'We are not here to warm-up' - Steve Waugh (19 August 1999)

19 August 1999

'We are not here to warm-up' - Steve Waugh

Sa'adi Thawfeeq

Tough as nails Australian captain Steve Waugh meant business when he said: "I am not here to warm-up for the Australian season" when he was asked whether Australia would be using the Aiwa Cup tri-nation tournament as a warm-up for the three-Test series against Sri Lanka starting next month.

"It's always the real thing. This game (against Sri Lanka at Galle on Sunday) is as important as any other one-day game or Test match," said Waugh.

Australia who are the unofficial Test champions have two titles to defend, after winning the World Cup one-day competition in England in June. The tour to Sri Lanka is Australia's first since they won the World Cup and Waugh would want to ensure they don't falter in the first step they take.

"The only way they (Sri Lanka and India) can get us is that we are underprepared at the moment. We are a bit rusty, but there was no other way to do it. We had to have a break. We had cricket going for nine months straight and you had to get away from cricket for a few weeks," said Waugh.

"Like a lot of other guys Friday was the first time I picked up a bat. We'll be fresh but I don't know how good we are going to be. We are going to be a bit stiff," he said.

Australia arrived on Tuesday to participate in the tri-nation one-day series which also has India, and for a three-Test series against Sri Lanka commencing September 9 at Kandy.

They play a one-day limited-over warm-up match against a Board XI led by former Sri Lanka off-spinner Ruwan Kalpage at the SSC today which in some way will enable them to loosen their limbs.

The Australian captain admitted that he knew little of the new players Sri Lanka have introduced into their one-day and Test squads.

"It's disappointing in a way because we don't know much about the younger guys, but they know a lot about us," said Waugh.

Following their early exit from the World Cup, Sri Lankan selectors axed several senior players from the one-day side including long-standing captain Arjuna Ranatunga - a cricketer whom the Australian players and public love to hate.

On his last two tours to Australia, Ranatunga aroused enough controversy among the Australians due to incidents relating to his key bowler Muthiah Muralitharan.

However Waugh said he did not see any problem at all with Ranatunga.

"He sent me a fax after the World Cup. Everyone mellows with age," said Waugh.

"I don't have a problem with the way Sri Lankans play the game. I don't think our players have any problems with your players. Maybe there were one or two incidents with Ranatunga, but other countries would probably say there were one or two with me and Ian Healy, and Mark Waugh and Glenn McGath. So I don't see that as any big deal," said Waugh.

The Australians attempt to practice at the SSC grounds yesterday was ruined by rain. A slippery surface saw them restrict themselves to light training.

Source :: The Daily News (https://www.lanka.net/lakehouse/)