Former cricketers from Australia and England took a playful jab at Pakistan, drawing on the reference of an anecdote involving Sourav Ganguly and Steve Waugh during the Boxing Day Test.
In the cricketing rivalry between India and Australia, a well-known story circulates about Sourav Ganguly deliberately making Steve Waugh wait at the toss during the 2001 India-Australia Test series. Ganguly continued this tactic throughout the series, which India ultimately won. Ganguly later clarified that his lateness in the first Test was due to forgetting his blazer but admitted to using it as a strategy to irk the Australian skipper in the subsequent matches.
The Australians are renowned for their competitive spirit on the field, and banter, sledges, and verbal exchanges are integral to their approach. Former Australia cricketer Kerry O’Keefe playfully poked fun at Pakistan, referring to Ganguly’s tactic. O’Keefe expressed dissatisfaction with the Pakistan team’s gesture of giving Christmas presents to the Australian team and their families before the Boxing Day Test, stating that this mindset wouldn’t be effective against Australia.
In a video uploaded by Fox Sports, O’Keefe remarked, “This Test series is being played in the best of spirits? You’re not going to beat Australia in the best of spirits. Christmas Presents yesterday. Would Sourav Ganguly have arrived with Christmas presents for Steve Waugh?”
Former England captain Michael Vaughan, in agreement with O’Keefe, added, “You can’t bring Christmas presents.”
Meanwhile, in a video posted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood was seen presenting a gift to his Australian counterpart Pat Cummins, and members of the Pakistan team distributed chocolates to the families of the Australian players.
O’Keefe emphasized that to compete against Australia, an opposition team needs to play feisty cricket and bring some edge to the game. Australia dominated the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon putting Pakistan in a challenging position at 194-6, trailing by 124 runs at the end of day two.
