LONDON, 21 July 2005 — Australia captain Ricky Ponting and his England counterpart Michael Vaughan have agreed to try and stop referrals of disputed catches to the third umpire during the Ashes series starting at Lord’s today.
Ponting and Vaughan met match referee Ranjan Madugalle yesterday to discuss the Australian proposal that the two on-field umpires accept a fielder’s word that he has made fair catch.
“I have just walked out of the referee’s meeting 10 minutes ago and had a chat with Michael about that,” Ponting told a news conference. “(We) will ask the fielder if he has caught it and it will be left to the umpire to make the decision.”
Ponting said he wanted to get away from the situation where disputed catches were referred to the third umpire.
He said the technology involved in television replays was not good enough to enable the extra official to make a definite decision and accordingly batsmen were usually given the benefit of the doubt.
“I think there have only been one or two ever in the history of referrals that have been given out,” he said. “So what I want to do is take it out of the hands of the third umpire and put the onus back on the player and the fielding captain to make a decision.”
Pakistan’s Aleem Dar and South African Rudi Koertzen will umpire the Lord’s Test. England’s Mark Benson is the third umpire.
Australia were scheduled to hold an optional practice yesterday but will not name their team until today morning.
“We have got some conditions to take into account and I haven’t had a chance to look at the wicket yet,” he said.
Fast bowler Jason Gillespie, who has struggled throughout the tour so far, did not practice on Tuesday because of knee problems. He also said the choice of the third paceman was not necessarily between the incumbent Michael Kasprowicz and Brett Lee, who has not played for his country since January last year but who bowled impressively quick with late out-swing during the two one-day series. “We have five fast bowlers and only three spots. Shaun Tait has been bowling pretty well,” he said. Australia have not lost at the home of cricket since 1934, a record Ponting has every intention of maintaining.
“I have never lost a game of cricket at Lord’s in all the games I have played in, whether it has been a one-day or a Test match,” he said.
“All the guys have great memories, it’s almost a second home for us.”
Asked if he agreed with Glenn McGrath’s assertion that Australia could take the series 5-0, Ponting did not hesitate.
“There’s no reason why we can’t,” he said. “If we play as well as we can then that result is possible.”
West Indies Meet Pakistan in
2007 World Cup Opener
Hosts West Indies will begin the 2007 World Cup by playing Pakistan in a Pool 4 encounter at the newly-renovated Sabina Park ground in Kingston, Jamaica on March 13.
Top seeds Australia start the defense of their trophy one-day later with a Pool 1 match against Scotland in St. Kitts and Nevis.
Australia and Scotland are joined in Pool 1 by fifth-seeded South Africa and the Netherlands.
Zimbabwe and Ireland play alongside sixth-seeded West Indies and fourth seeds Pakistan in Pool 4.
Second-seeded Sri Lanka, number eight seeds India, Bangladesh and Bermuda contest Pool 2 in Trinidad and Tobago while third-seeded New Zealand, seventh seeds England, Kenya and Canada contest Pool 3 in St. Lucia.
The first two teams in each pool go through to the second-round Super Eight series where each side plays six matches.
The semifinals will be held in Jamaica and St. Lucia before the final takes place in Barbados on April 28.
2007 Cricket World Cup Fixture:
POOL 1 (St. Kitts & Nevis):
Australia South Africa; Scotland; Netherlands.
Wednesday March 14: Australia vs. Scotland; Friday March 16: South Africa vs. Netherlands; Sunday March 18: Australia vs. Netherlands; Tuesday March 20: South Africa vs. Scotland; Thursday March 22: Scotland vs. Netherlands; Saturday March 24: Australia vs. South Africa.
POOL 2 (Trinidad & Tobago):
Sri Lanka; India; Bangladesh; Bermuda.
Thursday March 15: Sri Lanka vs. Bermuda; Saturday March 17: India vs. Bangladesh; Monday March 19: India vs. Bermuda; Wednesday March 21: Sri Lanka vs. Bangladesh; Friday March 23 India vs. Sri Lanka; Sunday March 25: Bermuda vs. Bangladesh.
POOL 3 (St. Lucia):
New Zealand; England; Kenya; Canada.
Wednesday March 14: Kenya vs. Canada; Friday March 16: England vs. New Zealand; Sunday March 18: England vs. Canada; Tuesday March 20: New Zealand vs. Kenya; Thursday March 22: New Zealand vs. Canada; Saturday March 24: England vs. Kenya.
POOL 4 (Jamaica):
Pakistan; West Indies; Zimbabwe; Ireland.
Tuesday March 13: West Indies vs. Pakistan; Thursday March 15: Zimbabwe vs. Ireland; Saturday March 17: Pakistan vs. Ireland; Monday March 19: West Indies vs. Zimbabwe; Wednesday March 21: Zimbabwe vs. Pakistan; Friday March 23: West Indies vs. Ireland.
Super Eight Stage
Tuesday March 27 - Sunday April 22: Antigua & Barbuda Grenada Guyana Barbados.
Semifinals:
Semifinal 1 Jamaica Tuesday April 24; Semifinal 2 St. Lucia Wednesday April 25.
Saturday April 28 Final - Barbados
