Members End: Politics and sport mingle at Manuka

Sunday Times

TELFORD VICE, Sydney

THERE can be no mistaking that Manuka Oval, where SA play Ireland on Tuesday, is in the nation’s capital of Canberra. Politics and sport mingle something like freely at the ground, what with stands named after former Australian prime ministers Robert Menzies and Bob Hawke flanking the Donald Bradman pavilion. But journalists visiting the venue will enjoy a satisfied smile about the fact that the succinctly informative, fair dinkum manual scoreboard is named in honour of Jack Fingleton - not only a fine player but also a wonderful writer on the game.

TWO reporters leaving Manuka Oval after covering the match in which Chris Gayle turned Zimbabwe’s attack to sadza were startled to have an autograph book and a pen thrust into their hands. They duly signed, and wondered why they had been asked. “They take the players away so quickly these days,” the autograph hunter said with a nod towards the Zimbabweans slipping smartly onto the team bus, “so we need to make another plan.” Ah. Plan B. That’s us.

IT’S too early in the World Cup for even Pakistan to panic, isn’t it? But there they are, already in freefall. First eight players were fined for breaking curfew days before their match against India in Adelaide. Then their fielding coach, Grant Luden, had to be talked out of resigning after he took issue with his players’ skill levels in this department and was told to shut up and sit down because he had not played first-class cricket. That was followed by chief selector Moin Khan being sent home in disgrace under a cloud of investigation for committing the apparent crime of enjoying a meal in a casino. And then Younis Khan announced he would retire after the tournament ... except that the latter was a lie told by a fake Twitter account. But, given all that, who could blame him if he wanted to quit right now. Before Pakistan play SA in Auckland on Saturday, Moin could be press-ganged into coming back - as a player if this type of behaviour keeps up. Luden will still not have played first-class cricket by Saturday, but he may have earned himself a World Cup footnote as a substitute fielder.

DALE Steyn has never met a surfboard he didn’t like, so when the SA squad were presented with one on Bondi Beach last week, there was no quibble about who would look after the thing. “We’ve nominated Dale to keep it, because he’s more regular than anybody else,” said Hashim Amla, who has himself been known to catch the odd wave.