Beautiful game?
To have watched the final five balls of Sydney's New Year test was to have witnessed much of what is unique and so elevating about cricket's most beauteous form of the game.
To have watched the previous five days of play was to have seen the peevishness, boorishness and administrative incompetence which is disfiguring the game.
Today should have been a time to roll out that dog-eared sporting cliche that the "game is the winner". A moment to marvel at how Michael Clarke, a part-time spinner, won a last-gasp victory for his team, despite acknowledging afterwards that he did not think he had "a chance in hell" of getting three wickets in the final 10 minutes of play.
For the Australian team, this should have been a morning to savour their record-equalling 16th straight test victory, the final four of which were secured without their match-winning legends, retirees Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.
Instead, the headlines have been contaminated by the , complaints about the wanton aggressiveness of the Australians' play and criticisms of the umpiring, especially from Steve Bucknor.
Rather than being the perpetrators of an injustice, the Indians feel the victims of at least two: the quality of umpiring (out of 10 bad umpiring decisions, most of them went against the tourists) and the unremitting sledging from the Australians.
In his post-match press, Anil Kumble, one of the elder statesmen of the game, chose his words with great deliberation and knew they were loaded with historical meaning. "I think only one team were playing in the spirit of the game," he said, a comment which prompted applause from Indian reporters.
The statement, of course, was an echo of the former Australian captain Bill Woodfull, who memorably told the England manager: "There are two teams out there. One is playing cricket and the other is not."
Almost inevitably, the present bad-tempered series has now been dubbed "Bollyline".
The threat from the Indians that they would take no further part in the series has proved an idle one. The Board of Control for Cricket in India, the BCCI, would never have jeopardized its lucrative television deals. Instead, the administrators, officials and players are left to work out some kind of rancor-lifting rapprochement before the teams meet again in Perth on 16 January.
One of the most striking strands of this story has been the even-handed response from the Australian cricket press, arguably the best in the business. The consensual view appears to be that racism clearly has no place in the game, but that neither does such over-aggressive and boorish sledging. As ever, of The Australian neatly summed up the mood: "For some of this match, they went too hard, much like Harbhajan."
Jim Maxwell, the ABC cricket commentator, offers another voice of reason. "Australia is always hard-nosed and there's a touch of arrogance about the way they play," he said on national radio this morning. "Perhaps they need to back off a little bit."
There is so much to admire about this present Australian cricket team, from their superlative skill on the field to the way they drive their own team mini-buses off it. But there is an ugliness sometimes about the way they engineer and celebrate their victories. In Sydney, it was personified by Andrew Symonds, who admitted after his match-winning first innings knock of 162 that he knew he had been caught out in the early stages of his innings, but was more than happy to allow the umpire to adjudge him "not out".
I was at the Sydney Cricket Ground for the final day of the match and left thrilled at having watched one of the most remarkable finishes in the game's long history.
This morning came the hang-over.
I'm 
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I thought this match was a ugly spectacle of the game. The end was far from remarkable. It was just luck, and in truth Ponting declared far too late.
The Australian teams behaviour at the finish was the most disgusting I have ever witnessed in watching cricket. They won this match by poor umpiring and luck. And I did not even mention that Clarke should have walked when he was out.
Yes this match was remarkable and I hope it will provide a turning point in how the game is played and umpired.
I watched what bits I could on pre-Saturday. We had the T.V on at work.
Watched the Saturday and Sunday coverage at home. Was stoking the Barbie for those last few minutes which accounted for the last 3 wickets.
As you comment, the vast (and I mean by a margin of 8 to 1) majority of the poor umpiring decisions were inflicted upon the Indian's with dramatic consequences for the flow of the game and the inevitable result.
Australia are fantastic playing cricket, but to have what pressure you can bring to bear on the team snuffed out by poor umpiring, it is a miracle the Indian's could keep playing.
Symmons (yes that English man) was out 4 times in his two innings. Caught behind on 30, and clearly plum LBW for nought in the 2nd.
Brett Lee's first wicket in the second innings was on a no ball.
It has been so bad, and so one sided that even the commentators on channel 9, and the newspapers have commented as such.
And what really rankles the senses, is that realising they were playing with indicisive or judgment impaired umpires, the Aussies en-mass shouted even more vocally for the most slight chances of a decision, knowing they had an elevated chance of getting it, as was the case.
Dravid's caught behind (started by Gilchrist), and the finger jesture from Ponting on the Clarke catch, no catch, were two clear examples of this.
Neither should have been out, because the umpire either did not know if it was out, or plainly got it very very wrong.
So, to be the best and to need to behave like this to try and secure a legacy has only done so by tainting it.
Instances such as Andrew Symonds staying on pitch even after knowing that he was out, Ponting appealing for the grounded catch in this test are just a sample of Australian 'sportsmanship'.
I am Indian and would love any time to see India winning. I also respect the Australian cricket team for their skills, team work, discipline and unending zeal to perform every time.
While this clockwork almost machine-like performance of theirs, makes them one of the most successful teams in the cricket world, one can clearly see that they have gone too far in this craze to win.
This second test has shown that they have left the spirit of the game far behind and I have to sadly state that I have lost the respect for this team at least for the current Australian team and its captain.
Indians on the other hand has shown great sportsmanship in general and they deserve an applaud for their restraint on field.
Australia must be congratulated on winning the match. But the aggression (I use the term in its most negative sense) that so often personifies the team's performance is a world away from the roots of the game. It edges closer to the histrionic vaudeville of WWE wrestlers. The game, and its fans deserve better.
It's a game we should have enjoyed, but.....The game was intense but the umpiring was the worst I have seen. Mr Bucknor seems to be getting into a situation (going by the Tests he has officiated where India were a participating team) where the Indian team would have serious doubts over his competence. Added to that the behaviour of the Australian players was appaling (nothing unusual though). To top it off, Ricky Ponting apparently telling an Indian journalist that he had no right to question his integrity was ridiculous, to say the least. Especially after Mr Ponting stood his ground after nicking one down the leg-side in the first innings, claiming a catch (MS Dhoni), etc to point out a few infractions. People do not have issues with cricket being played the hard way but do have issues with the game being played the ugly way and captains of teams assuming that they are GOD (especially when they cheat for the world to see and claim otherwise).
What about the standard of umpiring in the match?Aussies want to win the matches at any cost and do not bother about ethics or sportsmanship.But,what else can you expect from persons whose ancestors were convicts?
Anil Kumble was right - only one team was playing in the spirit of the game and what happened only reflects badly on an Australian team which is good enough to win within the spirit of the game. I can admire the ability of the Australians but have no respect for them as "sportsmen'. Some good can come out of the events in Sydney though if the 3rd umpire is allowed in future to correct decisions which are clearly wrong - the whole ground and all the tv viewers knew Symonds was out- and that he was allowed to continue batting was a travesty - and one which Mr.Bucknor would probably have preferred to have avoided too. And what is the value that "sledging" brings to the game? Would it be missed if it was outlawed?
Just for the sake of records, Aussis have tarnished their image world over.
Like all bullies the Aussies can dish it out but they cant take it
I am from India and though i would love India win all the time, i have been an ardent supporter of Australia as a Team and their game, their aggression in general, its good that you have team like Australia which plays to win, but then you see the false umpiring, you see allegations confirmed on the basis of hearsay, it makes me say, come on Australia, you are much better and you can win, all you got to do is play the GAME of cricket and not make a GAME out of the GAME. Somebody got to tell the KANGAROOS, that HOPPING is not Running, no matter what speed you do that !!!
The Indian Board - BCCI without any hesitation should suspend the tour till ban is removed from Harbajan. If required to avoid fine for cancelling the tour the Indian Govt should call back the team. Which as per the ICC rules is allowed.
The race row of Harbajan is not really concerned with race but its a power play of the Aussies. If India gives in to this at this point of time then India would be playing on its knees.
I am surprised no channel has shown the Following footage:after the successful over in which Dravid was given out though he did not nick the ball, Symonds while taking his cap from Bucknor pated him on his back,probably congratulating him on a job well done.
If only it had been a draw...
Nice to see unbiased commens here. there were some very dodgy decisions most of which hurt india but thats cricket. unfortunate but it happens. remember 2nd test of ashes 2005. last wicket, kaspa given out despite glove not touching bat when hit by the ball? see it happens to the aussies as well.
next walking. the only player in world cricket who consistently walks is Gilchrist, thats right an AUSTRALIAN! remember karthik in the ODI series in india a month or 2 ago? he also admitted he hit it.
As for the catches. Clarke said he caught it and the best replay is still inconclusive and doesnt even show the bottom of the ball at the time it enters clarkes hands! ponting stated that he thought he did catch Dhoni because he had full control. how can anyone say he was lying? whether he was correct in what he thought is irrelevant. if he belived he caught it then his integrity is not in question.
then there is harbajahn, banned for racist comments. not exactly in the "spirit of the game" is it. Add to that the deliberate time wasting tactics (Ganguly, RP Singh, Shamar standing ground despite being given out) the 2 right gloves! again not in the right spirit. now the threaten to boycott. could be easily interpreted as an attempt to influcne the appeal.
Australia may have done things they will look back on with regret but the indians were at least equal in this department.
Omg seriously Indians get over yourselves. Always overreact on silly things.
I do not understand why monkey is termed a racial slur at all. Does Symonds have some simian heritage I'm unaware of, is he a Darwin fanatic whose zealotry spreads far beyond the Christians and Muslims of the Crusades, or is he just being a troublemaker?
Having said all that, I do feel that Mr Bucknor, in my opinion one of the best umpires we've had for over a decade now, has been criticised a bit too harshly. Almost every umpire makes mistakes, and in some unfortunate cases, really bad ones. In extreme cases, they make several really bad ones in one match, made all the more apparent by the TV replays. I'm sure no one is more upset about those wrong decisions than he himself, and there's no excuse to go looking for umpire blood. I am an India fan, but I feel that the Indian team probably wouldn't have been quite so upset with Bucknor had they saved the game. Why not look at their own tailend batting efforts instead?
I always feel that Australia aren't quite as bad as they look - Gilchrist and Lee are supposed to be real gentlemen, and Ponting is well-respected off the field. Symonds is probably the only ruffian of the lot, and it's something we'll just have to tolerate, and deal with on the field, hopefully by getting him out early or carting him for sixes. He's one of the less scary Australian team members, but his allround skills make him a good balancing figure in the middle. India need to get over their dislike of him, and bowl to him on his merits. Shut that mouth up in the correct and permanent way, as people can't talk much when they're no longer selected.
The way I see it is very simple.
Sledging should not be aggressive.
Rascism should not be tollerated.
Sportsmanship should prevail.
To me excessive sledging and not walking when umpires have made glaring errors is against the spirit of the game and should be viewed as such. The Oz should follow Gilchrist's example of play hard until your out then walk. The problem with this Oz side seems to me the lack of respect they have for their opponants (with a few exceotions).
My most pervading memory of the glorious 05 Ashes tour was not the victory parade but the duel and mutual respect shown between Flintoff and Bret Lee - this was what I loved about that tour two teams at it hammer and tongs yet in the midst of it was a paramount mutual respect.
Refering specifically to Harbijan (sorry if I mispelt that) the on pitch umpires did not hear anything and the match ref has been 'satisfied' by Ponting's account - not exactly conclusive evidence. I think that the only chance here as we had to on India's recent tour of England is to draw a line under the test and go forward with a clear statement to the players to wind their necks in.
The match we witnessed was a contest between two unequal teams . IndiaXI had to Play against AUSTRALIA XIV. All the three umpires showed excellent team work with Australia. It is not loss of India but loss of gentlemen's game called cricket.It is even worse than match fixing episode. Nobody knows where we go from here.
I have watched the entire game and i think Australians are a disgrace to the game of cricket. They did not deserve to win. I think its appropriate for India to suspend the tour and Australians must be punished.
The Great Sydney Test Victory or The Great Sydney Injustice Victory..!!
It was all rubbish and nonsense the way umpires helped aussie win... They were on the mat in 1st innings and had Steve 'Aussie' Bucknor been fair INDIA wud never have let 'sledger-rowdy-aussies' go that far........ Its now time for all fair cricket lovers to get united and give those a(u)ss(i)es a thrash!!
Section 3.3 of the code of conduct under which Harbhajan has been charged refers to the use of "language or gestures that offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, threatens, disparages or vilifies another person on the basis of that person's race, religion, gender, colour, descent, or national or ethic origin".
Does this section only apply to players or also to the umpires? Because, if it does, Mr Bucknor certainly also has a case to answer.
What if the Indians felt that raising his finger (to give them out incorrectly) or shaking his head to turn down their appeals (against Symonds et al) were "gestures that offended, insulted, humiliated, intimidated, threatened, disparaged or vilified them"? Especially as Symonds being part West Indian like Mr Bucknor, was the MAJOR beneficiary?
Ponting hails "unbelievable win".
Yes it was unbelievable.
Winning by cheating makes you a loser.
About time cricket sorted out more TV reffing, this game was pathetic.
First, why not make it compulsory to take all the decisions (regarding gving a batsman out, appeal for 6 and 4) using third upire. technique is there but cricket is living in the world of 80's in taking ground decisisons. moreover, if you do not want to include third umpire, why pay him to watch for free. except two people (called upires) everyone who si watching the cricket knows if someone is out or not. that is ridiculous. 11 mis-judgements in a single game?? and in a match which was practically draw but ended up in one-sided victory.
This match will always be remember by everyone who like Cricket. This match will become a very good example to explain the word "Cheating".
The verdict is indeed one sided .I believe that this is a racist decision against a baselss alleged "racist" comment.
1. If this verdict is accepted , this means that the word of an Aussie( white) guy is more worthy than an Indian guy.
2. The kind of people testifying against Bhajji , like Ponting and Clarke has testified against Bhaaji whose honesty is in question from all the appeals they have made when thy have actual grounded the catches. or Ponting who when out was posing as if he isnot out.
We should immediately abondon the tour and also withdraw from ICC membership , afterall it is only meant for "White" . A new organisation should be thought of where sub-continent countries like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanki, Bangladesh and other should have equal right irrespective of how big or small the country is.
Manish
Frankly, I am sick of reading one comment after another about Australian's being 'unsportsmanlike' or applying too much pressure to the opposition batsmen.
The buck stops with the umpires.
Bad decisions were made throughout the game and the Australian's capitalized. Any team, and I certainly do include India here, would do the same. If you catch some good luck you accept it with open arms, and remember all the bad decisions you've copped on the chin.
It is up to the umpires to get it right and to enforce standards out on the field. They have the power, if the fielding team continues to make comments deemed abusive, after being warned, send the captain off the field. If it continues, and if they bow to pressure then they are responsible, no one else.
Sledging, trash talk or whatever you call it occurs in every sport. I've suffered it playing club cricket and mostly its ineffective - sometimes it gets to you. I would argue that cricket is much a mental game as a physical one - good umpiring is the key to fair play in both cases.
I think both sides need to grow up. You're playing a game of cricket...CRICKET ! Most of the world DOESN'T CARE about the crazy game...and I'm an Aussie.
If India had secured the draw, there wouldn't be all this fuss. Emotions are running high now because of the way the game ended depriving India of the draw they deserved considering how much luck etc went against them.
But Australia need to reflect on the fact that most non-Australian cricket fans really hate the Australians. Ponting & Co may choose to think they are hated only because they are so damned good. But in soccer in the 70s and 80s, nobody hated Brazil because they were so damned good !! No Brazil were greatly loved and admired by everyone.
Fact is, the Australian cricket side is hated, NOT because they are so good, but because many of them (not all, I add) are unpleasantly arrogant, often offensive in their aggressive posturing, and renowned for being the pastmasters of gamesmanship and sledging.
A lot has been said about the umpiring and bad behaviour of players but this whole episode has unknowingly shadowed the underperformance of great indian batting line up.True there were 2 wrong decisions on the final day but they still should have played 72 overs which they didn't...jaffer continued his bad form..yuvraj probably was thinking about the previous night he spent with deepika and rest of the players also couldn't just hang out there....some changes need to be done very soon in the batting line up...
Indian crowds shout overtly racist chants at an Aussie player... an Indian batsman refuses to walk when given out in the first Test... an Indian player calls an Australian player with dark skin a monkey...
But no... the Aussies are the bad guys for playing to the umpire (as every other team does in every game)... shame on them.
It's funny that the Indian manager says "Monkey is not a racist term in our country... ummmmm.... but Singh didn't use the word monkey anyway...."
He either said it or he didn't. I have no doubt he said it because otherwse there there wouldn't be all this justification and excuse making from the Indians about the word used. They'd just be stating that he didn't say it.
Same old same old from the sub-continent... if you don't show us respect you're racist... but we will say and do what we like and if someone takes us to task we'll threaten a walk out...
A fairer balance:
* Ponting rejected what looked like a legitimate claim of a catch in the first innings despite TV replays suggesting he did catch it. Had it gone to a third umpire, most people agree that it looked like a fair catch. So that kind of disproves everyone's rants of "win at all costs". If he was the cheat as claimed, then please explain this behaviour in the first innings.
* People questioning the nature of monkey taunts are ignorant. You only need to follow football in Europe to understand where it can lead. Claims of Australians being ancestors of convicts could claim to be equally offensive. Singh should have been given a suspended sentance.
* Ponting was asked by the ENGLISH umpire whether it was a fair catch - that's why he signaled "out". Clarke had said to him that it was a definite catch and he was answering a question. The umpire was wrong to ask RP - as he should have asked Bucknor or gone upstairs.
* Had it been a draw, people would have been upset at the umpiring but would not be threatening to quit the tour. Sore losers perhaps?
* Clarke's bahviour in not walking was very concerning. Not good for the supposed future captain. Ponting should pull him into line over this.
* Hardly any of the players now adays or in the past walk when given out. Blame the umpires for Symonds 160 runs - you can't blame him for that. He will get given out when he wasn't out next time - it's all swings and roundabouts people.
Finally, where is the ICC and Malcolm Speed in all of this - once again the lack of leadership comes from the top!!
All I can say is compare Edgbaston 2005 Ashes and Sydney 2007. After Australia's heartbreaking loss, we all know Andrew Flintoff went straight over to Brett Lee and consoled him, shook his hand. After the Aussies won on Sunday, did any player at all go over to Anil Kumble to at least shake his hand? Kumble who fought so hard (and unlike Symonds or Harbajhan, fairly and respectfully) with both bat and ball walked off while the Aussies fought for the best photo opportunities of them celebrating like little school kids.
After watching the test match, I feel some rules have to be incorporated by ICC to give the other teams a perfect clarification :
(1) Ricky Ponting 鈥 (THE TRULY GENUINE CRICKETER OF THE CRICKET ERA AND WHOSE INTEGRITY SHOULD NOT BE DOUBTED) should be considered as the FOURTH UMPIRE. As per the new rules, FOURTH UMPIRE decision is final and will over ride any decisions taken by any other umpires. ON-FIELD umpires can seek the assistance of RICKY PONTING even if he is not on the field. This rule is to be made, so that every team should understand the importance of the FOURTH UMPIRE.
(2) While AUSTRALIAN TEAM is bowling, If the ball flies anywhere close to the AUSTRALIAN FIELDER(WITHIN 5 metre distance), the batsman is to be considered OUT irrelevant of whether the catch was taken cleanly or grassed. Any decision for further clarification should be seeked from the FOURTH UMPIRE. This is made to ensure that the cricket is played with SPORTIVE SPIRIT by all the teams.
(3) While BATTING, AUSTRALIAN players will wait for the ON-FIELD UMPIRE decisions only (even if the catch goes to the FIFTH SLIP as the ball might not have touched the bat). Each AUSTRALIAN batsman has to be out FOUR TIMES (minimum) before he can return to the pavilion. In case of THE CRICKETER WITH INTEGRITY, this can be higher.
(4) UMPIRES should consider a huge bonus if an AUSTRALIAN player scores a century. Any wrong decisions can be ignored as they will be paid huge bonus and will receive the backing of the AUSTRALIAN team and board.
(5) All AUSTRALIAN players are eligible to keep commenting about all players on the field and the OPPONENT TEAM should never comment as they will be spoiling the spirit of the AUSTRALIAN team. Any comments made in any other language are to be considered as RACIALISM only.
(6) MATCH REFREE decisions will be taken purely on the AUSTRALIAN TEAM advices only. Player views from the other teams decisions will not be considered for hearing. MATCH REFREES are to be given huge bonus if this rule is implemented.
(7) NO VISITING TEAM should plan to win in AUSTRALIA. This is to ensure that the sportive spirit of CRICKET is maintained.
(8) THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE: If any bowler gets RICKY PONTING - 鈥淭HE UNDISPUTED CRICKETER WITH INTEGTIRY IN THE GAME OF CRICKET鈥 more than twice in a series, he will be banned for the REST OF THE SERIES. This is to ensure that the best batsman/Captain will be played to break records and create history in the game of CRICKET.
These rules will clarify better to the all the teams VISITING AUSTRALIA.
One white man who refers to himself as a monkey is renowned musician Ian Brown. Northerners in England call themselves 'Northern Monkeys' sometimes.
Even the Austalian cricket side must be embarrassed at how one sided the game had become. It may be a little early to suggest comparisons with Bodyline as has been suggested in some places but I would like to see how the Australian media in particular differentiates between the two.
One thing is for certain, Bradman will be turning in his grave. Proper enforcement of appeals (only bowler and keeper) and a ban on sledging ought to be appropriate, but then again...
Symonds' comments that no one except Gilchrist in current Team will walkout tells the whole story. Ponting and his team has no integrity and wants to win by hook or crook. It is same australians who once implement 'White Australia' are crying foul for a word Monkey which was never said. India was playing not against 11 but 14 players. Seems australians made sure in backdoor that they won't drew the series like last time. Shame on Australia and its hypocrite supporters...
Iam from Pakistan. It was a great attitute from the Indian team to say the least, and Aussie !!!! Everybody saw them, they only wanted to win for the sake of record either by hook or crook. Whenever they have tough opponent, they do it regularly. When Pak visited them under Wasim, they chased 369 with the help of umpires and then they claim they r the best. It is really annoying when people say the decisions does even out in the career. Batsman do get benefit of doubt on LBWs more often. so there is no need try to claim that by not leaving when u nick it????? It clearly means that u r trying to cheat.
True colours of present Aussi cricket team.........
Just wanted to remind the readers of great cricketers, such as Gundappa Vishwanath - not for his batting heroics but for his sense of fair-play. Please rewind to what Vishy did to Bob Taylor in the 1979-80 series, which to me is real cricket.
Symonds statement of 'I was out at 30'plastered over the newspapers inflamed a tense situation and subsequently this test has instead of promoting Test Cricket only hastened it's demise.Umpiring that has reached a deplorable standard and is exposed by broadcasters unmercifully further demeans the game.The fan really wants sportsmen to have a bit of class as it is 'its not cricket'
The win by Australia is tarnished in the way it was achieved - by incorrect decisions and poor sportsmanship ( excessive appealing and some dishonesty).
Harbhajan Singhs possibly distastful comments did not impact the result.
All three aspects (poor decisions, dishonesty and distasteful comments) should be looked into by the authorities. However it is the incorrect umpiring decisions and dishonest sportsmanship (cheating) that tends to make the Australian win meaningless.
Tom Maher, Victoria , Australia
I am from India and I think Indians play the game with thier heart and emotion while Australians play like machine. There is no doubt Australians win more games but India win more hearts.
Could the answer to this type of problem be to ban sledging? I know people say it is a perfectly acceptable part of the game but I do not see it that way. It leads to worse offences, like jellybean-gate and the alledged racist comment in the match in question. Why do we feel it acceptable for players to rant and swear and deliver personal abuse to other players. I work in an office and consider myself a professional at what I do, just the same as cricketers, and I would no more walk in to a competitors office and insult and abuse him or her than I would grow wings and fly!
The Australians are supposed to be the worst culprits for sledging but there are no innocent teams out there, why cant we return to cricket being a sport for gentlemen, that is conducted in the highest spirit of sport? I mean golfers don't seem to feel the need to try and put off the other players by shouting how they slept with their opponents wife during the back swing do they? In fact if they did they would be off the tour before their feet touched the ground. Do we really want to see cricket degenerate into football, with players calling each other, the refs, the fans, and anyone else about the foulest words in the English language? NO WE DO NOT!!!
The whole affair seems pretty disgusting!
Given Aussies are great cricketers, but they certainly are NOT good sportsmen. Their catches and behavior on the last day was disgusting. THAT IS NOT HOW YOU WIN MATCHES. It didn't help that the umpires behaved like fools.
Harbhajan was wrong, but he does not deserve a ban. Aussies have said worse things on the field. They have now opened a can of worms by complaining.
I totally SUPPORT the indian players for suspending the tour if the Harbhajan ban is not overturned.
Let us first start learn to play Cricket in a Genteleman's way. Except for Australia, most other teams play in a gentleman's way. Aussies have muddied the waters - and now you see the results!
I dont understand what the hell is going on...Get our boys back.Did Mr Pawar and Co not see that Anil Kumble was almost in his tears at the press conference.For Gods sake get them back and i am sure in coming years no team would tour Australia considering the attitude they have.
We should not forget that they are the ones who started it all, Sledging is their game not ours.
For heavens Sake get our team back, we dont have to play against them apart from the world cup championships
Pontin was behind most of the pressure put on Bucknor. The Aussies were going up for palpably not out LBs and catches and then sulking when Bucknor turned them down. Pontin was the worse of many culprits in this respect.
Bucknor gave way under the immense pressure, and from the fact he knew he was having a stinker.
If you look at Bucknor's performances over the last few years he has clearly declined. Fixtures like this one should be given to the very best umpires like Taufell.
I think the BCCI should appeal to the international board to make the 2nd test at Sydney null and void ( remove it from the history books) There is in my opinion enough evidence to prove that the match looked like it has been fixed .
I have been a huge cricket fan since the last 25-30 years ever since I was 10-12 yrs old. Over the years, we Indians used to hate the sight of a Pakistani player on the cricket fielder. I have no doubt in my mind now, that this place has been taken by the Aussies.
Racism can only be defined by caste or colour. It is quite well know that man has evolved from monkeys (apes), and Harbhajan did no wrong in saying that word, since this is not derogatory at all in India. Moreover, it is alleged that Brad Hogg called an Indian player - a bastard, this might be a common word for the Aussies, however, it is an extremely insulting word for us Indians.
How do we define what is insulting and what is not?
The ICC is best advised to remove the ban and end the matter.
Secondly, Ricky Ponting and his men talking about their own integrity? Anyone who saw the 5th day's play at Sydney (even without the audio commentary) will just laugh at this comment.
