Australia reacted to the news of Sydney Test being fixed with shock and disbelief. They thought they had beaten Pakistan fair and square early this year.
Australia reacted to the news of Sydney Test being fixed with shock and disbelief. They thought they had beaten Pakistan fair and square early this year.
“I was around the team on the morning of the last day of that Test and they were convinced they were going to win,” Peter Young of Cricket Australia, told DNA. He said both captain Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey — who scored a match-winning century — are shocked to hear about the news.
“Ricky Ponting has said self-belief is part of the Australian team’s DNA. We simply had not given the win in Sydney a second thought until the London allegations appeared. Hussey said he was out in the centre and the Pakistan players came hard at him and his batting partner, Peter Siddle,” Young remarked.
Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden also said the same. “If I can talk on behalf of Australia, it is not in our DNA to accept any kind of skullduggery when it comes to the game,” the former opener said.
The CA, according to Young, had no knowledge of the allegations. “We had no knowledge of the charges that have now been made and will wait on advice about what the evidence might show.”
Young said the CA supported the betting legislation in Australia. “We support sports betting legislation here in Australia, which puts integrity controls in the hands of Cricket Australia. Legal sports betting companies in Australia need our permission on what events they can offer odds on,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ponting insisted that he never suspected anything fishy during the Sydney Test. “I had no idea about anything like that at all. The way we won was one of the more satisfying moments,” Ponting said.
Pakistan were on the verge of victory going into the final day of the Test but ended up losing it. Australia actually were only 49 runs ahead with two wickets in hand with Hussey and Siddle at the crease. The two went on to score add 123 — aided by wicket-keeping blunders from Kamran Akmal — to the total with Australia, riding on Hussey’s unbeaten 134, set Pakistan a 176-run target. Pakistan, who had taken 206-run first inning lead, lost the Test by 36 runs.
Sydney Test (Jan 2010)
Australia 127 (M Asif 6/41, M Sami 3/27) & 381 (S Watson 97, M Hussey 134*, D Kaneria 5/151) beat Pakistan 333 (I Farhat 53, S Butt 71, M Yousuf 46, U Akmal 49, D Bollinger 4/72, M Johnson 2/64, S Watson 2/40) & 139 (U Akmal 49, D Bollinger 2/32, N Hauritz 5/53, M Johnson 3/27)
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