Zachary GirsbergerIndia Quitting the Tour Wouldn't Be 'Within the Spirit Of the Game'
January 8th 2008 06:17
Category: No Category
If you do the crime you have to do the time. Sure the Indian cricket side has every reason to feel let down by poor umpiring decisions in the remarkable Second Test in Sydney at the weekend. Sure Mark Benson and the evergreen Steve Bucknor should face demotion for their poor decision-making, which, many argue, cost the Indians the test match. However, attempting to hold cricket ransom by halting their tour of Australia on the back of the supsension of off-spinner Harbajan Singh is a disgrace. A pure and utter disgrace. If they choose to leave this tour, I'd be reluctant to ever invite them back again. Although the sub-continent holds much of the money in world cricket, the International Cricket Council (ICC) needs to be firm on this issue, as no test match side is bigger than the game.
Australia's one-day tour of India sparked incredible emotion after rollicking and fiery performances by Singh and firebrand quick, Sreesanth took it up to the World Champions. The series was superb to watch, and if you asked Ricky Ponting, amazing to win. But, when you have a sell-out and boisterous Mumbai crowd racially vilifying Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds to unprecedented lengths in October 2007, many questioned Indian and Australian cricket relations. The strapping Queenslander has had years of up and down performances though appears to have finally cemented a birth in the Australian line-up after several strong performances with the bat. Previously he was basically selected as a specialist fieldsman. Until this tour his name had rarely, if ever, been embroiled in controversy and 'Roy' was always seen as an incredibly popular member of the Australian outfit. Crowd taunting was a major issue during the Indian Tour and a little banter never hurt anybody; however, without doubt, racism does. Australian captain Ricky Ponting stood by Symonds during that tour, at times threatening to walk off the ground until racist jibes ceased. They did, at least for a time.
Enter Harbajan Singh and the Sydney Test at the weekend. The off-spinner, unlike Symonds, has been no stranger to controversy over the years, with previous questions over his bowling action and on-field demeanour making news in recent years. During the aforementioned one-day series, it was often Singh who often incited the crowd after clashing with several Australian players verbally on the pitch. Now, while Sachin Tendulkar and Harbajan himself have given evidence supporting the claim that racism was absent in the slanging match between Symonds and Singh, the off-spinner's track record and memories of the Mumbai crowd probably suggested otherwise to match referee Mike Procter. Yet, until the Indian skipper Anil Kumble and Ponting's final press conferences, it appeared the only incident in an otherwise delightful test match to watch.
If Harbajan's ban is overturned it will be another win for the sub-continent stranglehold that is threatening to tear the gentlemen's game apart. This would follow the overturning of Pakistan players Shoaib Akthar and Mohammed Asif's drug-related suspensions and the ICC's changing of the rules of 'throwing' to accomodate Muttiah Murilitharan's 'doosra' delivery (from 5 degrees to 15 degrees). For the Indians to back out because another decision - albeit an off-field suspension not a poor umpiring call - has not gone their way is genuine blackmail. To even contemplate over-turning the decision would not only be a huge blow to the upcoming Perth and Adelaide tests, their spectators, television viewers, sponsors and Channel 9 but more importantly the game of cricket.
I've always believed when someone is under pressure they can choose to be two types of people. They can choose to retreat and crumble, backing away from the heat to seek comfort in the shade. Or they can decide to get on the front-foot and say "I'll show them" and perform bigger and better, in an effort to prove the doubters wrong. By even threatening to abandon this tour, the Board of Control for Cricket in India are choosing to hide, seeking the comfort of home support. After coming up short in two tests on the back of some horrible umpiring decisions, they are putting up the white flag on the field, and holding the game hostage off it.
Anil Kumble's inference that Australia were not playing within the spirit of the game, smacked of a tired and disappointed fifth day test captain on the back of a heart-breaking defeat. It was not until the game was lost that claims over the Australians' sportsmanship were raised by their opponents. And the irony that this was said at all given Harbajan's pending hearing and following the crowd and Sreesanth's behaviour on the 2007 tour is almost unbelievable. Cricket commentators, fans and opponents all have a genuine like and respect for Kumble but in reality his post-match comments don't have two feet to stand on.
