Buchanan asked to clarify comments over Waugh

Australian Cricket Board chief executive James Sutherland asked Australia coach John Buchanan to explain his comments regarding Steve Waugh's sacking from the one-day team, the ACB said on Thursday.

Buchanan told reporters in South Africa last week the ACB's move to dump Waugh as captain and player from the national limited overs side came as a shock and a great disappointment.

Waugh, 36, led Australia to victory in the 1999 World Cup and still hopes to play in next year's World Cup in South Africa. He remains test captain and Ricky Ponting is the new one-day captain.

"It's pretty plain that I felt disappointed, probably like the rest of the side and most of the population," Buchanan said.

"But it's the decision that the selectors have made and we now have to build a new side."

ACB public affairs general manager Brendan McClements said Buchanan had not been reprimanded or counselled by Sutherland.

"He (Sutherland) just took the time to discuss the matter with John," McClements told Reuters on Thursday.

"He's senior executive, John is coach, as you would expect they have regular discussions."

McClements added that sometimes it was difficult to determine the context of a coach's comments from reading newspaper reports and Sutherland had chosen to personally seek Buchanan's views.

FITNESS DOUBT

Buchanan's comments caused some team disharmony during Australia's tour of India in March last year when the coach said champion leg-spinner Shane Warne was no certainty to be selected for the third test because of doubts over his fitness.

Waugh immediately leapt to Warne's defence, saying his star bowler was a little down and the comments had not done him the world of good.

"We can all learn by our mistakes. I am sure John will learn by the experience," Waugh said at the time.

The ACB fined New South Wales coach and former test wicketkeeper Steve Rixon US$200 for making detrimental public comments last month.

Rixon said he was shocked Ryan Campbell was selected as a stand-in wicketkeeper for the unavailable Adam Gilchrist for a one-day international against New Zealand on January 17.

Rixon said three other Australia state wicketkeepers would also have been shocked at the selection of Campbell.

"If I was Brad Haddin, or (Wade) Seccombe or (Darren) Berry I would have been very concerned," Rixon said.

Mail Cricket Editor