ICC

Mohammad Azharuddin: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Mohammad Azharuddin Questions Vinod Kambli’s Class

What he said:

"What Vinod is saying is absolutely rubbish! He must have been sleeping in the team meeting."

Former India skipper, Mohammad Azharuddin, rubbishes teammate Vinod Kambli’s allegations that the 1996 World Cup semifinal against Sri Lanka was fixed.

The match was forfeited by the home side due to crowd violence; the Indians were on the verge of a humiliating defeat.

Speaking to Star News, Kambli said:

I’ll never forget the match because my career ended after it. I was stunned by the decision to field.I was standing on one side and on the other end my fellow batsman was telling me that we would chase the target. However, soon after they quickly got out one by one. I don’t know what transpired.

Something was definitely amiss. However, I was not given a chance to speak and was dropped soon after. Our team manager at that time, Wadekar, was aware of everything.

Ajit Wadekar, the then team manager, contested Kambli’s version of transpired events, saying:

I did not even think there was anything suspicious in that loss. It was purely because we misread the wicket and were slightly overconfident after beating Pakistan in the quarterfinal.
Why did he wake up suddenly after 15 years? During my four-and-half year stint (with the national team), I used to frequently have dinner with Vinod. Had he told me about his suspicions then, I would have requested the board to probe the matter.

Wadekar added:

“During the team meeting, only (Navjot Singh) Sidhu and I felt the wicket would deteriorate and that we should bat first. However, a majority of the bunch felt a wicket couldn’t deteriorate much.”

Mohammad Azharuddin, speaking to CNN-IBN, defended his decision to bowl first:

We decided to field. It was discussed and a team decision. It was a collective decision. I don’t have any regrets, no reason to shy away from this. What Vinod is saying is absolutely rubbish! He must have been sleeping in the team meeting.

We wanted to field first and chase against Sri Lanka, wanted to do something different in the match. Very sad that people are questioning the decision. For Kambli to talk like this, it shows his class (pedigree).

Vinod Kambli on so many occasions has said that I was the best captain he has played under. It’s very annoying the way the statement was made.

The former India skipper’s fight against the life-ban handed out by the BCCI  in 2000 continues in the Hyderabad high court. Azhar’s cricketing career was cut short at 99 Test matches.

Azhar said:

"The match-fixing case is going on in the High Court. When my name is cleared, everybody will come to know the truth. I am not affected by the allegations. Kambli has made a fool of himself.”

What Azharuddin really meant:

“By way of explanation, we enjoyed a cosy dressing room atmosphere.”

What Azharuddin definitely didn’t:

“What kind of query is that? Sleepwalking through our innings?”

MS Dhoni: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

MS Dhoni Is A ‘Package’

What he said:

“I am more of a package than a specialist. I’m neither an extraordinary batsman nor a specialist keeper.”

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is abashed at being described as an “excellent package” by West Indian cricketing great, Jeffrey Dujon.

Dhoni said:

It’s a big compliment for me. I am more of a package than a specialist. I’m neither an extraordinary batsman nor a specialist keeper. It’s all about doing things right. It does not matter how you catch the ball, take the edges and affect stumpings. It’s important to score at that point of time when it’s really good for the side. I hope I will be a specialist one day.

What he really meant:

“Modesty’s my forename.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Fedex, same-day delivery?”

Lord Paul Condon: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Lord Paul Condon Has ‘Separate’ Plans For T20

What he said:

"You can either say T20 is such a crazy form of the game, you quarantine it.”

Lord Paul Condon, former head of the ICC’s anti-corruption unit, believes that the T20 format has engendered the growth of corruption in the sport.

Speaking to The Cricketer magazine, Condon said:

Probably the greatest trigger point (in the rise of corruption) was the explosion of T20.

The ‘anything goes’ party atmosphere allowed some really bad people back into the game. Some of the notorious fixers from early years started to re-emerge on the circuit in India, Pakistan, South Africa, Australia and the UK.

