Players are the problem - not umpires
Anybody who finds themselves surprised by the events on India's tour of Australia must have been living on a different planet for the past five years.
The unedifying drama unfolding in Sydney is the result of a number of issues which have been bubbling away beneath the surface with increasing intensity.
They all exploded in a furious head as Australia single-mindedly homed in on their record-equalling 16th Test victory, without giving a damn about the consequences on the way.
Let’s start what will probably be a controversial, but honest, assessment by congratulating Australia on their achievement.
What a shame it is that the legacy of this fine team will be so tarnished by the ugly and offensive manner in which it plays the game – and has done for at least three years.
Ricky Ponting’s men have trampled all over the spirit of cricket by offering the lame excuse that they are "hard". In their world, deliberately conning the umpire is part and parcel of the game: “It’s his decision," they offer as a cop-out.
Just look at Andrew Symonds, who visibly gloated for the media when he admitted he had got away with a catch behind the wicket early in his first innings - what a miserable performance.
And what effect does that have on the umpire’s confidence – or that of the players in him?
This Australia team plays the game to win – there’s nothing wrong in that – but it has negated its responsibility to those who watch it and, more importantly, the next generation of cricketers who will inherit the battered sprit of cricket that Ponting’s team leaves in its trail.
Cricket can be an aggressive sport, but it is the ball and the bat that should do the talking. The hostile, nasty and intimidating environment that the Australians create on the pitch is a key ingredient in unsettling an opponent.
Little wonder that, sometimes, a volatile character lashes out in what he would perceive as self-defence, and what does it say of these "hard" men that they then go and report him to the umpire?
They can give it, but can’t take it.
That, of course, does not offer any defence for racism. If Harbhajan Singh did racially abuse Symonds, he must be punished for it.
But the above might offer some insight into how a cowed opponent could suddenly react to the intense pressure and intimidation that has been deliberately and ruthlessly applied to him by the fielding team.
Purely because we are talking about India here, I am going to throw in Sreesanth’s name as an example of an Indian cricketer who has often – and recently - gone well beyond the spirit of cricket: it is not purely an Australian thing.
And that is why the decision to remove Steve Bucknor from the next Test is so short-sighted.
As I warned when Darrell Hair was seen off by the Pakistan Cricket Board 18 months ago, the way was opened for powerful cricket teams to dispose of officials when a decision is made they do not like. How dare the game be held to ransom in this way.
But the real fault lies with the players – and it is their behaviour, attitude and respect for the game and its traditions that need urgently to be addressed.
Umpires will always make mistakes – just as the players do (although you wouldn’t believe it sometimes) and undermining their confidence by removing their most senior colleague in this way is unbelievably foolish.
Cricket is truly at a crossroads.
Administered these days by businessmen who have no feel for, or genuine love and understanding of the game, cricket is played purely for money, ego and power for those who control it.
Goodness knows where it will end unless a stand is taken, and that action must be directed by all the countries at all of their players, and not the umpires.
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I must agree with everything Jonathan has said. Cricket is at a crossroads indeed. Unfortunately I feel under its present 'leadership' it will take the wrong path forward.
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Thanks Jonathan. The best article on this story that I've read over the past few days, and I completely agree - It's about time the Australians were put straight about how they've been playing cricket.
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Well done Aggers, I believe you have the hit the nail well and truly on the head. I remember growing up watching, and playing cricket, where the batsman would walk if he was out and bowlers only appealed if they genuinely believed the batsman was out. Today's test teams, and it's not just Australia and India, have lost sight about what is important in the game of cricket, and for me it's a great turn off.
I can only hope Vaughn is reading these articles and will, before the next test starts in NZ, ask his team if they would prefer to win by pushing the laws of the game to the extreme or to lose by being fair, honest cricketers......
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Could not agree more with these sentiments - the time has come for the ICC to stand up to powerful players and teams and their lack of respect for the game. That includes England, but should undoubtedly start with the australians. Judging by most reports coming from down under - even the australians are disgusted withtheir teams behaviour.
