Ponting is clueless: Shoaib

[Realcharm]

[glow=green,2,300]Ponting is clueless: Shoaib[/glow]

AN upset Shoaib Akhtar has labelled Ricky Ponting immature and "clueless" in reaction to comments from the Australian Test skipper that the Pakistan speedster didn't try as hard as he could have in the Boxing Day Test.

Showing all the fire that has propelled him to the status as the world's fastest bowler, Akhtar's response to Ponting's assessment of his second-innings performance in Melbourne has set the scene for an explosive third Test, which starts at the SCG today.

"The Australian captain, Ricky Ponting, should be very, very careful," Akhtar told The Sunday Telegraph last night between test-driving a new toy - a Honda CBR 1000 Fireblade motorcycle with a top speed of 270km/h.

"He should know the facts before he says things.

"He was clueless, and what he said showed a basic lack of maturity. He should find out the facts behind what I was doing or not doing.

"It upset me that he doubted my integrity, my loyalty. I have never doubted his integrity.

"I'm a very mature person and I would not come out with a statement about someone without knowing the facts.

"What he said just wasn't nice at all. I mean, just show a bit of maturity, please."

After Australia's nine-wicket victory in Melbourne to wrap up the three-Test series 2-0, Ponting said he would have been a disappointed captain had his fast bowlers performed like Akhtar and Mohammad Sami in the second innings in Melbourne.

"It would appear both of their fast bowlers weren't bowling as quick as they could have done, as we know they can," Ponting said.

Akhtar, 29, said there was simple reason why he bowled off his short run in the second innings.

"The worst mistake you can make is to talk about something without having the facts. The worst mistake you can make is to assume," he said.

"My hamstring was struggling and I was feeling it. I bowled a few off the long run and I said to my captain I was struggling.

"He said come back off a short run.

"In this game, I bowled my heart out. I bowled 27 overs in the first innings and I don't normally bowl that many. I put everything into it and then I had to bowl again the next day. I'm not a machine.

"One guy cannot win the game. In the first Test, we had them 5-78 and that was the best I could do for the team."

Akhtar said his hamstring has responded well to a short break and treatment since the Boxing Day Test and he will be back to full fitness today.

In a cricket world that is fast losing characters and genuine excitement machines, Akhtar is one player who gets the fans' blood pumping as he strives to maintain his status as the fastest bowler in history.

Despite calls for him to shorten his trademark long run-up, Akhtar won't hear of it. He does what he feels comfortable doing.

He concedes that he feels a responsibility to get people interested in watching cricket. He says that cause isn't helped by rules and regulations he regards as inflexible.

"I just don't understand some of the rules of the ICC in that you can't do this and that on the field," Akhtar said.

"Why make cricket boring? It's just ridiculous and the ICC should have more flexible laws.

"The ICC laws are way too strict - pathetically strict. You can still do things in a nice way that doesn't make things boring.

"I understand there are kids watching and we have to be role models. But if you are not using [bad] language - which I don't - why can't you take the mickey out of people with some finger-pointing or something like that?

"The people love it and they want to see more than you bowling quickly. They want to see two warriors getting stuck into each other, but in a nice way.

"My job is to send a batsman off the ground and their job is to stay on the ground.

"You run in 40 yards and the blood is rushing and then someone attempts to hit you for four. As a bowler, what are you going to want to do to them?"

While taking his bike for a spin down at Circular Quay last night, it was clear Akhtar's philosophy on how cricket should be played was a hit with fans.

Young and old stopped to wish him well, while others stood back to just stare at him and his flashy red machine, which came complete with accessories from Monza Imports.

The bike not only epitomises how Akhtar plays his cricket, it epitomises how he lives his life.

Full speed and on the edge.

"I do like to do things a little bit crazy," he said.

"I like to ride bikes and drive fast cars. I like skydiving and bungee jumping and I'm not scared to do anything anywhere.

"The fast bowling thing, that was in me before I got a chance to do all of these other things.

"But I definitely live my life dangerously - very dangerously.

"I like riding bikes at 260km/h."

At home, in Rawalpindi, Akhtar owns a black Honda Fireblade. But because of his popularity, he can't ride it on the streets until 1am.

"It's not easy," he said when asked if he could enjoy riding his machines at home.

But still easier to take than his integrity as a fast bowler being questioned.

The Sunday Telegraph

[Zainub]

he he he!!!

I enjoyed this, I really did. Shoaib should definately consider a career in the show biz after he retires, and may be even a few episodes of I'm a celebrity get me out of here he'll be all over the place then, I'm 100% certain

Sometimes I wonder what would we would talk about had Shoaib not been around - he's crazy alright - but entertaining in that respect.

I look forward to the response Punter will give to this, hopefully it will be mature...

