Steve Waugh urges Smith to keep his cool in Ashes
took a hat-trick against Australia in the ODI at Eden Gardens. “I tell him to toss his deliveries at the good length as it keeps the batsman guessing and makes things easier for a bowler like him.”
Kuldeep’s parents though will not attend the game, but watch on TV. “You may call it superstition but we feel our presence at the ground may divert Kuldeep or put extra pressure on him, if he gets to play in the final ODI,” father Ram Singh Yadav said.
“We have passes for the match and Kuldeep too has not told us anything, (but) we are doing this on our own.”
Kuldeep, who has taken nine wickets in two Tests, 19 wickets in 12 ODIS and five wickets in four T20IS, went for 64 runs in his 10 overs in the Mumbai ODI. Tom Latham (103*) and Ross Taylor (95) were ruthless with their sweep shots to set up a six-wicket win for the Kiwis.
“I don’t know about sweep shot or leg spin, but I know it’s just the beginning for him. He has a long way to go. When Kuldeep started playing, I never thought he would ever be playing for the country,” his father said.
HOME VISIT
Kuldeep rushed home after the India team landed in Kanpur Thursday evening and spend some time with his family. “He had food cooked at home by his mother and sisters. It was a family gathering. Neither did he talk about the game nor did we ask about it,” said a close family friend. “The excitement of playing before the home crowd was very much on his face; we are all anxiously waiting for that moment.” SYDNEY: Former Australia captain Steve Waugh has some advice for Steve Smith, urging the skipper to keep his cool during the upcoming Ashes series against England.
Australia will host rivals England in a five-test series, starting in Brisbane on November 23, as Smith and the hosts attempt to wrestle back the Urn.
It looms as Smith’s first Ashes as captain of Australia and all eyes will be on the star batsman, who is known for his emotional and fiery demeanour.
Waugh, however, wants the 28-year-old Smith to keep his emotions in check against Joe Root and the tourists. “The only advice I’d say for Steve this series is maybe not show so much emotion when you’re in the field,” Waugh – who enjoyed eight Test victories over England and two as captain – told cricket.com.au.
“The camera is always on you as a captain. If you’re negative in your body language or you’re KANPUR: Security guard Shambhu Lal (not his real name) at the Green Park stadium has been instructed not to let anyone approach the pitch for the third and final ODI between India and New Zealand on Sunday.
The guard was confused on Friday, left wondering why such officials have become so strict for the first time? In the last two days, he has been allowed to move away from the pitch only to attend to his basic needs.
‘Kya log ghadda khod denge pitch par, ya mitti utha kar le jayenge?’ (What, will someone dig up the pitch or take the mud away?) he asked an HT correspondent. When told that Pune curator Pandurang Salgaonkar was sacked on Wednesday following a TV sting that alleged he agreed to doctor the pitch to aid reporters posing as bookies, Shambhu laughed.
“So, this is the reason for such strict vigil? I have been guarding the pitch during international matches for many years and even I can predict how this pitch is going to behave, how many runs are going to be scored,” he said.
‘Itti se baat to cricket hostel ke students bata sakte hain, wo roz yahan khelte hain (This much can be predicted even by the cricket hostel trainees as they play on this pitch regularly)” said Shambhu.
Many connected with the ground and pitch work at Green Park felt Salgaonkar could have been trapped into a fixing controversy and nothing is unlikely to be proved legally.
HARD TO PROVE
“When there is no exchange or payment of money for the so-called predictions made by the curator on TV, you can’t say it is match-fixing. And if his predic- kicking the ground, it’s going to be magnified 100 times. The only thing I’d say to him is keep your emotions in check a bit more.”
Waugh continued: “I almost talked to myself when someone would drop a catch or the bowlers weren’t doing well. “You almost want to show something either verbally or physically but you knew that there’s every chance it tions were correct, then how did New Zealand get out for such a low total batting first after winning the toss,” asked an official of the BCCI ground and pitch committee, preferring anonymity.
India had to chase only a target of 231 to win in Pune and level the three-match series 1-1.
“Against a seasoned man like Pandurang, such an accusation is baseless. If the incident is true then bosses of the Maharashtra Cricket Association should also be suspended as they were responsible for security near the pitch. How can anyone (outsider) contact or discuss anything about the pitch with Pandurang inside the stadium if the security was there?”
In Kanpur, accreditation has been issued for the game to over 2300 persons. Of them, at least 100 persons have access to the pitch, players’ pavilion, match referee, umpires etc.
“For betting or satta, punters rely mainly on the lag of a few seconds between live action and the pictures being seen on TV. It’s common practice and despite our best efforts, we can’t have control over this,” an official of the local intelligence unit said.
We have passes for the match and Kuldeep too has not told us anything, (but) we are doing this on our own.
RAM YADAV, Kuldeep’s father When there is no exchange or payment of money for the socalled predictions made by the curator on TV, you can’t say it is matchfixing. OFFICIAL, on Pune pitch row
would be replayed on the big screen and the whole team will be watching five seconds later.
“It’s about staying in control, composed even if you’re a bit ruffled or the steam is coming out your ears. Don’t let anybody know that. You’ve always got to stay in charge because people look at you for guidance here, they look for you to lead the way.”