Much has been said in the last few days about racism in cricket. Fingers have been pointed and decisions handed out. Opinions are everywhere. Culprits of the past have magically transformed into upholders of everything sacred, as they sermonise from the safety of the commentary box.
However, brushed under the carpet amidst the charge of racism is an equally important issue. Dishonesty, or to put it crudely, cheating. Both Ponting and Clarke claimed catches when the ball had clearly been grounded in the process of taking the catch. Isn't that bringing the game to disrepute? Isn't that putting to shame the cricketing fraternity and the Australian nation? Dishonesty is as deplorable as racism. While the charge against Harbhajan remains unsubstantiated, the evidence of poor sportsmanship is clearly visible in several replays. Ponting was guilty and so was the 'pup' who is expected to follow in his footsteps as the captain of the Baggy Greens.
I wonder what the ICC plans to do about it. It's simply not fair to ask an umpire to be accountable for a wrong decision, when players go scot-free for deliberately misleading them.
And if wrong appealing wasn't bad enough, the players in question also turn up at the press conference and deny any knowledge of what happened, profess fair play and lay the onus on the umpires. Ponting even went as far as asking a journalist, "Are you questioning my integrity?".
I wonder what Ricky thought the whole matter was about.
Ponting's actions have brought not just the game, but also the Australian nation, to serious disrepute. India has only lost a test match. Australia has lost face.
The Australian team may have lost Warne and McGrath to retirement but they've discovered new talent from entirely unexpected quarters. Bucknor and Benson.
TV replays threw up a lot of doubts. But Michael 'pup' Clarke had none. Then Ponting raised the finger. Benson nodded. And Ganguly returned reluctantly.Earlier it was Ponting. A ball comes off Dhoni's pad. Ponting dives to catch it. Appeals. Replays show the ball touching the grass as he landed. Ponting appeals again. This time on behalf of his integrity.Seems quite apt that Clarke is slated to be Ponting's successor at the helm of the team from Down Under.
I simply fail to understand why Andrew Symonds was declared the man-of-the-match in the second test at Sydney. He contribution to Australia's victory was marginal when compared to some others on the field.In my humble opinion the 2 men whose performances turned the game on its head are Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson. Surely they deserve the prize.
2007 is history now. The memories of the first test loss to Australia aren't. In just under 4 days, India were 1 down. If not anything else that gave them an extra day before the start of the next on a crowded tour.
I'm not sure I'm looking forward to the next test. I wonder if anyone on the team is. Happy New Year?
Zaheer Khan. RP Singh. Ishant Sharma. Irfan Pathan. Pankaj Singh. The Indian pace attack does look a little raw but that can be remedied with a positive attitude and due diligence. People win Grand Slams in their teens, so I really don't see age being a reason for an average performance.That's one aspect of the duel on hand. The other is the war of words. (Andrew Symonds must be licking his lips and getting cream in his mouth.)How are the men in blue going to win that shoot-out? Let's assume for the moment that they are ready and willing to take the verbal attack to the Aussie camp. How? The Aussies understand English and nothing else. And if you've heard our bowlers at the end of a mike, you will know that their line of attack is baffling to say the least.So what's the solution now? There isn't enough time to 'Learn English in 30 days'. But we might just be able to squeeze in the 4 letter words before the first test.Merry Christmas.
