The Sydney test will be remembered for a long time as a model of how Australians play their cricket and would keep on highlighting the fact that Aussies value victory more than anything else. The former Somerset captain Peter Roebuck was furious and minced no words when he claimed that Australians were behaving like a pack of wild dogs in the in the ill famous Sydney test. The behavior that the most professional team [italics added] in the game of cricket leaves an ordinary fan with too much to think and complain about. The manner in which Ricky Ponting led his team in the Sydney test was distressing and embarrassing for many Australians. Frustrated by being awarded the template of Bhajji’s bunny by the Australian media and a surprise cameo by Harbhajan Singh with the bat in the first innings of Sydney test left Ponting with no other choice but to poke him with the racial discrimination charge. That further fomented and stirs up the already boiling pot.
The most bizarre episode was that Harbhajan Singh was handed over the suspension for 3 test matches for making racial slurs against Andrew Symonds on the testimony of fellow Australians Michael Clarke, Matthew Hayden and captain Ponting. That too when there was no audio video evidence available.
Cricket has always been regarded as the Gentleman’s game but the saddest part is that very few gentlemen play it today. The Indian skipper Anil Kumble hit the nail right on its head when he remarked that in Sydney there was just one team playing in the spirit of the game. Ricky wanted to win the 16th consecutive test at any cost and it seems both the umpires wanted him too!
Umpire Steve Bucknor was recklessly lifting his finger on every single occasion when Australians appealed while Indians were left begging for their chances. Perhaps it was not for the first time that the teams from sub continent have been made a special target. In 2001 there was a huge uproar of a similar kind when referee Mike Denniss handed over the suspension and hefty fines to 5 Indian players for excessive appealing while the little master Sachin Tendulkar was banned for ball tempering! If these can be termed as excessive appealing, what do you call South African captain Shaun Pollock’s non-stop appeal, like a man possessed, till he get decisions in his favor? Dennis the “menace’ turned a blind eye to that abominable act. But then, Pollock is a South African, and a white to boot. That made all the difference.
Quite similar is the case with the incomparable Glenn McGrath who realized very late in his career that he needed to change his grumpy and occasionally ugly on-field demeanour. "The times when I did blow up, I used to regret it afterwards," he said just before his retirement.
While players from Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and England get away with disgusting deportment on the field, those from India (universally acclaimed as nicest of the lot), Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Kenya and West Indies get severely punished even when they appeal within the limits. If this is not un-regenerated racism, then, what is it?
No wonder, the outrageous decision evoked a sharp comment from former England cricketer and commentator Geoff Boycott that these people enjoy paid holidays, indulge in racism and show a complete lack of balance in their decisions
Australia toured India in 2001 and then Michael Slater created
quite a scene after claiming catch, which he took after one bounce. He haggled furiously with umpire S Venkatraghavan, and said vulgar words to a nonplussed Rahul Dravid. He got reprimanded only after Indian media raised a hue and cry.
Another victim of the racist rulings has been Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan, who was subjected to the ignominy of being dubbed a chucker. This time the ‘villain’ was Australian umpire Darrell Hair. It is to his credit that Murali, who enjoyed the solid support of his teammates, continues to annihilate the biggies of cricket with his magical spin bowling.
These worthies should do well to remember one thing. Players like Sachin Tendulkar(a player and man of unimpeachable integrity) and Muralitharan are made of sterner stuff. They are too good to be detracted or demoralized by such below-the-belt hits. Decency demands that scores are settled on the field, not off it. Is that too much to ask of these square pegs in round holes ? Until recently, it has not been the Indian way. Sachin Tendulkar always has been serene in the face of Australians' barbs, so they gave up sledging and gave him the silent treatment instead this time around.
But whatever standards are upheld in the Ponting backyard, there are plenty of Australian four-year-olds who have been sledging from the time they emerged from the womb. Australians often claim that they are not too aggressive, perhaps this is the only way they play their cricket, so why do they honk when someone stands and retorts in a similar manner, that’s a part of game!
Ever after India beat Australia comprehensively in the T20 WC in South Africa in September last year , there has been a tussle creeping between the two sides. This came to the forefront when Andrew Symonds made statement in the Indian press that he didn’t like the way the Indian team got reception after winning the T20 WC as if they are some rock stars. He further went on to add that Indians have beaten us just 1 test and a one dayer in the past 3 years, that’s too much to brag about. This came after Andrew Symonds said the Indians, who have had precious few triumphs with which to satisfy their cricket-mad public since the 1983 World Cup, lacked humility in their Twenty20 victory celebrations, a statement that itself did not scream graciousness.
The moment when ICC is trying to spread the game far and wide, anything like a charge of racism would seriously question its integrity.
That further raises a question in my mind- - it seems like the sub continent nations are allowed to play, but they are not allowed to win, just because cricket is a white man’s game?
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Abhay Mittal
abymittal@gmail.com