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I whole heartedly agree with Aggers comment. It is a crying shame that Steve Bucknor has to be dragged into the mess that is a new and ever increasing feature of watching the Aussies play cricket. I mean what would have happened if the arena's (in Austrailia) where players from South Africa were barracked with racial & food abuse, were stopped from hosting test cricket?
Gotta say the whole episode has been lame from start to finish and adding the racial twist just makes it even more absurd.
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Well said Aggers! Good to see someone talking with sense and guts. I don't know why these so-called sportspeople think it's hard to slag people off - in my mind, all it proves is that they are not good enough to succeed with talent and have to resort to playground antics to gain superiority. How grown up they are.....
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Aggers,
A truly reasoned point of view here. And very accurate. The game is in danger of selling its soul and the amount of 'chat' and sledging on display at village level on a Saturday is a sad indictment of how the game is reaping what the big boys sow. I know of several players who have retired due to it.
I admire the likes of Steve Waugh and Ponting as batsmen, but in the case of the latter he displays the classic attributes of a bully. Remember the Gary Pratt incident. He would do well to remember Allan Border, who whilst no saint appeared to have more awareness of the spirit of cricket than the present incumbent. And don't even get me started on the 'religious' Matthew Hayden.
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I've never read a more rantish piece by Aggers, but I entirely agree. Do think he should take a few deep breaths after writing it though!!
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Absolutely right, Aggers, on all counts. The players are doing the game a great dis-service. And as you rightly say, it is not just an Australian problem; remember last summer's pathetic 'jelly-bean' episode?
And as for racist abuse being unacceptable, how did we ever get into the position where ANY abuse is acceptable? In many commentators eyes 'sledging' a player on a personal level about just about anything is OK, but the line is crossed when it is on a racial level. To me that is absolute rubbish; the line of acceptablility is reached way before abuse becomes racist. It is crossed as soon as any 'banter' goes from being good-natured mickey-taking to being nasty, intimidating or abusive.
The players have a responsibility to the game and each other to show more respect and restraint.
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top comments aggers, couldn't agree more.
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Well Said Aggers. We desperately need to nip this in the bud otherwise you'll have a football situation where managers and players surround referees for decisions they don't like. Throwing the ball at the stumps, constant appealing and dare I say it sledging can easily be stopped by fining players, but the spineless ICC must back their umpires 100%. This has to change for the good of the game, whatever happened to sportsmanship? You won't find any in the Australian side.
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I couldn't agree more. The way I think of it, the Australians don't just play to win - they play to defeat the opposition.
It is this negativity that makes watching a hugely talented team play such a joyless experience.
It is the spirit of the game - and only that - which separates cricket from other sports.
In business terms, it is the USP. Without it, the game is doomed to follow the soulless footsteps of football.
I don't think it's any surprise that Harbhajan was the focus of this accusation, given that he's had Ponting's number so far in the series.
The whole thing stinks. And for Steve Bucknor - a man who's integrity I have never heard questioned before - to be made the scapegoat is tragic.
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The fault is not solely with the Players, the unpires have to take some responsibility.
It is the umpires job to control issues and players. But it is the unpires job to make correct decision, both were far from true during the last test.
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Bad column by "Jonathan Agnew".
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Mr Agnew states that the Aussies can give it but not take it. He seems to be forgetting the major point here. If, and I repeat if Andrew Symonds was called a 'monkey', as he was by the Indian crowd last year in India, then I dont care if the Aussies are going for 48 wins in a row...the perpetrator must be made accountable if found guilty. It would be irresponsible and of detriment to the game if such incidents were not reported. Players and officials alike have a duty to stamp out rascism in sport. I dont care if its football, golf, rugby or tiddly winks if a player is racially abused then action must be taken. Mr Agnew seems to gloss over this point and as is typical looks instead to 'aussie bash'. I wonder how many English cricketers appeal vigourously or not walk when they know they hit the ball. Take off you English tinted glasses Mr Agnew and try to provide unbiased comment
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Aggers I would fully and wholeheartedly agree. I could list examples of good and bad sportsmanship but I won't all I will say is
The Umpires decision is final and paramount
The duty of ALL those involved in the game is to preserve and promote the spirit of Cricket.