The most critical aspect of the entire episode is the leader of the Aussies - Ricky Ponting. He is an unfit & unsuitable "leader" to a team of behaviourial rogues. A sample
a) Pushing off the BCCI president from the dias, how do we classify it - rascist, crude or what? Has this ever happened with any other dignitary on the podium anywhere else. Who was the captain ? What did Ricky say - virtually nothing.
b) Showing his finger on Sourav's dismissal - i think that was clearly rascist & vulgar.
c) Not able to bowl his 90 overs in 6.5 hours of extended play at SCG. Why he couldnot bowl the overs, as someone else was superior to the Aussies on that day.
Even a pretense of opposition doing good against them forces Ricky & his bunch of behaviourial rogues to act -sledge, accuse of racial slur, being a cry baby etc.
If this is what a sport is supposed to mean, I am proud of the Indian team. I have not seen their sporting spirit being ever doubted. BRAVO TEAM INDIA. YOU HAVE WON MY HEARTS...
After watching the test match I totally agree that only one team was playing in the spirit of the game and it not the Aussies. They are currently the best team around but they have displayed bad sportsmenship. The conduct of Ponting claiming a catch which was clearly grounded, standing his ground when he was out was another. The finger jesture from Ponting on the Clarke catch (the umpires should have consulted the third umpire.) Symonds was out four times - yeah 4 times in this test.
Brett Lee's first wicket in the second innings was a no ball but that was the job of the umpire who seemed to be fast asleep in this test.
On the last day Dravid was caught behind with the whole Aussie team appealing when it was clearly not out - blatant cheating - whatever happened to our lovely game of cricket.
Another example was of Symonds taking his cap from Bucknor and patting him on his back after Dravid's dismissial (really ugly scene).
Come on you Aussies you are good cricketers but please show some respect for this beautiful game.
lets not get to carried away with the so called bad sportsmanship displayed by the aussies in the second test in sydney. The indian players and supporters are no angels either. I mean it was not that long ago that kevin Petersen clean bowled harbhajan Singh in a one day game, and he didnt walk. He decided to stand his ground and tell Petersen where to go. Indians also criticise aussie fans for bad behaviour. I dont recall aussie fans ever burning down stands and effigies in the streets when we lose a game of cricket. At least we are not caged in like "monkeys" at our grounds.
I would love to know 2 things:
1) How come when India and Pakistan get ripped off by the umpires they can stop playing, but when England are told to play cricket in a Nazi state they have to go?
2) How the international cycle works so that between Christmas 2005 and 2007 Australia played 14 Tests and England by my adding up played 24? Maybe that's why our players are always injured, off form or having nervous breakdowns
lol... your all pathetic but as an Aussie and a damn proud one nothing gives me more pleasure then listening to you English and Indians whine.... !! And if it makes you feel better that we are all origins of convicts... hey.. keep sending them, in fact make them swim over as our swimming piles are a bit short! but c'mon get over it we are no longer living in the 19th and 20th century!! This gentlemen attitude you all think still exists in cricket sorry to say but has all gone... cricket is their jobs scoring runs is there jobs, taking wickets is there jobs... I sure as hell wouldn't walk on 30 if i was going to score a 162* ummmm.... lets think about it.. how long does it take to get in the Aussie cricket team???? jeez lets see - Haydon 30+, S, Clarke 30+, Symonds 30+, Hussey 30+, Jacques 28, Gilchrist 28..... Your playing cricket for 20+yrs (thats a hell of an apprenticeship) before you make the Aussie team and you wonder why they don't compromise!
Television replays and "snicko" have added to this problem greatly. While they add to the experience for the viewer, the umpires does not get to use this technology to make desicions. Who wants to be an international umpire these days! Not me.
I do think harbajan was guilty and he was clearly silly despite being provoked however the 3 match penalty was way too harsh.
Both captains should be fined for slow over rate too!! Viewers should have to sit there for 3 minutes while a captain changes his field!
Ponting has become Harbhajans "bunny" and now Symonds is his "monkey".
I think that both are accurate. Neither need be offensive. The Oxford dictionary gives a definition of "monkey" as someone who is a bit mischievous. There is no derogatory definition listed!
Grow up Ponting and stop squeeling about trivia.
Keith Payne
Hants UK
I am Australian living in the U.K so unfortunately I could not watch all the match, but am constantly reading reports and watching highlights. After reading all the comments posted I am angry and disgusted!
Yes I agree if someone is out they should walk. Adam Gilchrist will do this every time. Yet it is only when an Australian doesnt walk that everyone starts yelling and calling it bad sportsmanship. Has an Indian ever been out and not walked.. I think so! We do not umpire the game, if the umpire feels threatned into making a decision then he should not be umpiring. Do not start critisicing the Australian team because of UMPIRING decisions.
Imagine how you would feel if Andrew Symonds had called one of your players a racist remark, you would all have your back up and be threatening to boycott the rest of the series.
See that the player was wrong, be the bigger men and admit it, punish your player and play the game, rise above it and beat them on the field, because at the end of the day thats where justice can be served!
And how dare you make racial remarks towards Australian calling them "convicts". You really should be ashamed of yourselves for that. Look in the mirror and see where the real "racism" comes from. Australia is a beautiful free country open to all races and nationalities. To be honest I could not be happier that somewhere down the line one of my ancestors stole a loaf of bread.
Australia has not won 16 straight tests through luck, they are a bloody good team, and to be honest at the moment the Indian team are sounding like sore losers. Stop playing the game in the media and start playing it on the pitch, where it should be played.
India lost their 2nd test against australia.
Australia lost their respect n sportmanship of 1 billion cricket fans who respected the australians as a team!!
They want it all there own way the australians.It was clear in the ashes series when it was held in England that pointing seems to be able to get away with complaining to the umpire and getting his point across, then having his famous toys out the pram tantram at the English dressing room when a sub fielder run him out, of course nothing was said and all these little moans to the unpire will effect even the strongest mind.Symonds had his story in all the Aussie papers so hes made his little pay packet out of it as well and Im sure his best buddy Ricky punter had his little cut{I find it hard to believe that he was aloud to put a piece about that being such a delicate issue in the paper} being the big tough man he claims to be Im sure if the jibe was said, Im sure he would of had a stronger word to say.The fact is Ricky Ponting is the most powerfull player in cricket, and this has proved it he writes the rules and can say and do as he pleases, his attitude after and when the game ended was nothing more than school ground behaviour and it was sickening.But the lowest point was signaling to the unpire to say that Gangouly was out and what made it even worse was that the umpire asked him.I wish the Football season would hurry up and start now so I dont have to see these so called hero's of australian sport currupting my kids into thinking thats how to play a great game.
It sounds to me like the Aussies are being critisized for poor umpiring. Come on people, get real.
India lost their 2nd test against australia.
Australia lost their respect n sportmanship of 1 billion cricket fans who respected the australians as a team!!
I watched the whole match, really thought why i should watch cheats playing. Ponting has not fooled the refrees, umpires and Indian players. He has fooled himself, his records, his legacy. History will always rember him as a cheat. Clark is going to be the next captain, Selectors should think regarding this. Because he going to spoil Australian cricket's name.
First of all the Indians were not playing to win the game but to simply stifle Australia's attempt at record breaking history. How can a team that is playing in such an importance match, where if they win they will be immortalised in test cricket history, be grilled for playing too aggressively. It was like a gold medal match for us Aussies and it meant so much. The Indians are sore losers who are upset that they are the most cricket focused nation with the largest population and yet they still cannot beat a country that has only 2% of their population. They could have never won the match, only drawn it, so stop crying India, focus on new and better talent, like Australia does, and then you may have a chance.
I am indian an I like to see india winning. I have great respect for the australian team, but seeing the second test left me disgusted. The Australians were boorish and arrogant on the field, and by the way they are not angels themseleves. Is "monkey" is a strong word that it is considered racist?
Thats a pathetic match with lot of undue advantage taken by Aus team from the poor umpiring. The fact is Aussy can not digest the fact that they are loosers. They think; they are world no 1 team, but remember game at wanderers where SA thrashed them despite the fact that they made unbelievable 434 in 50 overs. so my suggestion to ponting is that U guys are not world no 1 team.. any team can beat u anytime. its better to take game as game and not as ego issue.
It is unfortunate that Steve Bucknor is taking so much stick but that comes with applying such a lack of common sense on his decisions.
If you are not sure whether someone has nicked it, watch his reaction. Symonds' head turns to see whether he gets caught. The same goes for everyone. If you nick it, you check to see if you're out. If you didn't nick it, you look down the pitch and acknowledge a good delivery from the bowler.
It would be interesting if someone researched this but anyone who's played the game knows that when you hit the ball, you want to know where it's gone.
ASAN INDIAN I HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TEST AND AT THE END OF IT I FEEL THAT THE MAN OF THE MATCH SHOULD BE MR.STEVE BUCKNOR. HE IS ONE WHO PROVIDED IMPETOUS TO THE SEE-SAW BATTLE.
DOSEN'T MATTER HE IS AN UMPIRE- HE IS PART OF THE AUSTRALIAN 12 ON THE FIELD
As a Pommmie (if that is not a racist or offensive description) living in Sydney and having attended day 1 and day 5 of what I hope is a watershed Test I offer the following comments:
1. The Aussies play to the letter of the law not in the spirit of the game. Aside from many of the other comments already posted, I point to the moment when Symonds came out to bat in the 1st innings when he should have been timed out such was his sloth. Minutes later when Gilchrist arrived, he managed to delay proceedings by removing his entire cricket attire after 2 balls!
2.The comments by many of the Australian team (Dobber Ponting, Lee, Gilchrist and born again Hayden) that they thought that the game was played in the right spirit just shows how that they have no idea about the spirit of cricket. It is laughable that the English, Pakistanis, Indians and South Africans all question the Aussies attitude but Cricket Australia and their vulgar captain continue to deny the obvious.
3. Australia have tried to define what is legitimate cheating. Apparently it is OK to appeal for a catch behind when it is obvious to everyone that the batsman has not made contact or for ridiculous lbws but no way can you question our claim to have caught a catch cleanly.
Sutherland, Ponting, Rudd, someone, quickly look at yourselves. You are looking ridiculous in the face of the cricketing world. How sad is it when a world record equaliing feaqt is looked upon with such indifference by the rest of the world,and, increasingly within Australia. If you want to wina game of cricket so badly, have it, it only shows how pathetic and insecure you are.
Thats a pathetic match with lot of undue advantage taken by Aus team from the poor umpiring. The fact is Aussy can not digest the fact that they are loosers. They think; they are world no 1 team, but remember game at wanderers where SA thrashed them despite the fact that they made unbelievable 434 in 50 overs. so my suggestion to ponting is that U guys are not world no 1 team.. any team can beat u anytime. its better to take game as game and not as ego issue.
aah! Australians might have won the match but they are such a bunch of losers.
Australian cricket is nothing without cheating and sledging
Ricky Ponting is clearly not the statesman of the game that say Mark Taylor was and this is a shame when the Australian cricket captain is a postion of some gravitas in Australian culture. I don't like Ponting, Gilchrist is the man who should lead Australia in the spirit of gentlemen captains of the past.
However the Indians showed similar bad spirit and are clearly bad losers. The same bad reaction to failure came out in the 2000/01 tour. (Amusing to note the convict comments above for instance. Let it be known Australians are proud to be decended from a "low caste").
And having heard the Indian side of things apparently monkey is not a term of racial abuse but rather Andrew Symonds has been adopted into the Hindu pantheon as a form of monkey god. We apologise for the cultural misunderstanding.)
Sunny Gavaskar stated absolutely valid point that Aussies say 'What happens on field stays on field'. Where is this great Aussie sportsmanship gone. Sadly I am also Aussie supporter in UK. Its real shame for me. I know Indians and overall Asia's heard lot of this slur on field over many decades. They never reverted back.
But this time they riverted back and Aussies are not able to take it sportingly. They are 'mean' team. I hope whole cricketing community will now show their metal to Aussies. I remember talking with Arjuna Ranatunga he was one of the victims of great Aussie slegging.Result Aussies lost to them multiple times.
History repeats but with different players. Also this confidence in Indian players come from their countries progress in world as well. India destined to beconme global force off the Cricketing field.
I think gentlemanship on field is needed what Aussies coach needs to teach their players.
Over the years of watching Cricket I have always felt that when Australia win, the better team have won. However after watching the current test match I know that the better team have NOT won!!!! I have lost respect for all the Australian players and it's captain - they have cheated there way to victory!
Bad umpiring decision???
What the umpires have to do with the Aussies????
Yeah, Australia play their cricket aggressively and with high spirit.
Its about time the sub continential teams come up with some strategy to counter Aussies on the ground with the skills not in the post match conference citing non - cricketing reasons for theri defeats.
Subcontinental teams are always divided and full of egos and lack team dispilane and planning. thats where they sould concentrate??
As far as Harjbahn singh, Its about time for him to mature now??? Surely BCCI should have educated him on racism?? If not they can still send him college ot learn how to behave.
I also find Indians cry babies. When they were playing Pak in India be4 coming to Australia they objected on Shoaib Akthar '' action while fully being aware that he has been cleared by the ICC.
Please Indians be men and try to analyse your short comings, have an action plan and then practice hard and plan your games .
And play the game as a team not as 11 teams on the feild. I know every one of you is a superstar in his own right but you only win if you on the field play like a team.
Would the subcontinental teams change thier attitude??
Neve , i dont think so ,, I have been seeing them like this for over 25 years now.
I am a kiwi and love to dish it out to the Aussies at any opportunity and have always thought that, aside from being a top cricket team, that the Australian players are to put it nicely are animals. Ponting especially reminds me of a school boy the way he plays it up to the umpires all the time, a spoilt brat really and as captain he sets the tone for the rest of the team.
India did cop it in the game,some seriously poor umpiring decisons and ICC should remove Bucknor from the next test, just like in Football referees are sent to the reserves for a couple of games to get there head together. The umpires in this game let themselves down and they should have some sort of punishment.
In the end though India should have hung on Clarke isnt really the best bowler and I believe that I could probably face an over out of his.
Australia must try and tone down a little. They play awesome cricket but you cannot like some of the overly aggressive mean spirited players in there team. It really is ugly to watch
Ah, what short memories the Indian supporters had..the series in 2001 saw some of the most ridiculous, blatant over appealing seen by the Indian team. Balls were being padded away off the middle of the pad and silly point would appeal. It was a disgrace.
Unfortunately we have to acknowledge that sport has changed in the last 100 years and that the virtues of honesty and sportsmanship are no longer the focus they were.
As a Pommmie (if that is not a racist or offensive description) living in Sydney and having attended day 1 and day 5 of what I hope is a watershed Test I offer the following comments:
1. The Aussies play to the letter of the law not in the spirit of the game. Aside from many of the other comments already posted, I point to the moment when Symonds came out to bat in the 1st innings when he should have been timed out such was his sloth. Minutes later when Gilchrist arrived, he managed to delay proceedings by removing his entire cricket attire after 2 balls!
Did the umpires intervene - what in Australia?
2.The comments by many of the Australian team (Dobber Ponting, Lee, Gilchrist and born again Hayden) that they thought that the game was played in the right spirit just shows how that they have no idea about the spirit of cricket. It is laughable that the English, Pakistanis, Indians and South Africans all question the Aussies attitude but Cricket Australia and their vulgar captain continue to deny the obvious.
3. Australia have tried to define what is legitimate cheating. Apparently it is OK to appeal for a catch behind when it is obvious to everyone that the batsman has not made contact or for ridiculous lbws but no way can you question our claim to have caught a catch cleanly.
Don't give me any rubbish that Gilchrist and Lee are gentlemen because thay may have walked once. They both appeal for catches and LBWs that they know are clearly not out in order to pressurise the umpires. Shame is, there are no umpires in the world willing to stand up to them and it is making a mockery of the game.
Sutherland, Ponting, Rudd, someone, quickly look at yourselves. You are looking ridiculous in the face of the cricketing world. How sad is it when a world record equalling feat is looked upon with such indifference by the rest of the world,and, increasingly within Australia. If you want to win a game of cricket so badly, have it, it only shows how pathetic and insecure you are.
When the game finished on Sunday and I saw the highlights, I actually had some sympathy for the Indian team. They were certainly giving the rough end of most of the decisions, and the Australians had defintiely shown some hypocrisy in requesting a honesty policy on catches, then not adhering to it.
However, the over-reaction of the Indians has certainly destroyed any goodwill I felt. It's just like the jellybean incident last year. If Harbhajan racially abused Symonds, then his ban is fair, if anything leniant. There was no conspiracy, India's defeat was simply bad luck and a chokers mentality.
It'll be interesting to see if the ICC are willing to ban India if they quit the tour - god knows, they've threatened to ban England every time the Zimbabwe issue arises.
Get over it. Australia won. The umpiring was very poor - on a par with the umpiring in the 2005 Ashes series in the UK.
Swings and round abouts - this time it was the Indians suffering, other times its been the Aussies.
X number of challenges per innings should be introduced to improve umpiring - similar to tennis.
Symonds has been a target for the Indians for a while - thats not acceptable.
End of....
Sadly this sort of situation seems to be following Indian cricket around in recent times. Their series in England last summer was marred in bad-blood and ugly spats. It is a shame that cricket finally seems to have succumbed to the "professionalism" and gamesmanship that other major sports have fallen foul of in recent years. The Australian media's reaction to the conduct of their team is very telling and it goes to show that there is likely to be a big backlash worldwide against the "win at any cost" mantra of this Australian team. If Harbajhan did say what he is accused of then he should be punished but the Australians need to expect to get stick back if they sledge their opponents so mercilessly. If they can give it out then they should expect to get it back too!
Being a Pakistani fan and supporter of the way the Australian's play the game I'd been backing the Aussies throughout the series. I've totally changed my mind now.
Putting aside the bad umpiring decisions, the Australians have shown some of the worst sportsmanship I've seen in years of cricket. They've acted like kids on the field throughout this match.
It remains to be seen what will happen in the last match, tension will certainly be high between the two sides.
IaM A HUGE FAN OF STEVE WAUGH BUT NOW BY READING HIS VIEWS IN PAPERS IT SHOWS HE ALSO FORGOTTEN THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME.EVEN THE UMPIRES FORGOTTEN THEIR BASIC RULES JUDGED AS IF WHAT EVER AUSTRALIA DOES IS CORRECT.THIS NOT THE MORAL OF THE GAME.BUT IN THE TRUE PASSION OF THE GAME AUSTRALIANS WILL NOT DESERVE THE VICTORY
The less cricket we have the better for all.
Umpring standard has gone extremely low very recently. There are few unbelievable erros made in the world cup and during India-England series. This shows overall wrong administration in ICC who is responsible to recruit these umpires. Steve Bucknor must have stood in more than 100 matches but he must be an honest umpire but serious errors made by him during his tenure as an umpire are just unbelievable. He is not confident enought and always takes time to give decision. His umpiring is worst than any university level umpire. ICC has become a real joke now. The world cup final played in total darkness was the fiasco.
Yet again Ponting and his team fail to acknowledge the spirit of the game. Australia proved yet again that class cannot be earnt with victories but the style and manner of those victories and how a team conducts itself.
It's time for referrals to the third umpire for contentious decisions by onfield umpires.
When subcontinental players are appealing vociferously or playing tough cricket, cricket becomes a "gentlemen's game", when the boot is on the other foot "a little bit of aggression is good for the game" or "what happens on the field should remain on the field".
The ICC should arise from its slumber before they succumb to a catastrophic crisis in the game.
I am an Australian (and feel ashamed to write this.. but thats how it goes .. )
What happened in this test -
1. Aus 136/6 ... Symonds batted 4 times.. out caught when on 30, 3rd umpire didn't give stumping, bucknor didn't call 3rd umpire for stumping, then finally made 162*. We wud ve been 180 all out sure. Added 300 runs, xmas belated bonus.. ahem.. India wud ve had 350+ lead.
2. Jafir out on NO BALL.
3. Kumble denied his hat-trick for a plum Symonds lbw. We wud ve been 250 with 5 down. my man added 60 runs. We had 400 extra runs now.
4. Even so, India would have been chasing 200 for victory. Hussey not adjudged out on 41 caught behind. Went on to add 100 more runs.
5. Poor chap dravid. he's been a great player. A log of wood could have easily fit in between the ball and his bat when was given out. This triggered 7 wicket collapse in final session.
6. Punter shouting vehemently for that Dhoni catch. Show some character.
7. Clarke had grassed it as well. Was there for the world to see, when he was finishing his roll.
8. Indians must ve started focusing on dodging the umpires and not the ball.
9. Aussies side-tracking this all and diverting attention to racism slur. Hell the team didn't want the world to focus on what happened truly in the game. Harbhijan has fought back the verbal slur and was targeted. Makes batting easier in the coming tests.
10. Match-fixing, no it wasn't. Any thoughts about umpire-fixing? Does that happen?
Match facts
Australia - won
India - did not lose
Why is that every major cricket playing nation have had problem with the aussie cricket team, there is no denying there supremacy but at what price? its hard not to point out there "pushing the lid" tactics.
As an indian and an avid cricket fan not to mention an avid aussie cricket fan i am upset over how an "on field" issue was blown out of proportion....i have this feeling that the aussies were waiting to get back at the indians, especially after all the so called taunts that symonds & co endured in there last indian tour.
well to talk about BEN AND BUCK is a waste of time, they need to go to church and confess there wrongdoings..
and finally its fair to say that ricky ponting and his men are one of the most un-popular champions.
The Australian team seems to be delirious in their tainted success. At least that is what one guages from Ponting and Clarke's comments at the end of the match. "Both games were played in the right spirit." "The umpires have been pretty consistent."
Consistently bad, yes.
The Australians have probably become so good, they've developed a fear of losing.
What's happened has happened. Hopefully lessons shall be learned, the third umpire will have more power in the game, and we can all move on.
Think of what would have happened if the umpires had got two of those 10 decisions right Symonds on 30+ and Hussey on 40+.
Now think of how Ricky "Integrity" Ponting's reaction would have been if say Hayden and Hussey were given out wrongly by the umpires and Australia lost the match. I would suggest that the reaction would have been far, far, far worse than India.
The 'Spirit of Cricket' hmm... has it ever really existed? (WG Grace's antics, bodyline etc...)
Even though I'm an England fan, I've always admired the way the Aussies play: really hard, no compromise, the never say die attitude etc etc, but sometimes they (and other teams, let鈥檚 be honest) do cross the line.
A bit of chat in the middle is fine, but the umpires should be (if they're not already) empowered to intervene if the sledging becomes overly hostile. Also, Harbhajan, deserves to be banned IF he has used racist language, because IMO there is little that is worse than racism in the sporting arena.
tell you what Ian, and any other Indian fan that is still condoning the word monkey to a black man: walk up to the next black man you see on the street, do it alone and call him a monkey. Then as he is beating that racist skull of yours you can debate with him the vagaries of why he considers it an insult.
Let me know how it goes.
Now Cricket is no more Gentleman's game.
Michael Slater ( comentator for channel 9 in australia) has been the most vocal with regards to racial discrimination against the aussies and how ICC should take a strong action against the same. One is forced to think about the 2001 series when he was the one found guilty of racially abusing Rahul Dravid. Needless to say the racial abuse that thousands of asians face on a daily basis in the first world. Its time that the cricketing world understand that Indians are no pushovers specially when 80% of the money in the game comes from Indian followers love of the game.
I鈥檝e watched test cricket for over 20 years and remember the worlds last great team, the West Indies side of the 1980s. Australia may be the best ever test side in cricketing history, there is no doubting that now, BUT any respect I may have had for them has now, unfortunately been lost.
Their behavior with appealing to umpires in this test was abhorrent, And even if there is any truth in the racial slur claim, there complaint vs Harbajhan hypercritical and childlike. Like a small boy at school: "Sir sir, that smelly Indian with the funny hat on his head, whose wife I slept with last night, he called me a name. Please sir that's not fair"
Australia鈥檚 cricket team are a bunch if ignorant, boorish bullyboys. And like most bully鈥檚, they can only dish it out but not take it back.
Ricky Ponting, history may remember you for winning, but it will not remember you the way I remember Clive Lloyd, Malcolm Marshall or Vivian Richards. No, I will remember you as a nasty man, prepared to cheat so that he could win.
I am sick of all this Australia bashing. Sure a few decisions went against India but for Kumble to suggest that Australia did not play in the spirit of the game is absolute rubbish and highly hypocritical. Who remembers the first test when Yuvraj remained at the crease for an eternity when he was clearly out caught behind the wicked, and what about Sharma remaining at the crease in disbelief when he was dismissed by clarke to win the game, and have a look how long rp singh remains at the crease when given out lbw. Now for kumble to suggest australias spirit was out of line in the instances of clarke remaining of the crease is clearly just HYPOCRITICAL. Sure the aussies were not angels in the test match but either were the Indians. Do you think Sharma brining out 2 right hand gloves to waste time in the last 10mins of the test match was in the spirit of the game mr kumble? Or what about the terribly slow over rate from india even though 2 spinners were in operation. One more comment ... is holding the ICC, the ACB and the world cricketing public to ransom and carrying on like spoilt children within the spirit of the game? OR what about racial vilification ... is that in the spirit of the game? Pull your head in Kumble
I'm Australian and a rabid cricket fan, so I guess take what I say with a pinch of salt...
I really think some people need to try and calm down a little bit. Some of the postings are tending towards the self-righteous.
Yes the umpiring was appalling. Yes, Symonds was out on 30, and probably again on about 60 when the third umpire missed the stumping (and probably another couple of times as well). But if we're going to call him a cheat for not walking when he was caught behind, then we might as well tarnish pretty much every other batsman in the world with the same brush. Walking is a lost habit. It doesn't happen any more. The only really amazing thing about this incident was how candid Symonds was in admitting that he hit it. Mum is normally the word.
The umpiring was appalling in general, and India got screwed by it. But this wasn't an anti-Indian conspiracy; it was a series of errors by two men who were off their games.
Re the behaviour of the Australian team... this was pretty embarrassing. Over-appealing is a blight on the game and I don't understand why the authorities don't crack down on teams who do this. But again, let's not pretend that Australia is the only team that does this. Similar accusations have in the past been levelled at India, particularly when playing at home. This isn't a uniquely Australian issue, it is a cricket issue. But as an Aussie fan, I really wish that our team would stop with this cr*p. It is embarrassing.
That all said, I don't think that India have done themselves any favours with this hollow threat to boycott the rest of the series. The decision to suspend Harbajhan was absolutely correct. He racially vilified another player. He intentionally used a word that he knew would offend.
