Rebuke for shouting Shoaib (24 May 1999)

24 May 1999

Rebuke for shouting Shoaib

Neil Hallam

Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar looked like a missile in need of guidance during a curled-lip confrontation with Australia's captain Steve Waugh - and he got some last night with a "terrific rocket" from match referee Raman Subba Row.

An intense contest rose to the boil when Shoaib took snarling exception to the time Shane Warne took preparing to face him during a fierce second spell. South African umpire Rudi Koertzen had to step in with a firm word when Waugh, too, came in for a verbal volley over the incident.

Subba Row confirmed: "There was quite a shouting match out there for a time and one or two hard words were spoken. Rudi Koertzen does not want any official action taken, but the matter has been mentioned to the Pakistan management and, unofficially, Shoaib will be getting a terrific rocket from me."

Waugh refused to enlarge on the matter, saying only: "I reckon to play it hard out in the middle so there are no complaints here." Wasim Akram, the Pakistan captain, added: "We do have to calm him down at times but he is a fast bowler, the fastest in the world, and he is determined to do well for his team."

Subba Row also revealed that Pakistan had been docked 20 per cent of their match fee for failing to bowl their overs quickly enough.

Waugh added: "It's something which needs looking at. It was getting pretty dark out there to face bowlers of that pace and if you bowl too slowly in the first innings of a game the penalty is loss of batting time. Overall I'm not unhappy. We were much improved today and if we win against Bangladesh and West Indies to get through to the Sixes anything is possible."

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)