One small aside that I would add is this - any player who is accused of allegations as serious as HS should be PROOVEN GUILTY BEYOND ALL REASONABLE DOUBT before he's punished. That way there can be no arguements as to the validity of a punnishment and would avoid the scenes in India where the public believe their player to have been a victim of a Kangaroo Court.
The only victims in this whole sorry fiasco are Cricket and its Umpires.
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The Aussies can dish it out but they simply can not take it, after Englands ashes win the Aussies bacme even harder after what had been deemed as 'going soft' on their English 'friends' we saw Flintoff commiserating Brett Lee but you never see that from the Aussies. They have this hard persona now that everything goes for them to win a game, win at all costs attitude.
What happened to the what goes on, on the field, stays on the field?
Shame on Aussies for bring a great game into total and utter disrepute
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Couldn’t agree more Jonathan - at this rate soon First Class cricketers will be able to consider new careers in the Football Premiership!
It's awful when you see a Batsman refusing to walk when the guy asleep in the Pavillion can see he is out!
As for LBW appealing - it's becoming rediculous.
The next generation is the key point as you suggest - I guess we will be watching out for Headbuts and the like when the Unpire is distracted!
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Great article Aggers
Why blame the umpires when it is the constant hacking away by the players and the "spirit" in which they play the game which is to blame for what had happened recently. (Not just the Aussies but most of the nations)
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An excellent piece Aggers. I agree with all your sentiments.
I saw some of the match and couldn't believe my eyes when Ponting put his finger up when Michael Clarke took the rather dubious catch off Ganguly. Not only applying agreesive pressure to the oppsoition but also to the umpires
I would add to this the ridiculous over appealing that takes place with some teams.
I also agree that the Australians are not the only team who have members who go beyond the pale, Sreesanth has overstepped the mark on several occassions and not just with his no balls! I would add Anderson to this list who has a nasty habit of barging the oppostion. Lets hope the match referees will be firmer on bad behaviour in the future and lets see sledging reduced and get back to palaying great cricket.
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Sreesanth has not racially abused people so therefore shouldn't be considered in this debate. But I am currently loving this debacle, of course as I am on the outside looking in. But it seems that ten years of hyper-sledging, umpire pressuring, terrible antics and poor sporting conduct has finally caught up with the Aussies. Good on India for sticking up to the bullies, good on Harbajahn for sticking up to the bully Symonds (I am not condoning his behaviour IF he racially abused the guy). But there have been issues with Australia and India before, involving umpires.
Australia try and cheat, India stick it to 'um and suddenly we have a hell of a story.
I don't like cricket, I love it.
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Excellent article as always Jonathan. The Australians have gone to far this time and deserve to be reprimanded. Singh is obviously in the wrong and should be banned. Symonds looked foolish and stupid in front of the media and the backlash he has receieved is more than justified.
Removing Bucknor is a serious oversight and sets a very dangerous precedent. Hair was removed in similarly dubious circumstances and cricket is in grave danger of becoming like football in its treatment of onfield officials.
Lets hope India bounce back in the third test and make good cricket the focus of this series again.
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Good article Aggers! Like you said, this Australian team is one of the greats (in cricketing terms) but their behaviour in this test was nothing short of a disgrace. India are no angels either and what should have happened is that Ponting and Kumble should have got together and made sure their teams behaved.
When I was younger, I was in awe of the West Indian teams of the 80s, who played hard cricket on the pitch but were gracious off it. There is no doubt some of these Australians are world class but their 'win at all costs' attitude lets them, and cricket down
If Symonds was racially abused, he should come out and say so. As far as I am aware, it is only Ponting and other Australian players that have confirmed this whilst Symonds has been unusually quiet.
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There may have been good reasons for reducing Steve Bucknor's workload before. In my view he has been increasingly erratic over the last couple of years, perhaps because he is tiring. But that is a very different matter from removing an umpire from a Test once his appointment is announced.