Right, sorry for the rant and apologies if I drifted too far into relativism here...
After watching the test match, I feel some rules have to be incorporated by ICC to give the other teams a perfect clarification
(1) Ricky Ponting 鈥 (THE TRULY GENUINE CRICKETER OF THE CRICKET ERA AND WHOSE INTEGRITY SHOULD NOT BE DOUBTED) should be considered as the FOURTH UMPIRE. As per the new rules, FOURTH UMPIRE decision is final and will over ride any decisions taken by any other umpires. ON-FIELD umpires can seek the assistance of RICKY PONTING even if he is not on the field. This rule is to be made, so that every team should understand the importance of the FOURTH UMPIRE.
(2) While AUSTRALIAN TEAM is bowling, If the ball flies anywhere close to the AUSTRALIAN FIELDER(WITHIN 5 metre distance), the batsman is to be considered OUT irrelevant of whether the catch was taken cleanly or grassed. Any decision for further clarification should be seeked from the FOURTH UMPIRE. This is made to ensure that the cricket is played with SPORTIVE SPIRIT by all the teams.
(3) While BATTING, AUSTRALIAN players will wait for the ON-FIELD UMPIRE decisions only (even if the catch goes to the FIFTH SLIP as the ball might not have touched the bat). Each AUSTRALIAN batsman has to be out FOUR TIMES (minimum) before he can return to the pavilion. In case of THE CRICKETER WITH INTEGRITY, this can be higher.
(4) UMPIRESshould consider a huge bonus if an AUSTRALIAN player scores a century. Any wrong decisions can be ignored as they will be paid huge bonus and will receive the backing of the AUSTRALIAN team and board.
(5) All AUSTRALIAN players are eligible to keep commenting about all players on the field and the OPPONENT TEAM should never comment as they will be spoiling the spirit of the AUSTRALIAN team. Any comments made in any other language are to be considered as RACIALISM only.
(6) MATCH REFREEdecisions will be taken purely on the AUSTRALIAN TEAM advices only. Player views from the other teams decisions will not be considered for hearing. MATCH REFREES are to be given huge bonus if this rule is implemented.
(7) NO VISITING TEAMshould plan to win in AUSTRALIA. This is to ensure that the sportive spirit of CRICKET is maintained.
(8) THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE: If any bowler gets RICKY PONTING - 鈥淭HE UNDISPUTED CRICKETER WITH INTEGTIRY IN THE GAME OF CRICKET鈥 more than twice in a series, he will be banned for the REST OF THE SERIES. This is to ensure that the best batsman/Captain will be played to break records and create history in the game of CRICKET.
These rules will clarify better to the all the teams VISITING AUSTRALIA.
Any sport will suffer a crisis at any stage. Its the way that this is dealt with.
At any stage the Australians could have withdrawn the complaint against Singh~ the Aussie's are no angels. They dish out sledging but as always are apt to complain when its used against them Ponting at Trent Bridge in 2005?). Strange that this came on the back of Symmonds admittting that he cheated and did not observe the spirit of the game when he was obviously out early in his innings and some dubious appeals made by the Aussie's.
Even that past master of over appealing and arrogance Shane Warne warned about Aussie on field arrogance before this series started.
If players do not be careful the PC attitudes pervading all sport will engulf cricket. Time for reflection. Fight hard but fight fair. Remove aggression from sport and it will be poor, but fail to treat others with respect and it will be poorer.
The cricket world has disappointed the fans like me in this game. Consistently poor umpiring decisions that push back the underdogs so much and the thin skinned Australians cricketers who are no gentlemen (It is disgusting to hear Symonds say he knew he was out- & still stayed on)! Cricket was always more about sportsmanship- at least when I palyed many years ago.
I know India will not abndon the series- but I am not going to watch this series any further.
It is very sad to see that Cricket lost in the 5 days of mockery that happened at SCG. Have we ever witnessed a moment where umpire consults the fielding team's Captain to figure out if the batsman is to be adjudged out? My understanding was that third umpires were for this purpose.
Or might be the ground umpires thought that even the Third Umpire is going to give a decision against the batsman as they have to ensure that Australia wins the 16th consequtive match.
Have you ever heard of disciplinary action being taken based on the complaint alone when there has been no witness? But poor Harbhajan has to learn the big monkey tricks before he can think of being listened to.
re Rahul Dravid's dismissal. I recall Adam Gilchrist saying that he would walk if he was out. Should this not also apply to not appealing for a dismissal of an opponent. He must have known from his position behind the stumps that Dravid had not gloved or edged the ball.
I watched the second test from the vantage point of my armchaiir, and I must admit that I have an overwhelmimg feeling that a draw would have been the only equitable result to a fantastic test match.
The umpiring was poor, giving rise to Symonds making his century (but I don't blame him for not walking as that's just the way the game is played today), Ponting staying after clearly being out, then being aggrieved at being leg before,Dravid being given caught behind to a chorus of Aussie shouts (which were clearly wrong) followed by another round of Aussie shouts for Clarke's catch of Ganguly which would have not have been given had it been referred to the third umpire (but which Ponting had the audacity to say was a fair catch.......look at the slowmo and there is no way the third umpire would have given it....advatage to the batsman) etc etc etc!!!
Enough said. Sportsmanship is at a low ebb for a game which prides itself for it's sportsmanship.
Ponting in the first test laughing at an Indian batsman hit in the ribs by a short ball.....in days not so long ago the opposing captain would have made a point of askimg the batsman whether he was OK....enough for me that the Aussies are taking the game too seriously; after all he is the captain and the role model for all aspiring Aussie cricketers!!
There is no doubt in my mind that the Indians have had the short straw, and I believe they are well within their rights to assert themselves as, possibly, the major real cricketing force in the world today.
The "monkey " call is probably a fair one, but was that a result of Aussie sledging....who knows. Clearly that needs to be addressed, but remember that Mr H Singh was responding to "whatever" in a second language, and I suspect he said what was claimed to have been said,, to get in the faces of the Aussies when they were clearly having their say.
The Aussies need to learn a little humility, something which I suspect is beyond them.
PS I am an Aussie so the above is hard to come to trrms with!
Re comment 16, Ian Liew.
Sir, you seem to be wandering in cloud cuckoo land, given your pathetically simplistic advice for dealing with Symonds.
Do you really think he made it on to the Aussie team just to make up the numbers? Or is it your considered view that the Indian team do not have a strategy? It would appear your comments are inspired whilst suitably inebriated, watching a replay of Yuvi's revenge aganst a hapless Chris Broad following Drunken Pedalo Fred's sledging? Give us a break.......
Pray tell, how (or how many times) does umpiring need to go against a team before it begins to hurt them or influencing the result? By all accounts posted by commentators and spectators alike, the bad-decisions score was at least 8-1 against the tourists.
As you suggested, they HAD got Symonds out for 30 odd, some 130 odd runs ago, which was more than the winning margin. And he admitted it!!
And the umpiring lapses here would count as an extreme case even by your own self-rightous definition, hence the protests, match result notwithstanding.
Why on earth should the indian team be praised for the way they have handled the situation?
Symonds is attacked with racial abuse throughout India but keeps fighting, Harbajhan Singh is then alleged to have made a racial comment in Sydney and suddenly people pretend there is no possibility of happening. What if Sachin Tendulkar made a claim he was called a monkey? All of a sudden the Indians would be in a humongous uproar!
As for the on field play, the Indians didnt walk on multiple occasions and there is no proof Ponting's catch was grounded. Its about time we stop assuming Australia are the bad sports in everything and have a more objective view, especially after the last series in India.
This shows the black face of AUS.....
However it is felt that India has own the game of cricket.
Aus are actually in the process of giving cricket an ugly face.
Now Cricket is no more Gentleman's game.
Australia, ICC, get over with this Monkey Business , something you call your cricket and cricket management respectively..
To me, this has always been the way that Aus played their game. Whether it is India, Sri Lanka or any other country. They just dont want to play with the true spirit of the game. They some how wants to win all the trophies by playing fair or unfair. Why is it always they complain when they are hit back with some of their own medication? I can list plenty of occasions when Aus went out of control. I am glad that BCCI is finally taking some action on this.
Bhajan, May the force be with you.
No doubt, Australia has been dominating in Cricket about a decade. But the way Aussies played at SCG, it's not the way they should have played. On the first day, Andrew Symonds got an edge and caught by the keeper, he should have left the crease without waiting for umpire鈥檚 decision, since he knew that he got an edge. That would have been brave. And on the fifth day, when Michael Clerk claimed Ganguly鈥檚 catch, Ricky Ponting should have asked the on-field umpire to refer the third umpire for the decision, without saying his own decision to the umpire. What I actually found was that Australian was so desperate to win 16th consecutive test, no matter how they beat India.
In India, we call our darling kids bandar, native for monkey, for their antics and tantrums. My god, didn't know we ve been racially abusing our own children since centuries. :)
After watching the test match, some rules have to be incorporated by ICC to give the other teams a perfect clarification
(1) Ricky Ponting 鈥 (THE TRULY GENUINE CRICKETER OF THE CRICKET ERA AND WHOSE INTEGRITY SHOULD NOT BE DOUBTED) should be considered as the FOURTH UMPIRE. As per the new rules, FOURTH UMPIRE decision is final and will over ride any decisions taken by any other umpires. ON-FIELD umpires can seek the assistance of RICKY PONTING even if he is not on the field. This rule is to be made, so that every team should understand the importance of the FOURTH UMPIRE.
(2) While AUSTRALIAN TEAM is bowling, If the ball flies anywhere close to the AUSTRALIAN FIELDER(WITHIN 5 metre distance), the batsman is to be considered OUT irrelevant of whether the catch was taken cleanly or grassed. Any decision for further clarification should be sought from the FOURTH UMPIRE. This is made to ensure that the cricket is played with SPORTIVE SPIRIT by all the teams.
(3) While BATTING, AUSTRALIAN players will wait for the ON-FIELD UMPIRE decisions only (even if the catch goes to the FIFTH SLIP as the ball might not have touched the bat). Each AUSTRALIAN batsman has to be out FOUR TIMES (minimum) before he can return to the pavilion. In case of THE CRICKETER WITH INTEGRITY, this can be higher.
(4) UMPIRES should consider a huge bonus if an AUSTRALIAN player scores a century. Any wrong decisions can be ignored as they will be paid huge bonus and will receive the backing of the AUSTRALIAN team and board.
(5) All AUSTRALIAN players are eligible to keep commenting about all players on the field and the OPPONENT TEAM should never comment as they will be spoiling the spirit of the AUSTRALIAN team. Any comments made in any other language are to be considered as RACIALISM only.
(6) MATCH REFREE decisions will be taken purely on the AUSTRALIAN TEAM advices only. Player views from the other teams decisions will not be considered for hearing. MATCH REFREES are to be given huge bonus if this rule is implemented.
(7) NO VISITING TEAM should plan to win in AUSTRALIA. This is to ensure that the sportive spirit of CRICKET is maintained.
(8) THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE: If any bowler gets RICKY PONTING - 鈥淭HE UNDISPUTED CRICKETER WITH INTEGTIRY IN THE GAME OF CRICKET鈥 more than twice in a series, he will be banned for the REST OF THE SERIES. This is to ensure that the best batsman/Captain will be played to break records and create history in the game of CRICKET.
These rules will clarify better to all the teams VISITING AUSTRALIA.
the principles of natural justice is aginst any kind of biases. if indian team is regulariy complaing against mr. buckner that he had alawas shown prejudice why he should not be removed? another question also arises why it alwayes happens to australia only.
The recent stupidity remainds one to look back and see whether the Aussies won the world cup with cricketing skills or by bullying the players and manipulating administratively, Aussies should return the world cup and ash cups immediately. They do not deserve to keep it.
It is disgusting that elementary ethics, etiquette, manners and conduct were not tought to these players by their teachers, coachers and by sports ministry of Australia. Mr. Ponting ethics and morals are very elementary, please go back to school to learn it. It is not wining the game by any means is important but serving the game without cheating is important.
Am I the only one who finds it odd that the Australians are happy to dish out all manner of abuse on the field (including, it appears, some very nasty comments about the opposition's parentage and personal habits, among other things), but go running to teacher at the use of a single word which, depending on context and intent, need not carry any racist intent at all?
For Ponting to be making such a complaint, after being at the centre of some very dodgy incidents during the Test, beggars belief - is it OK to cheat, as long as you can't be accused of racism? I can't help wondering if the accusation of racism has been cooked up to knock the behaviour of the Australian team, and Punter in particular, off the back pages.
Oh, and Steve Bucknor used to be a good umpire, but he's been awful for years now. It's long past time he retired.
To !!!,
Absolutely positively spot on! Well put.
And another point, I love the post (presumably from a supporter of India) that damns the Australians for being racist then says that's because Australians are all convicts!
You couldn't make it up, you just couldn't!
D
Australians are crooks by blood. Their ancestors were hard criminals and crooks sent on an empty island two hundred years ago from Britain which is Australia now. Indian fans behaved badly during the recently one-day internation series in India. Australians were fuming and had planned to frame Indian players when they travel to Australia. This is what has happened. Racism has almost gone from Britain and America but people from different ethnic backgrounds still face wide range of racism in Australia. They used Andrew Symonds as a weapon. He has been granted place in the test team recently so to keep his place he is ready to do anything for the team. I think ordinary people will not understand this bad politics.
It is hard to believe a back man can make a racial call on a white man.How can harbhagan racially taunt an australian?can anyone explain.
I'm living out here in Melbourne, Australia and have been very surprised with the Australian attitude to this match.
Most of the people I work with and the media reports are of the opinion that the Aussies were well out of order but accept that is the way all their teams play even if the are too fond of it.
Here AFL is king and everyone today was drawing parallels to the cancelling of the international football series with Ireland this year. Ireland won the first game last year so in the second game Australia fought and cheated. Such was the disregard for the rules and the poor response of the Australia authorities that the Irish Gaelic fotballers have cancelled the entire series. Many here see this cricket series as a simliar example of Australia not accepting things going against them and cheating.
Sad, they are a good team but they did not win a cricket match, they won a mental battle with Umpire Bucknor instead. Pity, he was a great umpire and figure in the the game yet now will be remembered for this shambles.
And, while racism is intolerable I thought the Australian mantra was "what happens on the pitch stays on the pitch"? Does this only apply to them being racist?
Cheating seems very common now, particularly from Australia and South Africa. It spoils the spectacle of cricket.
The cricket boards of the Subcontinent must accept some responsibility for undermining the position of the umpires and they do not hesitate to play the racism card themselves. An example was the ball tampering spat when Pakistan toured England.
So now the umpires are on the back foot. The most aggressive and bullying sides tend to come out on top.
The answer is to back the umpires, not to further undermine them.
If I am Indian skipper, I would do everything to make the series 2-2 in Test and FULL WHITE WASH in ODI!
Which includes heavy tactics and excessive appealing similar to Aussies!
This is the right time to push Aussies from ICC's ranking, the only way to do is attack straight away with sledging, batting and bowling!
Just disturb their focus and take wickets.
Until, now Hayden scored runs, they should attack in 1st over so that he makes a duck!
Australians win at all costs attitude is simply a disgrace.
They cheat, intimidate and bully but when they get alittle bit back they go crying to mummy.
Go and take a long run and jump Australia!
I think the umpires have got to seriously look at their performance in this test match.
I always thought Steve Bucknor was one of the greatest umpires we have ever had in cricket. Well respected and nearly always spot on with his decisions.
Well that's what I thought about 5 years ago, recently over the past couple of years he has steadily got worse and worse.
Some of his decisions in this test were not even close to correct ones.
Australia have got to look at themselves aswell, they have always intimidated batsmen and sometimes umpires, but if an umpire is intimidated into giving them more decisions then it isn't the Australians fault, the fault has to lie at the feet of the umpires.
Ricky Ponting doesn't have a voodoo doll in his pocket that when he lifts the arm up, Steve Bucknor does the same.
Surely now is the time that the ICC really look at umpiring, and maybe on a lower retirement age.
In football refs have to retire at 48.
That is too young for cricket, but surely Bucknor at the age of 61 and 220 days is maybe too old for Test Match level cricket.
My dad is 64 and has had no problems health wise, but even in his late 50's his hearing started to get worse, makes me wonder how much Steve Bucknors senses have deminished over the past 5 years.
Ponting and Symmonds you both need to grow up - accept the facts!!!! Buckie, its your turn to retire. Regardless who you play for, Integrity should be a big part of the game, no compromise. Use the technology, Wake up, its 2008 not 1988 Umpires.
It is a sad day for cricket. Bad decisions happen all the time in all sports but blatent mistakes from Bucknor gives thought on if he was bought. I am sure it has more to do with his age and his failing eyesight. Ponting and Co have brought shame upon the game of cricket. yes play hard but do not go as far as cheating. The spirit of the game has been lost and i for one do not see any reason that this tour should go ahead. It has left a very bad taste in everyones mouth that any matches now will be meaningless. Indian cricket team should cancel the tour and forget that this tour ever happened.
Once again Australia has shown why they are the best. They simply know how to win in tough conditions and circumstances.
Once again many Indian players and supporters have shown that they do have a problem with their temper.
And once again this unforgetable Test has reminded us that sometimes Cricket is still a game of chance that can only be won by an experienced Punter.
It saddens me to read the bigoted comments of many people on this site. Please do not make generalised nasty comments referring to "all Indians" or "all Australians".
I too watched the test match and I agree that several issues must be addressed.
1. The players of both teams must accept responsibility for the ill temper that exists between the sides and seek to achieve mutual respect and understanding. This effort must be lead by Kumble and Ponting.
2. Umpires make mistakes. So do players. So do administrators. So do I. So do you. With respect to the cricket the only constructive course of action to take is to identify where these mistakes were made and to help the umpires improve their performance through training and education. The game needs great bowlers and batsmen. It needs great umpires too.
3. The racism accusation was addressed using the existing ICC procedures and Harbhajan was found guilty. The Indians team has the right to appeal the decision and they are pursuing this option. It is important that the final decision should be acknowledged and respected by all stakeholders so the integrity of the game is maintained.
I hope that the Indian cricket team do not abandon their tour of Australia if the decision in the abovementioned case is unfavourable. If they ultimately feel wronged then they have the opportunity to rise above these issues and to demonstrate a love for the game of cricket by playing on. This would provide the game with true leadership and set an example for the rest of the cricket world to observe and learn from. I have spent many years living and working in both Australia and India. They are both great countries with great people. Lets not lose the friendship between our nations due to a game.
You can not use the word 'monkey' but you can always use 'bloody Indians' or 'bloody Pakistanis'. You can use swear words on player or on their country but you can not use the word 'monkey'. What a joke? Has Andrew Symonds gone mad or has been bought over by Ponting & co to get him a place in the test team. Remember that he had never permanent place in the test team and he is specialist one day batsman. Australians are using him. He does not have any other choice because he wants to stay in the team.
The word "monkey" seems to be the most absurd racist slur that I have heard of. I really fear for the fate of monkeys (the animal) in Australia.
I truly agree with Kumble's comment the game wasn't played in the right spirit. Australia likes playing hard and I have to say that I have been a great admirer of theirs be it Shane Warne or Mark Waugh but a team that once had player such as these stooping to the leval of cheating. That is really not on. Be it claiming the grounded catch or edging the ball to the keeper and still staying on ground and this is the captain. Then there are others in the team have who have guts to go to press and tell that they stayed on field even after knowing that they were out. Cricket authorities should really have a look of incidents such as these find a way to penalize teams doing thing which is not in the spirit of the game.
Australia on the other hand should realize that the title of "best team of the world" does not only mean playing the best cricket it also means that they have the moral responsibility to do the right thing. Unfortunately the only title they deserve after the last test match is 鈥淐HEATS鈥. I also believe that the Steve Waugh鈥檚 famous 鈥淢ental Disintegration鈥 strategy has gone too far. If they can not take banter from opposing team then they should stop all the nonsense they proudly perform on the field. Else soon they would soon find them selves in a situation when either they would be reported for every word they utter on the field or no one would like play them or host them. This Harbhajan singh incident certainly seems to part of their 鈥渕ental Disintegration鈥 strategy.
What a childish reaction from India???
Sometimes in sport decisions go against you. I'm sure you don't make so much fuss when they go for you.
Someone should tell them that it is only a Game!!!
If they pull out now that is a very dangerous precedent.
As for comments on this board about Australians being convicts....Oh Dear!!!!!..therein lies the problem.
To me it is just a shame that though clearly the best cricket team in the world, Australia seem strangely incapable of playing the game in anything like the same spirit as the other test playing nations seem able particularly when they are at home.
Ricky Ponting in particular should be ashamed of his (and his teams') behaviour over the last few days, but then again I'm sure as they won he'll be excused anything. Not really what one could call setting a good example for the rest of the cricket playing world though is it?
I am over this
Talk of spirit of the game, bias in umpiring, what a load of nonsense. I have been a fan of Australian and Test Cricket for 30 Years; I have seen EVERY cricket nation excessively appeal and get bad decisions go for and against them. The issue is clearly this, the blame culture we live in clearly cannot deal with the level of detail that technology provides the public so as to scrutinise the game. I long for the days to return that showed a fuzzy replay image that left you no wiser than the split second umpires have to make a decision. Can we please return cricket back to what it is, a game played and umpired by humans.
I always had high respect for the Ausies, for thier determination and hard work. But watching the 2nd Test, I have completely lost it.How Can Andrew Symonds stand there after nicking the ball which was heard by the whole ground ( except Bucknor, I am sure he lost his sight and hearing power and frankly should have retired after the world cup)and how could the young Michael Clark( fortunately was asked to leave),Ricky Ponting stand there after very clear sound of nicking the ball,how can Michael and Ricky claim a catch which was grounded on landing after catching? The most astonishing was my favorite player( not anymore) Adam Gilchrist, how on earth could he appeal for Dravid's catch when he knew it never went near the bat ( hidden behind the pads and clearly visible to Gilchrist). I know there is a lot of revenue loss to BCCI, but they should cancel the tour specially now that, after all that happened, instead of the Aussies, the Indians get punished and bans Harbhjan ( so that Ricky can have a chance to score in the next two tests!). It is a shame and if the Indians continue, then the players will have no more morale left in them. It is a Black Day for this beautiful game of cricket, and I am pained,my favorite team is responsible for it.
sorry guys - there seems no room left on the band wagon, so anyone else looking to have a pop at the Aussies, time to move your arguement somewhere else!
Firstly let me make somethings clear, India got a very raw deal from umpiring decisions and yep if several of those calls went the other we might have had a different result, but bad umpiring and bad calls happen all the time in cricket. It's tough when it happens but you just deal with it and try do the best you can.
Australia need to be praised for the way they took their chances and yes things went there way but there can be little to complain with the way Micharl Clarke took the last three wkts, especially his delivery to Harbhajan. They never know when to quit and always, always try to win.
As far as seldging goes, it is a part of cricket that has and always will remain. Aussies get knocked for it because they win, if they sledged and lost would there be such debate? I struggle to recall a certain Andrew Flintoff getting slated after vido evidence shows him mocking both Tino Best and Dwayne Bravo a few summers ago - he was praised and remain a folk hero - is it right that we laugh at his sledging yet lambast the Aussies for theirs?
Sledging is one thing, racisim is quite another. Now, I am not saying Harbhajan did call Symonds a 'monkey', if he did and the umpires heard then the authorities should come down harder on him, 3 matches is not enough - a year at least to show players that their is no room in cricket for these kind of remarks. The fact he has been punished without conclusive evidence is wrong and I feel he has been harshly treated.
Finally to close, how on earth can the Aussies be knocked for celebrating the way they did? After all, they had just equalled the a big record and did so with just 7 mins to spare...what were they supposed to do? Tap each other on the back and say job well done?! Try and imagine the emotion they would have felt after taking the final wicket? Was anything said after Harbhajan (trying not to focus everything on him here!!) took his wicket of Ponting and started running around and rolling on the floor?
As a neutral, I loved the match, it was a fantastic sports event and had everything that means it will be recalled for years to come, I just hope that a) the next two matches are as eventful and b) India get the rub of the green next time out!!
Remember the famous Rod Marsh from Australia commenting to Ian Botham "How is your wife and my children?" I do not know what would you call it?
Its a Shame on Aussie cricket and ICC.
I think ICC shud be punished for racism. Its a pure act of racism from umpires, match referee and ICC. aussies have gone too far in protecting their pride. Its a black day for Aussie cricket and a black spot on a wonderful career of ricky ponting. I was a big fan of Ricky ponting but now i am NOT.
OMG! The Indians called Symonds monkey because they loved him as their children.
As soon as Symonds said he knew he was out, the game was finished. Where is the sportsmanship? If australia were 600 for 4 he would have walked! I rember ponting talking about spirit of the game before the 2005 england tour!
You know what amazes me? all the people on this blog acting as though Cricket is a pure and gentle game ruined by some cheating boorish aussies.
Are they seriously trying to claim (whatever country they are from) that their bowlers have never appealed for a catch that they knew wasnt, or for an LBW when there has been an inside edge, or that their batsmen have refused to walk?
Everyone on here should grow up. Cricket, like any other sport, is full of people who try to cheat and inflence the officals. otherwise, the appeal would be a quietly spoken "excuse me umpire, could i enquire as to if that is out or not"
The Australians have been doing it for a while now. Win at all costs even if we have to cheat, which is a pity because they are good enough without cheating. Ponting wouldn't get a job at the United Nations.
As an Indian, i felt really hurt by the events at Sydney. I think the indian cricket administrators lack of ability to counter such things at important forums like ICC meetings etc during earlier incidents is the reason for what has happened.
Everyone in the controversy, ricky, bucknor, ponting, cricket australia administrators etc all know, that after making some noices, india will buckle down.
We all know bucknor has given 5 dubious decisions against sachin in 2007, even given LBW, when the ball hit his helment. BCCI made some noices then, then forgot
If this time also we do the same, this is going to be repeated. So BCCI has to understand that it has to manage the game and protect the interest of players and the national interest at large rather than just minting money.
Ricky and the team...You were Bloody Marrrvelous!
Now finish 'em off in the next tests. Sweet talk 'em,(which is real scary ) they seem to get upset... with everything you betcha.
Come on Australia ,you can do better than that !!!!
Now everyone knows how Australians win matches...Play with 14 (including 2 umpires and a match referee). Shame on Ricky Ponting...
Michael clarke and hayden...
its so sad to see,"CRICKET" the gentleman's game,to become so ungentlemanlike.Watching these all developments during & after the match,makes me feel like the Gentleman's game of Cricket is buried.i am not a fan of any team, but a fan of "Cricket",as a gentleman's game.
