Those Foolish Days

What a triumph the 2005 ICC Super Series turned out to be. Australia, reputedly the world’s best cricket team (at least until they lost the Ashes in England) against a star-studded World X1 which never quite managed to be a team.

It’s easy to see why the Aussies voted it a success. Having eclipsed the World X1 in the one day matches, they proceeded to annihilate them in the 6 day test with well over two days to spare. It was the perfect recipe for restoring the confidence, not to mention that characteristic arrogance, which had been so embarrassingly dented by their Ashes defeat. And as for the Stars – many of whom were, in all senses of the term, ‘out of season’ - they had the consolation of being richly rewarded for their ‘efforts’, since it is believed that those who turned out in all four matches profited to the tune of around £30k.

Whatever the deficiencies of the World X1 in the Super Test, they were fortunate to have the inspirational South African Graeme Smith as captain – a man who gives the impression that he could earn a passable living as the lead in a re-make of “The Flintstones” if ever his cricket career goes down the gurgler. It must have been interesting for Smith to be leading, amongst others, England hero Andrew (Freddie) Flintoff – a player whom he has alleged to have labelled a “big baby” on an earlier occasion.

Apparently Smith was concerned that Michael Vaughan, in his book “Calling the Shots”, saw fit to make this public – together with the revelation that he had also repeatedly called the England skipper “queer”. It seems that what really upset Smith was that Vaughan has had the temerity to reveal to the world at large, insults which had been expressed on the field of play – which as far as the South African is concerned is evidently as sacred as the confessional.

Interestingly, some three years ago Smith himself was on the receiving end of a typical dose of Australian sledging when batting for his country – an experience which curiously enough he too chose to make public.

Ah, but he was younger then – and perhaps a little foolish. Whereas now………