Let's clean up the mess: Waugh

By Our Sports Reporter

CALCUTTA, APRIL 20. The serenity of `Udayangram', perhaps, gave Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh the stimulation to reflect on the predicament facing the game of cricket today. Having come to the city to raise funds for and inaugurate the girls' hostel at `Udayan' - the home for children of leprosy patients - Waugh spent some time with the small gathering of the media and the residents of the institution on Thursday.

There was no mud slinging or hard talk, as has been happening all around, but the gentleman cricketer was obviously worried over the state of the game. ``Once that (match-fixing) has happened it is a shame...Cricket is known as a gentleman's game, but probably, not at the moment.'' And he was prompt to exhort, ``We all know what has been happening and let's try and turn that around. We'll have to clean it all up to get cricket on the back- pages for the right reasons.''

Waugh further said, ``there have been certain unfortunate incidents, but everyone is human and make mistakes, I am sure. That is the case when they are not just cricketers. Most of the cricketers, I feel, are not involved in such things. Just a few are. We want to get cricket back to where it should be.''

``Those who have done wrong will obviously have to pay the price at some stage. And I know that's going to happen,'' he said.

Waugh was of the opinion that while it would be hard for the International Cricket Council (ICC) to clear up the whole mess instantly, ``I am sure they (ICC) have now realised that it is a major problem and if they do not clean it up then the game will suffer. So, someone will have to get up and do the hard work.''

Waugh expressed faith in the ongoing investigations by the various cricket boards. He was sure the boards would be able to identify and act against the wrongdoers.

``ICC has a big job, as there are so many rumours and innuendoes. It has become hard to distinguish fact from fiction. Unless you have concrete evidence you cannot prove anything. It is quite a difficult job. It is not ICC alone that can do it, each individual board will have to help out.''

Waugh was, however, not dismissive of disgraced South African captain Hansie Cronje, ``I support him (Cronje) as a human being. I think he is a nice guy. He has made mistakes but it is not for me to judge him as it is now up to those conducting the enquiry. I can only give my point of view.''

On the charges against his colleagues, Waugh said, ``Mark (Waugh) and Shane (Warne) have been fined for what they did. They gave information on the wicket and weather, I admit they were in the wrong, but it was not such a major thing as compared to match- fixing and bribery.''

About himself he said he had never been approached by a bookie.

About his mission of helping out children, ``I think, if you are in a privileged position and can influence other people then you certainly should help out. That's my case but I have done very little work and need to contribute more.''

He went on to add, ``this involvement with charity certainly mellows you and makes you more aware of what is going on around the world. What's happening here puts everything in perspective: cricket is important, my family is very important, and what's happening here is also really important.''

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