Tait advised to quit mouthing off

[manoj_admlab]

By Greg Buckle December 15, 2007 NEW Zealand vice-captain Brendon McCullum has advised Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait to keep quiet until he has a record to match that of Glenn McGrath. Tait took 3-59 in Australia's seven-wicket win over New Zealand in Adelaide, in the opening match of the three-game Chappell-Hadlee series, but McCullum, who led the Kiwis's batting effort with 96, was angered by Tait's pre-match comment that the New Zealand batsmen looked uncomfortable against his ultra-quick pace bowling, which can reach speeds up to 160 km/h. "If he's Glenn McGrath, he can probably throw comments like that out there," McCullum said as the team arrived in Sydney for game two at the SCG. "But my only advice would be to maybe get a few more statistics behind him before he starts mouthing off. "I just thought it was a bit reckless from Taity. He's a good bloke but he's only played 15 games. "When McGrath was very good at talking it up, he also had some unbelievable statistics behind him." Tait has played only 16 one-day internationals, but the South Australian has taken 31 wickets at an average of 24, including 23 scalps in Australia's undefeated Cricket World Cup campaign in the caribbean earlier this year. McCullum's comments intensified the New Zealand attack on Tait, after captain Daniel Vettori raised doubts over the legality of the 24-year-old right-armer's bowling action. McCullum said he had "no problem" with Tait's low, slinging bowling action, but he said of his teammates: "I don't know, I don't think so." Tait's opening three overs in Adelaide cost 28 runs, and McCullum said the speedster, who concedes 5.57 runs per over, has a weak spot. "That's what I'm looking at trying to do, trying to exploit the weaknesses that he does have and make sure we can try and gain some ascendancy from there," McCullum said. "The guy bowls fast and you can't shirk it. For me, it's another opportunity to test myself. I'm sure in the long run he's going to be a very good bowler. But at the moment there's still signs you can expose him." Australia opening batsman Matthew Hayden meanwhile defended Tait's bowling action, saying the team would use Vettori's comments as motivation for the match at the SCG. "We were surprised but more than anything we know that Shaun has got absolutely zero quirkiness in his action," Hayden said. "Sure it's different, it's low, it's slingy, it's fast, it's all of those things, but it's certainly not throwing. "That's all we're really concentrating on, the fact that we've got a trophy that's no longer on our shores and we want it back. "I think it would be very unwise if we didn't use any motivation against our trans-Tasman rivals. "We'll definitely be using it. We'll be using it in a way that is about the Australian cricket team. "Shaun is a valuable member of that. We've seen that throughout the World Cup where he was explosive and dynamic." Hayden meanwhile described Tait's bowling as "bloody frightening". "Shaun Tait was just incredible during the World Cup," Hayden said. "I was talking to (wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist) in slips. We looked up (at the scoreboard) and he had 15 games of cricket under his belt. "Both of us made the snide remark 'well 11 of them were pretty important'. "It's amazing how little cricket he has played, but the guy produces balls which are just dead-set frightening. "That ball that McCullum tried to hook, and it basically whisked over the top of his right ear, and Superman couldn't have even reached up and got it. "It's bloody frightening ..." Asked about McCullum's statement that Tait was vulnerable, Hayden showed little concern. "Bowling at 160, you can put yourself in a position where you are going to go for runs," the Queenslander said. "If that's the weakness they are talking about, Australia can absorb that."

[Sachinism]

lol Tait can mouth off coz if he's bowling at 160 a lot of batsmen will find that pace uncomfortable