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Delaying tactics didn't cost Aus win: Waugh
Steve Waugh does not subscribe to his successor Ponting's claim that England's delaying tactics in the first Ashes Test cost the visitors a win in Cardiff.
- Press Trust of India
- Updated: July 15, 2009 08:58 AM IST
Read Time:2 min
London:
Ponting was furious after England's last pair of James Anderson and Monty Panesar batted out the last 40 minutes, punctuated by the surprise visits of England physio Steve McCaig and 12th man Bilal Shafayat. Ponting was convinced that England indulged in delaying tactics which robbed Australia of valuable time but Waugh felt otherwise.
"I think the physio and the 12th man were a bit embarrassed about what happened," said Waugh, England's familiar Ashes nemesis and a champion of the mental disintegration theory.
"But it was only a minute out of 30 hours of the game so at the end of the day it didn't affect the result of the match," Waugh was quoted as saying by 'The Guardian'.
"They should celebrate the fact that it was a great draw.
Of course, in the last couple of hours there are going to be a lot of things that are going to happen. There were decisions made that probably some guys would love to turn back," added the former Australian captain, here to attend the MCC's world cricket committee meeting that concluded on Tuesday.
Even though media here and in Australia have not stopped ranting about the incident, Waugh felt dust would settle down once the second Test gets underway at Lord's from Thursday.
"I was just glad I wasn't there to answer the questions," he quipped.
"I can see both points of view. There was obviously a lot of emotion and people were going to say things after the match. But right now, come the first morning of the Lord's Test, they're going to be focused on what they can do in this game. It's history now. And it was only a small, tiny speck of the game.
"The last day was a great advert for Test-match cricket.
Some of the cricket before that probably wasn't the greatest, but it culminated in a final day when you couldn't turn the TV. That's what Test-match cricket is all about," added Waugh.
Former Australia captain Steve Waugh does not subscribe to his successor Ricky Ponting's claim that England's delaying tactics in the first Ashes Test cost the visitors a win in Cardiff.Ponting was furious after England's last pair of James Anderson and Monty Panesar batted out the last 40 minutes, punctuated by the surprise visits of England physio Steve McCaig and 12th man Bilal Shafayat. Ponting was convinced that England indulged in delaying tactics which robbed Australia of valuable time but Waugh felt otherwise.
"I think the physio and the 12th man were a bit embarrassed about what happened," said Waugh, England's familiar Ashes nemesis and a champion of the mental disintegration theory.
"But it was only a minute out of 30 hours of the game so at the end of the day it didn't affect the result of the match," Waugh was quoted as saying by 'The Guardian'.
"They should celebrate the fact that it was a great draw.
Of course, in the last couple of hours there are going to be a lot of things that are going to happen. There were decisions made that probably some guys would love to turn back," added the former Australian captain, here to attend the MCC's world cricket committee meeting that concluded on Tuesday.
Even though media here and in Australia have not stopped ranting about the incident, Waugh felt dust would settle down once the second Test gets underway at Lord's from Thursday.
"I was just glad I wasn't there to answer the questions," he quipped.
"I can see both points of view. There was obviously a lot of emotion and people were going to say things after the match. But right now, come the first morning of the Lord's Test, they're going to be focused on what they can do in this game. It's history now. And it was only a small, tiny speck of the game.
"The last day was a great advert for Test-match cricket.
Some of the cricket before that probably wasn't the greatest, but it culminated in a final day when you couldn't turn the TV. That's what Test-match cricket is all about," added Waugh.
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