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Rediff.com  » Cricket » Ex-players call for Waugh's retirement

Ex-players call for Waugh's retirement

June 02, 2003 16:06 IST
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Former Australian Test players Jeff Thomson and David Hookes say Test captain Steve Waugh should retire to allow the team to build for the future, Australia's newspapers reported on Monday.

"It's time to move on and it's a good time to do it when the opposition isn't that good," Thomson was quoted as saying in the Herald Sun and Daily Telegraph newspapers.

Top-ranked Australia host bottom-ranked Bangladesh in a two-Test series in Darwin and Cairns next month.

"What's he going to prove if he plays Bangladesh? Who cares if Steve Waugh gets a hundred?

"If (uncapped 22-year-old) Michael Clarke gets 100, I am sure everybody would be happy to see that or somebody else," the former pace bowler added.

Hookes, now a television commentator with Thomson, said World Cup-winning skipper Ricky Ponting should be also be handed

captaincy of the Test side.

"I can't see any point Steve Waugh playing Bangladesh. He won't get a hit for starters," Hookes was quoted as saying.

Hookes, who has been a constant critic of Waugh, said the 38-year-old's presence in the middle order would give it an ageing look alongside Damien Martyn, 31, and Darren Lehmann, 33.

Waugh averaged 75.33 as he led Australia to a 3-1 victory in the Test series in the West Indies last month.

The former World Cup-winning skipper, who was overlooked for this year's Cup defence, watched on television from Sydney as Ponting led Australia to a 4-3 win in the one-day series against Brian Lara's West Indies which ended on Sunday.

Waugh has played a world record of 160 Tests and hit 30 Test centuries, behind only India pair Sunil Gavasker (34) and Sachin Tendulkar (31).

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Source: REUTERS
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