Border, Hughes In Suspension Threat
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday February 2, 1993
PERTH: Allan Border and Merv Hughes have spent an apprehensive night after appearing before the Test match referee for the second time this summer after Australia's 2-1 loss of the Frank Worrell Trophy to the West Indies yesterday
With the Australian team of 13 leaving for a three-Test tour of New Zealand on Thursday week, a suspension could jeopardise the immediate Test future of both internationals.
Border and Hughes were charged with dissent during Australia's demoralising innings and 25-run defeat in just 14 hours of a Test scheduled for 30 hours.
For Border any penalty will be the harshest finale. He completed a pair of ducks yesterday, chopping the ball into his wicket, for the first in 138 Tests.
Having been so near to fulfilling his ambition of beating the West Indies, a suspension - the first Test begins in Christchurch on February 25 - would be the ultimate insult.
The Australian Cricket Board will announce referee Donald Carr's decision about the players' fate today.
After the first Test in Brisbane, Border was fined $2,000, half his match fee, for dissent, a fine distorted by his refusal to attend the hearing. Hughes received two $200 fines for abusive language and dissent.
Despite Australia's crushing loss yesterday, Australia's selectors are not expected to make any drastic change to the Test squad for New Zealand. Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh should hold their positions.
Border earlier compared Australia's defeat by the West Indies to that of the 1988-89 series, and predicted a similar vigorous resurgence.
On that occasion when outstanding internationals such as Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Jeff Dujon and Malcolm Marshall were involved, the West Indies won the series, 3-1.
Months later, Australia swept through England for a 4-0 Ashes triumph.
"I don't view this as a setback at all," Border said.
"The players we have introduced and those in the side will be tougher for this experience.
"Last time, we played against the West Indies we toughed it out. They were too good for us, and we had great results from that point.
"Playing against them gives us an idea of what good, hard cricket is all about. The new players introduced realise it's not going to get harder than that."
The Australian team for New Zealand will be announced at noon today and two new players should be introduced to the side: Queenslanders Michael Kasprowicz and opener Matthew Hayden, and the tough West Australian veteran Tim Zoehrer should be included.
A major concern is that while Australia's new-ball bowlers, Merv Hughes (20 wickets at 21.6) and Craig McDermott (18 at 34.17) captured 38 wickets in the five Tests, Curtly Ambrose (33 at 16.42) and Ian Bishop (23 at 20.78) took 56
With Bruce Reid unable to resume a heavy bowling workload for another two months, hopes of his involvement in the Ashes tour have plummeted.
Michael Whitney is swimming 500m a day to strengthen his broken foot, but the team will be in New Zealand before he takes up the cudgels again for NSW in two to three weeks' time.
I would prefer Kasprowicz, 20, to Jo Angel at this stage for the tour. He has 33 wickets at a cost of 22 in eight first-class games and could develop into the genuine strike bowler Australia need.
While an admirer of Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh, in the wake of the Test losses in Adelaide and Perth and their current form, the best course of action would be for them to regain confidence in Sheffield Shield competition with a view to the England tour.
Hayden, 21, is having an exceptional season with 909 runs at 60.6 from nine first-class games. He should open in New Zealand with David Boon, and Justin Langer should return to No 3.
There was no suggestion of the 37-year-old Border retiring after his team's loss and his own depressing efforts. He wants to lead the team to England and will then consider his future.
Border admitted "the wheels fell off in Perth". "They get fantastic conditions to play cricket here in Perth, and we were not up to it in this match," he said.
Apart from being the outstanding player of the season and worthy winner of the International Player of the Year, Curtly Ambrose was the leading player of the Test series and the player of the Benson and Hedges World Series finals.
The West Indies finished their tour of Australia with seven successive wins, Bishop (6-40) spearheading Australia's second innings shutdown for 178 just before lunch yesterday.
For the third season, Boon (44 and 52) was Australia's dominant batsman, Bishop bowling him to leave him on 490 runs for the series at the splendid average of 61.25.
"The road to success is a hard one, but we have a new team and we have talent and potential," Richie Richardson declared.
My team for New Zealand would be:
David Boon (vc), Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Mark Waugh, Damien Martyn, Allan Border (c), Tim Zoehrer, Merv Hughes, Shane Warne, Tim May, Craig McDermott, Paul Reiffel, Michael Kasprowicz.
© 1993 Sydney Morning Herald