For Akram, cricket is a universal language

Even from someone who, by his own admission, started out with a jerky run-up and hurried delivery stride and still ended with 916 international wickets, Wasim Akram is as much a staunch advocate of grassroot pruning as he is of reverse swing. "You can only change the wrist action, run-up of a fast bowler at 14-15 years of age. That is the age when he is maturing, his muscles are expanding and his mind is more open to new ideas," Akram says. "At 18, he is already developed and you can only finetune him." In the capital for the last four days, the master of swing and deception has been helping out pace bowling hopefuls at an ongoing Delhi and District Cricket Association pre-season camp. The time frame, he says, is not the most ideal. "Too short, I wish they had called me earlier... I�m planning to start a fast bowling academy here, that will give me more time to spend with kids." Akram feels India are better placed than Pakistan when it comes to utilising talent, though he rues that state of affairs back home is because of their own making. "We�re going through a tough phase. Shoaib�s injury has created problems, so has Asif�s stupidity. You know what we need right know � a new PCB chairman!...," he says keeping one eye on pacers toiling on a dry practice pitch at the Kotla. Sub-continental tracks never kept him from taking a bunch of wickets and he along with Waqar Younis wrecked many line-ups in the 1990s. "The pitches are just a mind game. It�s not that you don�t keep the dryness of the pitch in your mind while bowling. Reverse swing is obviously a key factor, but the whole team has to work for it. You can�t toss the ball to your fast bowler and say �Go Reverse�. All eleven players have to work for it." Told that Indian team coach Gary Kisten had asked Zaheer and Co. to just maintain line and length, Akram lets out a sigh. "I respect his point of view. But honestly, for a pace bowler the most important criterion is pace. If you can bowl fast, you are one of a kind. This is what Imran Khan told me when I started out. He said, �I want you to bowl fast. If you bowl fast I�ll keep you in my team�. "That gave me a lot of confidence," he recalls, before airing his views on how English and Australian cricketers likened reversing the ball to tampering. "They never understood what we did. They said it was illegal and that we used some substances. It�s Marcus Trescothick who�s been doing it now," he laughs. "In any case, mint will only get you normal swing. You have to keep the ball dry for the ball to reverse," he said. The legendary left-armer has some strong views about the current crop of fast bowlers and highlights Irfan Pathan as a bowler who needs help. "He�s lost confidence, I don�t why. I met him in Australia and he worked as hard as everyone else."

Symonds dumped from ODI squad

Star all-rounder Andrew Symonds felt the backlash on Sunday after his latest disciplinary misdemeanour saw him dumped from the Australian squad for the current one-day series against Bangladesh.

Symonds was sent home in disgrace after deciding to go fishing rather than attend a compulsory team meeting on Friday ahead of Saturday’s opening game of the series, which Australia went on to win comfortably. Australian coach Tim Nielsen was left querying Symonds’ state of mind.

"They don’t miss a thing and they are always early and presented as well as they possibly can," Nielsen said of the Australian players.

"When somebody hasn’t got the information that they need or hasn’t turned up on time it’s usually due to the fact they’re away from us and the group a little bit mentally.

"That always raises concerns." Despite a chequered off-field record that had previously threatened to prematurely curtail the career of one of the world’s best limited-overs players, Cricket Australia has so far resisted the temptation to tear up Symonds’ lucrative playing contract.

He was dealt a two-match suspension in 2005 for turning up to a game drunk and had been warned he is on his last chance.

Symonds’ manager, Matt Fearon, said his client was pondering his future and conceded there was some uncertainty over the upcoming tour of India.

"Andrew’s going to take some time to reflect on what’s happened," Fearon said. "He’s still committed to playing cricket at the highest level.

"How he goes about doing that and how it plays out I don’t know. Whether it means India I don’t know."

The response in Australian newspapers to Symonds’ latest dramas was not favourable.

"The Queenslander, who these days carries himself with such an arrogant swagger that even his teammates sometimes shake their heads, has become too big for his boots," the Sunday Telegraph said.

"Symonds treats just about everyone with disdain — rival players, journalists, his employers and even some of his teammates."

Badri, Patel to join camp today

• If the Australia A team expected to get used to the humid conditions of the subcontinent, they were left disappointed on Sunday. For, Simon Katich’s side practised under overcast conditions at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, before heavy rains meant an early close.
• However, the touring party were content with a two-and-a-half hours training, having gone through fielding session followed by a net practice.
• While Katich on Saturday said his team was not too concerned, a couple of session under sweltering heat would certainly help their cause.
• "It might take a little bit of getting used to but we are lucky that we have got three or four days before the first tour match," Katich said.
• Meanwhile, the India A team, barring five players went through their routines under coach Dav Whatmore. Captain S. Badrinath and wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel are expected to join the camp on Monday morning, while Virat Kohli joined the team on Sunday evening.
• Mohammed Kaif and Robin Uthappa were exempted from training, as the duo were part of the KSCA all-India Invitation Cup, that concluded in the city on Saturday.
• With the complete team in place on Monday, the camp is expected to get in to fast pace before both the team lock horns in the first match starting Wednesday.

Symmo’s behaviour a disgrace: Waugh

• Former Australia captain Steve Waugh lambasted Andrew Symonds for putting fishing ahead of a team meeting and questioned the all-rounder’s commitment to the baggy green cap.
• Furious after Symonds went on a fishing trip ignoring a compulsory team meeting, Waugh said the team management did the right thing by sending him back.
• "They’ve done the right thing by sending him home. There’s got to be consistency in the group and you’ve got to stand for something," Waugh was quoted as saying by the Sunday Telegraph.
• "He’s got to have a good look at what he’s doing for sure. He’s got to re-assess where he’s at if he’s doing these things. It’s not the first time," the former captain said.
• The all-rounder once invited a $3,000 fine for sleeping and missing the team bus during the West Indies tour. In 2005, he was fined and handed a two ODI ban after turning up drunk.