Melbourne, Aug 25 (ANI): Chairman of Australian selectors, Andrew Hilditch, has rejected criticism for not playing spinner Nathan Hauritz in the fifth Ashes Test, and said that Australia lost the Test because they got 160 in the first innings.
Hilditch admitted that his panel was “gutted” by Australia’s 2-1 Ashes loss to England.
He said the Australian team’s failure to prevail in big moments ultimately derailed its Ashes campaign, but did not expect players or selectors’ heads to roll as a result.
The national selectors – Hilditch, David Boon, Merv Hughes and Jamie Cox – were under fire, with a host of former players saying they had erred in choosing an all-pace attack for The Oval.
But Hilditch said it was simply a matter of misreading the pitch. “We read it as a wicket that was looking like a road, which was the assessment of everybody,” he said.
“We thought it was a wicket that would suit the four fast bowlers that played at Headingley and it was a reluctance to change a winning side from the fourth Test. It would be an over simplification to say that is the reason we lost the Test. We lost the Test because we got 160 in the first innings,” The Herald Sun quoted him, as saying.
“Obviously the selector on duty has a big role in assessing wicket conditions, but in the end we all communicate and made the decision. Jamie Cox was the selector on duty but everybody misread the wicket – captain and coach included. That just happens from time to time,” Hilditch added.
Ponting agreed that “we probably got that wrong. Not before the game, we thought we were picking the right attack for the conditions that we saw. But in hindsight, a specialist spinner would have been pretty handy out there.”
Spin legend Shane Warne said that “everyone should be under the microscope” and that “someone would have to take the rap” for Hauritz not playing at The Oval.
“To win a Test match you’ve got to take 20 wickets and Hauritz would have made a difference on this wicket. England wouldn’t have made 330 in the first innings,” he added.
Former Australian captain Ian Chappell said the selectors needed to remember to “pick a team for five days, not just the first one.” (ANI)
Symonds fined 4000 dollars for McCullum radio rant
Melbourne, Jan.29 (ANI): Controversial Australian all rounder Andrew Symonds was fined 4000 dollars on Thursday for his alcohol-fuelled weekend radio rant against Kiwi wicket-keeper batsman and New South Wales Twenty20 player Brendon McCullum.
A Cricket Australia (CA) code of conduct commission hearing today upheld a charge that Symonds had breached the CA code of behaviour relating to detrimental public comment. Symonds pleaded guilty, the Courier Mail reported.
Code of conduct senior commissioner Gordon Lewis issued the fine after CA reported Symonds for the breach following an FM radio interview in which Symonds made a “lump of shit” comment about McCullum.
On Wednesday, Symonds opted to travel to Melbourne to face Cricket Australia’s disciplinary hearing in connection with his “lump of shit ” radio jibe at McCullum.
According to The Age, Symonds was originally set to give evidence via a phone hook-up in order to stay and train in Brisbane in preparation for his comeback match for Queensland against Western Australia on Friday.
But with an important Cricket Australia board meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, looming as pivotal in his hopes of making a Test return for next month”s South African tour, Symonds said he would make a rushed trip south.
Symonds” manager Matt Fearon indicated an extra training session was hastily planned with Bulls coach Trevor Barsby to ensure he was properly prepared for his return from knee surgery against Western Australia at the Gabba.
“He was keen to obviously fulfill all the training commitments he could at this point so that was the only concern,” Fearon said on Wednesday.
“But he”s worked with Trevor Barsby in picking up some additional training that he would have missed.
“Obviously the primary importance is to be at the hearing.”
Australian Cricket Association legal counsel Michael Abrahams represented Symonds. The code of behavior hearing is only the first, and arguably least threatening, of three successive tests of his touring worth.
Despite a controversial history, Symonds” charge is his first under CA”s code of behaviour which is set to save him from a suspension.
The most worrying test, hot on the heels of the Gabba Shield clash, will be Tuesday”s CA board meeting as directors debate the dreadlocked swashbuckler”s future.
Symonds is understood to have strong supporters and detractors alike on the board, which may send him into another period of counselling and rehabilitation after his latest in a string of off-field dramas.
Former Test captain Ian Chappell has warned against including him in the South African tour party, believing Symonds would be a major distraction.
But his psychologist, Deidre Anderson, who helped Ian Thorpe reach his decision to retire from swimming, said Symonds was ready to overcome his problems and return to peak form.
Support was also coming from Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke who said he”d been in contact with Symonds and endorsed skipper Ricky Ponting”s desire to have the all-rounder back in the team.
“As Ricky said (we are) looking forward to him coming back,” said Clarke.
“As we”ve all made clear we love having Symo in the team. He”s a wonderful player, he”s a fantastic guy but at the moment he”s got a few things on. As players, it”s important we leave it to Cricket Australia,” he added.(ANI)