I think it would be a good idea if umpires had the right to insist that players who sledge are removed from close-fielding positions if they go beyond acceptable levels, in the same way as a bowler who runs down the pitch can be removed from the attack.
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As usual Aggers - right on the button. The game must sort itself out or risk losing fans and the next generation of players. Hard but fair we were taught. Think the current crop have forgotten that.
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Top words Aggers, couldn't agree more. This kind of behaviour has been increasing in international cricket over recent years as everybody has tried to copy the Australian model of success. That it has spread widely was evidenced in the terrible spirit in which the England vs India tour last summer was conducted. It is unsurprising that finally this behaviour has reached a flashpoint and even less of a surprise that Australia are the chief protagonists. It is time for the media, the ICC and the players to take a stand and start ensuring that the traditions of the game are respected. Well done for starting that process Aggers.
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I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments expressed in this piece but could I point out that if as stated racial slur was used..there is no excuse but this is purely based on hearsay and where is the due process..I believe that you are innocent till proven guilty and not the other way around..
Also as for the spirit of the gentleman's game- it lost the gentleman tag a very long time ago and with the australians taking the game onto higher levels-their truly brilliant skills are matched hand in hand sadly by their arrogance..We all love to watch good cricket- bat vs ball..
I dont see the point of sledging but the again if Australia can get away with it..then why not make it fair for everyone to have a pop..the Aussies have to be able to take a dose of their own medicine and seems they cant handle it...Also no one has pointed out that this alleged incident happened when India was in the process of building a lead on Australia who were struggling to get back into the game at that point...coincidence it surely aint!
And finally I totally agree that the game cannot be held to ransom but surely the integrity of Ricky Ponting had to be questioned as of a few of his players..and also the standard of umpiring.surely the world cup final farce with Steve Bucknor being one of the umpires surely should have been investigated...if the premiership maintains refereee standards maybe the ICC need to improve or check the standards of umpiring because some of the decisions were am sorry to say absolutely shocking...ofcourse we can accept mistakes- we are all human - but not when such levels of incompetance. I have immense respect for Steve Bucknor who has beena great umpire but I believe his time is up and its really unfortunate that his name will be linked with this game for a long time..
Maybe this will finally bring the question of technology being used into the domain again...but thats debate for another day..
Atleast the tour is back on and I just that cricket makes the headlines from now on..but one things for sure..the rivalry between the two teams has just reached a whole new level..and lets hope it stays within healthy limits..
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Can't argue with a word of that.
Cricket will soon have gone the same way as football: conning referees, no respect for referees, win at all costs and blame everyone but yourself in defeat - we even give knighthoods to people who behave like this.
Perhaps on the day that Martin Corry announced his retirement from international rugby, professional footballers and cricketers should use him as the standard to attain when it to comes to respect for referees and taking defeat and yes, even injustice on the chin. Well done Martin - a true sportsman.
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Even as an England fan I was trully looking forward to this series. Unfortunately, I have seen too many bad umpiring decisions in recent test seies - The home series last summer and furthermore in S.L. and now this. I feel the Aussies put too much pressure on umpires and as a result we get this mess. Do you really think England would have appealled so strongly and got those same decisions, given the same circumstances? I doubt it. I am not convinced the current Oz team is as good as ever. For me the most honest and likeable member being Adam Gilchrist. Oz's shouldn't be allowed to bully their way into getting the umpiring decisions they want.
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Mr. Agnes,
For once I agree with your assessment in its entirety. You have made some good points in your article. However, I would like stress something here. If the playing teams have lost confidence in the umpire, then it may not be good for team or the umpire to be together in a match. The umpires may be perceived to be vindictive, or they could get extra careful not to offend and thus make mistakes. Either way it is not good for the sport.
Just like the players are dropped for poor performance, similar procedures must be adopted by the ICC for the umpires. I know many will not agree to this, but in my opinion, this is the right way to go. Strike when the iron is hot.
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Hear hear. I don't think I could put it better.
