Australia's support staff have been advised not to walk from the ground to the team hotel as a result of increased safety concerns after an alleged Christmas Day terror attack in Melbourne was foiled. Cricket Australia is following calls from Victoria Police to stay together and travel in groups. Unfortunately for the likes coach Darren Lehmann and his assistants Dene Hills and Greg Blewett, the customary post-play walk back to the team hotel, which in Melbourne takes about 20 minutes, has been scrapped this week. It might sound like a drastic measure but it's no different to tours to the subcontinent. Cricket Australia said last week it was working closely with Victoria Police and federal security agencies in light of last week's developments. "Our security team is in contact with the relevant authorities to ensure we have the appropriate level of security at the Boxing Day Test and other cricket matches being held around the country," chief executive James Sutherland said in a statement. "The safety and security of our fans, players and officials attending any cricket match is our number one priority."
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Taking the Mickey
It's been tough going for the fans this week due to all the rain interruptions and it's no different for Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur. Arthur is upset at the "premature" rain delay which halted his team's momentum on the second day while fans will also be disappointed the start of play on Wednesday was delayed due to drizzle. "Yeah I was [peeved], to be honest, because I thought the rain had subsided a little bit," Arthur said on ABC Grandstand. "We'd been out there in far worse for a period of time and I thought we were just getting some momentum. I thought it might have been a little bit premature. "Those extra 10 minutes, the way we were batting, potentially could have been 15 to 20 runs which [we] would have got."
Where there's a Will
Those at the SCG on Tuesday night had their first glimpse of Will Sutherland's considerable talent but his opponents in the Melbourne schoolboy cricket competition he plays in are very familiar with him. Such is the reputation he holds, one rival is alleged to have resorted to "unsportsmanlike" tactics to get him out. The incident happened in a game between Sutherland's Scotch College team and Melbourne Grammar in the Associated Public Schools of Victoria. Sutherland, who CA pathways manager Graham Manou says is a future state player, was on top of his game, leading MGS to spread the field with five players posted on the boundary. This did not please the parents of several of Sutherland's teammates, who accused the opposition of not playing within the spirit of the game. The CA boss was not one of them. The tactic worked to some extent with Sutherland limited to five boundaries in his 59 off 67 balls, which was a game-high score. Sutherland hit three boundaries from the final over to give his Ponting XII under-17 team to victory over the Gilchrist XII under-19 team in the curtain-raiser to the Sydney Sixers' clash with Perth Scorchers.
An unwanted 'Michelle Pfeiffer'
It's not often bowlers do not want to claim a "five-for" though Brett Lee was keen to avoid the feat in the SCG Test against India in 2004. Well, that's how Simon Katich was presenting it on the ABC. Lee was up to four wickets in India's epic first innings total of 705 but, according to Katich, was glad not to take a fifth as he had conceded 201 runs and did not want that immortalised on the SCG honour boards.
Watto slapped down by wife
Andre Russell's black bat has split opinions in the cricket community and it's also created a divide in the Watson household, it seems. Sydney Thunder captain Shane Watson is no fan of the bat, which has had its ban lifted, describing it as "ridiculous", but his wife Lee is taking the side of the West Indies all-rounder. "Don't worry about what my silly husband thinks. I think it looks cool," she wrote on social media.
