Benaud urges fans to watch Australia-Pakistan Test match for ‘bizarre cricket’
July 18th, 2010 - 5:24 pm ICT by ANISydney, July 18(ANI): Former Australian all-rounder Richie Benaud reckons that if fans wants to see cricket served up in bizarre fashion then they must watch Australia play Pakistan at Test match level.
Benaud’s comments came after Australia’s 150 run win against Pakistan in the first Test at Lord’s where all-rounder Shane Watson picked up five wickets in the first innings and Marcus North picked up six wickets in the second innings.
“The game which should have been concluded on Saturday was an extraordinary mixture of great captaincy and no captaincy, of very good play and extremely bad cricket. It was impossible to stop watching,” Benaud wrote in an article for News Of The World.
“Not as bizarre by any means was that Ricky Ponting pulled off two extraordinary pieces of captaincy when he cajoled Shane Watson and Marcus North to bowl so well they now have their names on the Honours’ Board at Lord’s,” he added.
Benaud further that that he is a great admirer of Ponting’s captaincy, and the manner in which he has lifted the Australian team after all their setbacks with retirements and injuries.
“He has made his players believe in themselves and that he believes in them. Much has been made of the fact that it was a fluke just to bring on North, the off spinner, when in fact it was the most logical thing to do,”
“There were two left-handers batting, there was rough outside their off-stumps. What else would you do, but bowl an off spinner?” he added. (ANI)
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Tags: admirer, bizarre fashion, cricket, first test, fluke, honours board, left handers, mixture, news of the world, pakistan test, ponting, retirements, richie benaud, ricky, setbacks, shane watson, spinner, stumps, test match, wickets