For years the over competitiveness of Australian cricketers has been a slur on the good name of cricket and all that is has given the World via phrases such as "playing with a straight bat" and "it is just not cricket". They are overdue a considerable chastening and that must go to the top i.e. the Australian Cricket Board.
Equally there has been, over a number of years, bad blood between Australia & India that should have been resolved before now.
Many outsiders, myself included, see the Indian Cricket Board's threat to take their team home and call the tour off as simple blackmaill much like Pakistan and Darrell Hair.
The very sad truth is that money talks and much of it comes from the Indian sub continent and tv now.
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Well said Aggers.
I am a true fan of great cricket and I have to say that Ricky Ponting is so often sold short by people who, when talking about the modern day great batsmen, only mention Tendulkar and Lara. Ponting is quite simply a wonderful batsman.
However, he is a poor sportsman. You could see the attitude of the aussies from ball one of the Sydney test. Win at any cost, even if the cost is to cricket.
The umpiring at Sydney was terrible. Really terrible and I was simply amazed at the control Anil Kumble must have over his team and his own emotions. Ponting really ought to take a good look at the India captain, who should be a novice by comparison.
The aussie cricketers are first rate bullies, plain and simple. The abuse they give out to some cricketers is simply incredible and then they go off weaseling to the umpire when they get a bit back.
H. Singh would not have said his remark in a racist manner, and who knows what was said to him by the luckiest cricketer alive (symmonds), to have prompted such a response.
Lets remember that these same aussies were the players who questioned the state of mind of their Queen (and ours) when she gave an MBE to Paul Collingwood. How dare they feel that superior.
The funny thing about sport is that although the aussies won in Sydney, they lost far more...... repect from the cricketing world!
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Again the removal of bucknor means that the asian have a strong hold on ICC
who cannot make them unhappy
indian player demand were met
by the removal
harbhjan ban for three test and then BCCI threatened to cancel the tour
i the the test to be one of the best i have ever witnessed in some time
ok few decision went here and there
so what this is part and parcel of the game
so i think Indian board were very premature in their actions and ICC as puppet reacted to it
unhappy scenes for cricket
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Get Sreesanth in there for the next test he will sort out those rotten Aussie's once and for all!
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I agree umpires make mistakes like any other human but making mistake is one thing and asking the opposition captain before giving someone out is an entirely different thing.
You have written "How dare the game be held to ransom in this way". I think you will find it was a certain Mr. Hair who demanded half a million dollars from ICC to retire after that incident against Pakistan.
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Absolutely spot on, though it hardly pleases me to say it. The peculiar petulance that goes alongside this desire to win baffles me - though Ponting is its current chief exponent, I suspect the true inspiration is his predecessor in the captaincy.
What a shame this potentially great series has been ruined. As a seasoned Austrophile I was supporting them all the way, but the absurd running to the umpires along with what in my view was blatant cheating by Symonds and Ponting in the most recent match, I have been turned against them.
If this level of offensive ruthlessness is necessary to win at sport, why are the Australian cricket team not the only massively successful sporting outfit in the world? Do Brazil's football team or South Africa's rugby team behave so irritatingly? Of course not - presumably because they're aware on at least some level that a) it's just a game and b) that game is being played for the supporters' benefits - not their own.
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Agree to all the points but the removal of umpire Steve buckner. Legend of 120 test matches. I must say he was a good umpire but compare his performance in last 20 odd tests to the previous 100. The number of critical mistakes is huge. Sure, umpires are humans and make mistakes, but look at the consistency and number of them. Even Football umpires make mistakes but they are dealt quietly, behind the doors by FIFA. It's ICC job to look at umpire's performances and select them. If Steve Buckner does not want to retire, ICC should have taken the decision for him and we would not be facing this problem.
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Why did the match referee not bring a charge of unsporting behaviour and bringing the game into disrepute against Andrew Symmonds for not walking when he boasted that he was well aware that he had edged the ball and should therefore have been given out caught behind? He has set a disgraceful and very public example to all the youngsters following him. No surprise that the Indians were furious and very frustrated when he went on to score a large century and changed the course of the match.