Watching the match, it looks like that Australians are a disgrace to the game of cricket. They Don't show anything,that is gentleman like.They did not deserve to win.
The match was a contest between two unequal teams.India-11 had to Play against Australia-14. All the three umpires showed excellent team work with the Australian team. It is not loss of India but loss of gentlemen's game called cricket.It is even worse than match-fixing scandles. God knows where we go from here.
it is justified for India to suspend the tour & will be justified for other cricket playing nations also to boycott playing against the australian cricket team.
That way,there could be a chance to revive the real spirit of the gentleman's game of "CRICKET", that it is known for.
ICC should review this distorted formate of the game more seriously than the match-fixing & restore all that, is lost & missing now from this "GENTLEMAN'S GAME OF CRICKET".
It should have been a draw, at least.
Most of the times it feels like the luck is on the Aussies side. Great for them but it doesn't make me like them more and to be so arrogant about it all. Is that necessary!
Now everyone knows how Australians win matches...Play with 14 (including 2 umpires and a match referee). Shame on Ricky Ponting...
Michael clarke and hayden...
First of all I am Indian. I would love to address the poster who thinks there is no racism in Australia. Seriously I have no idea what country you are living in. A person of colour has definately faced racism. What do you say about the beach fights between Whites and Middle Easterners? What about your past PM who supports colonization of Iraq? Seriously wake up, I am fed up of western countries pretending to be multicultural, when for the most part they use non-whites as cheap labour and mistreat them. This is true in most western countries.
Now for the cricket, this test was made a mockery by the poor umpiring. Bucknor should retire, either he hates Indians or has just bad sight. I am leaning towards the hates Indians argument as there is a pattern of decisions against India in many matches. As for Harbajan calling Symnods a monkey, if he did say it, it is wrong, but it has NOT been proven he said it. Trusting the words of Pointing is hardly evidence, he seems to have no trouble lying from his on field actions. I wonder why when the Australians racially abused the South Africans and Sri Lankans it was swept under the rug. With the South Africans it was the crowd, but with the Sri Lankans the Australian players called Jayasuria black bastard, and Murli a whole lot of other names. Why a different standard for them, a "white players" word is greater than that of a asian player. This is what I feel the BCCI is protesting, Harbajan is guilty without proof, while Brad Hogg who did use a racial slur is getting off scoff free. This is not just about this incidence, it is about the double standard the BCCI has against the non-white teams. Shoaib is a chucker, Brett Lee is not, sledging by the Aussies is okay, but when others do it to them its not. Sad how a supposed gentleman's game has detoriated.
Aussies have been sledging all their life. It is fine if they do it but it is racist when others do it. The umpires are like puppets and they do whatever the aussies ask them to do. How many times this stupid bucknor gave wrong decisions and surprisingly all against India. He never gets penalised and on top of it he always gets chance to officiate for India game. Only India can do something to aussie dominance so they try to do things like this. Aussies feel like they own cricket and they can do whatever they want.
The Indians have no right to complain to anyone about sportsmanship. There was an agreement between the two teams to take the fielders word on 50/50 catches and Ganguly did not do this. there is no replay that shows whether it was a catch or not but all show that it was probably a fair catch.
For a team who wastes time (Ganguly was repeatedly fined for slow over rate and never turned up to the toss on time), has racist supporters (Harbajan was just copying the Indian supporters chants from Australias tour of India) and threatens not to play everytime they dont win they like to point the finger a lot.
When it comes to playing sport in the right spirit lets not forget Mohammad Azharuddin or Ajay Jadeja.
Yes the umpiring was poor but there is not one Indian player that would have walked if not given out and as for the Harbajan ban if he hadnt been racist he wouldnt have been banned at all.
Who knows what happened or if we'll ever find out.
I'm trying to get my children interested in an honest and respectable sport. Cricket was the obvious choice until this Test.
Not 'walking' is like diving for a penalty in football. Heck, Michael Clarke didn't walk when he nicked it to first slip.
Raising the finger for a dismissal (Ricky Pointing!!) is like waiving the imaginary yellow card.
The players are the ones who make a great living from the game and are the ones who can destroy it in a flash. It's a long road back ICC.
Looks like there's only Rugby left.
I am not an Indian supporter but would like to support them in this incident. Austrialian are very arrogent and some one have to stand upto them. The way foreign teams are treated in Australia is realy bad and this trend has to change. Austrialian team and public have to show some respect to opponents.
For crying out loud, I thought Aussies were bad losers! There were some bad decisions either way, can anyone tell me that the umpires deliberately favoured Australia? Sounds like sour grapes that the Indians, who played really well for most of the game, couldn't withstand the Aussies late in the day (which has been noticeable all the way through). Are we going to start abusing all batsman who don't walk????? Everyone does it ; it's called taking the good with the bad. Otherwise we wouldn't need umpires :) As far as the monkey comment goes - it is incredibly offensive and not on. If the match officials were satisfied then so am I - oh I forgot they're on the Aussie payroll as well :) Harbajan has form here - as do a few Australians who have been banned as well - oh I guess that was alright :)
Stop whining and accept what happens on the field. If you play well enough you take the umpiring out of it - you get as many as you miss. It's a pity that an incredible win by an awesome team is being viewed as less than such.
Ponting - one of the games truly great batsman is in danger of staining his place in the history of the game. Let both sets of players and officials realise the game is bigger than any team. DO NOT become like football.
RE: 47. At 11:25 AM on 07 Jan 2008, Tom wrote:
"And how dare you make racial remarks towards Australian calling them "convicts". You really should be ashamed of yourselves for that. Look in the mirror and see where the real "racism" comes from. Australia is a beautiful free country open to all races and nationalities. To be honest I could not be happier that somewhere down the line one of my ancestors stole a loaf of bread."
Tom
Get off your high horse mate, as you can see by my original comment (#36) I think I am taking a pretty neutral view on the whole thing. However having spent a year in Australia, travelling all over, I feel your representation of Australia as some sort of utopia where people of all races live in harmony is total rubbish. Is your memory so short you do not remember your "White Australia" immigration policy which was only repealed in 1973? Also please have a look at the way you have treated your indigenous Aboriginal population. I am not interested in slinging mud as we Brits are by no means angels and our past is pretty horrific, but to try and make out that Australians are all sweetness and light is ridiculous. On the subject of being called a "convict", is it any worse than Pommie? Or do the rules only apply to other nations? You have the finest and most dominant cricket team, arguably in history, and they are a joy to watch, but to turn around and make out your the some sort of bastion of sporting honesty is tripe. As for your comments on proving things on the pitch, I whole heartedly agree, however the degree of sledging from all parties, not just Australia needs to be addressed as we are going down a road which can only be harmful for cricket.
Regards
Ban on Harbhajan is very unjust when there is no proper evidence. The Umpires said that they did not hear anything of racial comment. Sachin Tendulkar said of not hear anything
of racial comment. Only Andrew Symonds, Ricky Ponting claimed that racial remark has been made by Harbhajan towards Andrew.
What is more amazing is that, Mike Proctor saying that he is very much satisfied that Harbhajan maust have made such a comment and banned Harbhajan for next three tests.
I think is Andrew Symonds and Ricky Ponting tommorow would say that earth is cubicle in shape, Mike proctor will still be satisfied with that.
Bad umpiring I consider it as unfortunate for Indian side.
But banning Harbhajan for 3 tests matches when there is not proper evidence and because it has been allgedly said so by Andrew and Ricky,
I think this is UNJUST and should not be tolerated.
I hope that, with the ongoing appeal against the banning of Harbhajan by Mike Proctor, to ICC would clean the alleged charges of racial remark on Harbhajan.
I think tour must go on and Indian team keep playing the game in the right spirtas it always does. I expect same from opponents side, although they claim that they played game with the right spirit, the visuals fail to prove their claim.
Having a major involvement in youth cricket, more and more I have to witness imitation of the likes of Ponting and his merry men. It would be good if this was in terms of the cricket played, rather than use of the mouth.
Time for some of the adults to grow up a little, I feel.
This is the worst test match I have ever watched so far in the History of test cricket. India should stop carrying this series further and should come back to home.
cricket is a gentlman game, now totally spoiled the name by aussie backed by umpires, am a indian, great cricket lover, I watch cricket whoever plays, who wins or loose that's immaterial , I want good entertaining and thriling game, but last game is very dissapointing to me, icc and other cricket nations should come together to avoid such incident in near future, I feel england (motherland to cricket ) in a good position to solve this problem for now and future too.
Can any Australian explain that calling a guy as Monkey is a racial abuse then even Australian newspaper called Harbhajan as "Bandar Bajji" which means "Monkey Harbhajan, is the newpapers in Australia Racist. Just think how Harbhajan would have been under pressure when he came to bat on the final day because of the Symonds fake complaint and finally Australians dirty trick payed off
BCCI please call back the Indian team and cancel the tour and bring some respite for the India and don't just think about millions of dollars.
I don't whether Harbhajan called anyone a monkey or not, but I can say categorically, based upon the pictorial evidence on the bbc website yesterday, that Andrew Symonds is in fact the person better known in the UK as Pap Lazarou.
You're his wife now, Dave
"Resistance is Futile"
Borg (Australian Team)
Come on Aussie team ,ICL (Indian cricket league)door would be closed for some aussie cricketers.Money is sweeter than honey mate.
Australia should stop the belief that they are better than anyone.....I use to enjoy watching them play, but now I can't stand their arrogance. They have no respect for the game and should go on some sort of anti-arrogance seminar.......Come on India.....stuff them in the next two games, They need to be brought down a peg or ten.
It is shame that a team like Australia would display such bash display of despicable sportsmanship - speaks volumes about where the game of cricket is heading where one of the top notch teams lacks the courage to uphold the sprit of the game (Symonds - should have walked) .
In light of the obviously slanted and blatantly biased umpiring India should make a stand and pull out of the series in protest.
Why don't we have a rule which allows a challenge to an umpire's decision like it is done in tennis. We can limit such challenges to two wrong ones each innings for each team.
Yes umpires are human, then why do we treat them like gods! Give them a break and the teams who pay for the mistakes of the umpires.
Right, first things first; had the Aussies not won would there be all this carping about their lack of sportsmanship?I think not. Secondly India (and England) have definately not always played within the 'Spirit' of the game. NB Sree Santh's daft antics at Trent Bridge last summer or Harmy sending in an absolute beauty that crashed into Ponting's cheek Guard in the first test of the 2005 Ashes at Lords. When other teams are a bit bolshy we applaud them for showing a will to win. When the Aussies do it they are deemed interminably arrogant!Now I dislike the Aussies dominance as much as the next fan but ultimately this whole brouhaha is because they are such winners. India should have seen out ten minutes against a part time off spinner shouldn't they? As for Umpiring mistakes they do all even out in the end and to suggest that Symonds escaped because he has partial West Indian heritage is plain nonsense. Umpires have a difficult enough job as it is without needing the added pressure of taking into account possible ethnic ties in their decisions. Mr Bucknor might be a rubbish umpire but I refuse to believe he is a deliberately corrupt and biased one!
Why we all calling cricket a gentlemen game? in this commercial era nothing is gentlemen game. We want thrill and entertainment then we have to let this gentlemanish thing go...other wise just keep watching girls cricket...
The Indian cricket board has ridiculed and defied the Umpires decision because there was "no conclusive proof" that Symonds was racially abused.
"Conclusive proof" is a criminal, not a civil, standard of proof. It is very far from a sporting understanding of an Umpires authority.
Indian cricketers, like Pakistanis, are super rich kids from a caste based society. Hence if they lose a contest of skill, they call in their lawyers. Nice.
Hi,
I watched whole five days. The conclusion is Indain were playing against 13 players not 11 players by cricket rules. Also I think they should called off the whole rest off the tour too.
I am never going to watch a cricket match (in my life now) n any form where one of the teams is Austrelia.
Lets face the fact that the ICC is spineless. They were spinessless to accept that Bucknor has past his best as an umpire and is pretty incompetant. And they will be spineless if India withdraw from the series.
I do not agree with rajaram (post no 7) and I think that the comment is in poor taste. The few australians that I have met have come across as very fine people.
That is the reason why I was dismayed by the Australian team's behaviour during this match. I wonder if they realise that they would win seven out of ten times even if they play fair. Ponting is a poor role model as he tries to win by hook or by crook.
The West Indies team of the 80s used to thrash every opposition but was widely admired and respected. The same cannot be said of the australians.
Australia will do anything to win a game in the spirit of the sport.
As Ponting became a bunny of Harbhajan, he decides to get him out of game. Referring racial abuse is within the game rules. Since there was no evidence, we never know if it is true unless one of those guys involved reveals the truth in a biography a decade from now.
Fortunately, we know the truth about other claims in the Sydney game based on TV evidence.
It was disheartening and pathetic to see the ways Ponting resorts to for victory in the games for his country.
Australia can make it 30 games in a row (as Waugh said) as long as they play the way they played in Sydney. Ponting will have his own place in cricket history. MJ Clarke should succeed him as he looks like he can maintain Ponting's standards.
I'm perplexed by an earlier posting claiming Australian's act a certain way due to "convict" heritage..exactly the ignorant reasoning,cultural insensitism and racism I expected by some Indian supporters. I find it ironic that this precisely is the reason this situation has boiled over (see Last tour of India and monkey chants) What I can't understand is on what basis claims of superiority (cultural or sporting) can possibly be made by those of Indian descent!!
It is indeed shocking to see cheating on the field of such a prestigious sport. It just demonstrates the fact that the current Australian team cannot take a losing position at any time neither can take any remarks against them.. however they are known to be hard nosed sledgers.. even the cricket commentators have said so! Furthermore , how can an umpire ask a player for a decision? It is indeed a sorry state of affairs!
Harbhajan is being targetted because Ponting couldnot play him at all.
Also this gives such a sour taste that one wonders whether any meaning in rest of this series.
i remember one of the tours when india toured south africa ... indians players were fined ... for excessive appealing.
what about aussies .... does the match refree did not see the excessive apealing or again did the umpires keep their eyes shut when matter comes relating to the aussies. their celebration was awful. i remembered the incident involving sharad powar .. president of bcci(on of the respected people in india) ..whom the aussies pushed while celebrating after winning the champions trophy.
Aussies team is a bunch of arragont people who cant respect.
steve bucknor again has a thing or two against the indians... he is in habit of making mistakes when india plays.
i hope the tour continues and the indians do reply in their fashion by beating them with bat and ball. GO ON INDIANS .. get them tigers...
Why are so many people defending Harbajhan, if he has made recist remarks then surely he deserves his punishment. He must have known that he shouldn't be saying this so i have no sympathy for the guy. If the Australian team had racially abused an Indian player then it would be a different story. As much as i don't like the way the Aussies play the game at times this kind of thing should not be tolerated!
What is the responsiblity og the ICC in this mess? Why does (DID) the ICC hold the inquiry behind closed doors and not in open forum? Was the ICC decision make before or after the hearing?
This test match just smacks of childish behaviour on the part of players, incompetence (at the best) on part of umpires or are these umpires part of match fixing groups? and callaus officicals at BCCI, CA and ICC
Teams paying in India have faced the wrath of Indian Umpires in the past. Kumble's own record of 10 wickets in an innings is a disgrace with at least 4 or 5 decisions that even a decent street- game umpire would not give out! Kumble is a fine bowler in his own right BUT India and the ICC have accepted his tainted record of 10 wickets - why not also accept this tainted test loss with grace!
Australians went too far in this second test, they looks to be in rampaging mood and their body language is showing they want to win desparately win at any cost. Surprisingly umpires acted like a catalyst and this issue is blown out of proportion.
Not sure why Aussies are so desparate win, is it convent or kindergarten school game? They don't need to prove they're no.1 team, entire world knows their strength. What they want to achieve by winning this game? and spoiling cricket and some what diplomatic relations with india?
Now whole india and entire cricket loving fans watched the naked macbre dance and umpiring skills of Steve bucknor & Benson's and also Aussie team enjoying this win is like a world cup trophy. It seems to be they comfortably forgotton how they won this game and worst umpiring decisions in whole history of test & one day history.
Even though poor batting skills of indian batsman loosing 3 wickets in one over overshadowed their failures by this Pointing teams cheating skills.
Even i wont give credit of taking 3 wickets in last but one over by clarke, due to Indian batsman mentally losted after horrendous umpiring decisions they mentally lost the confidence to bat. Otherwise under normal circumstances this feat is not possible.
Any how Aussie team & umpires successfully escaped from loosing this test & draw and astonishingly they defeated india in humiliating fashion.
This win give a bad image to Aussies and their cricket team.
Lets take a clinical look at the issues here:
A) There has been general acknowledgement all over the cricketing world for at least two decades that the Aussies have been (and continue to be) the worst sledgers in the cricketing arena, using extremely unpleasant, derogatory (and often racist) comments to undermine their opponents. Apparently this is part of their sporting culture. It is surprising, therefore, that when a member of the opposing team answers them back they go crying to the umpires. My advice to the Aussies: if you are to sledge, then be prepared to get some back and don't go crying to mummy umpire when it happens.
B) It is evident that the umpiring in this test match has been appalling and it is right that Bucknor be asked to step aside for his own sake and for the sake of international cricket.
C) Its clear that the Aussies have not been very sporting in this contest. But lets be honest here: they are not paid to be sporting, they are paid to win. It is their job to ask the questions (and appeal vociferously if required) and the it is the umpires job to make the decisions. It is regrettable that the umpires have failed woefully in their duty.
D)The sledging and poor umpiring aside, the Indian team need to take a long, hard look at their own performance in this test. The collapse of the tail in the last session was spectacular. If they are to win against the Aussies in the future, they need to learn to play 'hard cricket': undermine their opponents psychologically, withstand pressure and learn to fight to the last man!
I totally support BCCI for taking a strong stand. It is about time the world realizes India means business. After the much publicized rude behavior of Ricky Ponting with BCCI officials during Championship trophy, who is he to talk about on and off ground comments???
Comment number 95 from Jack is funny but very real.
This reflects the facts about what happens in a test match in Australia.
I completely agree that Ponting is just trying to get rid of Harbhajan, somehow - so he can score some runs.
Besides I do not understand how come calling monkey to someone becomes racists. Monkey has no race. All humans were originally monkey.
I think australian team was so scared to loose the game so they were even ready to play without any sportsman spirit(Honesty) & in the beginning I thought its bad luck of idnian team because of wrong decision of umpiring but then slowly i have realised after watching all replay of giving out idnian batsman and decision was taken without third umpire and with support of australian player on the field & at last they proved that australian team were soooo scared and they do not have enought skills to win the game. very very shame....niceone Indian team...
I think a time has come when ICC should do two things. They need to upgrade their rules from Analog to Digital:
1. Make all the players to carry a wireless microphone.
2. Regular vision, hearing and phycological screening of all umpires. The more senior umpire has more risk of loosing these just because of their age.
Sunny
For far too long now the Aussie behaviour on the field has been a disgrace. I admit they are awesome athletes but the pressure they heap on umpires is ridiculous and the hypocritical behaviour of certain members makes me wonder how on earth they get away with it. You boys have sledged for a long time and are very harsh in your approach. But the minute a few people give it back to you some of the Aussie players go running + crying to the umpires. In the case of Gyppogate, Gillespie in the winning Ashes for England, he actually made a complaint to the Foreign Office. If you can't take it, don't give it. Good on India for taking a stance, not many would have.
The umpire's decisions were disgusting to say the least. After Bucknor's one of the decisions you can see Symonds' pat on Bucknor's back for a good decision?
What is the role of the the third umpire or the Refree? The ICC should wake up and not sleep over the wrong decisions.
Dear Jack
Note your suggestions on new rules.
Understand that you are a traumatised english cricket supporter having been thrashed repeatedly by Australia over and over again .. I understand but take heart you will get over it one day ..it's possible England may win a game from time to time. Understand that you sympathise with the Indians.. they are going through similar mental trauma at present.
It's a game to be played to win.. if you don't like it stick to cricket on the village green.
Doc
I think India have the habit of exaggerating things. This is what is happening. I think the mistakes of the umpires are pure mistakes. It happens many of the times.
And why the other countries, specially the British people joined the chorus? because, they are the most prominent victim of the Aussie team.
But it's really hard to believe the racism complaint.... subcontinent people are not like that....
Come on... this is just a game. If you think you are so sporty, just forget it and try to win the next matches.
3 words that spring to mind when mentioning indian cricket and in particular the indian board...
THROW DUMMY PRAM
which nation is it that is nearly always last to agree terms with the ICC for attending the world cup/ICC trophy? I hope the ICC do not cave in and stand up for the inetgrity of the game which the Indian board so often try to bully.
Racism has no part in the world, I think it very sad that Harbajan cannot just say sorry for his actions (and tries to beome a better person). It is even worse that the Indian board do not support the ICC in trying to stamp out racism and instead throw their dummy out of the pram. No wonder the players want to boycott the tour as they are 2-0 down after being thoroughly outplayed in both tests and have no chnace of getting anything from the series. two more words when thing of indian cricket team: SOUR GRAPES. If India were 2-0 up or 1-0 up or 1-1 would they really threaten to boycott knowing they had a chnace to win the series? of course not. 3 more words: TAILS BETWEEN LEGS.
To say Austalia cheated in game is another example of bitter sour grapes...they did not make the umpriting decisions, the independent umpires did. There was only one mistake of any significance a missed edge for Symonds. Big deal, one edge, the fcat that he went on to score runs is insignificant, and even if he had been given out that only takes off a hundred runs from the total, when ustralia wouldnt have declared so early in 2nd innings (Hussey well set to score just the same) so in all probablity would have reached the same stage.
When Lehmann was found to have made racist remarks against sri lanka he apologised, and seemed sincere in his apologies and remarks that he would try to become a better person. The Australain board also backed up the ICC and supported its commitments to stamp out racism.
COME ON THE ICC - BE STRONG AND DONT GIVE INTO THE RACISTS
I suppose what comes out of the game between India and Australia are two things:
1. Racism has absolutely no place in the game - period. It should be wholly stamped out.
2. Batsmen not walking when they know they are out, and the CAPTAIN of a team giving the 'out' indication puts cricket right next to that other sport we know so well: Football.
There has been alot of damage to the sport over recent years. Cricket's image as a gentlemen's sport is LONG gone!
Australian team is a disgrace to the game of cricket!This test match should be nullified and taken off the records and there should be a re-match.
overapealing is very much in the game its sad and personally i hate it us english cannot complain about this because we over appeal quite alot and had the king of it in the ashes 2005 seres with ashley giles evryball that hit the pads he would scream like his life depended on it until the umpires had enough and give the batsman out
i think the aussies have to change their attitude in the field. from quite some time now that they are behaving badly in the field. almost every team has suffered from their attituide. ICC should notice of this.
After watching this match which was umpiring for Aus, there was no sportsmen spirit by Aus, R Poiting driving umpire decisions, umpire not respecting third umpire, I felt like cricket is no a game to watch here after. It is just for fooling and making fun of indian team and billions of people, playing with thier emotions and valuable time. This brings another blow after match fixing, which again telles me there is no point in watching cricket.
I would say "Team India come back, we are always your fans".
Nick,
Perhaps the other angle to keep in mind is the economic angle. When the Indian sub-continent generates a far greater proportion to revenues (both sponsorships, and endorsements based on a far greater audience base)the question we need to ask is where is "The level PLaying Field". Why are Aussies always involed in controversies with the cricketing teams from the sub-continent? The fact that in the last world cup more than 90% of the advertisement $$s came from the sub-continent, how can the world cricketing body (ICC) keep a straight face in perpetrating a racial bias themselves. There is a disproprotionate representation at ICC when it comes to the sub-continent. Why aren't there any Indian (or others from the sub-continent) umpires on the so called elite panel? Indian first class cricket umpires would do a better justice to the game than the Bucknoors & Bensens of the world.
With more than enough $$s (needless to say the richest cricketing body with over a billion dollars surplus) in the coffers of BCCI, it is high time they exert their rightful influnece on the world cricket. Cricket is no longer a white man's sport any more just like golf is not. If the white man invented the game, it was others who have promoted the game to a stature that we see today.
As far as Aussies are concerned, they have 2 choices:
1. To crawl back under the rock that they call the "Down Under" and pretend they are the best Cricketing nation (in both letter and spirit) in the world, OR
2. See the light and accept the reality that cricket is no longer a white man's domain anymore.
Suffice it so say that the Aussies are the ones who should be charged with being racist. They are the ones who have brought shame to a genteman's game and left a bad taste in the minds of millions of cricket loving fans all over the world.
The job of giving a batsman out is that of the umpire. Whether the umpire gets it wrong or right, the captain of either side should not be consulted. Frankly Ponting can spout as much as he wants about playing the game fairly, but the fact remains when things are not going his way he lets fairness go out the window.
i think the aussies have to change their attitude in the field. from quite some time now that they are behaving badly in the field. almost every team has suffered from their attituide. ICC should notice of this.
I did not watch this test match apart from the more contested moments on the TV replays.Having read these comments I think one deserves highlighting.One correspondent mentions the australians basic insecurity and he has hit on what is a general weakness of many australians.When you meet them away from their homeland so many of them wear their australian country as almost a badge of office and will tell you they are australian long befoere you ask.I remember being in a car hire firm in LA with an aussie.He found out we were english and on holiday in the US.His first question was ,have you been to australia.Answer no,his response "Why Not!Well if you look at the two countries there is no way that they are comparable.Just think of the long list of things worth seeing in the US and then think of the list in australia which could be written on a postage stamp.
No wonder they behave as they do.
I think Harbhajan has made (if actually) a great mistake by calling
Symonds a monkey. He should have referred it to the ICC.
This test match will always be remembered for Ricky Ponting's "Monkey Business"!!
It is about time the third umpire is utilised to check out LBW and catches before the main umpire raises his finger. If one could use the replays to judge runouts and whether the ball crossed the boundry etc then let us be sure that the benefit of the doubt is given to the 3rd umpire. It is best there should be a panel of 3 in order to make this sort of decision
The second match between India and Australia was one of the most disgusting matches ever played in recent history. It adds one more feather in ICC's dubious reputation.
Instead of calling for a full-scale investigation into the umpires' behaviour, the ICC is backing the culprits. I can understand the Indians' frustrations. Kumble was gentlemanly enough to choose his words carefully.
I am Australian but have certainly lost all respect for my team's cricketing capabilities. Ponting and his gang have certainly brought the game to disrepute.
