Reporting from unique WACA an honour

McGrath’s fearsome spells live on in Perth, Hinds congratulates teammate and UAE century-maker Shaiman

All Australian cricket venues have an aura attached to them because they are so steeped in history. And Perth’s Western Australia Cricket Ground, commonly known as the WACA, doesn’t disappoint.

For many it is also a ground that can evoke fear, especially batsmen who do not relish playing pace bowling.

From the moment you walk in, everything here reminds you of fast bowling. This is the home ground of the legendary pacer Dennis Lillee and a pitch regularly used by Glenn McGrath and Mitchell Johnson to destroy opponents.

However, the bowling displays that remain at the front of everyone’s minds are those of McGrath. In 2000, he took a hat-trick against the West Indies, with one of his wickets being Brian Lara. He also produced figures of eight for 24 against Pakistan. Though McGrath has retired from cricket, the fear he had unleashed on lingers on.

The WACA is not like a modern stadium with a massive pavilion and, for anyone who is looking for luxury, it could be uncomfortable.

Similarities

this ground

The seating here is similar to Abu Dhabi’s Shaikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, with mainly grass mounds and not much shade for spectators from the blazing sun. The main stand looks like a temporary one and, despite being one of the greatest venues in world cricket, it has a capacity of only around 24,000.

I consider myself fortunate to be able to report from the WACA because very soon this venue will not be hosting big matches, as a new stadium in Burswood with a capacity of 60,000 is expected to be completed by 2018.

Meanwhile, as soon as I tweeted about UAE player Shaiman Anwar being given a free holiday by his employer Neeraj Ramamoorthy, not only was it retweeted by many, but West Indies’ former Test star Ryan Hinds, who plays alongside Shaiman for the Wings SRT Club in UAE’s domestic tournaments, messaged to Gulf News : “Congrats Shaiman, I always believed he has the ability to perform on the international stage.”