It almost legitimised the bad guys being back around cricket again, and fixers were even seen in promoters’ boxes and at matches. What up to then had been pretty tight and regulated, suddenly became a free-for-all.

Condon believes that players  felt that as long as they were not throwing a game, it was alright to spot-fix.

Condon said:

"I think the temptation was to do a little fix here and a little fix there and still win the match – and they were not seeing it as criminal."

In another interview to the London Evening Standard, the former Metropolitan police commissioner said:

I remember saying (at an ICC board meeting in 2008) you’ve got two choices.

You can either say T20 is such a crazy form of the game, you quarantine it. If current Test players go into that, they can’t come back to Test. But that would never work.

You’ve got to have a fit and proper regime, as you would with gambling, and a proper anti-corruption endeavour to monitor tournaments.

However, there was a lot of anger from the Indian representatives who said I had no right to suggest that. They felt I was challenging the legitimacy of the Indian Premier League.

Lord Condon urged present-day cricketers to aid the fight against corruption.

Condon said:

"In recent years, there’s been very little whistle-blowing from current players."

What Lord Condon really meant:

“I’m all for segregation—cricket-wise.”

What Lord Condon definitely didn’t:

“Would we need the ACU if not for T20?”

Rudi Koertzen: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Rudi Koertzen Questions Adam Gilchrist’s Walking Ability

What he said:

"Would he do that if it was a World Cup final and he was batting with a No. 11 and Australia needed one to win?"

Former Test umpire, Rudi Koertzen, advocates the use of Decision Review System (DRS), simultaneously commending “walkers”.

Koertzen said:

It will stop batsmen from blatant cheating and encourage them to walk. If he has edged it and the umpire misses it and the hot spot and TV replays suggest the batsman has nicked it, he will be caught out. I really respect players like Kumar Sangakkara and Sachin Tendulkar who walk the moment they think they have edged the ball.

Koertzen , though, would not endorse Adam Gilchrist, a known walker, preferring to sally back the aforesaid query.

What he really meant:

“I know I wouldn’t.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“I’d want to be the third umpire—in this scenario.”

Hugh Morris: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Hugh Morris Would Rather Players Not Monkey Around On Twitter

What he said:

“It is like giving a machine gun to a monkey. It can be fantastic or it can be an absolute disaster too.”

English cricket team’s managing director, Hugh Morris, believes that Twitter is for twats.

Morris was speaking at UK Sport’s world-class performance conference in London.

Morris said:

I kind of get Twitter… it’s a great medium for pushing out good messages when it is done really well.

When it’s done poorly it is a complete and utter nightmare for those of us trying to manage and lead teams.

The ECB boss’ comments will further spur debate as to whether sportspersons are best equipped to deal directly with fans and the media.

The immediacy of Twitter can be both a boon and a curse.

What he really meant:

“Twitteratti, Monkeyrazzi, it’s all the same to me.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Let’s take this debate online—tweet me @HughMorris.”

Rahul Dravid: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Rahul Dravid Is Ready For The IPL

What he said:

"I’m preparing for the IPL."

Rahul Dravid jokingly answers a query as to why and how he uncharacteristically slammed a couple of sixes in his 36th ton in the second Test at the Eden Gardens against the West Indies.

Dravid said:

For six weeks with your IPL team, you’re hitting shots all the time.But I don’t think it’s just that. Whenever I’ve been in good form in my career, everything seems to flow. I pick up the length better and get fully forward or back. It’s also about not missing out on the fours.

What he really meant:

“Isn’t that more believable?”

What he definitely didn’t:

“IPL is excellent preparation for the ardours of Test cricket.”

Kapil Dev: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Kapil Dev Bridges The Generation Gap

What he said:

"You can never compare a son with his father. The fathers never had the modern day gadgets that their sons are used to nowadays. Yet they worked tirelessly to get everything for their kids. That’s why it is unfair to compare two generations. But you always want your son to be better than you."