[dagonz]

Do you think it is a cheap ploy by ponting to get Akhtar to bowl himself dry early?

[Shaka]

It didn't work very well for Hayden did it?

[vvvrulz]

I agree with Shoaibs point on the sending a batsman back to the dressing room. A little finger pointing is pretty harmless, actually very harmless really, as Akhtar said, it doesn't involve foul mouthing or hurt feelings as such, its just two good cricketers having a psychological battle.

[Beny]

Ohhh booo hooo. Here we go again with Aktar jumping to the defensive every time somebody questions his dedication.

Well here are the "Facts".

1. Shoaib runs half a mile every bowl for a run up then has to be taken off after 5 overs because he's buggered. Thus reliving any preasure that he may have put on.

2. He needs a doctor and an hour off the feild every time he feels a 'niggle'... Of course he's going to feel a little niggle. He's a fast bowler, every body gets them and can still continue to bowl. Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath had, up until the past year, been bowling with 'little niggles' in their ankels and still steaming in. I get 'little niggles' every time I bowl! The fact is that he's either padantic or he simply recovers very quickly.

If he's not willing to bowl out an innings with any hint of effort (i.e never got above 140 km/h) and did'nt even look like he was intereseted in being out there then he needs to reconsider his commitment. If he has an injury that bad then he should'nt be bowling at all. His commitment or lack off comitment reflects badly on the whole team.

[Zainub]

It's fair to say Beny that we have our selves spoiled Shoaib.

Earlier in his career when he came on the scene the PCB and the Pakistani press (most of them are now totally anti Shoaib) raised him to cloud nine within a matter of months. He was treated as a prodigy, hyped up like was a Saint or something, and tipped to greatness. And this remember was all when two of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, Wasim and Waqar, were still in the team; no wonder both of 'em still have some issues (apparently at least) with Shoaib.

Obviously they understood this guy had potential and that he could bowl fast, but he was unproven and far, far from a finished article. Wasim and Waqar were never, at any time in their career when the played with Shoaib, comfortable with the fact that he him self kept on talking about him self quite a bit and that the PCB were going over board in hyping him up as well. When Shoaib was initially reported for his action, our board spends million of dollars on hiring special coach exclusively for him).

We spent another truck load of money to send him to Australia for exclusive remedial work. I doubt people in our team that time weren't feeling there was a fair bit of favoritism going out there. I’d go as far as saying that a few players at that time were suffering because of this princely status Shoaib was enjoying an inferiority complex. And that certainly affected their performances, and consequentially the results we got.

No wonder Shoaib now, since both Wasim and Waqar have retired is so much of a spoiled brat, he seems to get away with so many blunders and at times glaring lack of effort on his part...I try and never question people's commitment because these guys are representing their countries...and to say they aren't trying their best is always a bit of serious allegation (in a moral sense)...but Shoaib from his body language and his conduct makes it very difficult to do otherwise.

There has been a definite improvement in his over all attitude an a marked increase in commitment towards team ethic noted under Woolmer, but performances like the one in the final test in Sydney (16 wicket less overs in which he went for 4 and half an over, didn't bowl at all in 2nd innings, bagged a pair, including a horrendous shot in the 2nd innings when his team where battling hard to give them any chance of victory) certainly leave a lot left to be desired. Most certainly he is not setting the sort of example for younger bowlers in our team that is expected of him now that he is our leading and most experienced strike bowler, not consistently at least.

The problem here is that even despite that, we can't drop him, because the alternatives are too either too weak/inexperienced, or down right just not good enough. And we are usually left with a big hole in the side whenever he is not playing. I'm certain that the only way he will improve is when others step up the gas, and their is more pressure on Shoaib with respect to his position in the team, he wouldn't take things for granted then as he does now. And act more responsibly.

[vvvrulz]

I agree, a few years ago, he was a real spoilt brat. However I think slowly he is starting to come right, and i do beleive he is an intelligent bowler, and not all about express pace these days. He outhought the likes of Hayden and Lehmann by targeting their weakness.

And beny, yeah I have to agree with his constant niggles, I do think some of them are "Ganguly" injuries.

[Shaka]

If he wasn't fit to play 5 days he shouldn't really have been selected for this match but we were down to the bare bones with so many players dropping out through injury there probably wasn't much choice.

[Maranello]

"He's complaining of a hamstring injury and he's having a scan tomorrow. Hopefully we'll see how fit he is after that. Certainly in this Test match he's been a shadow of himself. He bowled pretty well in the first two Tests. If you want to run that far in this country you have to be triathlete fit. Either he shortens his run-up or he gets triathlete fit. He was tired and in a way everyone was disappointed with his commitment. From a team point of view we understand he's given his all in the first two Test matches."