The Hindu : Sarwan, McGrath bury hatchet

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 15, 2003

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Sarwan, McGrath bury hatchet

Sydney May 14. Australian paceman Glenn McGrath and West Indies vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan have apologised to each other over their ugly confrontation in the fourth cricket Test in Antigua.

Sarwan said he and McGrath had cleared the air over the mid-pitch altercation on Monday which had concerned the Australian Cricket Board enough to issue a statement.

Sarwan, whose century helped steer the West Indies to a record-breaking three-wicket win in the `dead' final match of the four-Test series on Tuesday, would not reveal what was said between the two players in the clash which caused McGrath to fly into such a finger-pointing rage that umpire David Shepherd had to step in.

But Sarwan was confident they remained on friendly terms.

``Actually both of us have apologised to each other and it's good to know that both of us did that in the good context of the game and what took place in the series and this game,'' Sarwan told an Australian radio station on Wednesday.

``It's good to know that we have apologised to each other and appreciate each other's friendship.''

Asked about the Australian team's reputation as a world leader in sledging, Sarwan said the West Indies team had no grievance with Steve Waugh's team.

``I'm not sure about that, who's the leader of that (sledging), but obviously players have things to say on the field and it's up to the individual or a team if you want to take it personal but, really and truly, we don't have a problem with each other,'' Sarwan said.

``You just need to accept certain things that people say on the field and if you put it in the past, that's fine, but if you take it personal well, then I think you might find yourself in a bit of trouble.''

ACB chief executive James Sutherland on Tuesday told Test captain Steve Waugh to rein in his players' emotions after the unseemly outburst by McGrath.

Sutherland said he spoke to Waugh and both agreed the incident was unfortunate and bordering on inappropriate behaviour. He said the Australian team had a duty to uphold the spirit of the game whether it was winning or losing.

``It's all very well to be playing the game in the right spirit when things are going your way, but if things are not going your way, that's when the real test is on,'' Sutherland said in Melbourne.

Meanwhile, McGrath's foul-mouthed rage ``a very natural Australian thing to do'', Prime Minister John Howard said on Wednesday.

McGrath tore into Sarwan, finger-pointing and swearing aggressively in response to remarks made by Sarwan, reportedly concerning the Australian bowler's wife, who has cancer.

Howard, a die-hard cricket fan, said he understood McGrath's reaction.

While admitting he didn't know the exact sequence of events, Howard told a Melbourne radio station: ``Well, I've read, I mean if somebody did say something about his wife then I would understand fully his reaction.

``There seems to be some debate as to who started (it) and who said what but anybody who says something about somebody's wife who's had cancer, that's pretty bad and I can understand a man defending his wife. I would, I'm sure you would, and it's a very natural Australian thing to do.''

While Sarwan did say something about McGrath's wife, team sources have said the West Indian was responding to sledging initiated by the Australian, and did not refer to her condition. — AFP

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