Pakistan 247 for 6 (Hameed 98, Razzaq 53*) beat India 244 for 9 (Yuvraj 65, Shabbir 3-33) by 4 wickets
Scorecard

Peshawar produced yet another thrilling contest – and this time, refreshingly, the bowlers set the agenda. First, Pakistan’s bowlers restricted India to 244 for 9, which was about 30 runs more than they might have made but for some late-order heroics. Then India’s bowlers rose to the occasion, reducing Pakistan to 65 for 4. But a classy 98 from Yasir Hameed, and a composed unbeaten seventh-wicket partnership of 74 between Abdul Razzaq and Moin Khan, took Pakistan home with 16 balls to spare.In the morning, Inzamam-ul-Haq won the toss and decided to bowl, a daring decision in a series of such high scores, even if the pitch did look lively, with a fair amount of grass on it. Shabbir Ahmed ripped through the Indian top order, reducing them to 37 for 3, and Pakistan’s bowlers kept the momentum until the slog overs, when Yuvraj Singh and Lakshmipathy Balaji, with some spirited strokeplay, lifted the score to a respectable 244. Irfan Pathan then took two early wickets as Pakistan slipped to 65 for 4, but Hameed and Inzamam (28) added 91, and the bowlers could not sustain the early pressure.The match seemed to have decisively turned India’s way when Inzamam was given out in the 32nd over, in fairly ludicrous circumstances. Sachin Tendulkar was bowling his legbreaks: the previous over, Inzamam had failed to read a googly, and was almost bowled. Now he attempted a similar shot, but stepped across to outside the off stump, and was struck on the pads well outside off. Although the wrong’un was turning in sharply, it struck him so far out that it would have missed off stump by a few inches – but Nadeem Ghauri, the former Test spinner turned umpire, gave him out (156 for 5).The match now revolved around Hameed. He had batted fluently through the mayhem in the early part of the innings, then flourished in Inzamam’s company, adding 91 with him in 103 balls. His driving, especially in the arc between backward point and cover, had been breathtaking, and he had batted with assurance and composure. Hameed was in command of the situation at all times during his innings, except once – in the 35th over, with his score 98 and the hint of a goofy smile appearing on his face in anticipation of a century, he drove a sucker ball from Pathan to Yuvraj in the gully.At 173 for 6, Pakistan were in a spot of bother at 173 for 6, needing 72 from 91 balls. Razzaq and Moin kept their nerve, though, and got there easily in the end. They did not have to resort to slogging, but smashed the occasional bad ball to the boundary while milking the bowling easily. India’s bowlers, in the most crucial phase of the match, could not deliver.Pakistan’s bowlers had set up the win earlier, with Shabbir virtually unplayable in his first spell. He began waywardly, with six wides and two no-balls in his first over, but in between there was a peach of a delivery which got rid of Tendulkar for a duck – it pitched on off stump on a good length, jagged away just a bit, enough to get the outside edge on its way through to Moin (8 for 1).Shabbir, a tall man, was generating significant bounce with his high arm-action, and was getting the ball to cut both ways off the pitch. He removed Virender Sehwag for 13: he played across the line and the ball flew to Shahid Afridi at gully off the back of the bat (30 for 2). VVS Laxman, seemingly clueless about how to play Shabbir when he did not know which way the ball was going to jag, didn’t move his feet and was bowled for 2 by a sharp incutter (37 for 3).

Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly added 68, but just as they began to counter-attack, and the momentum began to shift back India’s way, Ganguly was out for 39. He opened the face of his bat to guide a ball from Razzaq, which was going across him, down to third man, and only managed to edge it to Moin (105 for 4).Dravid and Yuvraj batted with resolve for a while, before another soft dismissal brought an end to Dravid’s innings, for 33. He tried to sweep Shoaib Malik, who was flighting the ball beautifully, with three fielders positioned just for that shot. The ball looped up after hitting the glove, and although Moin fumbled with it at first he managed to hang on (139 for 5).Yuvraj did not panic, though, despite wickets falling at the other end. Balaji played some cultured strokes right at the end, the kind one would expect from a top-class top-order batsman, making 21 off 12 balls. Yuvraj stayed till the last over, and without his 65, an innings of class and character, India might well have finished with around 30 runs fewer.The target was a competitive one on a lively pitch, and India’s bowlers began well. Pathan, coming into the side in place of the injured Ashish Nehra, began superbly, getting a lovely shape on the ball, and bowling with hostility and control. Afridi (6) was the first man out, swinging wildly across the line, and getting bowled by an incutter that pitched on a good length (14 for 1). Four overs later, Pathan tempted Yousuf Youhana (2) with a full ball outside off stump, and VVS Laxman held on to the resultant edge easily (29 for 2).Younis Khan began positively, smashing Pathan out of the attack with three consecutive fours, in the course of a 15-run over. But he was run out for 18 shortly afterwards when he backed up too far as a straight-drive from Hameed was deflected into the stumps by Balaji (55 for 3). Zaheer Khan then got rid of Shoaib Malik (2) with a ball that angled across him and bounced more than he expected: Sehwag held on to an easy slip catch, and Pakistan were 65 for 4.Hameed and Inzamam then brought Pakistan back into the game, and ensured that they won. While Pakistan’s bowlers had managed to keep the pressure on India even after the ball lost its shine and hardness, and the conditions eased, the Indians could not achieve that. In the end, the difference between the sides was the quality of Pakistan’s bowling. In a series so far dominated by the bat, this made for a welcome change.Amit Varma is managing editor of Wisden Cricinfo in India.

There were lots of Indians who went across to Lahore for Sunday’s match, and The News had plenty to write about the various film stars, industrialists and politicians who were in that mix. Among the personalities present were Nusli Wadia, head of Bombay Dyeing industries and grandson of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan. Ranjan Bhattacharya, the husband of the adopted daughter of Atal Behari Vajpayee, India’s prime minister, was present too, reported the daily. Sunil Shetty, the Indian film star, was thrilled with the hospitality accorded to him in Pakistan: “The cricket board officials have been looking after me very well,” he said. “I don’t think I have ever been so well looked after even in my sasural [in-laws’ place].”Dawn carried more reports about the Indians being touched by the warmth of the people of Lahore. “The welcome is overwhelming and one can feel the bonds of goodwill here,” said one of the visitors, while another hoped that the series would be the precursor to improved ties on the political front: “It is the beginning of good relations between the two countries.”* * *Mohammad Sami has shrugged off the fact that a faulty speed gun might have been the reason for one of his deliveries being recorded at 100mph. The News quoted Sami as saying that he wasn’t too disappointed that his feat wouldn’t be recognised: “I don’t care much for such things. I would rather settle for more wickets than going for speed records. As it is I was not even aware of this feat. I only came to know about it after the match when my team-mates told me about speed readings on television.” Sami was clocked achieving speeds of 100 and 101mph in the 11th and 17th overs of the Indian innings in the third one-day international, at Peshawar.* * *The issue of no-balls and wides is one which has plagued Pakistan’s bowlers throughout this series, and with just the decider to go, they seem no closer to finding a solution. According to Imran Khan, the answer lies in using a bowling coach. “Bear in mind that the manager, the captain and the coach are all batsmen and the problem Pakistan are facing is in the bowling department,” The Nation quoted him as saying. Imran has a possible candidate for the post as well: “And I have recommended the name of Aaqib Javed who has a very good cricketing brain. He is a bowler and understands the bowlers and someone like him could work with the bowlers on it [the extras problem].”* * *The News reported that three Indians were caught trying to enter the Gadaffi Stadium posing to be journalists. Talking to the daily about the incident, Samiul Hasan, general manager (media) of the Pakistan board, said that suspicions were aroused as two of them were wearing the Indian team shirts. “Normally media men do not wear team colors while coming on official duty. When their names were checked with the list of journalists to whom we have issued media accreditation cards their names were not found on the list.” The three were handed over to the police, who have started investigations into the matter.* * *The Times of India caught up with Yasir Hameed, the hero of the Peshawar ODI. Like many others, he named Sachin Tendulkar as his favourite player, while he also spoke about his love for Indian movies: “If Aishwarya Rai or Preity Zinta [Indian actresses] come for the match, ask them to come and meet me.”

