da betano casino： The English cricket team is set to give Australia a fight inthis season’s Ashes series, former West Indies great all-rounder SirGarfield Sobers said today.
Denis Peters11-Jul-2005The English cricket team is set to give Australia a fight inthis season’s Ashes series, former West Indies great all-rounder SirGarfield Sobers said today.But the man who skippered the Windies in 39 Tests was not prepared tosay the Englishmen would be able to beat Australia.”England this year will give Australia problems,” he told the NationalPress Club.”I’m not saying they will win.”I have watched them in England and I think they are a different team.”Sir Garfield, who today launched his latest book, said he had noticed adifference in the English team’s approach and attitude.”To me, they seem now to put bat to ball, instead of putting pad toball. I think that is a great improvement,” he said to chuckles from theaudience.”So don’t be too surprised if they really give the Australians a bit ofa fight.”Sir Garfield was clearly impressed with the current Australian team andsaid its 37-year-old Waugh brothers Steve and Mark should not be droppedpurely because of age, but should be judged only on their form.He also believed it was not a problem for the current team to be withouta recognised all-rounder.”Australia over the years have been doing so well without anall-rounder,” he said.”It’s not necessary to pick an all-rounder if you don’t need one.”And I don’t think that Australia needs one at the present moment.”He suspected players had now decided to specialise in either batting orbowling because they were playing a lot more cricket now than in hisday.”That is probably the reason why you don’t have people doing that kindof donkey work we used to do years ago.”Sir Garfield also tossed aside suggestions cricket was waning inpopularity in the Carribean and that young men were taking up basketballand other North American sports.”Let me tell you, ladies and gentlemen, it is a myth,” he said.”Whoever it was who made that statement, really doesn’t know what theywere talking about.”He said that in his native Barbados, there were Under 13, Under 15 andUnder 18 levels, as well as an international boys team which travelsaround the world to play, outside of the West Indies side and WestIndies A.”There’s a lot of cricket being played in the West Indies. The WestIndies cricket team has a lot of players that have a lot of ability.”It just needs to be brought out.”I think that in two or three years you will see a very, very strongWest Indies team again.”