Aussies, SA begin healing process

Both new Proteas skipper Shaun Pollock and Australia’s staunch traditionalist Steve Waugh spoke about the need to turn on a good show for cricket’s sake on Tuesday.

It is fitting that World cricket’s two best sides should lead the way forward for the other cricket-playing nations to follow.

And it will be played out under the roof of the new Colonial Stadium in the city’s docklands precinct catering for a capacity of 48,000 fans cocooned away from Melbourne’s raw winter.

Cronje has admitted to the King Commission in to match-fixing that he received thousands of dollars from gamblers and bookmakers on five separate occasions between 1996 and 2000.

Pollock said he felt `betrayed’ by what had happened.

“I feel a bit cheated that we had some people in the team who were not trying their all for their country, hopefully now as captain I know everything that’s going on in the team,” Pollock said.

“It’s tarnished the game, that’s no doubt, and at the end of the day anything that affects our job adversely doesn’t sit in the stomach too well. “It is disappointing, but we’ve had a long time to think out it and I think it’s time to put it to bed and move on positively.”

Waugh said he felt `short-changed’ by the Cronje episode.

“I feel a bit short-changed by the people that have cheapened the game and the image and the great name of the game for their own good, it’s disappointing and the focus has been taken away from the high percentage of guys who are out there trying 100 percent of the time.

“It’s disappointing that people have put their own personal interest ahead of the game, but we have to get on with the game and make sure that it doesn’t happen again.

“We have to move forward and we’ll put on our best show… it’s difficult to get over something like that, but we have to play good, positive cricket.“All the (cricket-playing) countries now have an extra incentive to show people that they’re giving it their best and that they can believe in their cricketers.”

South Africa are coming off this month’s tied three-Test match series in Sri Lanka, while Australia are emerging from their off-season, although several players, notably star bowlers Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, have been playing county cricket in England.

Waugh admitted he was wrestling with the selection of his team ahead of the first game, while Pollock said his side was basically settled although he would make a couple of bowling changes.

“It’s a bit of a nightmare at the moment, I don’t know who to pick,” said Waugh.

“The first question I have to work out is whether to play three quicks (bowlers) or a couple of all-rounders, but that’s not an easy question to answer because I’m not exactly sure how that wicket’s going to play.”

Waugh will have to decide whether to use his three-prong pace attack of Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie, or fit his two all-rounders, Andrew Symonds and Shane Lee, into his bowling attack.

Pollock said he was likely to leave out un orthodox spinner Paul Adams and he may use Mornantau Hayward in the attack.

Teams (from):
Australia: Stephen Waugh (captain), Michael Bevan, Adam Gilchrist, Jason Gillespie, Ian Harvey, Brett Lee, Shane Lee, Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath, Ricky Ponting, Andrew Symonds, Shane Warne and Mark Waugh.

South Africa: Shaun Pollock (captain), Mark Boucher, Paul Adams, Nicky Boje, Daryll Cullinan, Boeta Dippenaar, Andrew Hall, Mornantau Hayward, Jacques Kallis, Gary Kirsten, Lance Klusener, Neil McKenzie, Makhaya Ntini, Jonty Rhodes, Roger Telemachus, David Terbrugge.

Umpires: Darrell Hair (Aus), Simon Taufel (Aus).