New Zealand have been boosted by the news that Daryl Tuffey, Shane Bond and Nathan Astle all passed fitness tests and are available for the forthcoming tour of England.Bond is such a key figure in New Zealand’s next 12 months of international cricket that he will not be placed at undue risk during the tour of England, which starts with a match against British Universities on May 3. He is returning after suffering a stress fracture in his back and is not regarded as a certainty for selection in the side for the first Test starting at Lord’s on May 20. He passed a final fitness test at New Zealand Cricket’s High Performance Centre at Lincoln University, near Christchurch.Bond was tested handling a gradually increased bowling load to see if he could maintain the technical changes that had been made to his action in order for him to have a longer career at international level. Astle was tested in a match situation and his knees, both of which have been operated on in the last 12 months, responded well. Tuffey, who had a knee problem during much of the lastsouthern hemisphere summer, was tested in the bowling spells and rest periods that he could expect in a match, and he also came through that well.John Bracewell, the New Zealand coach, reinforced the point that Bond was seen as going through a 12-month rehabilitation, and if that meant he was considered too fragile to be risked in the three-Test series, then he wouldn’t be.Such has been the impact Bond has made in his 10-Test international career that he has already taken on a newspaper column in New Zealand for his home town newspaper in Christchurch, The Press, while the cricket community iswaiting with bated breath to see if he can regain anything like his former pace.New Zealanders have become cautious, and rightly so, in their expectations of their faster bowlers. After injuries have denied them players reaching their maximum utility, like Geoff Allott, Dion Nash, Chris Cairns and Simon Doull,they have every reason to be wary.But they also know that Bond, in full cry, is a rare sightand a welcome opportunity to dish out something in return towhat has been delivered to New Zealand without too muchreply for many years.Bond is in no doubt of his readiness for action. He has been on a strictly managed build-up in New Zealand and completed the last part of an intensivefitness test programme today. “I’m not going to get too carried away. I’ve got to stay patient and remind myself of the longer termimplications of my return,” he said. “But it is hard not to run in andgive it everything. We’ve got three games before the firstTest, and it will be up to the management what role theyhave planned for me,” he said.As part of his rehabilitation, Bond has been working onchanges to his technique to lessen the torque on his bodyduring delivery. He has been monitored by video analysisevery time he has bowled during his recovery and he has beenassessed on three-dimensional testing facilities, similar tothose at the University of Western Australia where MuttiahMuralitharan and Shoaib Akhtar were assessed, at theUniversity of Auckland.Wellington coach Vaughn Johnson is traveling with the NewZealand team as an assistant to John Bracewell and he willbe keeping a close watch on Bond, and the other members ofthe New Zealand pace attack.”Shane is happy where he is technically,” said Bracewell, who will be keen to use Bond’s pace on England’s early season wickets. They leave for England on Tuesday, and the first of three Tests begins at Lord’s on May 20.”Traditionally at this time of year in England the wickets are fresh, grass-covered and conducive to seam and swing bowling,” added Bracewell, who has gained plenty of experience as coach of Gloucestershire. “For this reason we have opted for one specialist spin bowler only.”That spinner is Daniel Vettori, who made his Test debut against England as an 18-year-old in 1996-97. He also played a key part in New Zealand’s victories on their last tour of England in 1999. Their 2-1 series win condemned England to the bottom of the world rankings.New Zealand squad Stephen Fleming (capt), Nathan Astle, Shane Bond, Chris Cairns, Chris Martin, Kyle Mills, Brendon McCullum, Craig McMillan, Jacob Oram, Michael Papps, Mark Richardson, Scott Styris, Daryl Tuffey, Daniel Vettori

Steve Waugh has said that Australia’s tour of Zimbabwe could turn out to be an exercise in futility if the impasse in Zimbabwe cricket, which has led to their fielding a second-string side, is not resolved.Speaking in a television interview, Waugh said: “If they [Zimbabwe] turn up with the present side they’ve got now, it will be pretty close to a waste of time. There’s no doubt Australia will win the series easily if they [Zimbabwe] don’t change their current line-up.”But I think Australian teams have always been motivated by a challenge,” he continued. “I don’t think they would play as well as they normally play, against a side like that. They would much rather play against a full-strength side, and that would get the best out of their skills.”Zimbabwe’s current side is filled with players who are lucky to be playing cricket at this level, and have got their chance only because Heath Streak, Zimbabwe’s captain until recently, and 14 other players were sacked from the team after a dispute with the board. The 20-year-old Tatenda Taibu took over as captain from Streak, thus becoming the youngest man ever to captain an international side. But despite trying gamely, Zimbabwe have been outclassed by Sri Lanka, and a further thrashing from Australia is all but certain.