Ricky Ponting should be banned for 4-5 test matches. Before aiming your guns at me, let me tell why. Rashid latif was banned for 5 matches when he claimed a catch which he grounded. At that time he was the captain of pakistan. The referee, incidentally was mike procter. While giving the ban, procter said that being a captain, rashid should have behaved credibly. Now in the sydney match, ponting not only claimed a catch after grounding it (which is clear from the replays) but also reacted as if the umpire made a mistake when the dcision was given as not out. Later in the press conference he fumed at an indian journalist on questioning his integrity. If the same yardstick is applied every time, ponting should surely be banned.
My guess is that real reason behind Indian cricket board's decision to suspend tour is related to the news that Mr Bucknor will still be officiating in third test at Perth. Everyone knows that there will be lots of telephone calls between these two cricketing boards with demands and counter demands and hope that common sense prevails.
As a true cricket lover , it was really sad to witness this "historic" test match.It makes me wonder if people would be better off to watch other sports like tennis rather than cricket.
ICC is behaving like a blind bat and still wants to let Mr Bucknor officiate in third test. In my view they should openly admit that mistakes were made and should bring in appeal system whereby team which feels that umpiring mistake was made ,is allowed to challenge decision via third umpire using all the latest technology. Who cares if it takes 5 minutes to arrive at correct decision using the technolgy but atleast it would be fair judgement. Also third umpires should be from neutral countries otherwise this system will be of no use. We all know what happened to stumping appeal of Symmonds which was turned down by third umpire who was an Aussie.I was listening to sky sports commentary whilst this was being referred to third umpire and interestingly even Aussie commentators felt that he was out.
ICC headed by Mr Speed has always been at war with Indian Cricket Board and this makes me conclude that politics is present in all forms of life and not even sport like cricket is spared.
Congrats for Aussie win but for neutral supporter like me this was a disgraceful test match which only diminishes my interest in the game.
And finally I never liked cocky , rude and arrogant behaviour of players on field (in name of sledging) and I have no doubt that Aussie are worst culprits. ICC should ban sledging completely. God, why can't ICC show maturity.
As every body knows, Australian team is rough and tough in all the aspects. The last test match against India was not fair, and is not an exception. So what is the solution. As a Indian fan, I will say Indian fans boycotting all the Australian matches in India and abroad. Absolutely, no watching of Australians game neither in the field nor on the TV. Second, try to develop the Indian National Cricket clubs, who do not need ICC approval or recognition. Something like NFL of USA is the best strategy. A county with 1.2 billion population and contributing more than 75% of ICC's revenue must realize its potential. Indian fans too must realize what they can do to make cricket as more enjoyable game for them rather than relay on some stupid showoff matches like in Sydney.
It has become "Victory" is the only motto of Aussies, and they don't care what path they take.
Also it's time to sincerely review the umpiring procedures. Esp Bucknor should be fired due to his incompetence.
Must congratulate Australia XIV to have won the second test match against India XI ! The series should be named "Bucknor & Benson Series" instead. Will the real Mr. Speed stand up and save the so called "Gentlmen's game "
One should have seen the grace and dignity that Indian tennis player, Sania Mirza showed after defeating Australian, Alisha Mollick in Hopman cup 2007 in Perth. She "apologised to Australians for defeating their team and spoiling their new year celebrations". India won that match against Australia 2-1. But so much of grace and dignity and respect!! And she is only 21 years of age.
In contrast whole world watched in disgust the way in which the Australian cricket team (both senior as well as junior players) behaved after winning the second test in Sydney. No grace, no dignity, no respect for anything. Very silly behaviour.
Shripada
Ausi are cheats and they can steal ur credit or victory with out any hard work.
This is true for even office environment.
Ask any,anay,any,any Singaporean.... local or foreigner.
Is Ponting complaining against Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman at Perth for calling him 'human'? Hey, isn't that racist?
I am a biologist. We are descendants of the ape-lineage. So, how come calling somone 'monkey' racist? We all are, aren't we in someway monkeys?
The result should be vacated because of the cheating. Also, I think Mike Proctor probably took a bribe and should be investigated. If an umpire did swear that Singh used a racial slur then the ban could be upheld. Otherwise it is hearsay.
I don't think anyone denies that Australia are the best team in the world. That they need to resort to cheating (I don't think that is too light a word frankly) is disgusting and unnecessary.
In my view this is partly down to Ponting's self righteous arrogance in that he must have that winning streak record at all cost to somehow justify himself to be a standard of captain that realistically we all know he isn't.
For people to post in this article one should have seen the match. Please dont post if you haven't watched the game. Dont be trigger happy.
Aussies + Bucknor + ICC - Best Cricket Team (Test or ODI)
I think everyone is going a little overboard about the Aussie's. There's not many players who 'walk' nowdays, Gilchrist being one of them. Plus the umpires don't just agree with what ponting does, if he does raise his finger it's just an appeal, the umpire has the final and only decision.
If two Australians heard Harbajan say Monkey, and it looked like Ponting and Symonds did then they have witnesses to the incident, they don't need recorded evidence.
Everyone sledges, the Asian countries are best at it I thought,?, When I play I get plenty of stick! I think it's a bit of sour grapes from Kumble, you could see he was very unhappy ponting batted India out of the game on the 5th morning and rightly so by Ponting. India shouldn't expect a chance just because everyone thought Ponting was going to give him one.
P.s. I'm a POME as well!!!
Team India c. Benson b. Bucknor
But was this test match fixed ? There are certain question which cries for answer.
1. Ricki Ponting and his Team Australia desperately need to win this test to equal previous record of 16 conecutive wins.
2. Bucknor and Benson made 10 faulty decisions which went all against Team India with catastrophic result.
3.So Ponting was a direct benificiary.
4 Who else benifitted ?
5.Who were the bookies/punters?
6. Shall we expect ICC to investigate this test?
Team India hasn't lost. Itis the game of Cricket that has lost.
What a crass article!!!
For people that have been on the receiving end of racist slurs, an accusation of being racist is not funny.
It is even more inflammatory when you are punished without evidence.
Yep we lost the game and that was more so coz we didn鈥檛 bat well enough on the last day...but that doesn鈥檛 take away the really shoddy umpiring and the over imposing tactics of some of the Australian players. To see Michael Clarke hoping for another freebie from the umpire after edging one to first slip was pathetic to watch and should come under the purview of contempt.
And to watch Ricky ponting talking abt integrity was a joke. Moral soundness is not based on circumstances - off one day and on the other...
Team India c. Benson b. Bucknor
But was this test match fixed ? There are certain question which cries for answer.
1. Ricki Ponting and his Team Australia desperately need to win this test to equal previous record of 16 conecutive wins.
2. Bucknor and Benson made 10 faulty decisions which went all against Team India with catastrophic result.
3.So Ponting was a direct benificiary.
4 Who else benifitted ?
5.Who were the bookies/punters?
6. Shall we expect ICC to investigate this test?
Team India hasn't lost. Itis the game of Cricket that has lost.
"One of the most striking strands of this story has been the even-handed response from the Australian cricket press, arguably the best in the business."
I'm assuming you are not including the likes of Malcolm Conn, especially, and Peter Lalor, to a lesser extent, in that rather generous assessment. Using the word "journalist" to describe the former is a bit of a stretch. Someone should tell him that his opinion doesn't equal fact.
In fact, at times, both these gentlemen sound more like the PR representatives for Ponting, Symonds, Hayden and co., given the regularity with which they leak "exclusive" information at convenient times. They seem to follow Fox News's definition of "fair and balanced" and Conn doesn't seem to have heard of the notion of giving all sides their say in a story laden with as-yet-unsubstantiated claims made by paragons of virtue such as Ponting and Co.
Australia have been the best cricketing team over the past 10 years or so for not just cricket but sledging.
Oh dear, here we go again! When the umpire dared to suggest that Pakistan had damaged the ball,they were innocent, their behaviour correct, and any disagreement would see them take their ball home. Now here we go again, everyone else is lying and the same threat comes out. As always the ICC stays quiet and will probably blame Steve Bucknor later.
What's more important ? $ 2.3 Million as fine or National Respect ?
The ICC cannot survive without India. Majority of the revenue generated from cricket is from India.
Get the team back and pay the ICC.
Ponting and his team of jokers should be banned from International Cricket for 2008. That's the best they deserve.
To win by cheating and sledging is no win.
These Aussies are sick mentally, give them some time to get back to normal.
After having lost key players to retirement, Australia is banking on strengths other than cricketing merit to win matches. Boooo to you kangaroooos!
... of the EIGHT times Harbhajan Singh got Ponting out ... FIVE times he got him out OFF the FIRST ball he bowled to him !!! hmmmm ... no wonder Ponting wants Harbhajan banned somehow !!!
I am a Australian fan. But i feel very ashamed they way they got the victory. They won the test, but lost the real cricket fans heart. Its a great shame for ICC, without any evidence, they banned harbajan for 3 tests. It should be cancelled. There should be true spirit in the game. Australia should improve it.
Tony
Reading, UK
The Sydney Test was the worst test cricket match I have ever saw. The Quality of umpiring was so low which brings to the mind question of biasedness. They goof up on Symmonds 3 times and falsely gives out to 3 top indian batsmen when they clearly were not. Add to it the Antics of Pointing and Co. Can you trust a man who stands when he knew he nicked it and appel when the catch was grassed by him ?? And still says to journalist that how can you question my integrity..what a paradox!! Wake up Mr Pointing !!!
Nice Comment. Its almost perfect. I m Indian. But stil think Aussie should have won the test anway without those decision going there way, even if Symond had walked they still could have won the game, those decision gave inspired the Indians that put on some performance. Then cam Symmond and got them out of the game. U can see the body language after that Harbhajan was accused they were not playing cricket with there heart. They just wanted to complete the game. I dont want to take away anything from Aussie bowlers. The Racism Issue had gotten to head of the Indian team.
I am an Indian fan and there are a few issues here. The most serious of which is the racism charge against Harbhajan. I have seen comments from fellow Indians along the lines of "that wasn't intended to be a racial comment" or " monkeys are revered as Gods in India and therefore that isn't offensive". That is nonsense. Even in India if you call someone a "bandar" (Hindi for monkey) it is almost always an insult (although not racial). However since we live in a globalized world we must recognize that the world over calling someone who is of black or aboriginal descent a "monkey" is considered a racial slur and therefore act accordingly. If Harbhajan did indeed call Symonds a "monkey" he should be punished for it. The issue though is apparently none of the umpires heard that and none of the stump microphones picked it up. We have Symonds's and Ponting's word against that of Tendulkar and Harbhajan. If that is indeed the case I am at a loss to understand how the match referee acted on it. In fact that sets a very dangerous precedent where players can actually connive to send other players off by making accusations that they know cannot be proved otherwise.
The other issue is that of poor umpiring. It's true that over time umpiring decisions tend to even out. But I feel that we are doing the correct thing by making a hue and cry about it. We are being accused of influencing umpires for the next Test by putting this pressure and I agree - that is exactly the intent. If umpires think twice in the next Test before giving in to an Aussie appeal or give a few 50-50 decisions the way of the Indians I have no problem with that. To the Aussies who are complaining about it just think of it as "the decisions evening out".
Lastly, Indians need to be careful here. The Aussies have them exactly where they want - 0-2 down and thinking about things other than the game. Indians need to focus on the next 2 tests and try and even the series.
Extremely Sad for the Game of Cricket!
Two of the most respected players in world cricket went into that board meeting with H. Singh. (Tendulkar and Kumble) They both denied the Australian accusations and stuck by their team mate.
More importantly, Tendulkar was batting with H. Singh at the time. Why would he lie? He was 5 meters away from him. He's got such a status, and is loyal to the game and fans, and yet he did not make a difference to the outcome.
Whats even worse is that the Umpires cannot justify and recall it being said. No wonder its gt Indian fans fuming around the world!!
Anyone would admit the decisions did not favour India during the game,(at times, PATHETIC) certainly the Umpires were not favouring either side, and yes Australia pulled off a beauty.
However, the decision to suspend Singh is outrageous and why wouldn't the Indian Board be fuming. There's no solid evidence!! In Sport generally, words are said all the time. Individuals move on, and yet Symonds made a big deal about it.
Whats more childlike is that the Aussie Camp made a hash of it. They ignited it further. The aussie attitute in the field certianly needs improving, a bit of arrogance is fair enuf, they are the most dominant side in the world. But they don't need to verbally shatter every team they play.
As much as i admire Ricky Ponting, (his batting and captaincy) his words after the game were messy. Even the commentators had to apologise to viewers for the appolling words he used. Certianly arrogance is portrayed in his interviews, but this time he took it too far!!!
I may indian and passionate about the game, but i struggle to comprehend with the Aussie gamestyle and i feel they have put this tour to shame. It's only right if the tour comes to an end, which is sad, because India were beginning to give Australia a run for their money.
This incident is sad for cricket all round! The ICC certainly need to get their priorities right, choosing suitable umpires for a big game would be a start!!!
Nice Comment. Its almost perfect. I m Indian. But stil think Aussie should have won the test anway without those decision going there way, even if Symond had walked they still could have won the game, those decision gave inspired the Indians that put on some performance. Then cam Symmond and got them out of the game. U can see the body language after that Harbhajan was accused they were not playing cricket with there heart. They just wanted to complete the game. I dont want to take away anything from Aussie bowlers. The Racism Issue had gotten to head of the Indian team.
Australians are getting taste of their own medicine...
I am from Australia and I did watch the first test match and am thankful I did not watch the second. The blokes went beyond the limits of the game to secure the win. As an unbiased spectator, I'd give credit to India for fighting on despite horrendous umpiring. As a biased spectator, I am happy Australia won.
It is quite interesting that if people go through and analyse every decision in a test match that some of them are not right. This is the case in every test match. Umpires make errors.
The only instance that I can remember where someone has walked has been Adam Gilchrist, so why when there are so many examples of where someone hasn't walked should Symmonds have walked?
Also, it appears that people have assumed that Ponting knew the catch hit the ground. He has never said this, he appealed because he thought the catch had carried. I agree the batsman should have been given the benefit of the doubt and not been given out, but I cannot agree that Ponting was trying to cheat by appealing. If you think something is out you appeal. This is cricket.
If India had secured a draw, would we be having all this discussion? I doubt it.
Australia won and they deserved to.
Shame on u Ponting
Inspite of being an indian i have always been a great fan of the australian teams especially those led by Mark Taylor and Waugh. But this present bunch under the "scavenging & unethical" leader like ponting has brouht the game and sport in general great shame.Furthermore he has left us in no doubt that he has been very successful in grooming his imminent successor " Mr won't go until umpire gives me out" Michael Clarke in his mould.It is safe to say that one will have great difficulty in appreciating whatever future australian teams achieve.A sfar as the umpiring is concerned, I think the biased australian umpires of the 70's & 80's would have done a better job.
Shame on u Ponting. It is a big black mark on our team and australian cricket
"If an umpire gives you not out you stay, if he doesn't you go. That is the game of cricket, that is what people love about the game."
This is not an average sportsman spirit language. You are not suitable for an Big Playing Cricket country's captain. Pls step down. We respect the game and game of spirit. You will be remembered as one of the greatest cheater in the world of cricket
Both Ponting and Proctor are guilty of racism
Ponting is guilty of dishonesty as evident from his onfield conduct
This test match was a grevious wound inflicted on the game of cricket.
It was shameful!
Problem is that Aussie behavior embodies the essence of their approach to cricket in any form: ruthless. The BCCI should not be surprised because South Asian cricket is at the heart of the commercialisation of modern cricket. This has fostered a business-like approach and the stakes have rising beyond just the "honor" of playing the game. Attitudes have followed. The Aussies are just better at it. The management of the game has not followed into these steps and still relies on the image of cricket as a gentlemen's game. This is naive to say the least. One either reduces the influence of business (not very likely) or one changes thoroughly the management of the game including umpiring standards.
The only way to get rid of the endless debate about whether players should or should not walk is to ensure that umpiring decisions are invariabloy correct. The only way to improve the quality of umpiring decisions beyond the current level is to look to technology.
It's never going to be perfect, the mere fact that we are commenting about decisions that were patently incorrect once the replay is watched, means there is an opportunity to make huge advancements by making better use of replay/slowmo/snicko and hotspot.
Last year the All Blacks lost to France mostly as a result of one of the most shocking refereeing displays in recent memory. That's sport though, and there have been plenty of occasions where the All Blacks have won games for the same reason. You have to take the rough with the smooth, and accept that it's just a game. You can't win 'em all.
India were unlucky, and yes they probably should have won that match, but overall Australia are simply the better team. Learn to live with that.
The Aussies play hard and right to the limits of the laws of the game. That's one of the reasons they're so good. If you don't like the way they do it don't blame them; blame the ICC and try to get the laws changed... however be careful what you wish for. I have witnessed some pretty bad behaviour from Indian Cricketers over the years.
In 1987 New Zealand Challenged for the America's Cup, and were repelled by some very good sailing by the americans but also by every dirty trick in the book. Well instead of complaining we came back against all the odds, with a fraction of the American's budget and in 1995 we won the cup.
India have some of the most talented cricketers in the world, and on paper could be the best. Time now to look in your own back yard. Sort out your own problems and come back and beat these pesky Aussies. I for one would love too see that happen.
Last year the All Blacks lost to France mostly as a result of one of the most shocking refereeing displays in recent memory. That's sport though, and there have been plenty of occasions where the All Blacks have won games for the same reason. You have to take the rough with the smooth, and accept that it's just a game. You can't win 'em all.
India were unlucky, and yes they probably should have won that match, but overall Australia are simply the better team. Learn to live with that.
The Aussies play hard and right to the limits of the laws of the game. That's one of the reasons they're so good. If you don't like the way they do it don't blame them; blame the ICC and try to get the laws changed... however be careful what you wish for. I have witnessed some pretty bad behaviour from Indian Cricketers over the years.
In 1987 New Zealand Challenged for the America's Cup, and were repelled by some very good sailing by the americans but also by every dirty trick in the book. Well instead of complaining we came back against all the odds, with a fraction of the American's budget and in 1995 we won the cup.
India have some of the most talented cricketers in the world, and on paper could be the best. Time now to look in your own back yard. Sort out your own problems and come back and beat these pesky Aussies. I for one would love too see that happen.
It was disheartening to see how the test match ended. India lost not because Aussies played good Cricket, but due to poor umpiring. The men of the match(Bucknor,Benson and Oxenford) took the match away from the Indians and handed it to the Aussies. There were so many bad decisions in this game against India which makes everyone wonder if the umpires were just and honest. Officially the Aussies won but to millions of people around the world the Indian team won both on and off the field.
I wonder why people become so judgmental. For all those who believe Harbhajan said something racist.. how do you know he said what you believe he did? Testimonies from Ponting, Clarke? Or were you there on the field? How do you know that the hearing was fair? Take a look at the panel of "judges/puppets/white men like me" and if anything bothers you..let it out here.
By this win, Australia has proved that they will go to any length to achieve a win. Sad that the cricket administration is sooooooooo spineless to do anything about bad umpiring decisions, but finds in itself to say that they have 'zero tolerance' towards racism. There needs to be less hypocracy and more fair action to prove that the 'zero tolerance' to racism is what they actually want to achieve
As for the Australian cricket team, they stopped playing the 'Gentleman's game' long ago.
Indian's have played lot of cricket against the black crickting teams, and lot of them have visited India, but racial abuse was unheard off.
The fact that the Indian Independence was fought against racisim within India and Africa, it looks absurd as why wud Indian hurl a racial abuse against a single Austrialian player who hardly looks black (lot of Indian team members are more colored than him).
I feel, Australians have no doubt excelled in all departments, including cheating, but this time they went too far and shallow to use the racial card.
It seems the Australian cricket team cannot accept a non-white team members within, and hence blame anyone and everyone outside as racist.
I am an Indian and being a very big fan of Cricket I always look forward for a 'good game' with 'good spirit'. Australain's with out a doubt have good technical players but I wonder if they have 'good players'.
Winning a game by cheating is not really a winning. Seven wrong decisions againts India by umpires and wrong appeals from Ausies has put me off completely from watching any Ausies game in the future and I have now lost full respect for those umpires and the team.
For God's sake atleast Ausies should not talk about behaviour and polite words as they are the worst team in the world for swearing on the cricket pitch.
Pointing think that it's great for umpires to ask fielders if the batsman is out or not then why on this earth Ausies don't walk away when they are out.
Past few days has been the most disgusting and untolerable days in the history of India with Ausies showing their worst to the world.
Shame on you Ausies!!!!!
I really haven't had time to read and digest all the comments so far, but what I have read, one thought has crossed my mind. If the ratio of incorrect umpiring decisions had been reversed, resulting in a win for India, would the Aussie captain and supporters have reacted any differently to what the Indians..and an awful lot of true cricket lovers.. are reacting now ? The chances are that they wouldn't. Having read posts that refer back to the 'odd' poor decisions that went against them in the 2005 Ashes defeat, they are as wont as any others who think (rightly as it happens in this particular case) that they were robbed.
I am English therefore have no biased towards or against either team.
Unlike some of my compatriots i am not going to jump on the 'criticise Australia' bandwagon. This pathetic insecurity blanket of disliking those and criticising them simply because they are better than us (substantially sadly).
The reality is that Aussies got a couple of lucky decisions but that happens in cricket. The real reality is that Aussies have such excellent players that when their batsmen survive a dodgy decision they invaraibly punish the other team. Most other teams have incompetent batsmen who are simply out a few balls later therefore the bad decision in their favour is forgotten by the other team and fans.
I'm sorry but India have had their fair share of lucky decisions in the past few months and as for 'spirit of the game', they may wish to remember the shameful time wasting V England in the Summer when England were on verge of victory.
And no, before you say it, I am not saying England are any better.
The reality is that Australia are no worse than anyone else re: playing within the spirit, they are however better than anyone else re talent.
Unfortunately for India this has been a wake up call that they are not as good as they thought they were.
And before anyone accuses me of kissing Aussies, no one was more delighted than me when YET AGAIN we put their incompetent rugby team out the world cup, and beat them in the World Cup squash.
I have reality and perspective. Something which is bereft in most of the one eyed people contributing here.
India (and other teams such as England) are going the wrong way in trying to deal with sledging by Australia. Instead of trying to match the Australian team in its behavior, and overstepping in the process, the BCCI and other boards should use their money and influence in the ICC to change the rules of the game. No verbal exchanges between players of opposite teams should be allowed except in the presence of umpires (like in baseball), and no sounds should be allowed from wicketkeepers or close fielders before the ball is bowled. The stump microphone can be used (like TV replays) to issue fines and suspensions. Other microphones should be placed on the pitch near the batsman to prevent any interaction with fielders, all microphone feeds should be recorded and become available to the public after the match so they can judge the match referees decisions.
Australis has brought the game to disrepute, india was playing against 15 players (11 Aust, 2 Upmires, Third umpire & match refree)..celebrate u r win & be as shameless as u can be
Australian cricket has become a real disgrace. I have no problems with accepting and admiring their game but their double standards annoy me. I remember watching Ponting as a teenager coming all the way from boundary to sledge when Sachin was taking Mcgrath to task. That he was backing up master sledger Mcgrath was a sight to believe. Australians complaining of racist insult is a real joke. When other countries complain about sledging Aussies ask them to grow up, now they can't take little of their of own medicine? Columnists else where complain about India flexing muscle because of it's financial clout. What is wrong with India flexing to make the game fair, unless these dubious columnists want the status-quo to continue?
Interesting. We have from the indian side, so many trouble makers, Harbhajan, Sreesanth etc. Agree that they need to be reined in. But Let's see the centre of attraction from the twenty-20 worldcup till now, in the Australian side. How come one name keeps popping up ? How come Andrew symonds is there in almost every controversy ? How come he is always the aggrieved party, whether it be how India celebrates its 20-20 victory, or how sreesanth clapped in his face or how bhajji did this... you get the picture.
In the latest incident, Symonds says he was trying to defend brett lee from harbhajan and he had a 'bit of crack' at Harbhajan (his own words quoted). So the instigator Symonds gets off scot free, while Bhajji gets banned ? I am all for banning bhajji with PROPER EVIDENCE, but why does symonds get nothing ? Oh right, I remember now, this is the Aussie style of hard and fair play.. Everything goes. Ludicrous to say the least.
Bucknor Born in, Jamaica made bad decision which helped Andrew Symonds also with a Carabian desent. And then suspended Harbhajan by believing Andrew Symond's word agains Harbhajan's. Now does any one else smell DISCRIMINATION AND FAVOURISM or is it just me.
It's true that umpiring in this match was poor. But last 3 decisions were given correctly and finally these wkts helped Australia in getting famous victory. Why the great players of India could not save this match by playing only six balls? Loosing last 3 wkts in one over has certainly proved the standard of Indian Team. There were lot of poor decisions made by the umpires in the past and India got the benefit of these decisions. So these are all part of game. I think Indians are trying to save their players. Please give credit to Ponting and his team for their great performance.
Australian cricket has become a real disgrace. I have no problems with accepting and admiring their game but their double standards annoy me. I remember watching Ponting as a teenager coming all the way from boundary to sledge when Sachin was taking Mcgrath to task. That he was backing up master sledger Mcgrath was a sight to believe. Australians complaining of racist insult is a real joke. When other countries complain about sledging Aussies ask them to grow up, now they can't take little of their of own medicine? Columnists else where complain about India flexing muscle because of it's financial clout. What is wrong with India flexing to make the game fair, unless these dubious columnists want the status-quo to continue?
I think people are getting very confused here. There is a big difference between sledging and making racist remarks. There is no doubt that the Australians do a lot of sledging but does it ever cross the line to racism? If it does then it should be brought before the tribunal, there is no place for racism in any sport. Most Indians seem to be very quick to forget the racist barrage that Symonds was subjected to while on the last tour of India. If this was Football then India would would be ordered to play in empty stadiums!!!
The Australians do play brand of cricket that nobody likes but what exactly is their crime? The umpires made the bad decisions and the ICC banned Singh.
No-one is required to walk when out, correct me if I am wrong but I believe Dhoni did not walk in the 1st Test when he knew he was out but he got out the next over anyway.
3 points
1. To beat the aussies, bowl out of your skins!
I have an interesting observation to make on aussie defeats.
Whever a team has taken Aus out, its been due to exceptional bowling. Harbhajan, Bond, Akhtar, Flintoff & Co are perfect examples.
In the T20 semis, Sreesanth got under Hayden's skin and won india the match. Against any other bowler, hayden would have knocked that overpitched ball for 6 but for Sreesanth who took his off stump.
Where is Sreesanth now? unfit !
So my advice to the teams keen on challenging the Aussies. Get your bowlers into shape and keep them fit.
Had Bond and Akhtar been fitter and England managed to keep a fitter and more coherent bowling attack , i am sure the Aussies would have had their hands fuller.
