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Reactions: Under pressure

CNNSI.com users expect Australia to come back

Posted: Monday September 06, 1999 03:37 PM

Many users feel captain Steve Waugh and the Australian squad will struggle in their Sri Lanka tour. AP

CNNSI.com asked users to give us their opinions about what they expected to occur when play began in Sri Lanka. A sample of the most interesting responses follows:

The Australians will win all their preliminary games and choke in the finals, as we have seen happen to various teams in so many of these unimportant One Day Tournaments. Shane Warne will not be a significant factor in Australia's victories. Glen McGrath is the bowler the Sri Lankans and Indians will have to worry about. This was shown in the recent CUB series in Australia and in the World Cup.

There is no danger that the Australian or Indian teams will be targeted by the Tigers. It is in the interest of the Tigers to ensure that doesn't happen. Austrlia has a large Sri Lankan Tamil population by virtue of the fact that the Australian governmnet has a special immigration program for them. The Australian governmnet turns a blind eye to these Tamils funding Tiger activities from Australian sources. The Tigers would be shooting themselves in the foot by attacking the Australian cricket team as that would surely lead to a crackdown on Australian based support for them.
-- Dan Badman, Sydney

Australia has fared poorly in the sub-continent in the past. They may be the world champions, but that isn't going to count for much. Especially, since there won't be any Australian umpires with questionable integrity and ACB (Australian Crooked/Cricket Board) not calling the shots, they're going to have to face teams on their home turfs.

I'm looking forward to Muralidaran having a great test series. Shane Warne on the other hand will have to face batsmen who can play spin, and there won't be the Australian crowd shouting "chucker!" It's more likely to be "Tubby, tubby you're so... chubby!"

Hopefully, Sri Lanka under Jayasuriya and with Whatmore in the background can play some Cricket and leave the politics to the likes of Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda De Silva, who hopefully will be spectators like the rest of us.
-- Indika Kotakendeniya, Columbus, Ohio

This tour is going to be tough for both Sri Lanka and Australia because these two teams dominated one day games in the past and will want to prove that they are either ex- or present world champions.

Shane Warne would definitely suffer in this tour becuse Sri Lanka is a improved side against Shane.

Ranathunga would definitely play in the tests and impress every one,so is Murali, Sanath and Mahela,but this tour would be a turning point for Avishika Gunawardene.

Australia is a real team to beat, but they will be beaten.
-- T. Premraj, Sweden