If India’s cricketers don’t have central contracts yet, they have only themselves to blame. The abrupt cancellation of the meeting of the screening committee formed to allot central contracts to the Indian players was brought about not by the prevarication of the board, but by a lack of consensus among the players.The matter has now been postponed to allow a group of the players who have expressed their reservations about the structure of the contract to come up with their own suggestions. It is understood that a group of players argued against the proposed grading system, which was to be determined by the screening committee on merit. They felt the seniority (number of Tests and one-dayers played) rather than a subjective decision by the committee should be the sole criterion.It is understood that the objections cropped up at the last moment, after the draft contracts were handed out to the players at the Indian team’s preparatory camp in Chennai. Some time back Ratnakar Shetty, the joint secretary of the BCCI, met the players at the conditioning camp in Bangalore to explain the contract, which had been finalised in consultation with a few senior players, including Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble.However, some of the other players felt that the subjective element in the structure could lead to disharmony, and that it would be better to decide the gradings by the number of matches played. The flip side of this is that a senior player would be guaranteed a higher-grade contract, irrespective of his true worth to the team. For example, if this contract had been enforced ten years ago, Sachin Tendulkar, already India’s best player, would have received a B-contract behind some lesser lights on account of the number of matches he had then played. Interestingly, the suggestion that seniority should be the main criterion came from a group of younger players.Some players were also unhappy about a proposed clause under which reserves would get only 50% of the match fee paid to the playing XI. In the existing system, they receive 90%, but without the security blanket of an annual retainer.The end result is that the players will now have to wait before they can reap the rewards of a central contract, something Kumble, the player in the forefront of negotiations in this issue, recently called “The best thing to happen to Indian cricket”.

We stuck to the basics and were disciplined enough to do well in all three departments of the game. We are playing as a team and that is what we have been emphasising. It is working well at the moment and everyone’s focus is right.
He is making a habit of this [winning Man of the Match awards]. In the past he had enough critics, but he is facing them now and has come good for Sri Lanka and giving 100%. As captain, I have to say he is marvellous now.
This pitch has changed now. It used to be a 250 plus wicket, but now it has started to seam about more. With the grass having not been cut the ball retained its shine and it moved around under the lights.
We are looking at the composition of the side and we have to be fair by individuals. It was tough on Saman [Jayanatha] but there was no question about bringing Sanath [Jayasuriya] back. He is good enough to prove them [Sanath’s critics] wrong.

Sri Lanka have made two changes to their Test squad for a two-match series against South Africa, recalling Muttiah Muralitharan, who boycotted the Australia tour, and including Ian Daniel, a 22-year-old uncapped opener who has just returned from Sri Lanka A’s tour of England.Daniel, a compact and technically correct right-hander who was earmarked as a future Test player after excelling for the Under-19 team, forced his way into the squad with a productive run in England where he contributed in all three first-class matches, top-scoring with 72 against the West Indians.Dilhara Fernando, who bagged three first-innings wickets against the South Africans in their recent practice game, but has slipped down the fast bowling pecking order behind Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Zoysa, has been dropped to make room for Muralitharan.Russel Arnold, another who impressed for the Board President’s XI at the Colombo Cricket Club, scoring 83 from 187 balls, is the other player to have been axed in a 15-man squad.Sri Lanka’s selectors have indicated a desire to see Kumar Sangakkara play as a specialist batsman, which should mean Romesh Kaluwitharana will retain the gloves, but the unique conditions at Galle, where the ball can spin at right-angles, could prompt a rethink to make room for three specialist spinners.The first Test starts at Galle on Wednesday, just two days after the Asia Cup final. It will be followed by one Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club immediately after and then five one-dayers.Sri Lanka squad
Marvan Atapattu (capt), Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Chandana, Chaminda Vaas, Farveez Maharoof, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan, Nuwan Zoysa, Thilan Samaraweera, Rangana Herath, Romesh Kaluwitharana (wk), Ian Daniel.

