backfired as the world champions escaped with a three-wicket win over minnows Bangladesh yesterday.

Australia is at the end of an almost continuous run of tours stretching back to its India campaign in mid-2004 - including two domestic summers, a New Zealand tour, the Ashes, a tour of South Africa and Bangladesh.

Australia - who was expected to cruise the first Test in Dhaka - looked exhausted, with Brett Lee conceding they were "running on fumes".

"I think they thought they would knock them over," Waugh said yesterday. "There's no way you'd play five Tests in a row against any nation. It's physically and mentally exhausting.

"You wouldn't do that against anyone and it's backfired on them.

"Mentally it's such a tough ask, to travel and just have a few days break between that last Test in South Africa.

"That was a really tough Test match. It usually takes a week to get over a game like that.

"Our guys just look tired. They weren't with it on the first day. It's the worst they've played in a long time."

Waugh spoke after Australian Cricketers' Association boss Paul Marsh said the tight, money-driven schedule had made the players "ships to go out there and earn money".

Marsh is heavily involved in the scheduling but his thoughts were at odds with ACA president, Ian Healy.

"It's a fact scheduling is going to be tight. Players want short tours so they can have more of them," Healy said.

Former Test bat Dean Jones called Australia "arrogant" for the whistle-stop itinerary.

But Waugh hopes that Bangladesh's performance - the lowest-ranked Test nation had won only one Test from 41 before this series - will be a turning point in their short history.

"The positive to come out of it has been Bangladesh," he said. "It's been great for them. They'll get so much confidence out of a performance like that. It could well be the turning point for cricket in that country.

"I think those positives outweigh the negatives for us. This will strengthen world cricket. You're really seeing the birth of a cricketing nation."

Former Test paceman Rodney Hogg said Ponting should be now known as the "little master" after his match-winning undefeated century - the 31st of his career.

"Bradman was the little master. I think you can start calling Ponting the little master of the new century."
The second Test begins in Chittagong on Sunday.

Herald Sun
Link: http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0...-23212,00.html

Tigers_eye · #2 April 13, 2006, 03:17 PM

Ponting should be called the "little arrogant master". I am all for it.

Can't have enough of Steve W. If it wasn't for Border (Selector, protecting his record) He would have shattered Borders record and challenged Tendu (in total run scored at the end of their careers). He is the man and in a class on his own. Even when we toured australia he (then the captain of the Australian team) was the one saying Bd played better than many other test nations (AKA W Indies and Pakistan). That was our first ever tour to Australia.

Not a single word (praise for BD's performance) from Ponting yet. All we hear is sheduling, traveling excuses etc. If you are so tired then why go to golf course and pull out your drivers? Go to bed, and take rest you sissy!!

Shaan · #3 April 13, 2006, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cats_eye
Ponting should be called the "little arrogant master". I am all for it.

Can't have enough of Steve W. If it wasn't for Border (Selector, protecting his record) He would have shattered Borders record and challenged Tendu (in total run scored at the end of their careers). He is the man and in a class on his own. Even when we toured australia he (then the captain of the Australian team) was the one saying Bd played better than many other test nations (AKA W Indies and Pakistan). That was our first ever tour to Australia.

Not a single word (praise for BD's performance) from Ponting yet. All we hear is sheduling, traveling excuses etc. If you are so tired then why go to golf course and pull out your drivers? Go to bed, and take rest you sissy!!

well said man, I totally agree with your opinion

mshakir56 · #4 April 13, 2006, 04:27 PM

Ponting things he is all that, with that groomy simle on his face all the time. Doesn't matter if he loose or win, he still has that smile.

Carte Blanche · #5 April 13, 2006, 04:53 PM

In case you didn't notice, Ponting is all that. Who stole the game away from us? Who averaged 76 in the last 10 matches? Who takes brilliant catches, hits the stumps regularly, and leads his team by example? That's right. Punter does it all. He may not be perfect, but he is not a blowhard. He does know how to walk the talk.

TheWatcher · #6 April 13, 2006, 05:39 PM

I am kind a hoping results in this series will finally convince NZ to host us in December.

But first, our players have to realize that they have still things to prove in this series. If we don't put up good fights in subsequent matches, people will remember this match as nothing but a fatigued Aussie team was given a scare by the minnows.

Cricket46 · #7 April 13, 2006, 06:23 PM

I agree with "The Watcher". I know we cannot repeat the first test performance, but we need to put up a decent show in the next test and the ODIs. Because, they are going to come out strong at us.

Ahmed_B · #8 April 13, 2006, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheWatcher
I am kind a hoping results in this series will finally convince NZ to host us in December...

There is nothing to convince them. It's not like India's refusal to invite BD on home series. Actually.. the NZ series is not there anymore in the Revised FTP of ICC. So NZ has nothing to do about it and we cannot arrange a Test series just by ourselves when it is not in ICC's FTP.

Spitfire_x86 · #9 April 14, 2006, 01:40 AM

I still think we need to play a test series before world cup. So many months without test cricket would be bad. We should try to arrange at least one 2 match test series (it doesn't matter whether we get an ODI series with it). The planned 7 match home ODI series against Zimbabwe is not a good idea at all. We have to host them in 2007 anyway. And they had a full series with us last year and we're going to play a 5 match ODI series in their home this year. So nobody can say that we're not playing enough with Zimbabwe.

layperson · #10 April 14, 2006, 02:09 AM

i believe the more games we play against zimbabwe before the world cup the more confidence we will gain .... i think the performance against aussies in the first test is a direct result of our whitewash against kenya .... players nd ppl in general perform better nd more to their ability if they r confident ..... if they r nervous then half the battle is lost ..... so i m all for playing more ODI's against zim b4 world cup this will only be good for us ... inshAllah then our world cup result willl be more than our expectations....

PoorFan · #11 April 14, 2006, 04:06 AM

Quote:

"The positive to come out of it has been Bangladesh," he said. "It's been great for them. They'll get so much confidence out of a performance like that. It could well be the turning point for cricket in that country.

To prove Mr. Steve Waugh right and show respect to him, BD have no choice but to perform well in next test too. I know BD may not perform sa good as 1st test, but definitely should not play something laughable ( huge defeat or innings defeat ). Otherwise whatever respect we earned from the world in this test, will disappear in no time.