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Yes, agree to most of what Jonathan said, except the "umpires are human" rubbish. Yes, they are human indeed, and that is why, whenever possible they should take the help of the available technology. In a scenario where around ten decisions went wrong, and eight of them went against a particular team, which possibly turned the game on its head, the umpires can't be excused with this million-times-told-junk excuse of "umpires are human". If it's incompetence then these umpires should be disposed of - Mr. Bucknor seems to have passed his sell-by date. Although his history doesn't make it a mere coincidence.
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Could not agree more with Aggers !
I thought cricket was about skill, respect and honesty. If a player knows he is out he should have the 'balls' to walk. Waiting for the umpires decision is pathetic.
As for the management - most of them couldnt play cricket to save their lifes !
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Got to agree, Would of loved all the talk to of been about the game but the real drama has come after the game. Both sides have things to be embarrassed about. I think Ponting will go down as one of the greatest captains in the history of cricket but also the most arrogant and I think the BCCI putting pressure (direct or indirect it doesnt matter) on the ICC to change Bucknor is shocking. Also the ICC have to give themselves a good shake for the sake of the game. They set a presedent with Hair and all countires (or possibly counties in the domestic game) will moan when they dont get a decision and the umprie may be removed, placing far to much pressure on the umpries.
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Good article Jonathan. I feel it is time that Australia are reprimanded for the poor spirit they have turn the game into. Claiming to take catches that are quite clearly is not the way the game should be going in.
Despite the umpires having a poor game, they are clearly not the reason for what has unfolded.
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What an interesting article I must say. I think i agree with what your saying Aggers. For a long time people have said that Australia, albeit a fantastic team with extremely talented players for which their system of introducing sport and a winning mentality to young children should be praised, do not play the game in a good spirit.
I remember during the 2005 Ashes when Ponting was moaning etc everyon was saying "They dont like it up em, the Aussies." They dish out a lot of gamesmanship and sledging and, on the pitch at least, look at their opponents with disdain. But they wont stand for it being dealt back.
Moving on to the umpiring issue. The ICC HAS to look after their umpires otherwise who will want to become an umpire in the future? The whole Darrell Hair issue seems to be opening a can of worms and I dont think it right to "drop" the most experienced umpire due to protest over 1 bad match. Where will this end? When all the experienced umpires are banned? When we have a bunch of "Freshers" umpiring? or will it turn into football where players have no respect for their referees?
The ICC need to pull their finger out and show some loyalty and intelligence.
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"as self defence, and what does that say of these hard men then they go and report it to the umpire. They can take it but they can't give it"
I have been following the events of the past few days pretty closly and have been intrested by what people have to say however this comment really bugs me, there is a big differace between sledging, harsh sledging and out right racism, which if he did make these "monkey comments" is exactly that. I would prefer to see cricket with only friendly sledging in the middle however at the moment i don't think this is possible at the level in which these two great teams are playing at. Lets just get the series back on track and not dwell on these events and salvege something from a potentially great series.
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When Gilchrist walked in a World Cup semi-final the merits of walking or letting the umpire decide were vigorously debated. It seemed to come down to a personal decision by players with there being no right or wrong. Symonds had no obligation to walk. When later questioned about it, would you have preferred him to have openly lied and said he didn't edge it, continuing a ridiculous masquerade? He was just being honest.
I wonder if India had won or drawn the game if we would be hearing so much about this?
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Aggers had got it horribly wrong this time. Steve Bucknor has demonstrated his incompetence on more than one occasion in the past and is well past his prime. He is 61 and while some men do retain excellent health even in their 90s, Bucknor has clearly long lost control of his faculties. To accept such sheer incompetence by disguising it with "human element" is nonsense. Bucknor has to go. Period. The bloke gets $120,000 per year for standing in 4 tests and 16 ODIs and cant concentrate for even such few days in a year.
And while we are at it, why not discuss Mr Mark Benson as well? If he cant spot Brett Lee's noball in front of his eyes, how do you expect him to spot nicks and edges and misses? And then he goes and asks the fielder if he thinks he caught the ball correctly -pfaw! What nonsense is this? Does he not know the basic rule of umpiring is to ask the Square leg umpire? Benson must also be pulled up for his goof-ups.