Sri Lanka 470 and 211 for 4 (Atapattu 72, Sangakkara 64) lead South Africa 189 (Smith 65, van Jaarsveld 51, Jayasuriya 5-34) by 492 runs
Scorecard

Sanath Jayasuriya’s magic touch with the ball continued on the third day in Colombo as he took career-best figures of 5 for 34, triggering a spectacular South African collapse and giving Sri Lanka a whopping 281-run first-innings lead. Sri Lanka then decided not to enforce the follow-on and instead celebrated their dominance with a rollicking start to their second innings, hinting at a late-evening declaration. In the event they batted on to finish the day at 211 for 4, with a huge lead of 492.South Africa, who had started the day on 116 for 3 and confident of drawing reasonably close to the Sri Lanka total, could be forgiven for being just a little shell-shocked after their dramatic afternoon slide. Their morning was poor, as Jayasuriya whipped out Graeme Smith (65) and Jacques Kallis (13), but the afternoon was even more woeful, as the last four wickets tumbled in the space of just 19 balls to leave South Africa 189 all out – an inexcusable total on a flat pitch.Rangana Herath, only in the team because of Muttiah Muralitharan’s shoulder injury, played a fine support act to Jayasuriya. Up to lunch he had toiled 23 overs without a wicket, but first ball after the break he had Boeta Dippenaar (25) caught at silly point – a decision which appalled the batsman. Next over, Shaun Pollock (1) was struck in front while playing an awkward looking paddle-sweep and Makhaya Ntini (0) was utterly bamboozled by Herath’s clever arm ball, which flattened the off stump.A savage batting assault followed Sri Lanka’s dream start, leaving them in a seemingly invincible position. Eyebrows were raised in the press box when the follow-on was not enforced, but Sri Lanka’s rationale was sensible enough: their bowlers would enjoy a rest – although Chaminda Vaas and Upul Chandana did not even bowl today – and, more importantly, South Africa’s best and only realistic chance of winning would be to defend a small target on a crumbling last-day pitch.Marvan Atapattu set the tone for the innings with a classical and dismissive brace of boundaries in the first over. Jayasuriya (19) followed suit by clobbering his first ball over cover. The first-wicket pair added 46 in just 53 balls before South Africa, understandably rattled, were given some breathing space when Jayasuriya charged a ludicrously long way down the pitch and was stumped down the leg side by Mark Boucher, who dived full-stretch one way, and then stretched back to knock off the bails (46 for 1).But the respite proved short-lived as Kumar Sangakkara, the first-innings double-centurion, turned the screws again. A few months ago, while being led by the super-defensive Hashan Tillakaratne, Sri Lanka might have settled for the slow grind. But here they went for the jugular. Sangakkara steamed past fifty in only 43 balls, and Sri Lanka sped along at five runs an over.Kallis finally broke through after tea, when Sangakkara skyed one to Ntini at mid-off, after making 64 (142 for 2). Mahela Jayawardene did not last long, gloving Kallis down the leg side (149 for 3). Kallis’s double strike dragged back the run rate, as he and Nicky Boje produced tight spells to force Sri Lanka into delaying the declaration. Shortly before the close, Atapattu fell to Jacques Rudolph, after making 72 from 151 balls.When South Africa resumed first thing, Atapattu had started with Jayasuriya, but it was Herath who came closest to breaking through first. Smith, determined to be positive, clipped powerfully in the air but Sangakkara, falling backwards with his arms stretched high at short midwicket, was unable to hold on. Smith celebrated with a pulled boundary and a bold lofted clip off Jayasuriya.But unlike Sangakkara, who made South Africa pay for their butter-fingered catching, Smith was unable to capitalise on his letoff, and chipped a head-high return catch back to Jayasuriya a few overs later (140 for 4).Next over, cheered on by a full stand of excitable schoolchildren, Jayasuriya celebrated even more ecstatically as Kallis, the cornerstone of the batting, chopped a low, skidding delivery onto his stumps (141 for 5). South Africa, cruising the previous evening on 109 for 1, had lost four wickets for 32 runs. Then Lasith Malinga sealed Sri Lanka’s morning when Rudolph wafted loosely and was caught down the leg side (166 for 6).If South Africa are to save the match from here, it’s going to take more then they’ve managed so far this series, because taking on Sri Lankan bowlers on a fourthand fifth-day SSC pitch is not a task for the faint of heart.