Kapil Dev cavils at comparing his generation of cricketers to the current one.

The former Indian captain was in Durban for the second edition of the World Cricket Legends.

Kapil called Dhoni’s boys “the best Indian team ever”.

Kapil said:

"When you have so many records, so much experience and have done so well, you can’t complain about anything at all."

The former all-rounder said that the next generation “will be better than the previous one”.

“If it is not then we aren’t moving forward as a society. If you at all have to compare, I would say this team is far better,” added Kapil.

What he really meant:

“The child is father of the man.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Gadgets R Us.”

Jeff Dujon: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Jeffrey Dujon Wants A Lively Pitch at Eden Gardens

What he said:

"At 80 years of age, he [the Eden Gardens curator] has got more life than this pitch."

Jeffrey Dujon, former West Indies wicketkeeper, is caustic about  the Eden Gardens wicket for the second Test at Kolkatta.

Prabir Mukherjee is the curator at Eden Gardens.

What he really meant:

“80+ Mukherjee could bat on this pitch.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Bend your backs, boys.”

Greg Matthews: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Greg Matthews Fumes Over Punches Not Thrown

What he said:

“One thing he got wrong was that he did not put one on Clarke when he should have.”

Former Australian off-spinner, Greg Matthews, opines on the spat between Australian opener Simon Katich and current skipper Michael Clarke.

Katich and Clarke were involved in an altercation in 2009 during which Katich grabbed Pup’s throat.

Cricket Australia have summoned Katich to a disciplinary hearing for claiming that Clarke was responsible for his Test sacking. Clarke denies the accusation.

Speaking to Foxsports, Matthews said:

"Can anyone truly, and I don’t care if the press are here or not, can anyone just truly say to me what did he get wrong?”

Matthews added:

If a guy speaks his mind, wouldn’t you rather hear what’s really going on in there, the way it really was?
Who would you rather go into war with? This cat (Katich) or Clarke? Or Andrew Symonds for that matter? Everyone forgets about Andrew Symonds getting flicked as well. Truth doesn’t happen in this game anymore.

Matthews feels that Katich would have made a better skipper:

"Pick this guy (Katich) as captain, get (Tim) Paine in as vice-captain I tell you what, we’d be doing a lot better than how we’re doing today."

The disciplinary hearing is scheduled for November 21, 2011. Katich is represented by sports lawyer, Darren Kane.

In related news, Australian radio broadcaster, Alan Jones, threw his voice behind the disgruntled opener.

Speaking to the Sun Herald, Jones said:

These people want robots. Cricket Australia don’t employ Simon Katich. What’s he guilty of? He’s guilty of having an opinion … There’s not one sporting person in Australia who would agree with what’s being done to Katich.

[Cricket Australia] could not justify dismissal on merit. Now, is he a bad example? Has he behaved badly? He’s a role model to all cricketers. His standards, his manner, his values and courtesy have shone and they’re the reasons why he was touted as a future Australian cricket captain and why he was brought from Perth to captain NSW.

And now he’s being presented as some sort of pariah. It won’t wash … Cricket Australia are playing with fire.

What Greg Matthews really meant:

“What’s a punch-up without a punch?”

What Greg Matthews definitely didn’t:

“Who’s punch-drunk?”

Mark Taylor: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

What he said:

“I thought I’d missed a whole day of my life.”

Mark Taylor wakes up to discover Team Australia in dire straits in the first Test at Cape Town.

Australia scored 284 in their first innings,then  bundled out the Proteas for 96 only to collapse for a paltry 47 in their second innings.

When Taylor went to bed, South Africa were 1-49 at lunch. Taylor was woken up by his phone ringing at 1:10 am (AUS time) to discover his home side 7 down for 21.

South Africa went on to clinch the Test scoring the required 236 in 50.2 overs.

What he really meant:

“What’s Test cricket come to when I can’t get a good night’s sleep?”

What he definitely didn’t:

“The Big Bash’s arrived in South Africa—early.”