Steve Waugh gets Indians' message

Apparently shocked by a spate of harsh criticism from Indian cricket fans, Australian captain Steve Waugh seems to have decided to keep his views on the ongoing ball tampering controversy in his heart.

The rare circumspective side of Waugh could be judged by his latest comments on the controversy involving penalisation of six Indian cricketers, including ace batsman Sachin Tendulkar for alleged ball tampering, made at a press conference after the drawn second Test between Australia and New Zealand.

"It is none of our business what goes on as long as we play good cricket," Waugh, who recently got a mega sponsorship from an Indian tyre manufacturer, said about the controversy that is threatening to snowball into the worst crisis ever in Test cricket history.

"We go out to play cricket as best we can and the administrators are there to do the administering," said Waugh, who also enjoys a vast following in India for his on and off the field achievements.

Waugh was among the first to express his opinion after word came of the penalties by match referee Mike Denness against six Indian cricketers for the second Test between India and South Africa at Port Elizabeth.

Waugh is also trying to distance himself from his earlier comments that drew an angry response from Indian cricket enthusiasts. "It is part of my job and responsibilities that you have to have opinions on things.

"You guys fairly reported what I said, but somewhere between here and India the message got lost and it is a huge issue and no one is a winner."

India is facing suspension from the International Cricket Council for its insistence on including Virender Sehwag in the squad for the Test against England at Mohali December 3.

Sehwag was given a one-match suspension by Denness for excessive appealing in the second Test at Port Elizabeth. The Indian cricket board excluded Sehwag from the ongoing third "Test" against South Africa at Centurian Park. But the ICC does not recognise the match, as Denness was removed as match referee.

Waugh had fuelled the Indian anger on the eve of the Hobart Test saying: "If he's (Tendulkar) picked the seam, then he's got to pay the penalty, just like everyone else.

"There shouldn't be any favours just because of your reputation and the way you play the game. If you do something wrong you've got to get pulled up for it."

Waugh went on to say Tendulkar's suspended ban by former English captain Mike Denness was more of a warning than a penalty asking for stricter punishments for those who alter the state of ball or indulge in other such on-field activities.

The utterances were followed by some sharp criticism in India, with captian Sourav Ganguly, also penalised for excessive appealing by Denness, going to the extent of asking Waugh to "shut up."

Waugh was joined by his New Zealand counterpart Stephen Fleming Monday as he admitted it was frustrating to see the bureaucratic bungling which has surrounded the ongoing unofficial match between South Africa and India.

But unlike Waugh, Fleming was guarded in his comments on the crisis triggered by the Indians' penalties and subsequent "anarchy" over Denness' "sacking" as the match referee for the Pretoria Test.

Fleming has not named anyone and also not criticised any individual for the crisis that may even lead to a split in international cricket.

Fleming was at pains to emphasise his point that while teams like New Zealand and Australia endeavour to play positive, attacking cricket; administrators often play foul by their actions.

"It is frustrating and you've got to say, as holders of international cricket, that we are concerned," said Fleming. "We attempt to play positive cricket. That's all that we can do, as ambassadors of the game."

The Mike Denness controversy

--Indo-Asian News Service

Mail Cricket Editor