India sorely missed a fit and fired up Sreesanth in the second aussie innings at Sydney. I am sure that india would've killed the aussies with their best attack, irrespective of the umpiring blunders.
The point is very clear even in the light of the recent ODI series. India kept putting Aussies on the mat and they kept getting away. The reason - 5th bowler ! And what was the difference between the 2 teams? Brad Hogg!
You can have as many batsmen as you like on the team, you can have Tendulkar and Laxman playing supreme, but to keep the aussies on the mat you need 5 quality bowlers on top of their game.
2. My Wish
What i want to see is a real THUMPING of the aussie team by some team. A better performance on the field, with the bat and with the ball. Outclass them tactically. I want to see teams upto scratch in their approach and desire to win. I simply won't be satisfied till the other teams rise to the aussie challenge. It is correct that with their systems, professionalism and hunger to win, they have set the benchmark. It just been too long for some other team to rise to that challenge.
3. Its about power
In the real world, the spirit of the game is all really idealistic non sense. The modern game is ruled by a lust for success, money and power as any other area of life is.
Afraid as i am to say, this also means that for all Aussie pride , they will for sure face down the barrell economically. The power in the whole world is shifting to Asia and cricket is no different. Just a matter of time before the money makes the proud and 'invincible' aussies come U turn.
Sore relations with India are "unaffordable", both for the ICC and CA. India will surely win a different "game" off the field.
Malcolm Speed may make claims to the contrary, but he knows he is denying the inevitable.
I must admit that for the FIRST time ever in my life did I want India to win a game - simply because of the arrogance, attitude and bullying of the Australians. The Australians are the cockiest bunch of guys who need to be bought down to earth. The umpiring in this game was the worse I have seen in ages. Bucknor is being blamed for most of the decisions (and he should), but Benson was not far behind. If Bucknor is old and can't hear of see, what the heck was Benson's problem? How on earth can an umpire take the word of a captain regarding a catch when the captain is so far away from the fielder who caught it? Can you imagine if a Pakistani or a Sri Lankan captain had been in Ponting's shoes? Do you believe the umpire would have gone with his word? No way on earth.
The bottom line is that the Australians should be held responsible for bringing the game into disrepute and several players (Michael Clarke for standing his ground when he edged the ball to slip, Symonds for sledging at Harbhajan, Ponting for raising his finger to suggest that Clarke had taken the catch, Hogg for calling Indians bastards, Gilchrist for falsely claiming a catch against Dravid) should be banned for the rest of the series. If Harbhajan is banned, I believe the above named players should be banned too.
- Amjad Khan
New York, USA
I think Harbajan got off lightly. How DARE he use the Australian tactics against Australians in Australia?? I think, Harbajan should be banned for life for not paying the royalties for the Australian patented playing tactics. Heck, he should be deported from Australia for potentially violating Australian policy of -- "we can dish it out, but we can not take it".
I also think that the series should go on as long as Australia can guarantee that Canberra has enough supply of pacifiers, after all, India would be playing against a team of cry babies.
India was not the only party to lose. Cricket, sportsmanship, and humanity have lost. What a shame! Kumble and his men have ensured that I can stand up with my head held high, a proud Indian supporter.
India should pursue following
1) Appeal against Bhajji's ban. Make sure ban is lifted and he gets clean chit from ICC
2) Appeal against Mike Proctor for setting bad example of deciding the punishment without any solid evidence. Appeal for his life ban for match referee and set the boundaries for future match referees.
3) Appeal against Ponting, Clarke, Hayden and Symonds for "fabricating" the "racial conspiracy" against Harbhajan. Push for at least 1 test and 2 ODI ban for all of them.
4) Appeal against Brad Hogg for using word "bastard" against last 3 Indian batsmen. Push for at least 2 tests and 4 ODI ban for him.
5) Abandon the Sydney test result and scores. If required arrange for another game at the same or other venue. BCCI should bear any expenses for the matter of national pride.
6) Appeal against Steve Bucknor, Mark Benson and BNJ Oxenford. Push for a life ban for all of them. Or at least these umpires will not stand for ANY of Indian matches. Specially Steve Bucknor looks like mentally retarded at the age of 65 and he needs some rest.
Only after these 6 demands are satisfied India should continue series. Otherwise it makes sense to pull out of the series and make ICC aware that slap on Indian or for that matter any cricket team by Aussies will NOT be tolerated at any cost!!
Thanks a lot!
Pardon me for finding it extremely pleasurable to have the Australian team freak out when someone serves them a robust doze of banter..... especially so because it is this very Australian team which comes out so strongly in favour of sledging. Where do you draw the line on what is "offensive" to a person - ok racial is not permitted, what about saying something about one's family etc. etc. the list is endless.
I think Aussie team should either STOP SLEDGING themselves first before freaking out or else start compiling a dictionary of permitted words and phrases so it is clear to everyone what is not-offensive to them and can be "safely" used.
Having grown up in India circket use to be a passion but not any more.
The match fixing scandles, racism, what is next....umpire fixing. If these were genuine umpiring mistakes one should accept them in the spirit of the game. The issue is these do not appear to be genuine mistakes. ICC, BCCI and ACB wake up, have quality and unbiased umpires and get touch with the liars and cheats in the game or you will loose the genuine cricket lovers.
Racism it is! But the victim is certainly not Andrew Symonds. Reminds me of the Mike Dennes episode with India in South Africa a few years back.
However, I believe the series must go on, and if the Harbhajan-ban is not suspended, the Indians should go out to play with black arm bands as a mark of protest.
India have lost the test series;
Harbhajan Sigh has lost 3 Test matches;
Ponting has lost his credibility and
The game of cricket has lost a fan
Having grown up in India cricket use to be a passion but not any more.
The match fixing scandals, racism, what is next....umpire fixing. If these were genuine umpiring mistakes one should accept them in the spirit of the game. The issue is these do not appear to be genuine mistakes. ICC, BCCI and ACB wake up, have quality and unbiased umpires and get touch with the liars and cheats in the game or you will loose the genuine cricket lovers.
The Aussie tried the nice guy, let's play with the best interest of and in "the spirit of the game" in The Ashes 2005! They lost and decided they didn't like losing so would do whatever it took to win.
Pointing, Hayden, Symonds and co....you are a disgrace and I hope your "record breaking" 16th straight victory taste sour.
Take your lewd personal sledging somewhere else and learn some manners and respect.
Here endeth the lesson!
It is unfortunate that 大象传媒 reporters view unfair play and aggressive play as the same and use the latter description in their veiled support of the Australians. Yes, the Australian team is a great cricket team. But, when its captain lies repeatedly, as Ponting did during the Sydney match through false appeals and deceiving the umpires, it makes me wonder what fraction of Australia's success is due to such systematic deception (or as the 大象传媒 reporters like to put it, "aggression")!
Sir, you are as " even-handed " as the Australian press. This is a cricketing nation that deliberately disrespects opposing players, leaders ( when they visit their country ) and just about anybody who stand in their way. Ricky Ponting and the Australians are a shame to cricket and no matter what, unless the penalty is removed on Harbhajan, no right thinking Indian should agree to continue.
Shovan Das
New Orleans, USA
Over the years the Australian team has employed sledging as a form of 鈥渕ental disintegration鈥 designed deliberately to unsettle opponents. Merv Hughes, Glenn McGrath, Steve Waugh and the often very foul-mouthed indeed Shane Warne were amongst the leading practitioners in this dark art. And, believe me, nothing was off limits in what they and their team-mates said! So there is a big irony in Andrew Symonds (no shy retiring violet he) reporting Harbhajan Singh for apparently racially abusing him at Sydney. Surely the thing to have done if the 鈥淪pirit of Cricket鈥 really meant something would have been for Symonds to have had a quiet 鈥渙ff the record鈥 word with Ricky Ponting and for the Aussie Captain to have spoken to Anil Kumble his opposite number. If an apology was needed then Kumble could have asked Harbhajan to offer it and it would all have been handled amicably. Instead the tour is in jeopardy because the Aussies decided to wield the big stick of the ICC match referee. What hypocrisy!
After reading through all the comments, I have developed a great deal of respect for all Australian Citizens and Fans, who have openly acknowledged the shortcoming of their national team. On the contrary, what could be a more befitting reward for Ponting and his teams for getting a tainted and abhorred record equaling victory... I hope the team lives by this agony all through their life..
Please stop running ICC as the old boys network that is resistance to change and still works under the principle "you scratch mine and i will yours".
Cricket continues to suffer with the world cup fiasco and the one at edgbaston. and now this.
India was probably denied not only a well deserved win but was also robbed of a draw due to 3 men who failed miserably in their job. Still I dont think India should ask for Bucknor's removal. Let him stand in Perth. He will dig his own grave.
But why Bucknor alone. Then what about Benson. He was equally bad I think. Umpires make mistakes and its part of the game. May we could discuss to make the umpiring system better and impartial.
Lesson to be learnt are, umpires (especially Bucknor) should learn that he cant let his judgement influeced by the people who are appealing. Just dont take it for granted that Aussies are genuine just beacuse they have Gilly in their ranks nor the appeals from subcontinent teams should be taken with a grain of salt. Also Benson should have gone to the 3rd umpire when Bucknor couldnt help him about the legitimacy of Clarke's claim.
Indians should take this on the chin and move on and leave it to the ICC or fight it on another day.
However, what defies logic, faith in the system etc etc, is the ban imposed on Harbhajan. Harbhajan is no saint. If he uttered the word for heavens sake he deserved not 3 but the maximum permissible ban. Why 3? Why not 4 tests ban? Whats the reason for 3? Whats the reason for this leniency of 1 test?
However where is the evidence. Its not what Mike Procter believes or thinks. Then why have a hearing? Proctor should have rather banned Harbhajan on the same evening. How can one take the word of a guy who stands his ground after edging the ball? Moreover how can one go by the witness group including 2 guys who didnt walk either after edging to the keeper and to the slip fielder.
Its a question of word of the the aggrevied party vs the defendant. There was no third party or verifiable evidence as far as we know.
With whatever information that has been made public, WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE FOR THE SUPPOSED 'FAIR' AND 'BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT' DECISION.
If ICC has some important evidence then they should come out in open with it just like the FIA. Or else I beleive BCCI is going to make ICC eat its own pie.
Finally CA should clean up thier house before pointing fingers at others. And BCCI should deal with racisim in a better way than what they did last year.
Bucknor is an incompetent umpire, well past his best for at least two years and someone whose body language has always given the impression that his mind is elsewhere. How this guy became the most 'capped' test umpire beggars belief. Strikes me as someone who likes the limelight. Get rid now.
just think, what a coward act. if you cant play and deal with bat you can get better of bowler[ harbhajan ] by such a hinous act. not a sportsman behaviour
I have no doubt after this match that Aus Cricket team always plays with 17 players ( 11+ 2 umpires who prompts 4 not out in their ining). What a shameful match. Ricky Pointing wants to take advantge of showing honesty one out of 100 times. He is talking about India first inining where he took the catch of Rahul Dravid and showed honesty it was not but what happend to him in the second inining and when he was out caught behind in the first ining. I completly hate to watch this Aus team. They all are cheaters not the winners.
Ponting is a spoilt brat, we saw it in the 2005 Ashes series and now we are seeing it again. The Aussies have become too arrogant and expect everything to be awarded in their favour and unfortunately the administrators of the game run in fear of them. Is this an example of Australian justice - you can be found guilty on the basis of no evidence. I'm glad I don't live in such an uncivilised country.
In any cricket match from Test to club level there will be bad umpiring decisions. In any cricket match from Test to club level there will be players not walking when they nick one, or claiming catches that haven't carried, or sledging the opposition.
Why is anyone surprised about what happened in Sydney?
Yes, the umpires had games they would rather forget, and the decisions favoured Australia on the whole.
The facts about the game are as follow: India had a first innings lead of 69 on a tricky pitch, bowled and fielded appallingly in the Australian second innings, were batted out of the game, and then capitulated in just over two sessions. They were a distant second in this contest, and will remain so throughout the series.
If Australia hadn't dropped more catches in this match than they do in the average series, then it wouldn't have even got to lunch on day five.
It's a shame that India's perceived sense of injustice has resulted in toys coming out of the pram, but this is increasingly typical of the BCCI, who remain acutely aware of the power they wield in the ICC, and will almost certainly get the ban on Harbajhan overturned as a consequence, whatever the rights or wrongs of the alleged incident.
Australia far from blameless in this, but it's the way they play the game. You don't have to like it. It is what it is.
hey im from us ga
i saw the 2nd test ,i felt bad for india
india team c.benson b.bucknor
Man of the Match: Steve Bucknor should have been declared De Man of the Match for doing the crucial role. Symmonds becoming Man of the match was a joke
Bottom line:
Aussies are up 2:0
and will be 4:0 by end of series.
Unless India returns home or weather forces less than 3 days play.
No matter how u look at it, Aussies are far better team, and deserve to win.
I totally agree there were couple wrong decisions by umpire when India was batting, what about the rest of the players?
Why could they not bat for a day (without the need to score anything)
I agree that there were bad decisions with Symonds given not out! But did u have the balling to get all others out? Even the aussie tailenders added more than Indian batsmen!
India has got 6 good players in team, Aussies have 11. So the balance is always going to be in Aussie favour.
Till u get real good 11 players playing at thier best against the Aussies, there is no chance of anyone winning anything against them.
Symond accused of Bhajji calling him Monkey..I call entire bunch of australian players "primates" barring "clarke" who should ve been in hollywood or some australian flick rather than playing cricket. These kind of people(not player) bring disrepute to the game. Ricky ponting has he audacity to say that game was played in right spirit when he himself demonstrated "primate"behaviour on and off the field. These aussies are bunch of samples which should be preserved in some cricket museum for gens to see and avoid such things in years ahead
austrailia umpiring decisions
Batsemn who wer obviously out
symonds .... given not out goes on 2 score 162
ponting .... obvious edge behind but disrespectively stayed put
clarke .... wat happened 2 the days when gentlemen played and when they walked when they were clearly out
batsman who wer definately NOT out
dravid .... given caught behind wen both bat and glove wer not close to tha ball
ganguly ... ball bounced clearly before he was caught by clarke
ricky pontings and australias infulence on cricket
claims harbajan was racist towards symonds. he was the only person that heard and there was no visual or audio evidence to prove this
result: harbajan suspended
gangulys dismissal. the umpire asks ricky ponting if it was out. what on earth do you think he is going to say, ganguly a good batsman in form and confidendent with no real trouble
result: ganguly given out
Symonds should have been out at 30 - scored 162NO.
End result - India all out for 122 - 130 that symonds should not have made = India won!! Yeah! ;)
austrailia umpiring decisions
Batsemn who wer obviously out
symonds .... given not out goes on 2 score 162
ponting .... obvious edge behind but disrespectively stayed put
clarke .... wat happened 2 the days when gentlemen played and when they walked when they were clearly out
batsman who wer definately NOT out
dravid .... given caught behind wen both bat and glove wer not close to tha ball
ganguly ... ball bounced clearly before he was caught by clarke
ricky pontings and australias infulence on cricket
claims harbajan was racist towards symonds. he was the only person that heard and there was no visual or audio evidence to prove this
result: harbajan suspended
gangulys dismissal. the umpire asks ricky ponting if it was out. what on earth do you think he is going to say, ganguly a good batsman in form and confidendent with no real trouble
result: ganguly given out
Some rules has incorporated by ICC to give the other teams a perfect clarification:
1. Ricky Ponting 鈥 (THE TRULY GENUINE CRICKETER OF THE CRICKET ERA AND WHOSE INTEGRITY SHOULD NOT BE DOUBTED) should be considered as the FOURTH UMPIRE. As per the new rules, FOURTH UMPIRE decision is final and will over ride any decisions taken by any other umpires. ON-FIELD umpires can seek the assistance of RICKY PONTING even if he is not on the field. This rule is to be made, so that every team should understand the importance of the FOURTH UMPIRE.
2. While AUSTRALIAN TEAM is bowling, If the ball flies anywhere close to the AUSTRALIAN FIELDER(WITHIN 5 metre distance), the batsman is to be considered OUT irrelevant of whether the catch was taken cleanly or grassed. Any decision for further clarification should be seeked from the FOURTH UMPIRE. This is made to ensure that the cricket is played with SPORTIVE SPIRIT by all the teams.
3. While BATTING, AUSTRALIAN players will wait for the ON-FIELD UMPIRE decisions only (even if the catch goes to the FIFTH SLIP as the ball might not have touched the bat). Each AUSTRALIAN batsman has to be out FOUR TIMES (minimum) before he can return to the pavilion. In case of THE CRICKETER WITH INTEGRITY, this can be higher.
4. UMPIRES should consider a huge bonus if an AUSTRALIAN player scores a century. Any wrong decisions can be ignored as they will be paid huge bonus and will receive the backing of the AUSTRALIAN team and board.
5. All AUSTRALIAN players are eligible to keep commenting about all players on the field and the OPPONENT TEAM should never comment as they will be spoiling the spirit of the AUSTRALIAN team. Any comments made in any other language are to be considered as RACISM only.
6. MATCH REFREE decisions will be taken purely on the AUSTRALIAN TEAM advice only. Player views from the other teams decisions will not be considered for hearing. MATCH REFREES are to be given huge bonus if this rule is implemented.
7. NO VISITING TEAM should plan to win in AUSTRALIA. This is to ensure that the sportive spirit of CRICKET is maintained.
8. THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE: If any bowler gets RICKY PONTING - 鈥淭HE UNDISPUTED CRICKETER WITH INTEGTIRY IN THE GAME OF CRICKET鈥 more than twice in a series, he will be banned for the REST OF THE SERIES. This is to ensure that the best batsman/Captain will be played to break records and create history in the game of CRICKET.
These rules will clarify better to the all the teams VISITING AUSTRALIA.
Cheers to Aussies!........
i think the first person should be banned is Andrew Symmonds, because he got out and he knew it but he was standing at the crease like statue, secound thing he was making unnecessary appeal, (against Dravid )what happened is i think Steve Buckner is scared of him
How can anyone say that it was a remarkable match? Yes there were some moments of great batting and superb bowling, but on the whole it was a disgusting match. Sure Austrailia won there 16th match in a row, but the Indian side had to face not only powerful home side but also "incompetent" umpires. Please don't try to tell me that it is "human error" because no neutral and fair umpire would confirm with the fielding captain whether his player had caught the ball or not. That is just blatant stupidity. And what is even more appalling is that Harbhajan Singh was given a three day ban when the umpires in their testimonies said that they had not heard any racist slurs. Ricky ponting even said that there was nothing negative said and withdrew his complaint, but that was probably just for show. I can't stand to watch how much the game has deteriorated.
I understand many people will agree and disagree with my views, but I would still like to hear them. Thanks.
Harbhajan is banned because RP does not want to give his wicket to him any nore. Ponting is a sitting duck when he plays Harbhajan.
In terms of hard cricketing skills, the Australian team has undoubtedly perfected the art of cricket. Unfortunately, as this series shows, they have also perfected the art of bullying and lying. A shame for cricket, and for the country.
In terms of hard cricketing skills, the Australian team has undoubtedly perfected the art of cricket. Unfortunately, as this series shows, they have also perfected the art of bullying and lying. A shame for cricket, and for the country.
Australia are the champs! Sixteen consecutive sledging victories! What a record!
Australia are the champs! Sixteen consecutive sledging victories! What a record!
i think we have to get things into perspective here. The Indians will be bitterly disappointed at their feeble day 5 batting display. they were certainly aided and abetted by a poor decision from Mr Bucknor. on top of his dreadful misjudgement in the Aussies first innings that would have been doubly hard to swallow. But though they are perhaps ill mannered ungracious and a little peevish in victory, one cannot help but admire the extraordinary determination shown by the cricket team representing this incredible sports mad country. though two greats retired last year there are still probably 4 more (statistically speaking)in this side and for the Indians to have consistently been the side that have troubled them the most shows just what a talented and strong nation they are. ok Australia won and not very graciously but they are a hell of a team
I have lost complete respect for Australia team and its captain. They will do anything to leave their sportsmanship in dressing room to win the match in the field...Just pathetic and disgusting performance!!!
Kumble was naive to make such a comment immediately after a match when emotions were running so high. A fair assessment would be that both teams pushed the "spirit" of the game to the limit. It seems only Harbhajan took it so far - why would Symonds and Hayden lie?
Unfortunately players at Test level don't walk - Aussies, Indians, Pakistanis - so these events can't be highlighted. Players should take more responsibility for thier actions simply because they have a duty to the young players who watch. Anybody who coaches junior cricket will see the negative influence of boorish behaviour. And, before anyone starts it crosses continents and cultures.
The tactics from the BCCI are apalling and let's hope the ICC comes down on them heavily.
Let's hope too that the quality of decisions improves in future matches so that teams have no excuses for the wins or losses.
I have lost complete respect for Australia team and its captain. They will do anything to leave their sportsmanship in dressing room to win the match in the field...Just pathetic and disgusting performance!!!
What Ponting, Symmonds, and Clarke did was disgraceful, unsportsmanlike! I admire the Aussie team for their fitness, preparation, team dynamic, and execution on the field. But the tactics in this test took things over to the dark side. Ponting should be made to realize that winning at all cost HAS a cost - to himself. The umpiring was incompetent, but it would have been acceptable if both teams suffered somewhat equally - which was not the case. And Proctor is a joke. He suspends Harbhajan based on hearsay and then pontificates on "knowing racism" because he is from South Africa. Look in the mirror, you're white. You guys ran apartheid. You were not at the receiving end of racism. You do not know racism from your elbow. And Harbhajan needs to categorically state that he did not utter a racist slur.
What a distasteful series of events - feels like I just ate vegemite!
Winning matches alone does not make a team great.For much of the time the Australians have been on top, they have been a tainted side.
The most laughable comment in this whole fiasco is that Kumble should expect sportsmanship from an Australian cricket team. How could anyone expect a team containing the likes of Ponting, Hayden, Symonds, et al to behave with a modicum of grace is beyond belief.
This is undoubtedly a great Australian cricket team. They are good enough to win without lowering themselves to this level.
All the australian records mean nothing with there lack of sportmanship. Play hard, rubbish just rheteric for cheating unfortunately the other teams must follow their example to compete, therefore the nobody walks these days syndrome. I hope the indians go home maybee just maybee that would make the Australians think but I doubt it. And the most baffling part they are so good they dont need to do it. Shame
Ponting is no gentleman as any English supporter will tell you. The Australians will do anything to win including cheating. As for the bodyline series, that must be the longest whinge in history.
Australians hypocrites, cry babies: Wasim
Normal font Large font Michael Gleeson and Chloe Saltau
January 8, 2008
HYPOCRITICAL Australian players had behaved like "cry-babies" by whingeing about racism when they had been cricket's worst sledgers, according to Pakistan great Wasim Akram.
"I have played a large part of my cricket against the Aussies," Akram told India's Hindustan Times newspaper. "Sometimes they said stuff, sometimes we did, and then we moved on. We did not behave like cry-babies and drag it to the officials 鈥
"They [Australia] do it constantly and much more than anyone else so how they can go out and complain about other teams, I don't know."
Indian great Kapil Dev said the Indian side was the most gentle in the world and the Harbhajan verdict was at odds with that. "It is surprising and unfair," he said.
The Australian team's desire to seize the high moral sporting ground yet play in a manner that betrayed that spirit was firing the Indians' anger, said respected Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle. "I have known Anil [Kumble] now for 18 years and I have never seen him as worked up as this," he said. "He felt he made an agreement in good faith [with Ricky Ponting] and he has not kept that agreement.
"Australia is now trying to say, 'We uphold the spirit of the game', but it is a very unusual spirit of the game. If you are upholding this spirit you cannot appeal for something when you know a batsman is not out. You cannot stand there when you have hit the cover off the ball."
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland denied that CA's spirit of cricket pledge had been tarnished and diluted by recent performances. "We're supportive of the Australian team and the way they play and this tough and uncompromising way is the way Australian teams have always played," he said.
Fast bowler Brett Lee spoke for the sentiments of many former players when he said Australia played the game without compromise but did so fairly. "We always go out there and try and play fairly and squarely, always try and play tough competitive cricket and that is the competitive spirit," Lee said.
The Australian players' union said the Australians were condemned for their success. "No doubt there is a tall-poppy syndrome here," Australian Cricketers Association chief executive Paul Marsh said. "They definitely play the game hard but they rarely cross the line 鈥"
Reader Poll
Aussie captain's role in the "Monkey Affair".
Peter Roebuck says Rick Ponting should be sacked. Is he right?
Yes - 54%
No - 31%
Let's all cool down! It's only a game - 15%
Total Votes: 4699
In my opinion, India are just sore losers. You thought you would get a draw - you didn't. Now you have every excuse in the world - they sledged us, umpiring decisions went against us, blah blah blah. Face the facts: (1) Your player called an Australian a monkey (2) Umpiring decisions go against you sometimes, (3) You were incapable of hanging on for 2 sessions on a good pitch against a part-time spinner. And all you do is complain because the big nasty Australians were mean to you? Call off your tour? How old are you, 3? Get a life.
I will never watch game involving Australia
As a neutral, this game epitomised the ruthless 'win at all costs' mentality displayed by the Australian male cricket team and I was ashamed of their behaviour. They talk about sportsmanship and even had to bring in a code that they could play by - all hot air and dangerous if believed.
During the final day of this Test, the Aussies were appealing for everything and their pressure clearly told on the feeble-minded umpires as Dravid's bat (for example) was so tucked behind his pad that you couldn't even see it front on. Naturally, Ponting - the claimer - among so many others - of the ridiculous Sangakkara 'catch' recently - led the appealing charge, but none of Symonds, Clarke, Hussey, Jaques or the supposedly honourable but clearly duplicitous Gilly held back in any way.
In one way, their vociferous umpiring actually helped the umpires because they would appeal for lbws and then, when the ball went to hand, they would also appeal for a catch. It would have been so funny and pathetic if it hadn't of worked and cost India a well-deserved draw.
Ricky says Australia plays "hard but fair". Rubbish. This is a summary of their recent outings: Aussie batsmen consistently and aggressively challenge umpires to not give them out when they have clearly hit the ball (a la Ponting, Symonds and Hussey in this Test alone!); vociferously appeal for lbws when they haven't come close to pitching in line or have a chance of going on to hit the stumps (most of Sunday, for example); scream for catches when they've seen the batsman hasn't come within cooee of making contact with the ball (dismissals of Dravid, Sangakkara, Strauss among others); confidently claiming catches when they haven't taken them cleanly (Michael Clarke, prime example); rushing towards the umpire to "encourage" a favourable decision and then telling the umpire when to give someone out (Captain Ponting!!).
