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Caddick and his big mouth

wahindiawah

Banned
READ THIS:

Caddick makes a meal of his own words
Anand Vasu - 26 February 2003

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Post-match press conferences are usually about as interesting as watching a Madagascar giant tortoise chewing a blade of grass. "We should have bowled better." "They were the better team on the day." Yawn. Bring on the giant tortoises.

The pre-match jousting, though, seems to have taken a few leaves out of the handbook of hype-maestro Don King. With the action on the field blowing hot and cold in this World Cup, the India-England clash at Kingsmead, Durban, was set up quite nicely. Both teams needed the win desperately, yet both teams could go through to the Super Six even if they lost. So it was little wonder that Andrew Caddick decided it was the best time to take a dig at the Indians.

Speaking to journalists at practice sessions before the big match, Caddick suggested that India hadn't really come to terms with themselves in the World Cup. "India hasn't been up to the mark...both their batting and bowling have been unimpressive," said the 34-year old medium-pacer.

Perhaps he was right. India had lost disastrously to Australia, managed to sweep Zimbabwe aside, beat Netherlands only apologetically, and then got into something approaching form against Namibia. But there were sure signs that the Indians were turning things around. "India should not take pride in scoring 300-plus against Namibia. They were aided more by the nimble-fingered Namibians than their batting strength," said Caddick, perhaps a touch more outspoken than usual.

The Indian camp would have taken quiet note of this, make no mistake about that. India and England have played each other often enough in the last year, and there has always been plenty of needle in the contest. The Indians, however, would have ordinarily been no more worried by Caddick's remarks than by his bowling in the subsequent match.

But then came the pippin.

"Even Sachin did not play well despite his century. Sachin's just like another batsman in the Indian team, and there are a lot of others in the Indian side."

Quoting statistics - Tendulkar has scored 34 one-day centuries, over 10,000 runs at an average of just under 45 - could prove that Tendulkar is not just like "any other batsman," but the statistics are hardly needed. Even a little child on the streets of India could tell you that.

Indeed, few people have dared to take verbal liberties with Tendulkar. Glenn McGrath has, and he has succeeded - but then again, he's Glenn McGrath, backed up by years of performing phenomenally at the highest level. Caddick has not, and he is no McGrath either.

Word has it, then, that Tendulkar walked out to bat with a quiet determination to settle a score of sorts with Caddick.

That Tendulkar did so, in the most emphatic fashion imaginable, was proved beyond doubt on the day. There was one cover drive that even left the normally garrulous television commentators gasping. There was an on-drive that could have easily been written into batting textbooks. For good measure, Tendulkar then unfurled the straight drive, placed impeccably between the bowler and mid-off.

Fans in the stands were on their feet. Caddick huffed, Caddick puffed, and Tendulkar blew his house down. Seeing a short ball early, Tendulkar rocked back, shifted weight from one foot to the other perfectly, and essayed a pull shot that sent the ball soaring over midwicket, over the stands and straight out of the ground.

There was something about the shot that appeared larger than life. There are enough and more good, clean hits in one-dayers, but the brutality of this particular stroke far surpassed willow hitting the cover off a leather ball. It was more like a guillotine coming down unerringly on its mark.

Caddick, in a nutshell, was summarily dismissed from Tendulkar's presence.

That was only the beginning. A man famous for bowling brilliantly in the second innings of Test matches and yet being flat in the first was brutally taken apart and ended with 10-0-69-3, the three in the final column all coming in the last over when the Indians were caught out in the deep slogging. At Durban, Caddick registered his most expensive figures ever in one-day cricket.

Then again, it was all hardly a surprise. As not a few bowlers have found out over the years, this is the price to pay by testing the anger of a patient man. Tendulkar was angry, got India off to a flyer, enabled them to reach 250 and then beat England comprehensively, cantering to a win.

Any more comments, then, Andy?
 

full_length

U19 Vice-Captain
He just joins a long list..


