Hawke has praise for Border

Press, 29 January 1988, Page 32

Hawke has praise for Border

NZPA-AAP Sydney The Australian Prime Minister, Mr Hawke, said yesterday that Australian cricket would forever be in debt to Allan Border for persevering “through the darkest days” with teams of limited ability. Mr Hawke, a former cricket blue at Oxford University and still active socially in the game, told a news conference at Kirribilli House that Border was a great cricketer and a great Australian. He hoped Border would lead the Australian team to victory in the bicentennial test against England to begin at Sydney today. © The England captain, Mike Gatting, has been hauled over the coals by the tour manager, Peter Lush, for remarks about his problems with umpires on the recent Pakistan test programme. Gatting, whose captaincy was under threat after his verbal clash with the Pakistani umpire, Shakoor Rana, in the second test in Faisalabad last month, made further scathing comments at the team’s practice session for the bicentennial test against Australia. Asked whether he regretted the Faisalabad incident, Gatting said, “They’ve been cheating us for 37 years. And by us I mean other teams as well as England. Maybe this (complaining) will stop them.” Mr Lush said, “The Pakistan business is over — the matter is closed.” The England manager said he spoke to Gatting yesterday over his remarks.