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CRICKET ROADSHOWS
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Week 1 Review - 12 May, Canterbury
Wasim denies rift as 2001 Roadshows get underway |
Pakistan all-rounder Wasim Akram played down the supposed on-going feud between himself and new skipper Waqar Younis, blaming media hype for the continuing publicity surrounding their relationship.
"It has definitely been exaggerated," he told presenter Sybil Ruscoe as C4's Cricket Roadshow returned to the screens at Kent's sun-drenched St Lawrence Ground on Saturday.
"We are cool, we are fine," a relaxed Wasim said. "We are both playing for Pakistan cricket team and we really gel well together. I'm going to work hard for the captain, whoever he is."
Waqar was unable to comment after a sore throat confined him to his hotel room, but he is expected to be fully fit in time for Thursday's opening Test against England at Lord's.
Less certain is the match-fitness of Shoaib Akhtar following his lengthy lay-off, but Wasim said any doubts about the legality of his re-modelled action were wide of the mark.
"He has modified his action and it's perfect now. The ICC have seen it, the umpires have seen it, so everything is okay for him."
England also have fitness concerns for Lord's with Matthew Hoggard and Ashley Giles
definitely ruled out, but captain Nasser Hussain - who also appeared on Cricket Roadshow - gave little away in terms of likely personnel.
He told co-presenter Mark Nicholas: "The side pretty much picks itself at the moment but we're looking for the seventh batter; that's a key area."
Hussain offered a straight willow when asked who the seventh batsman might be. "Until
I speak to Duncan [Fletcher] and Grav [David Graveney] I'm not going to mention any names."
He was more forthcoming when looking further ahead to the Ashes series, admitting it would be a difficult, but not impossible, task to wrestle back the urn - which was held firmly in Michael Slater's grip at Canterbury.
"They're a very talented side - the Aussies - and if you let all their talents come out by not putting them under pressure then as we've seen in the past they murder us," said Hussain.
"But we've just got to stay in the series and put them under pressure come the end of it."
Slater, who is over as a C4 commentator until the series begins, is also expecting a tough but exciting summer ahead.
"Hopefully we'll continue to hang on to it - the Ashes urn - but Nasser obviously has different ideas this summer," he said.
Slater acknowledged that England have improved greatly in the past 12 months, but warned that the Aussies had also emerged stronger from their recent battles.
"We had a difficult time in India but I think it's going to put us in good stead for this series because it was seriously tough cricket and the last two Tests went down to the wire on the fifth day and it was a long time since we played those sort of games.
"So, while we lost the series, I think we gained a lot out of it purely because it was tough conditions and tough cricket."
Elsewhere on the show, the soothing tones of Richie Benaud made a welcome return, although the dialogue wasn't all about exchanging pleasantries.
He was decidedly unimpressed by some of the on-field behaviour during the Sri Lanka-England series.
"What I saw on the screen didn't impress me at all," said Benaud, who watched the series from his home in Sydney.
"I thought there was far too much time wasting, and far too much yelling and attempted intimidation of umpires, which is something I absolutely detest.
"A player who turns and runs at the umpire trying to get a decision, I think that has to be outlawed."
There was also plenty of discussion on the influence technology will have on the sport - especially in light of the new Hawk-Eye ball tracking system developed especially for C4 and unveiled exclusively on the show - while past and present players such as Matthew Fleming and Dean Headley added their input.
All in all it was a perfect start to the new season and augurs well for the smorgasbord of cricket lined up this summer on C4.
Mail the Cricket Show team at cricketshow@cricket4.com
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