However, I was amazed at his stupidity when I read his comments prior to the match.
Ive rarely cursed on cricket action as much as when Caddick got three gifts in the last over of the innings. 9 overs 66 runs no wickets looked a lot better!
 

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
Yes, we saw this report before the game, and there was much condemnation of him - although to be fair, there are other batsmen in the Indian side, such as Dravid (yesterday!)

He made similar comments about Brian Lara in 1994 if I remember correctly, and we all know what he scored.
 

Rik

Cricketer Of The Year
It's quite funny when people say stuff like this then fall flat on their faces. It's even more amusing when it's Glenn McGrath...:D
 

luckyeddie

Cricket Web Staff Member
Rik said:
It's quite funny when people say stuff like this then fall flat on their faces. It's even more amusing when it's Glenn McGrath...:D
Not today, though, Rik.
Try this.....
Note to self : take foot out next time before opening mouth
 

Bazza

International 12th Man
I thought he only opened his mouth to change feet?! :lol:

Seriously though he has a point, I mean it's not like you get 2 wickets for getting Tendulkar out, so in that respect he is the same as any other batsman.

He was probably just wound up about being called a 'medium pacer'.
 

luckyeddie

Cricket Web Staff Member
Bazza said:

He was probably just wound up about being called a 'medium pacer'.
See what the duck wrote in DD's WC Essentials. Now that really might wind him up.

<quack> Actually, with those ears there's a distinct possibility that...... no, you'll have to wait for the England v Australia game
 

Rik

Cricketer Of The Year
luckyeddie said:
Not today, though, Rik.
Try this.....
Note to self : take foot out next time before opening mouth
From a neutral point of view it was rather funny...
 

Anil

Hall of Fame Member
krkode said:
The ears slow his run up down...
On the other hand, he can flap his ears like wings and zoom in on that momentum.....:lol: :lol: :lol:

Seriously though, he was trying to do a McGrath without being 1/4th a McGrath. Even McGrath has seen that ploy backfire against an in-form Tendulkar in ODIs. It was a big gamble and quite likely to backfire, and so he ended up with egg on his face.
 

Gotchya

State Vice-Captain
anilramavarma said:
Seriously though, he was trying to do a McGrath without being 1/4th a McGrath. Even McGrath has seen that ploy backfire against an in-form Tendulkar in ODIs. It was a big gamble and quite likely to backfire, and so he ended up with egg on his face.

With Caddick I may not agree about throeing a challenge to Tendulkar. Still though, it was an ateempt at getting more competetive ? even if only verbally. Thats not a bad thing. Though he went over the top with it.
 

Top_Cat

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Caddick now joins Tony Greig as yet another English player to be reamed after making arrogant comments. Onya guys! Way to play for the other team!

Oh and Rik, when Glenn McGrath is arrogant in dismissing the abilities of opposition batsmen (Brian Lara and Mike Atherton comes to mind), he's usually right and can usually back his words up with good bowling performances. Not many bowlers would risk that sort of thing.
 

Rik

Cricketer Of The Year
Top_Cat said:
Caddick now joins Tony Greig as yet another English player to be reamed after making arrogant comments. Onya guys! Way to play for the other team!

Oh and Rik, when Glenn McGrath is arrogant in dismissing the abilities of opposition batsmen (Brian Lara and Mike Atherton comes to mind), he's usually right and can usually back his words up with good bowling performances. Not many bowlers would risk that sort of thing.
It doesn't matter if he gets the results to back it up, it's still funny to see him looking all poo faced when he gets proven wrong. Also he just tries to stir things up, which is ok by me on the pitch but it should stay on the pitch in my opinion.
 

krkode

State Captain
Rik said:
Also he just tries to stir things up, which is ok by me on the pitch but it should stay on the pitch in my opinion.
Precisely how I feel. Saying things like, "getting 311 against Namibia is no great thing...Tendulkar's knock against Namibia was only an average knock" may hold truth, but who is he to say? I've never seen him hit a 152* nor contribute to a match effort of 311...
 

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