In one of today's articles, Ricky mentioned that the umpires made "a few mistakes". Here are just the ones I can remember:
First Innings
Symonds clearly out on 30 (caught), 48 (stumped), under 100 (lbw), 148 (stumped). Made an 'unbeaten' 162.
Ponting clearly out on 17 (caught down leg). Made 55 before he was wrongly given lbw.
Lee lbw on 50+.
Laxman should have been given in the 80's. Made 109.
It's hard to work out how many runs Lee would have made, but going on the facts we do have, the First Innings gave Australia an advantage of (132 + 38 - 29) 141 runs.
Second Innings
Symonds out on 0 (lbw). Made 61.
Hussey clearly out on 45 (caught) and again pre 100 (BLATANT lbw). Made an 'unbeaten' 145.
Dravid 'given out' for caught behind when bat and gloves were nowhere near the ball.
Ganguly 'given out' with no clear umpiring siting but Ricky told the umpires to give it, so they did.
The second innings gave Australia an advantage of (61 + 100) 161 runs. Ganguly's dismissal was touch and go (benefit of the doubt, anyone?????) but Dravid's decision was appalling.
When one side gets an advantage of 302 runs, it's essentially, an extra innings (time-wise and runs-wise), and the game is usually ruined.
Australia got almost all of the big calls, and to not have any humility or grace about their fortuitous advantage, handed to them on a platter by two sadly incompetent and overwhelmed umpires, is not only very disappointing, unsporting and undignified, but offensive to an opposition who never gave up. It was a travesty of sporting justice that the Aussies even had a chance of winning this match. Their advantage was solely down to disgraceful umpiring.
I absolutely love cricket and I have been so dismayed by the umpiring in this Test and by Ricky's arrogance in claiming it as the "best Test I have played in". For the most part, Australia lucked and benefited from umpiring error - there's no skill in that. Actually, it's fair doing my head in seeing the sport I love being hijacked by a bunch of ungracious cheating bully boys and pathetic umpiring.
On a final note, taking into account the comprehensive bias of the umpiring, the fact that the game was 8 minutes away from being a draw shows just how brilliantly India played to stay in the match and make it a contest. Sure Australia went on to claim another victory, but the slightly more honourable of their players (if there are any, they are keeping pretty quiet about it!!) will know how truly hollow that victory really was. I am so looking forward to the day when cricket returns as the winner. At the moment, it is a joke.
why does not 大象传媒 TV gives full updates of this incidents. this matter should be taken on international level and all country should join India for true sportsman ship. next time it could be them?
It was one of the best test matches I have ever seen in the recent years. The record of 16th consecutive test wins by Australia were just masked by racial charges against Harbhajan and very poor umpiring.
I am not sure whether there was enough evidence to penalise Harbajan, but umpiring decisions were very obvious and pathetic and thats why things have flared up. No surprise that the australian cricketers are talented, but Indians did put a fight to level this series.Unfortunately it went the other way.
As one newspaper read TeamIndia c Benson b Bucknor. Man of the Match: Steve Bucknor! !
Ofcourse you can't expect Symonds to be like Adam Gilchrist or Courtney Walsh (who won the sportsmanship award in the 1987 cricket world cup).
To conclude,my wish is that India should continue their tour as scheduled and any differences between two teams should be sorted out so that we don't have anymore hiccups.
maybe Ponting should be used as a 3rd umpire , he seems to play God on the cricket field ,its either his way or the highway,
this test match gives cricket a bad name ,it is laughable when Ponting has the effrontery to ask a reporter if he is challeging his integrity, may be the Australian cricket board should be dsiciplining the skipper and fining him part of the match fee
Unfortunately, after over 30 years of watching cricket in Australia, I have seen this coming for a while. I have noticed an increasing tendency among the Australian press to confuse patriotism with jingoistic bombast and I now believe that this is starting to make itself felt on the field as well. The Aussies seem to think that their position as the best team in the world entitles them to have everything go their way. It is becoming increasingly obvious that they need to be "put back in their box",to use an Australian term. I believe, that most of this type of thing originated during the captaincy of Steve Waugh and his "Mental Disintigration" tactics and has got worse during the Ponting era. The Aussies hate losing, and will do absolutely anything to avoid it. The main reason for this is quite simple, they have dished it out for so long, that they can't take the derision that comes when they do lose. The main reason they were so upset after the 2005 Ashes series was that they could not stand the English laughing at them, and this was admitted by a Sydney journalist. All that said, India must learn to temper their aggression on the field. If the Aussies sledge, don't fall for the trick of trying to match them. Two wrongs do not make a right and if you go down the road of trying to outdo them you run the risk of what has happened to Harbejhan. I would appeal to all concerned to moderate their behaviour and save what has certainly been an extremely entertaining series cricket-wise.
India should pull out of tour. If they cannot do so by ICC rules, they should send a junior team to play against Australian National team because they do not deserve to play against National teams. They (Aussies) lack game spirit. This will be a fitting reply by all ICC rules and regulations. After this, Australia does not deserve to be a proud cricketing nation.
when you go out to play sport, you play to win. if you lose you cop it on the chin gracefully and focus on the next game. You dont pack your bags and decide to take your bat and ball home early on a tour when you lose. India Yes you did cop a few bad decisions in the second test, get over it. All teams cop rough decisions from time to time, its unfortunate but it evens itself out in the end. If the umpires appear to be biased or decisions favouring one team over the other then the ICC will hopefully step in evaluate each umpires performance. Reading some of the posts from indian supporters cleary shows that racism is alive and well in india. You only have to read the banners indian fans have in the crowd when australia toured there a few months ago. You wouldnt get away with such banners in australia. As for the Indian Cricket team, put away the kleenex tissues, stop being a bunch of sooks and harden up a bit. focus on beating the aussies in the next test match in perth. You can still level the series if you play well and build on the good performances in the first two tests.
India should pull out of tour. If they cannot do so by ICC rules, they should send a junior team to play against Australian National team because they do not deserve to play against National teams. They (Aussies) lack game spirit. This will be a fitting reply by all ICC rules and regulations. After this, Australia does not deserve to be a proud cricketing nation.
I don't know what coverage 32 watched as I saw all the aussie cricketers shake hands with all indians at games end.
i was hoping india would make life interesting by winning the next matches but now after all the sour grapes I'm saying go for it Aussies
If thats what it takes to be on No.1 then I would prefer India to be on No.2
Australia is true champion. They chase for victory until the last minutes of the game - literally. Their skill, mental strength and determination are something to watch and learn.
That said, their behavior is getting worse with every passing day. Ricky Ponting and his boys have brought the game to the level of street fights. A sportsman must pursue a victory, but at what cost! How much can one go for a victory.
But the real fault lies with ICC. Here are they:
1. What is the criteria for making and maintaining an 'elite' panel of umpires? With age, umpires do lose their reflex of sight, who will check that?
2. There is no room to admonish an umpire who makes too much mistakes. A benchmark should be laid down.
3. When technology is available, why umpires - elite or not - allowed to ruin a team or a batsman with a wrong judgment? Usage of technology should be made mandatory in critical cases. A batsman should be allowed to ask for a 3rd umpire.
4. Increase or revise the list of the umpires in elite panel.
At present, BCCI should take a VERY TOUGH stand to remove the unfair scar and ban on Harbhajan and to remove both Bucknor/Benson from the next two tests. Anything less, India should come of Australia even if it means end of cricket tie with them. Who wants to play with cheats, after all?
Im not going to argue that Australia didnt receive some lucky calls from the umpires but you can hardly call this cheating. Almost no batsmen walk in cricket. You play to the unpires call so if he says out your out and if not out then obviously your not out. You might not agree that this is good sportmanship but its not cheating.
Also say all you want but I think it says a lot about supporters of other teams that they feel the need to bring up things like the white Australia policy of 50 yrs ago or calling all Aussies convicts. Similiar comments from Australian fans about other countries would quickly bring outrage.
If Harbhajan did not abuse Symonds then why did he appear so appologetic a few minutes after realising what he had said?
Why can't Harbhajan cop the suspension on the chin, apologise and move on?
Using the excuse that the term 'monkey' is not offensive in India is a joke. During the recent Australian tour their for some ODIs there was uproar when Symonds kept getting 'monkey' noises from the crowd and his displeasure was widely reported.
If Darren Lehmann can be enough of a man to put his hand up and admit he made a mistake and was regretful about making a racist comment against Sri Lanka a few years ago, then Harbhajan should be able to do the same.
Nick,
I'm an Indian fan and I am appalled with your statement that you found the finish thrilling! It was only a question of time before the Indian team would collapse under the circumstances that existed.
The last time I checked cricket used to be played between 2 teams of 11, not 13 against 11 as was the case! A prominent Indian newspaper's headline was rather aptly titled:
"India c Benson b Bucknor".
A alternative score sheet would have been Australia 1st innings 463 for 13.
I have always thought the Australian team was the best in the world because of their immaculate performance. After this test I consider the Australians a team that is willing to employ hook or crook to win a game.
Who in the right frame of mind would, in the middle of a wonderful batting stint, decide to walk off to Symonds and call him a monkey without provocation?
From Ponting's behavior on the field, I will not be surprised if the allegations against Harbajan are a ploy to ban him from the series so that the Australian captain can finally score some runs! Being sent back to the pavilion first ball doesn't seem to be the Australian captain's favourite!
And before this issue goes away, how can the ICC even think of putting the same umpire back on the pitch? Is there no sanity left in ICC?
Some gentlemen game cricket has become!
Australia are not responsible for the poor umpiring decisions. The umpires are.
The umpires are not Australian.
The umpires are not appointed by Australians.
Australia is not responsible for Harbhajan's terribly appauling racist comment to Andrew Symonds.
India are way out of line. They have now put themselves in the wrong. Cricket is suffering due to India's arrogance and self importance.
Today India are a disgrace.
The win-at-all-costs attitude and arrogance displayed by the Aussie side is really now all they have to keep winning. With the likes of Warne and McGrath gone their depth was exposed. India know this and are desperate to capitalize on it and that is why they are so disappointed that the series is lost. It is their own fault that the came into the series underprepared and have paid the price with some help with some poor umpiring. But that's CRICKET. With regards to Harbhajan - I have no doubt he said what is claimed. There is nothing to gain for Australia to report him. Kumble and Ponting had an agreement to report any racist behaviour from either side so this is a situation of India's making. Standing up for your mate is an Aussie quality that should not be tested. It is what Ponting is doing here. Some of Ponting's other behaviour is more questionable. One thing now is that no team is playing in the spirit of the game!
Hi Indian Fans,
Please be patient. The Australians will come to play the Indian Cricket League or Indian Premier League, as they need money and famous. No body in Australia want to hire them for such an event. So, we must not allow these tainted, crooked and cheating Australian cricketers to play in India. Look to the face of Ricky Ponting. He is more crooked than having sportsman ship. Sad to say he is the follower of Steve! As in our Independents strike, we must boycott the Australian team for ever. Let them learn how to behave to the rest of the cricketing nations. Only India can teach them that lesson! The lesson of manners and respect.
Game of shame. Down with umpiring and thumbs down for OZ's
It doesn't matter anymore what Ponting says...
It really doesn't matter what Ponting, his team-mates, BCCI or ICC say. Everyone including the Australian cricket fans know how Australia won the match.
Australia may have won the test but all the dishonesty and controversies have damaged the image of Australian cricket forever. They have only managed to tarnish their own reputation and Ponting would go down in cricketing history as one the INFAMOUS captains and cricketers like Douglas Jardine and Hansie Cronje had been for various reasons.
Maybe it was a defensive mechanism of the team to improve their own image and shift the attention of people, that they brought up the racism issue.
What ever it is, the cricketing world has realised that India had the the upper hand and would possibly have defeated the Aussies and most importantly the Aussie team has lost most of the respect they had worked hard to earn in the past.
Game of shame. Down with umpiring and thumbs down for OZ's
It's easy to play in the spirit of the
game when one's winning. Under pressure
(which they rarely are against most teams), the Aussie's true/disgusting nature comes out. And sadly they claim it's in their culture. Not sure how the nation can stand these frat-boys misrepresenting them to the world.
The current Aussie team (and the one under Waugh) are fit to participate in the WWF, not cricket.
It's easy to play in the spirit of the
game when one's winning. Under pressure
(which they rarely are against most teams), the Aussie's true/disgusting nature comes out. And sadly they claim it's in their culture. Not sure how the nation can stand these frat-boys misrepresenting them to the world.
The current Aussie team (and the one under Waugh) are fit to participate in the WWF, not cricket.
This whole thing is a debacle of the highest order, with two sides fighting like boys with toys, which this whole deal has boiled down to.
I lost the very last shred of my respect for Australian cricket ever since their little tit-for-tat act during the last Ashes. It's not enough for them to win, they need to destroy their opponents. Ask yourself this: Would Michael Vaughan back Paul Collingwood for a catch if Colly clearly drops a screamer off, say, AB de Villiers, and would the opposite happen, would Graeme Smith back de Villiers if he had grassed Collingwood? Chances are, the answer would be a resounding NO.
But Ponting? I wouldn't put it behind him if he'd hypothetically appeal for a stumping even if Gilchrist let the ball dribble away two metres first. The attitude of Australia is disgusting and childish at the same time. I've repeated that in a refrain many a time.
May Australian cricket start declining from hereonin -- perhaps another 25-year spell at the bottom of the table will teach them a few things about humility. And India can join them there too -- the perpetual Indian whingeing about being always hard done by (Sydney Test being an exception) does get tiring.
i have lost all respect for ponting. how dare he challenge the journalist who "questioned his integrity"? this is a man who lied when he was batting (didn't walk - okay so that's the norm), lied when he was fielding (claimed the dhoni "catch" even after rubbing the ball along the ground as he dived), and lied as captain (the ganguly dismissal). there is no doubt in my mind that it is he who is the real monkey in this disgraceful sequence of events.
i grew up idolising gavaskar, viv richards, and clive lloyd. i shudder to think how, when my children are old enough to follow this game, i will explain to them that this man who by then would be holding most batting records is exactly the kind of person i don't want them to look up to.
Gordon,
Kumble was naive to make such a comment immediately after a match when emotions were running so high.
- Stating facts called naive?
A fair assessment would be that both teams pushed the "spirit" of the game to the limit.
- A fair statment would be that Australia completely forgotton the 'spirit' of the game. The last day was the prime example of how far these Aussie can go to claim the victory. They were bunch of rowdies out there..
It seems only Harbhajan took it so far - why would Symonds and Hayden lie?
- And why would Tendulker and Harbhajan lie? You're talking about Symond and Hayden here. Symond was out so loud and clear, but he still stayed there. What made you think this guy wouldn't lie to score one on Harbhajan and Indian team? Watch Dravid's wicket on the fifth day, Symond knew he didn't nick the ball but he simply followed the lead from Gilchrist and appealed so violenetly. I wouldn't even dare to trust such guy..
Unfortunately players at Test level don't walk - Aussies, Indians, Pakistanis - so these events can't be highlighted.
- Players still walked when they're clearly out, for example hitting the ball to fourth slip or gully and getting caught. But Clark got the nicked size of china and ball was caugth on third sleep, but he still stood there. The umpire was even ammused and smiled while raising his Index fingure.
Players should take more responsibility for thier actions simply because they have a duty to the young players who watch. Anybody who coaches junior cricket will see the negative influence of boorish behaviour. And, before anyone starts it crosses continents and cultures.
- You said it well and that's the reason i admire what BCCI is doing. the game need to be changed and this is not the way game should be played..
The tactics from the BCCI are apalling and let's hope the ICC comes down on them heavily.
Let's hope too that the quality of decisions improves in future matches so that teams have no excuses for the wins or losses.
- I tried and explain above..
When playing cricket as a youth in England I was always taught NEVER to walk until the umpire gives you out, he may get this wrong, but his decision is FINAL. Calling someone a monkey IS racial abuse & we all Know this. I feel it's just a case of the Indians being bad losers. If it all happened the other way round & India had won everyone would be saying what a great Indian victory, great test match & the Australians would have regrouped & focussed on winning the next test match. India pull your head in & just get on with it.
how is the treatment the aussies got at the socceroos world cup any different to what happened to inidia this game. Yet most aussies would agree that when the italian player exagerated his tumble and gained his penalty the whole of australia cried foul about spirit of the game. But yet when it happens to their opponents they fail to turn around and be gentlemen. One party to the racial abuse row is lying and after the behaviour of aussies through the game it is very clear who it might as well will be?
After reading all these comments and view here, its should be fair to conclude tha :
"It is not indians that lost the game,but its the Gentleman's game of Cricket that is lost".
Nice to see unbiased comments here. What was disturbing more here is the way Australian media and columnist has taken this victory. As per Dean Jones it was fantastic captainship of Ricky Ponting......i am annoyed by this statement. The captain who can't show sportsmanship and ready to go any level of hell for clinching the victory......how can be he great? Putting Micle Clarke just before the end of play was nothing but lack of alternative to him. Everyone knew that pich was supporting to spinners and by that time Brad Gogg and Symonds were become ineffective.
Comming on the statement of another Australian legend , Greg Chappel, he quoted "At the end of play, team which played better won the test". This comment seems too for to consider from a person like Greg. Even he knows what happened in this match. Team which actually should won, lost the match. Had it been Symonds out on 30......Greg would not have been in position to say this.
Comming to Racial issue. As for India culture is concerned, 'monkey' word has nothing in it to called as racist. Not in lacs, millions of Indians worship one of their "monkey God- Hanuman". Indian peopl like childishness, innocence and humourous attitutde that Hanuman posses. The first animated movie in India was Hanuman.Monkey is symbil of humour in India and it doesn't concerned for misdemeaour.
I hope afterall the sportsmanship will won and Unbiased and Liberal persons of the game will come with non-prejudice view and solution.Do racism have a place in todays world?
Australian may have clinched the victory but they were unable to win hearts and proposition has even become more firm that this Australian team is far away from Unbeatable Westindian team.
What's wrong with appealing whenever you think that you might possibly have taken a wicket or standing your ground? In the world of football, players claim fouls whenever possible, and same as in basketball. There is nothing wrong with the way Australia handled its appealing. But the umpires in my mind looked as if they did not do their job. It is up to them to distinguish the real appeals from the fakes, and up to them to enforce the laws of the game.
This game was nothing but full of true lies.....there is big gap beetwin cricket and cricket....
Several issues are being conflated here. The australian team have NOTHING to do with Steve Bucknor's decisions!
I've yet to see an Indian captain call back someone he thinks wasn't out and I can't recall the last time an Indian batsmen walked. I feel there's a lot of hypocrisy going on in this respect. Yes, the australian's play hard, but so do the indians. Teams do appeal for decisions that they know are either not out or might be out: that's why there are umpires. Both sides do it, so for India to try to take the moral high ground here is just silly and smacks of sour grapes.
The "monkey" business is a separate issue. Sledging is a part of the modern game (rightly or wrongly), but racial abuse isn't. End of story.
what's good for the goose is good for the gander..let's ban Ponting too!
As captain a lot of responsibility falls on ricky Ponting and he committed a serious offence by claiming that (unfair) catch which constitutes unfair play and a level-three offence of ICC code of conduct (offensive and penalties). Therefore, the Austalian captain should be banned too.
It's high time we let everyone know who the cheats and boors of this beautiful game are!Aussies can sing no-ball everytime Muralidharan comes to bowl but are hurt when Symonds is branded a monkey by Indian crowds!
Ponting claims a grounded catch and yet wants to be trusted, Gilly appeals for the Dravid dismissal knowing that ball didn't hit the bat and yet wants to be trusted, Symonds knows he's out but stands his ground and yet wants to be trusted, pup stands his ground after nicking to slip but wants us to trust him for a dubious catch! Sorry mates, the world doesn't trust you!
The umpires and the Australian-cricket-team are once again demonstrating their team-work/incompetency by imposing a ban on Harbhajan Singh.
Though Pointing was Harbhajan's bunny in the game of cricket, Harbhajan turned out to be Pointing's bunny in the game of sledging.
By not having a proof, merely going by Pointing's words and imposing a ban, the umpires are practising racism themselves at its highest level.
I'm not an Indian or an Aussie, just a fan of the game. Judging by the last two test series, I believe the Aussies are a bunch of cheats. Well, that depends on how one defines a "cheat", but when you clearly know that you are out, walk! Also, when you clearly know that the catch was grasses, claiming it a catch like Mr. Ponting did is also cheating, in my opnion. I believe the Australians used a comparable tactic to get Sangakkara out in the prior series. All in all, my words might be hard to swallow for the biased folks down under, but it is pretty obvious that the Australians who go to any extent, including cheating, to win a game. PS: We are all entitled to our respective opinions!
I am from india and would ofcourse want to see India winning but on the sameline i respect the way Aussies play cricket professionally (for the the professional gentlemen's game)
But Aissies team have lost all my respect towards them, i would hardly watch Aussie matches and evenif i watch i would look for the sledging they would do!
How is your generalisation of Indian cricketers as rich & spoilt casteists - an ethnic jibe if ever there was one - any better than any supposedly racist remark made by Harbhajan? Just fyi MS Dhoni - for example - comes from an extremely humble background from a tribal-dominated state in India.
Having said that I do disassociate from those of Indian descent in these posts who made unwarranted comments about some Aussies having convict ancestors - that is indeed a gratuitously biased thing to say, too. But for the Aussie team to claim that Harbhajan was being racist is disingenuous and mean-spirited at best, given their own history of pretty terrible name-calling under the guise of 'sledging'.
Can some one please ask Mr Bucknor, Mr Benson & the third umpire.Did they make any mistakes during the game.
I'm quite disgusted by the self-righteous defence by the Indian commenters on this thread.
Yes, Aus went beyond the bounds of cricket fairplay and the umpiring was poor but why is no one condemning the racism. Stand up and say that racism is wrong and he was wrong to say it. I accept that the evidence is insufficient to charge him, but in fairness we all know that he did it, even Tendulkar admitted it, so just stand up and be counted against racism. Don't just point out the poor decisions facing the Indian team.
Also, I think that criticism of the umpire should be reserved for behind the scenes and not publicised as it was because it undermines the authority of the umpires. An umpires' decision making should never be questioned publicly, although their handling of disciplinary cases is a public issue and must be debated openly.
I'm afraid what we're seeing is the rise of Indian chauvinism of the middle classes as nationalism is on the rise. Despite no improvement in poverty, apparently the fact that they have 8% growth means they are now amazing and feel they have a right to be nationalistic and overtly proud and sometimes arrogant. We saw this when the fans were giving monkey chants to symonds. Actually, I should add that the sub-continent is very racially insensitive in my experience towards people of african descent anyway, they hold very negative stereotypes in general and have no qualms about racism towards them. but when the boot is on the other foot, well watch out because they'll be on your case. It's time people of all nations and creeds were consistent in their defence of human rights and dignity, its unacceptable to just fight for your own community. Indians need a reality check too, despite 8% growth, half of Mumbai still lives in slums and poverty has not fallen, so deal with those problems before proclaiming great development and a rising nation.
Just imagine that there was so much betting money involved in the match, the umpires were paid to make those mistakes. Otherwise, how can you explain the umpiring mistakes consistently against one team?
Secondly, the Australians were so frustrated by the Sanchin-Bhajji partnership, they used their standard tactics of intimidating the players. Also, Ponting has been Bhajji bunny for last 2 tests, so the Australians decided to target Bhajji. If Bhajji said the word he said then. it's wrong and he needs to be penalized. Now that there's no evidence, he may benefit.
Anyways, I always thought that the great West Indies team of 70s-80s was the true Champions and this Australian team is no were close to that.
Nick,
The real issue in the Sydney Test Match is how Cricket was played on all five days. I am fully convinced that Australia only won the Test on the basis of wrong umpiring decisions and the boorish mind games they played with the Indians on the last day. A hostile Aussie audience did not help. There is a saying in India that even a pariah dog believes that it is a king in its own village; the Aussies are no exception.
Harbhajan Singh and India's tailenders were under tremendous pressure in the last 2 Overs -- its easy to see how they could have succumbed. The Australians are indeed a highly talented side; however, the ugliness with which they play, the rancour and the bitterness that they generate takes away from whatever talents or skills they may have. Ricky Ponting's complain to the umpires about Harbhajan's alleged racist remarks is hypocritical and much has been written why that is so. The Sydney Test has convinced me that I do not need to be a fan or supporter of Australian Cricket.
If Tendulkar stated to the match referee Singh DID NOT make a racist remark, there is no way he would have received a 3 game ban. Sachin has been gagged by the Indians, as he has confirmed the remark occured. Tendulkar has made no comment on the hearing - because it is not what India want to hear! When that becomes clear the Indians and their board will look like the fools they are. I've got nothing but support for the Australian team, a great win by great people. Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxmann aside you can forget about the Indian team as people. They have never had to work for anything in their lives, just spoilt rich kids who don't accept they have done anything wrong. By the way I was in Chandigarh for teh india-aussie 1day game in october, monkey chanting was only the beginning of the racist taunts directed at Symonds. Have a nice holiday Harbajhan. hahaha.
I am an American watching this episode with great interest. I was introduced to cricket as kid in England and continue to follow as much as I can.
I am completely disgusted with Australian cricket for dragging this to a low level. If this is the spirit of the game, I prefer not to be associated with it.
I hope the Austrailan Cricket admins would step in to address and correct it immediately. ..... if not, they have a admirer and American tourist dollars (however low the exchange rate is)
Just imagine that there was so much betting money involved in the match, the umpires were paid to make those mistakes. Also, remember Hayden said the previous day that India can't win the match. How can he be so sure? Otherwise, how can you explain the umpiring mistakes consistently against one team? Secondly, the Australians were so frustrated by the Sanchin-Bhajji partnership, they used their standard tactics of intimidating the players. Also, Ponting has been Bhajji bunny for last 2 tests, so the Australians decided to target Bhajji. If Bhajji said the word he said then. it's wrong and he needs to be penalized. Now that there's no evidence, he may benefit.
Anyways, I always thought that the great West Indies team of 70s-80s was the true Champions and this Australian team is no were close to that.
Its official,those whinging poms have lost their title,these whinging Indians have left them for dead.
Very stupid of the Aussies - their 'winning' record will forever be tarnished by this furore, couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of guys.
Dear Team Australia !
You may have won, but it was Cricket that lost.
Cheers ! If you have a heart to do that.
What has been interesting is some of the opinions being expressed by our Australian media and public. The team is only as good as the support they receive from the fans.
All fans should boycott the remainder of the series as a statement. We should let Team Australia and the Australian Cricketing Board know that winning is good but morals, ethics, character and sportsmanship are more valuable. Thats more important in life.