The counter-claim that leg-spinner Brad Hogg used 'abusive' language towards the Indians is bordering on utterly ridiculous. Was his language racist or offensive? At the end of the day, the Indians have not laid enough blame on one another for losing the Sydney Test. Bad decisions aside, Yuvraj Singh and Wasim Jaffer showed they have no backbone or form, succumbing to immense pressure and producing gutless innings on Day Five when time at the crease was more crucial than spice in a curry. The team's bowling to Hussey and Symonds at the start of the day also went a long way to nailing their coffin, with too many deliveries straying onto middle and leg-stump becoming easy pickings for the in-form pair.
Calls for Ponting to stand down as skipper are also completely unjustified with this clouding his credibility, individual record and outstanding term as captain. He has stood firm behind his team-mates time and time again, and once more, on this delicate issue. The Australian leader's captaincy is hardly the issue here, and only those seeking a scapegoat would suggest it was.
If it turns out that this series is over due to the suspension of Harbajan Singh for alleged racist comments then Australians have nothing to apologise for, and in fact, should be pointing the finger squarely at their opponents. Fans in Perth and Adelaide could be forgiven for starting to become very vocal in their views on this impending backdown by the Indian side. With two tests to go there is still much cricket to be played and no cricket follower wants to see Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman, Kumble, Ganguly and company return home. However, an abandoned series would mean a loss of millions of dollars (from sponsors, Channel 9 television rights and gate and ticket returns), the two upcoming tests and leave a question mark of India and Australia's cricketing relationship.
We have to remember who the victim is here. Racism is not and should not be tolerated in sport. Swearing, sledging and gamesmanship have and will always exist in cricket and it is difficult to stop it. Each of the ten test-playing nations use different tactics to unnerve their opponent over five days. Vilification based on skin colour, race, religion or ethnicity is a detriment to the perpetrator and blight on the game. Too much attention has been deflected from the fact that Harbajan has been found guilty on accordance with Section 3.3 of the ICC's Code of Conduct and that Andrew Symonds was the victim of his taunts.
If boycotting this series, the Australian public, television viewers, Australian players, sponsors and the sport is within the spirit of the game, I'd invite anyone from the Board of Control for Cricket in India to give me a call.
But I'd be a monkey if they convinced me that abandoning the tour was the right thing to do.
Australia's one-day tour of India sparked incredible emotion after rollicking and fiery performances by Singh and firebrand quick, Sreesanth took it up to the World Champions. The series was superb to watch, and if you asked Ricky Ponting, amazing to win. But, when you have a sell-out and boisterous Mumbai crowd racially vilifying Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds to unprecedented lengths in October 2007, many questioned Indian and Australian cricket relations. The strapping Queenslander has had years of up and down performances though appears to have finally cemented a birth in the Australian line-up after several strong performances with the bat. Previously he was basically selected as a specialist fieldsman. Until this tour his name had rarely, if ever, been embroiled in controversy and 'Roy' was always seen as an incredibly popular member of the Australian outfit. Crowd taunting was a major issue during the Indian Tour and a little banter never hurt anybody; however, without doubt, racism does. Australian captain Ricky Ponting stood by Symonds during that tour, at times threatening to walk off the ground until racist jibes ceased. They did, at least for a time.
Enter Harbajan Singh and the Sydney Test at the weekend. The off-spinner, unlike Symonds, has been no stranger to controversy over the years, with previous questions over his bowling action and on-field demeanour making news in recent years. During the aforementioned one-day series, it was often Singh who often incited the crowd after clashing with several Australian players verbally on the pitch. Now, while Sachin Tendulkar and Harbajan himself have given evidence supporting the claim that racism was absent in the slanging match between Symonds and Singh, the off-spinner's track record and memories of the Mumbai crowd probably suggested otherwise to match referee Mike Procter. Yet, until the Indian skipper Anil Kumble and Ponting's final press conferences, it appeared the only incident in an otherwise delightful test match to watch.