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Agreed, Jonathan, but the problems are endemic everywhere, and that includes within the England team. Remember Pietersen not walking (more than once)? And Vaughan when he was blatently out in Australia some years ago? The media praised him then for waiting for the umpire's decision when the whole world knew he'd been dismissed.
The problems just cannot be addresed if we restrict our criticism to Austalia and India. I would exempt Gilchrist (whom my wife always cites as someone who "walks"). He doesn't throw jellybeans at the opposition either, does he, if it's the spirit of the game we're talking about, so please let's address this subject without any nationalistic bias, for I too am a big fan of Pietersen.
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Australian players on the whole have been the culprits for decades with their racial abuse of players from the Asian sub continent and the West Indies .No less a person than Sir Garfield Sobers, who lived and played in Australia, has said so in his autobiography. They start their sledging when the opposition is doing well. In the latest incident Harbhajan Singh was batting extremely well with Sachin Tendulkar when the incident of the alleged monkey taunt against Andrew Symonds took place. Was Harbhajan provoled by the Australian players?The answer is a definite "yes". Aussies may have stopped racial taunts with Symonds in their team but still carry on with other types of sledging to undermine the opposition players. This is the root cause of the present trouble.Bad umpiring and a poor decision by the match referee hasn't helped the situation.
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Good comments, all.
"Goodness knows where it will end..."
Just watch a football match if you really want to know, or a rugby match for that matter. Footballers are expected to break the rules if they can do so without the referee seeing. Failure to do so is considered to be "letting the side down" or naivete.
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I also agree with Jonathans article. I think the Australian team are a great team and we should not take away from them their achievements. They have some wonderful and entertaining players. We have ignored the brillant knocks from Tendulker, Laxman, Hayden, Symonds and Hussey and the bowling spells from Lee and Kumble in the last test match.
I agree that the game is not being respected by some of the players. The umpires will always make mistakes but if we start sacking them for such mistakes who will be left to umpire? Surely cricket is not a sport for bullies but for gentlemen. Perhaps the time has come to have more technology involved and have more scrutiny on the players. A system where teams can appeal 2 or 3 decisions to the third umpire sounds like a good start???
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Well said Johnathan, an insightfully frank yet honest appraisal of what is a severely worrying episode in the game we all love. One almost senses that Harbhajan's alleged remark was an indignant riposte to the 'mental disintegration' that Australia callously uses to get under the skin of opponents.
Ponting is quite within his rights to report something he at first-hand believes to be racist, but he should not be surprised by the Australian public's reaction and judgement of him. Australians are extremely perceptive and he has never been taken too as strongly as many of the antipodean greats, because of his conduct on and off the pitch and distinct character flaws.
The Indian side is not blameless in this fiasco and its superiors at the BCCI should be reprimanded for they way they have effectively held the ICC to ransom by blackmailing it into 'dropping' Steve Bucknor.
But for me, fault lies primarily with Australia, and their captain Ricky Ponting. The sooner he realises he has been overtly arrogant, hypocrictical and loses the rhetoric that is souring the purity of this wonderful sport, the better.
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Get Sreesanth in there for the next test he will sort out those rotten Aussie's once and for all!
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While I agree that the Australians are guilty of 'hard' and single-minded cricket the problem in any argument against them is that in this Test the fault cannot be laid at their door. Although it may have been etiquette in the past, the idea of the batsman walking is not a rule. The rule is that the umpire should give him out. Which he didn't. Similarly, Ponting acted within the rules when reporting Harhajan Singh to the umpires and then his team manager. Harhajan acted against the rules by using a racist slur. Unfortunately, both me and you Aggers are from a country where concepts of etiquette and fair play are used to disguise the real reasons why teams like Australia tend to win. The only time in my living memory when England, for example, competed with the Aussies was when our strike bowler deliberately bowled bodyline on the first morning at Lords in 2005. There was no criticism then!
