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InDepth headlines national business sports cricket regional entertainment technology world travel autos health | in-depth coverage > Ashes Series 2002-2003 > England paid price for selecting unfit players: Waugh 10.34 IST 20th Nov 2002 By IndiaExpress Bureau 
According to Aussie skipper Steve Waugh, England have paid the price for gambling on unfit players for the Australian cricket tour.England's tour has been bedevilled by injuries with bowlers Darren Gough and Simon Jones sent home and allrounder Andy Flintoff troubled by the after-effects of a hernia operation he had prior to coming to Australia. Front-line spinner Ashley Giles is the latest casualty, breaking his wrist while batting in the nets on Tuesday and ruled out for six weeks. Waugh said England's selection policy of choosing unfit players to tour was in contrast to Australia's approach of only playing fit players. "They picked some guys who weren't fit, so in some ways they've made their own bed," Waugh said on Wednesday ahead of the second Ashes Test that starts on Thursday at Adelaide Oval. "It's unfortunate that a guy (Giles) breaks his wrist at training, that's one of those things, but if you pick guys who aren't fit at the start of the tour then you are taking a gamble." This was in contrast to the Australian team's stance on the fitness of fast bowler Jason Gillespie, who has been given until the morning of the Test to prove he can last the five days of the Adelaide match. Gillespie has been troubled by calf muscle soreness and a decision on whether he plays in his home-town Test will be made between him and team physio Errol Alcott. "Players have to be very close to 100 percent fit otherwise they don't play, guys have been pulled out of matches with minor niggles to make sure they are right long-term," Waugh said. "There has been a change in policy, where in the past it was up to the player whether he wanted to play, but now Errol has a lot more say in what's going on. Errol knows everyone pretty well, he's been around the side for 18 years, he knows what you can do and what your limits are, so generally it's a more commonsense approach." England's chairman of selectors David Graveney on Tuesday defended the team's medical staff amid uproar over the tourists' injury crisis. Graveney has also been the target of the critics for selecting Gough and Flintoff when both were struggling to be fit for the Ashes tour. Graveney denied it was poor selection policy and blamed it on bad luck. "We selected our squad on the medical advice given," he said. "I think there's been some unnecessary criticism leveled at our medical teams, as it's not an exact science. We have had a fair crop of injuries and players withdrawing for various reasons over the past couple of years. Maybe that's a reflection of the number of matches we have asked them to play." Graveney said it was up to the remaining bowlers to pull together and ensure England improved on their woeful display in the first Test in Brisbane. Australia won the Gabba Test by 384 runs. in-depth coverage > Ashes Series 2002-2003 > |
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