These are the players and role models that our youth of Australia has to look up to. As a parent I am very concerned!
Boycott the remainder of the series... Lets make Cricet a gentleman's game AGAIN!
As a neutral I would say there are issues on both sides of the coin.
The Umpires did have a shocker and if they let a captain decide if a catch is genuine (Ricky Ponting)they are going to lose the respect of the players and the audience.Too many poor decisions, some caused by the ridiculous over appealing by the Aussies (this needs to be dealt with by the ICC)
On the Australians, they like to dish it out but can never take it back. Look at Ponting in the 2005 Ashes series when he was caught by the sub! didn't have a sense of humour then. The sledging has gone to far and the unsportsmanlike behaviour has backfired on this Aussie team. Yes Symonds did hit it and some players will take advantage, but to admit it on telly with a glint in your eye was taking the arrogance a little too far.Also it was a shame that in their celebrations they forgot their manners and did not thank their opposition.
On the Indians, dare i suggest a little over sensitive at times? go back to the summer and the "jelly bean gate" A bad joke that back fired on Vaughany and his team but not an international incident!!! as suggested by some of the Indian team. Demanding that umpires are dropped is not the way forward. Yes the ICC will bend to the indians as they carry so much clout but if they are not careful no one will want to play them!
At the end of the day cricket is the loser unlike the Ashes series of 2005 when cricket was definitley the winner. Give me freddie on a pedeloe any day!!
Jimmy, Hermanus and ...
You are wrongly stating the facts - Tendlulkar did not agree that Harbhajan made racist remarks. Here is the report from news agencies.
Again, do you really believe BCCI would continue to appeal against this if Tendulkar did not believe in it????
Tendulkar messages Pawar
New Delhi: Upset over the ban imposed on Harbhajan Singh, Sachin Tendulkar on Monday sent an SMS to BCCI president, Sharad Pawar, assuring him that the off-spinner was innocent and suggesting that India should play the third Test only if the punishment is revoked.
鈥淗arbhajan is innocent and I can assure you on this. In this hour of crisis, the Board should stand by him. I suggest we should play in Perth only if the ban is lifted,鈥 Tendulkar reportedly told Pawar through the text message. Sachin was among the five Indians who attended Match Referee Mike Procter鈥檚 hearing into the allegation of racial abuse made by Andrew Symonds.
For those of you who DON'T know the rules of cricket; if the umpire doeasn't raise his finger when the batsman nicks one to the keeper, the batsman is not out, unless he chooses to give himself out. Why should Symonds have walked; would Tendulkar or Dravid or Ganguly have done so if they were in the same position; somehow I doubt it.
I think we ought to have a Whinging World Cup. The final would probably be Indai v England, with a result that would be too close to call....
There was someone who mentioned about how prior to neutral umpiring there were errors made in favour of the home team. And he cited Kumble taking 10 wickets in game. I looked at the commentary archive for that game. Pakitan was furious about the first two decisions.
In the same series the following happened
"After three wrong decisions on the first day, Dunne and Ramaswamy made errors on the second day again - this time both Pakistan and India being on the receiving ends.
Ramaswamy gave a controversial lbw decision against Venkatsai Laxman while Dunne adjudged Saurav Ganguly not out when he was at 25. Television replays confirmed that Ganguly had been caught by silly-point fielder Yousuf Youhana off Nadeem Khan after the ball had gone into the hands after rebounding from Ganguly's boot. "
Taken from what should be a wellknown website for all cricket lovers.
Competence wise they may be underpar but not otherwise.
After all this i strongly believe in neutral umpiring which is consistant throughout a match.
Ricky is a disguise captain, he has no civilization in him neither his players, they behave like fools on the field, its been too much now the whole world knows what sort of team and captain it is, it is just rubbish and the worst part is they think they are the best,Warne himself has revealed that and finally i hope Ricky must be in shame rather than his cheating victory.
Glenn,
Australia.
I just think that the Austrialians are becoming arrogant and that needs to change.
"Its official,those whinging poms have lost their title,these whinging Indians have left them for dead."
Yes, but Ricky Ponting leaves everyone in the dust in that department. Beep! Beep!
I have read Nick Bryant before. In a changing world, it seems such individuals refuse to accept that the world is changing and people are thinking more confident than they used to be in parts of the world that never thought such a day will come. For all cricket loving people world wide, the sense of competition and hard nosed professionalism does not belong to Australia only. Mind games, and chess games can be played both on and of the field. Just because one has a better track record does not recuse the team from flagrant cricism. Remeber the last soccer World Cup? How Zidane was taken off the equation by the Italians.? Something similar happenned here beacuse Ponting did not know how to bat against Harbhajan Singh. His good friends Andrew Symonds and Hayden came to his rescue. THAT IS THE TRUTH! That is hwat they did with the help of a South African match Refree who cliams he lived through apartheid, but can he show any instance that he was against racism then? He was not even allowed to play by ICC in test matches, until South Africa was allowed and welcome back as a nation by ICC.
Can I just say as a cricket fan that the reaction of the Indian cricket team is nothing short of disgraceful! It reminds me of a little brat child making demands and throwing tantrums when things do not go there own way.
Yes I agree some very poor umpiring decisions where made that did benefit Australia, but hey thats sport, it happens & the calling Symonds a monkey is nothing compared to some of the sledging Australian cricketers have dished out for years.
But for Gods sake let me remind everyone鈥 IT鈥橲 JUST A GAME!!! Things like this happen in sport all the time! And for the BCCI and the Indian cricket team to carry on the way they did simply makes them look like sore loser鈥檚 who are looking to blame everyone else but themselves for the loss.
What kind of precedent is now set 鈥 if things don鈥檛 go your way just winge and complain until they do鈥 I think that it is time the Indian cricket team pulled its head and just went back to playing the game they are so passionate about.
It is amusing to read the vitriol being spewed by all and sundry here and particularly at the Australians. Was it not the Australians who were at times crucified by some umpiring decisions here in our last home ashes win? Did we hear them squealing like stuck pigs? I think not. Now be under no misapprehension, the Aussies are no angels and perhaps have a little housekeeping to do in respect of their sledging and general demeanour but the tirade being directed in their direction defies logic in my view. It was not the Australians who made the poor umpiring decisions even if one or two might have chosen Adam Gilchrist's style and retreated to the pavilion voluntarily. The same must be said at times of members of the Indian team. It might also be argued that failure to retire when adjudged out is somewhat worse than failure to adjudge ones self out.
Much is being made of a catch claimed by Michael Clarke and whether or not it was a fair decision. It must be remembered that this dismissal was given in complete compliance with an agreement between the captains before the match to accept the word of the fielder. Television replays are inconclusive as to the result. Indeed the Australians and Ricky Ponting himself showed good faith with this agreement in the first test when he refused to claim a catch he might otherwise have claimed under amazingly similar circumstances.
What is of the greatest concern here is the ICC's failure to take a leadership role in all of this. Acceding to threats by replacing umpires and hearing appeals with a gun at ones head does not look particularly good from anyones standpoint. One might be frogiven for thinking that the ideals of the game might be at risk in all of this.
Have only seen the highlights of the Sydney test. Must say that the catch by Michael Clarke looked ridiculous. First of all, say for some reason he did not relaise that the ball had bounced. Then did he not realise that he had grounded the ball when he rolled over. I can maybe imagine not knowing the first instance, but the second time when he grounded the ball?. Surely he knew.
Also, is there no ICC code for preventing players doing the umpires job or influencing the umpires decision making?
The Aussies鈥 atrocious behavior reminds me of a story.
There was a child who would always repeat what other people would say. His parents tried to explain to him that this wasn鈥檛 a good habit, but the child never listened to them and continued repeating everything.
One day an elderly person decided to teach the child a lesson. He started imitating everything the child would say. The child got infuriated, threw tantrums & went running to his parents to complain about the elderly gentleman鈥檚 meanness. Not once did he stop to think that maybe he was irritating other people with his similar behavior.
Need I say more !!!
What might been seen by some as sledging would be considered as racism by others and vice versa, there is no universal code for sledging or racism given the distinct cultural and ethinic roots of each country playing cricket.
Unfortunatly both of them have been used int the game for as long as the game itself has existed. It is now in the light of these latest proceedings that light has been focussed on this issue.
I am an indian and I do say that, If the ICC has proof that haribhajan used the word monkey and symonds and ponting felt it as racial discrimination. He sould be punished and thats fair.
But I will also go as far as saying that if this code of conduct thing continues and all the teams take it seriously, half of australian players will be mowing their lawns insted of playing. not only the australians but the south africans who are also notorious or sledging and racism.
The one thing that bothers me is that, who decides what is sledging and what is racism, clearly every person reacts differently to different comments, some take it heart and some dont bother.
The icc has tried to define racism but com on it cant be the perfect epitome of defining what is racism or not.
To all the cricket fans here, guys its for the best of the game that thing is happening, the aussies will have to keeps their tongues tied and we all know that its not going to happen and then they will be punished for wagging their tongues where they dont belong, all the other teams playing againt them dont have to put up with sledging. and then we can say may the best team win.
What might be seen by some as sledging would be considered as racism by others and vice versa, there is no universal code for sledging or racism given the distinct cultural and ethinic roots of each country playing cricket.
Unfortunatly both of them have been used in the game for as long as the game itself has existed. It is now in the light of these latest proceedings that light has been focussed on this issue.
I am an indian and I do say that, If the ICC has proof that haribhajan used the word monkey and symonds and ponting felt it as racial discrimination. He sould be punished and thats fair.
But I will also go as far as saying that if this code of conduct thing continues and all the teams take it seriously, half of australian players will be mowing their lawns insted of playing. not only the australians but the south africans who are also notorious or sledging and racism.
The one thing that bothers me is that, who decides what is sledging and what is racism, clearly every person reacts differently to different comments, some take it heart and some dont bother. The icc has tried to define racism but com on it cant be the perfect epitome of defining what is racism or not.
To all the cricket fans here, guys its for the best of the game that this is happening, the aussies will have to keeps their tongues tied and we all know that its not going to happen and then they will be punished for wagging their tongues where they dont belong, all the other teams playing againt them dont have to put up with sledging. and then we can say may the best team win.
Plenty of comments are stinging in regards to how the Aussie cricket team go about their cricket. The question needs to be asked; How exactly do they 'go about it'?
From extensive past experience it goes something like this:
Australia bats, scores 500++ runs
Opposition bats, gets bowled out for 200
Opposition follows on, gets bowled out again for 200
Australia celebrates
Repeat
Wow, they all deserve to be crucified!
How dare they!
While were at it we should crucify the likes of Tiger Woods and Roger Federer for their incessant winning ways, lets get a mob together armed with pitchforks! C'mon people, what are you waiting for!
Who cares if the Aussies play aggressive. I think everyone should toughen up. This is 2008, the day's of wearing suits and top hats to the cricket are long gone. Test cricket is becoming boring and crowd numbers are down, I love it when the players get fired up.
Much has been written already so I will make my statements breif.
Aussies play hard cricket which is a good thing BUT only if they stay within limits. Some folks like ponting, symmonds, Hayden, McGrath, Steve Waugh (I can name more) fall under the 鈥榬ude鈥 category 鈥榦n-the-field鈥. And who cares about 鈥榦ff-the-field鈥 anyway. For us spectators, that鈥檚 how we know them and that鈥檚 the image that will remain with us forever.
I believe that鈥檚 the reason that great Assies players like Ponting (truly a master batsman) don鈥檛 get the same respect Worldwide (apart in Australia of corse) as other legends such as Lara, Sachin, Viv Richards, Wasim Akram. The reason is their modetsy 鈥榦n鈥 the field. The only Aussies who played wonderful cricket and who a lot of people admire is Shane Warne. He played tough cricket but mostly uncontroversial 鈥榦n鈥 the field. 鈥極ff鈥 the field 鈥. well that鈥檚 another story. I know Australians will jump on my statements but that鈥檚 only natural. But ask anyone 鈥榥on鈥 Australian and these feeling will be echoed.
Finally, I think India has taken the right stand. Somewhere, somehow Aussies players needed to be checked. Winning and getting respect are both important. I believe Aussies have made cricket so mechanical that they have forgotten the latter.
Three obsrvations about Ponting and co: (a) they couldn't take what they freely dish out, (b) they did practice some hypocazy and (c) they were quite dishonest on field o play.
About Kumble and co, they were very dignified.
S. Bucknor - incompitence personified.
Mike Proctor - has a distorted sense of justice; could it be because he grew up in apartheid S. Arica?
BCCI - too powerful for wellbeing of cricket.
ICC - weak as usual.
Me - not amused!
I agree that the umpires made a couple of poor decisions but i don't believe in walking as one day you might miss the ball and get out caught behind. The actions of the Australian team at the end of the match were justified as this Indian team are the only team many believe can beat the Aussies at the moment. Ponting probably declared slightly late but he showed he was not interested in the winning streak during the match, he was quite happy to take a 1-0 lead into the final 2 games. I think it is a case of sour grapes for the Indian team. Just accept it a use it as motivation to win the final 2 games.
I agree that the umpires made a couple of poor decisions but i don't believe in walking as one day you might miss the ball and get out caught behind. The actions of the Australian team at the end of the match were justified as this Indian team are the only team many believe can beat the Aussies at the moment. Ponting probably declared slightly late but he showed he was not interested in the winning streak during the match, he was quite happy to take a 1-0 lead into the final 2 games. I think it is a case of sour grapes for the Indian team. Just accept it a use it as motivation to win the final 2 games.
What's new?!! Well it's not the Aussie behaviour on the field nor Ole' Man I-wish-I-was-white Buchnor. It is the changing of gaurds in the power blocks in cricket.
Australia's dispicable behaviour has been apparent for years - since the Chappell era. The stronger the team is the worse the behavior. During the Kim Hughes and Border era's when they were thrashed around town, the behaviour was significantly improved. Sadly Aussie cricketers are trained from Kanga cricket days to sledge (6 year olds)!! Most accurately, the kids follow their hero's and they are not discoraged from bad behaviour. Infact as with the national team, it's seen as being mentally tough rather than pure and simple hooliganism.
But the indian behaviour has been that of a spoiled kid!! Lost the game so had a bit of a dummy spit. My 6 year old does the same, when he plays board games - no doubt due to bad parenting!
They really had no intention of withdrawing - they did not have the backbone to do it. They've been give some consolation so they stay. It's quite simple, the hearing will be after the series and then the ICC won't care a damn - the penalty will stand. the BCCI know that, or else they would have refused to play until the issue was resolved. If the initial hearing could be carried out within 2 days then so can the appeal.
As for Bucknor, he has been favouring white sides for many years. I have watched many tours of Sri Lanka and India in Australia and he has consistantly favoured Australia. At least these days he has an excuse or possibly two - obvious deafness and possibly dumb. . . ooops I mean blindness. Does the ICC test for deafness and blindness?
Just one comment on Proctor, giving him to make a judgement on a racism charge is a bit like leaving the judgement on the Bali bombers to an Al Quaida member!!
If India continue playing prior to the verdict is reversed, then, India must be seen as just making a fuss, due to their loss.
Aussie is a good side but definitely not the greates like the windies in 70s and 80s.
Ricky Ponting is a disgrace to the great gane of cricket someone like him should not be playing a gentelmen's game. Pushing the BCCI president off the stage is one example raising his fingure in Ganguly affair was another.
Aussie is a good side but definitely not the greates like the windies in 70s and 80s.
Ricky Ponting is a disgrace to the great gane of cricket someone like him should not be playing a gentelmen's game. Pushing the BCCI president off the stage is one example raising is fingure in Ganguly affair was another.
Australia cheated to win the Sydney Test against India, of that there is no doubt at all. The quality of umpiring was only the icing on the Australian cake.
In future, CA = Cheats Australia.
GSC
Australia cheated to win the Sydney Test against India, of that there is no doubt at all. The quality of umpiring was only the icing on the Australian cake.
In future, CA = Cheats Australia.
GSC
Can't imagine Mark Taylor or Steve Waugh presiding over this mess.
Ponting is a great competitor and a great cricketer but he has a lot to learn about leadership and diplomacy on the field - and I'm an Aussie!
All in all, a tainted result which the historians will doubtless have a lot to say about - no matter what the result or that Australia set a new benchmark by winning 16 consecutive games.
Go India smash those cheats in Perth
Do it for England too
I think more than enough has been said about the Australian Cricket Team's attitude and the poor umpiring. I see it this way, The Australians, especially Ponting obviously wanted to win this record-equalling match at "Any Cost" knowing that the controversy, if there is any, would be talking stock for a few days and soon be forgotten. But down the years, his name will be written in the History Books, and he knows it for a fact.
to all you parents out there, would you tell your kids that they should look up to the aussies as the aussies are the best team in the world based solely on this test match??????????thought not. nuff said.
Some of the comments here are ridiculous, havent read through them all though.
But on Harbhjan's alleged racist comments, why was he banned? There is absolutely no evidence against him making such a racist remark. Even the GREAT Sachin Tendulkar denies that he said anything as such. Its India's words against Australia's and yet the match referee sides with Australia.
That for me is a DISGRACE
The fact is that there wasn't just a couple of poor decisions but at least half a dozen which were all against India, some of them were simply inexcusable (like not referring the run out to the third umpire in Aussie first innings and asking the fielder Michael Clarke if Ganguly had been cleanly caught, remember this is the same individual who decided not to walk on the most blatant edge so how had he suddenly become trustworthy ?)
The Harbhajan hearing is a separate issue, but how on earth did Proctor find him guilty WITHOUT ANY EVIDENCE beyond Symonds and Ponting saying so and Harbhajan and Tendulkar denying it. Proctor has implied that Tendulkar and Harbhajan were then lying which is a grave insult.
Also the Michael Clarke catch of Ganguly, which later looks like a highly dubious catch has similarities to an incident in 2003 in a match between Bangladesh-Pakistan, where the Pakistani keeper caught the Bangladeshi batsmen and it was found later that the catch was not 'clean'. Rashid Latif was found guilty in the hearing and suspended for 5 matches, why has the same not happened to Michael Clarke. Proctor was the match referee in both instances !
There is too much in this whole soap-opera that is highly suspect of non being impartial.
Horrified to what levels Aussie cricket team can degrade to ... real bullies
The way Symonds was standing even after an out suggests these guys can go to any lengths to win
We shall sort these boyz out in out next take on Ashes ;)
Horrified to what levels Aussie cricket team can degrade to ... real bullies
The way Symonds was standing even after an out suggests these guys can go to any lengths to win
We shall sort these boyz out in out next take on Ashes ;)
Thankyou for the first balanced view of this saga I have read. I think that the Indians are out of order trying to blackmail the ICC because they don't like the decision of Mike Procter who by the way, is independant and noted that he was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that a racial slur was made. In addition, the calling for an umpire to be sacked is wrong. There has also been too much made of the Aussie way of playing. Clearly the team has an image problem, some of which is justified and some of which is media driven. Sledging is not racial abuse, and is not soely practiced by this Aussie team. The Kiwis are just as ferocious, they just don't win as much! If England won the last Ashes series, do you think their media would heap scorn on this Australian team like they're doing now, I don't think so. It's important to remember that Ponting himself was on the receiving end of a wrong decision and that both captains were told to report racial abuse before the game. Lets get a bit of sanity back into the debate.
CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHEN THE 3RD TV UMPIRE, WHO IS IN THE BEST POSITION TO 2ND GUESS HIS 2 COLLEAGUES ON THE FIELD, BE GIVEN MORE POWERS ?
TURBANATOR, SHAME ON YOU FOR A RACIST REMARK !
AUSSIE PRESS: KUDO'S TO YOU FOR SUCH EVEN HANDED REPORTING.
TO THE AUSSIE CRICKET TEAM.... YOU ARE WORLD LEADERS. ITS TIME TO STOP SLEDGING. PLEASE TAKE THE LEAD !!
TO MR.BUCKNOR, YOU DID GET A RAW DEAL. BUT WHICH OF US IN THE CORPORATE WOLRD DOES NOT MEET SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN WE F-UP !
JEROME (INDIA)
When I was a young boy I was a staunch Aussie supporter. But as I grew up I realized how on the part of the Aussies cheating can be so big in test matches played in Australia. This has to stop for the sake of Cricket. The Aussies won many tests by cheating. And that is sad.
I see two issues. First India lost because they did not bat well. They could have still saved the match despite all the decisions.
Second the attitude of the Australian team was poor. The umpires were under pressure and were put under more pressure by the unnecessary appealing by the Aussies. They are a great team and a treat to watch. However if they can positively uphold the spirit of the game I think they will be revered. India handled the test with dignity, however should look at how they could get better. Thats the only thing that is going to help them in Perth. One last word about India's financial power. A lot of people think India uses its financial clout. However, over the years India has been at the receiving end of some dubious decisions from Match Referees despite being the gentler team. If anything India has been forced to use its financial clout because the other options are patented by Australia and others.
Ricky for me does not look like a proffesional player and also he does not bother the passion for the game, he has led the whole nation to be looked in a different way, i hope he atleast realises the second test victory belongs to India if iam not wrong.
Ian,
Tasmania.
What is all this hype about? An indian calls an Australian a monkey, the rest of india call him a monkey and wear t-shirts depicting same? You are very racist people, and sadly, money has taken over your cricket.
If Australia never play India again, I will not lose sleep over it.
Australia is the best team in the world in cricket, and it is obvious, we have some very jealous people here, who would dearly love to be the same.
Good luck, and get over it. Play cricket!
I agree that the great moment has been patched with all the controversy. I think Australia did play a good cricket but not fair and for sure without right spirit. There is no doubt about it when Andrew Symonds admitted that he was out in first innings but he was given not out. It is a precedent which will encourage future players not to leave field themselves even when they are out.
Australians are great players and they play great as a team and to be agressive is not a bad thing but for sure to change a Gentelman's game into lust for only winning is not right. Game should be played with right spirit and for sure Ponting could have done better if he would have come forward and corrected the umpires when they were mistaken. It would have made him a more greater player than tainting his image with all this controversy. I am sure Steve Waugh and Allan Border would have corrected soome of the umpires mistakes. This is the only difference between GREAT Allan Border and GREAT Steve Waugh and RICKY PONTING.
dear sir,
Why is it that the australians get away with, whatever comments (sledging as they call it)they make while if the Indians retaliate it is seen as racism ?, is it because the Indians complain less?. I think these events will change the game of cricket at least against australia until there is an improved behaviour from the aussies. i FEEL THEY HAVE TARGETTED THE LESS EXPERIENCED cricketers and got away with it.but in future they might not be so lucky.so dont loose heart Indian team
dear sir,
Why is it that the australians get away with, whatever comments (sledging as they call it)they make while if the Indians retaliate it is seen as racism ?, is it because the Indians complain less?. I think these events will change the game of cricket at least against australia until there is an improved behaviour from the aussies. i FEEL THEY HAVE TARGETTED THE LESS EXPERIENCED cricketers and got away with it.but in future they might not be so lucky.so dont loose heart Indian team
As an Indian and as a cricket lover how i wished Sydney test ended in a draw.
Well well well...
1 billion Indians. 20 million Aussies.
I was brought up an Aussie. One thing I know is that we play sport from a very early age and we play with a passion I don't think an Indian can match. What most of the (Indian) supporters on this comment are saying is - "reduce yourselves to our level so we have a chance".
Well bugger that.
us Australians have raised the bar to unprecedented levels. Only ONCE in four innings so far have India exceeded 210. Australian haven't made less than 300.
Oh, sorry, it is Australia's fault that the umpires made the decisions that they did. Oh, sorry, Indian batsmen walk EVERY time they think they are out.
I sick of hearing all you Indians whinging and moaning, grow up - BE MEN!! If Australia lost I would put money on it that we would take it on the chin and move on - not throw our toys out of the pram and shout to mummy " I'M GOING HOME!!"
Cricket isn't a game for gentlemen, and the way the modern game is played is testament to that.
It's bogged down by the weight of history, and I don't mean cricket history. The residual politics of the British Empire conflict all to easily with notions of race, sovereignty, and the idea of "supremacy".
The old empire has scores to settle, its former dominions out to prove that they have the "right stuff" to do some conquering of their own. It's emotional, it's passionate, and it's manifested most recently through this ugly affair.
The sooner we acknowledge that modern international cricket is a post-Imperial civil war by proxy, the better.
Admitting you have a problem is the first step to rehabilitation...
Cricket isn't a game for gentlemen, and the way the modern game is played is testament to that.
It's bogged down by the weight of history, and I don't mean cricket history. The residual politics of the British Empire conflict all to easily with notions of race, sovereignty, and the idea of "supremacy".
The old empire has scores to settle, its former dominions out to prove that they have the "right stuff" to do some conquering of their own. It's emotional, it's passionate, and it's manifested most recently through this ugly affair.
The sooner we acknowledge that modern international cricket is a post-Imperial civil war by proxy, the better.
Admitting you have a problem is the first step to rehabilitation...
Cricket isn't a game for gentlemen, and the way the modern game is played is testament to that.
It's bogged down by the weight of history, and I don't mean cricket history. The residual politics of the British Empire conflict all to easily with notions of race, sovereignty, and the idea of "supremacy".
The old empire has scores to settle, its former dominions out to prove that they have the "right stuff" to do some conquering of their own. It's emotional, it's passionate, and it's manifested most recently through this ugly affair.
The sooner we acknowledge that modern international cricket is a post-Imperial civil war by proxy, the better.
Admitting you have a problem is the first step to rehabilitation...
Can I also make the point in reference to this "convict" nonsense, that to claim that Australian are descended from convicts is probably the most racist thing you could say in an Australian context. Why? Because it's a slap in the face to those not of anglo-saxon heritage (or those simply without a transported person among their ancestors) who have made a massive contribution to the country in general, but specifically toward the indigenous people.
To frame a national legacy in such an anacronistic, narrow, inaccurate, and anglo-centric fashion is a slap in the face to indigenous people. Does their legacy, and the legacy of the rest of the country count for nothing?
The 大象传媒 has refused to remove the original comment. I wonder if they've considered the implications?
And David: "low caste"? You do us no favours by buying into such nonsense.
This anti-Australianism is real, unlike the perceived (as yet invisible) racist vitriol directed toward the Indians.
This discussion is becoming as foul as the very game we're meant to be discussing.
When contentious calls and appeals by opposing teams, on field Umpires must jointly with the 3rd, TV Umpire and should be refered to the Match Referee when need arise.
Using TV Replays and Technology does not demean any Umpire more than a wrong decision given against any batsman of any team when closely fought contest like current series between Australia and India.