If Harbajan's ban is overturned it will be another win for the sub-continent stranglehold that is threatening to tear the gentlemen's game apart. This would follow the overturning of Pakistan players Shoaib Akthar and Mohammed Asif's drug-related suspensions and the ICC's changing of the rules of 'throwing' to accomodate Muttiah Murilitharan's 'doosra' delivery (from 5 degrees to 15 degrees). For the Indians to back out because another decision - albeit an off-field suspension not a poor umpiring call - has not gone their way is genuine blackmail. To even contemplate over-turning the decision would not only be a huge blow to the upcoming Perth and Adelaide tests, their spectators, television viewers, sponsors and Channel 9 but more importantly the game of cricket.
I've always believed when someone is under pressure they can choose to be two types of people. They can choose to retreat and crumble, backing away from the heat to seek comfort in the shade. Or they can decide to get on the front-foot and say "I'll show them" and perform bigger and better, in an effort to prove the doubters wrong. By even threatening to abandon this tour, the Board of Control for Cricket in India are choosing to hide, seeking the comfort of home support. After coming up short in two tests on the back of some horrible umpiring decisions, they are putting up the white flag on the field, and holding the game hostage off it.
Anil Kumble's inference that Australia were not playing within the spirit of the game, smacked of a tired and disappointed fifth day test captain on the back of a heart-breaking defeat. It was not until the game was lost that claims over the Australians' sportsmanship were raised by their opponents. And the irony that this was said at all given Harbajan's pending hearing and following the crowd and Sreesanth's behaviour on the 2007 tour is almost unbelievable. Cricket commentators, fans and opponents all have a genuine like and respect for Kumble but in reality his post-match comments don't have two feet to stand on.
The counter-claim that leg-spinner Brad Hogg used 'abusive' language towards the Indians is bordering on utterly ridiculous. Was his language racist or offensive? At the end of the day, the Indians have not laid enough blame on one another for losing the Sydney Test. Bad decisions aside, Yuvraj Singh and Wasim Jaffer showed they have no backbone or form, succumbing to immense pressure and producing gutless innings on Day Five when time at the crease was more crucial than spice in a curry. The team's bowling to Hussey and Symonds at the start of the day also went a long way to nailing their coffin, with too many deliveries straying onto middle and leg-stump becoming easy pickings for the in-form pair.
Calls for Ponting to stand down as skipper are also completely unjustified with this clouding his credibility, individual record and outstanding term as captain. He has stood firm behind his team-mates time and time again, and once more, on this delicate issue. The Australian leader's captaincy is hardly the issue here, and only those seeking a scapegoat would suggest it was.
If it turns out that this series is over due to the suspension of Harbajan Singh for alleged racist comments then Australians have nothing to apologise for, and in fact, should be pointing the finger squarely at their opponents. Fans in Perth and Adelaide could be forgiven for starting to become very vocal in their views on this impending backdown by the Indian side. With two tests to go there is still much cricket to be played and no cricket follower wants to see Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman, Kumble, Ganguly and company return home. However, an abandoned series would mean a loss of millions of dollars (from sponsors, Channel 9 television rights and gate and ticket returns), the two upcoming tests and leave a question mark of India and Australia's cricketing relationship.
We have to remember who the victim is here. Racism is not and should not be tolerated in sport. Swearing, sledging and gamesmanship have and will always exist in cricket and it is difficult to stop it. Each of the ten test-playing nations use different tactics to unnerve their opponent over five days. Vilification based on skin colour, race, religion or ethnicity is a detriment to the perpetrator and blight on the game. Too much attention has been deflected from the fact that Harbajan has been found guilty on accordance with Section 3.3 of the ICC's Code of Conduct and that Andrew Symonds was the victim of his taunts.
If boycotting this series, the Australian public, television viewers, Australian players, sponsors and the sport is within the spirit of the game, I'd invite anyone from the Board of Control for Cricket in India to give me a call.
But I'd be a monkey if they convinced me that abandoning the tour was the right thing to do.
| 97 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
