Aussies still the best, feel rival skippers

Steve Waugh thinks Australia are still the best cricket team in the world despite losing their top ranking to South Africa and the final Ash...

Steve Waugh thinks Australia are still the best cricket team in the world despite losing their top ranking to South Africa and the final Ashes Test to England on Monday.

South Africa climbed to the top of the International Cricket Council standings with their 2-0 series win over Pakistan on Sunday while Waugh’s team slipped to second spot despite their 4-1 thrashing of England.

‘Fielding ruined our chances’

Sydney: Steve Waugh says Australia blew their chance of an historic series cleansweep against England through sloppy fielding.

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The Australia captain said his team’s loss was not caused by poor batting or the absence of strike bowlers Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne but by dropped catches. “We missed our opportunities, we know that,” Waugh said.
“We dropped some catches that could have turned the game around.”
Normally one of the best fielding sides in the game, the Australians fumbled a number of chances that came their way during the Test. Waugh said his players were showing signs of fatigue after a gruelling schedule but said that was not an excuse for their defeat. The Australians have played eight Tests in the past three months, including a three-game series against Pakistan split between Sri Lanka and Sharjah just prior to the Ashes. (Reuters)

Waugh felt the South Africans had some genuine claims to the No.1 ranking after beating India on the sub-continent when his own team failed.

But he said Australia had proved they were the best with their 5-1 home and away series win over South Africa last year.

“South Africa deep down would know that we’re a better cricket side than them,” Waugh said. “That’s not being big-headed that’s being realistic. Although from their point of view they can say they’ve won in the sub-continent and we haven’t…I think if you beat a team five times out of six in recent times and they’re ranked ahead of you that seems a bit strange.”

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England captain Nasser Hussain agreed the Australians were better even though his side won the final Ashes Test on Monday by 225 runs.

“My personal opinion is that this side is the best side I’ve ever played against,” Hussain said.