SYDNEY, 16 September 2005 — Australian coach John Buchanan has called for a full review of Australia’s Ashes defeat after captain Ricky Ponting admitted his team had lost their ruthless edge.
Buchanan, whose own position is under threat following the 2-1 series loss to England, said it was obvious changes were needed and no one should be exempt from the review.
“Everything has to be reviewed. There’s no doubt about that,” he told reporters at Brisbane airport yesterday. “Success or non-success, you’re always trying to work out how you can improve things.” Buchanan said he hoped to remain in charge despite growing calls for his sacking.
“I’m keen to continue but I’m part of the mix as well so it’s not really up to me to venture into that debate,” he said. “So my position should not be exempt from that, just the same as everybody else in Cricket Australia.
“That’s all part of the territory, if you win, as we see with England, (there are) lots of tumultuous celebrations and accolades, and if you lose everyone looks for reasons why.” Ponting’s leadership has also come under fire with former Test bowler Dennis Lillee urging selectors to give the captaincy to Shane Warne.
Akram Says England Should Apologize Over 1992 Reverse Swing Jibes
In Karachi, Pakistan Bowling Great Wasim Akram says England should apologize for accusing his team of cheating in 1992 when they used the reverse swing — the same action which helped England win the Ashes.
“England owe us an apology in a big way,” Akram told AFP.
“When we did the reverse swing against England in 1992, they were great moaners and groaners of the world, they termed it as cheating. And now when they achieved an Ashes win through reverse swing, it’s an art,” Akram said.
Akram, Pakistan’s best left-arm seamer, and his pace partner Waqar Younis shattered England by causing a reverse swing in the ball during a 1992 tour, helping Pakistan to a 2-1 win. England’s tabloid press accused the pair, who took 41 wickets between them, of cheating and ball tampering. But England used the same technique to demolish the much-touted Australian batting and dethrone Australia as Ashes champions after a hard-fought 2-1 series which ended Monday.
“Now English bowlers know it, it’s the art of reverse swing. Still, I am happy that they have finally realized the importance of reverse swing,” Akram said late Wednesday.
Akram, who has taken 414 Test and a world record of 502 one-day wickets in his career, said Pakistani bowlers should be given credit for the reverse swing. “This art has spread only because of Pakistani bowlers,” he said.
“Imran Khan taught me how to reverse swing the ball, I told Younis and we mastered it,” he said. He said English all-rounder Andrew Flintoff learnt a lot from him while they both played county cricket for Lancashire in the late 1990s. “He learnt how to hide the shine and he did that during the Ashes,” he said.
Injured Gibbs Out of World XI
In Durban, injury will force Herschelle Gibbs to withdraw from the World XI to play Australia next month, a South African website reported yesterday.
The opening batsman has been named in the squad that will challenge world champions Australian in one-day matches in Melborne on Oct. 5, 7 and 9 in the inaugural Super Series.
Gibbs told News24 he hurt his right knee on South Africa’s tour of the West Indies in April and subsequently aggravated the problem while playing for English club Lashings.
“I am withdrawing from the World XI side,” the website quoted Gibbs as saying. “I have just told the manager Goolam Rajah (who is also the South African team’s manager) that I won’t be able to play.