The champagne might still be flowing in the Sri Lankan camp, after their resounding win in the final of the Paktel Cup, but the hangover time allotted was just three days. After strangling Pakistan’s run-chase with their masterful use of their part-time spinners, Sri Lanka get another shot at glory with the two-Test series beginning at Faisalabad tomorrow.Marvan Atapattu may be embroiled in a heated controversy with the selection committee, but he starts the series with a legacy to uphold. Arjuna Ranatunga’s men came back from the dead in 1995 to become the first team to win a series in Pakistan for nearly 15 years. That win triggered off a glittering period, with the 1996 World Cup triumph and victory in the one-off Test at The Oval in 1998 the highlights. Sri Lanka returned to Pakistan in 2000, this time under Sanath Jayasuriya, but the series result read just the same: 2-1 in their favour. Neither team has managed to win at home in the five series they have played over the last ten years. Home disadvantage will suit Sri Lanka just fine.But history and figures may not mean too much to Pakistan. Bob Woolmer will be in charge for the first time in a Test and there have been clear signs of revival in the one-day version. He expressed his disappointment over Saturday’s defeat when he spoke to a few journalists after practice. “It’s a shame to have lost in the final. It was very disappointing to see the team lose despite having the potential to turning the tide. In fact they should have won the tri-series.”More importantly, the scars of losing to India earlier in the year might not have healed and their batsmen will need to show more gumption than they did in March. Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami have shown the ability to produce shocks in bursts, but Woolmer would want the intensity sustained throughout the series. Pakistan are likely to open the batting with Yasir Hameed and Imran Farhat and both have a chance to show that promise, if persisted with, can deliver results when they matter.Sri Lanka will rely on their top four to get them the big scores, which would then enable the spinners to get stuck in. Thilan Samaraweera has managed to cross fifty just twice in his last 14 innings and Romesh Kaluwitharana can exhilarate and exasperate in a span of a few minutes. Either Thilina Kandamby or Jehan Mubarak are set to bat at No. 6. The bowling line-up, though, may not be as spin-dominated as earlier Sri Lankan teams, with Lasith Malinga and Dilhara Fernando, both capable of making top-quality batsmen hop, backing up the canny Chaminda Vaas.The second Test will be played at Karachi, which will host a Test for the first time after May 2002 when New Zealand abandoned their tour midway. Karachi remains a Pakistani fortress where they have lost just one Test, when England pulled off an astonishing run-chase in the twilight in 2000. But Sri Lanka will fancy their chances to go one-up at Faisalabad. After a gritty showing in Australia, they overcame South Africa in a home series and have tasted success in two one-day tournaments in the subcontinent.And if Sri Lanka are in need of inspiration, they will do well to remember the squad of 1995, who levelled the series at Faisalabad and went on to win it soon after.Pakistan (probable) 1 Yasir Hameed, 2 Imran Farhat, 3 Asim Kamal, 4 Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), 5 Yousuf Youhana, 6 Abdul Razzaq, 7 Shoaib Malik, 8 Moin Khan (wk), 9 Shoaib Akhtar, 10 Mohammad Sami, 11 Danish Kaneria.Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Marvan Atapattu (capt), 2 Sanath Jayasuriya, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Jehan Mubarak, 7 Romesh Kaluwitharana (wk), 8 Upul Chandana, 9 Chaminda Vaas, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Dilhara Fernando.

The classic C’mon Aussie C’mon jingle will be released by Shannon Noll to give a new generation of fans something to hum over Christmas. The Mojo Singers’ song, first heard during World Series Cricket, has been re-worked with a modern feel by Noll, the former Australian Idol runner-up.Lillee is no longer pounding down like a machine and the Chappells have lost the killer gleam, so Graeme Koos, Nine’s cricket executive producer, updated the lyrics to find places for McGrath, Gillespie, Ponting and Warne. “It was just a good idea at the time,” Koos told the Daily Telegraph. “I think everyone is sick of hearing ‘Aussie, Aussie Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi’ – we thought people needed something new to sing along to and it steamrollered from there.”Noll, a former regional New South Wales player, said he was “stoked” to be chosen because he sang the original as a child. “We would throw a ball around the lounge room and dive on to the couch to catch it, acting out the song almost,” he said. The re-make will be released on December 19 and will raise money for the Good Start Breakfast Club.