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Absolutely rt..Jonathon
has pointed out the real 'culprits'
brash and arrogant players..who
want to take the game hostage
and win it at all costs.
If Symonds had walked..and played
fair..if Ponting and his teamates(
Gilly,Clarke) had not claimed
catches which looked too far off
for any reasonable appeal,
these unfortunate events may never
had occured.
Umpires were put under too much
pressure, and committed errors..
as they were intimidated into submission by Ricky "Punter"
ponting and his cronies.
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Jonathan Agnew is quite correct. The Australian cricketers, past and present, have always been allowed to get away with cheating when playing the game. Having said that teams from the sub-continent know how to use 'dodgy' tricks themselves.The decision to remove Steve Bucknor is a disgrace. Yes he may have made a couple of mistakes but he wasn't helped by the actions and antics of the players. Once again the authorities have bowed the knee to a disgruntled team from the sub-continent.
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"Ricky Ponting’s men have trampled all over the spirit of cricket by offering the lame excuse that they are "hard". In their world, deliberately conning the umpire is part and parcel of the game: “It’s his decision," they offer as a cop-out."
Please could you point me in the direction of a test team that hasn't played in this way over the last 10 years? Ponting's team behave no differently than any of the others, they are however more successful because they're better cricketers.
I've yet to see the Aussies have officials removed because they don't like decisions, which in my eyes, is a far more alarming indication of the current state of the game and one we should be far more worried about. The Indians have not only refused to accept the umpires decision, they have also refused to accept the decision of a match referee and his QC, threatening to cancel the entire tour - that is where the disgust in this matter should be directed.
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I'm shocked at the decision of the ICC to remove Mr Bucknor from the test match between India and the Aussies.
It has shown that cricket has taken a different dimension lately.Umpires will continue to make mistakes and if the rest of playing nations take the same stance what is going to happen with the game of cricket in the future.It is only God's guess.
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What a fantastic article, my only beef with Jonathan is that this needed saying in these terms a long time ago.
Shane Warne got away with unforgiveable cheating (or should I say 'mental disintegration' of umpires)for years, however great a bowler he was. Ponting, Hayden et al are a disgrace. Even your average Aussie appears to think so.
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Completely agree Aggers. By removing Steve Bucknor from the final test the ICC has not only given the authority of the umpires a solid kick in the teeth, but also left itself wide open to future manipulation from teams that aren't having things all their own way.
As captain of the team, and therefore - one would hope - some sense of responsibility for the sporting behaviour of his team, Ricky Ponting has been a disgrace, which is a real shame for such a great player. Of course he is not alone in this fiasco, players on both sides have let themselves and their sport down, but as captain he has a responsibility for the whole team and should face the consequences when there are problems. In my view he should be replaced as captain immediately.
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Umpires will always make mistakes - yep but how much can you tolerate? there were about 15 bad decisions in this match alone for both sides with india been victim for majority of them.
cricket is played between 2 sides and umpires are there to be judge not to change the course of the match.
the less said about mike proctor decision the better isn't he the guy who said nz, sa and aus should be given leeway since they are 'naturally aggressive'!
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I just don't understand. How can "monkey" be racist ? Even teachers and parents have a habbit of calling the young ones "cheeky monkey". How come "monkey be abusive and not "bastard". Because aussies think so ???????
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I agree with Aggers that the example being set is appalling. My nine year old plays in a cricket league and I am constantly shocked by the behaviour of some of the children (and parents) who you can see are mimicking their 'heroes'. One parent during one game bluntly told me that 'All's fair in love and war and this is war!". I had to point out that it wasn't, it was a cricket match between nine year olds! I don't mind healthy competition but at the moment it feels as though the spirit of cricket is in danger of being damaged beyond repair and the initial damage is being caused at the top!
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A thought provoking article. I thoroughly agree with Aggers. I don't mind the Aussies playing hard but they have to accept the rough with the smooth, at the moment they don't and they don't seem to understand other teams coming hard at them (see Ponting’s childish outburst at the use of sub fielders in the '05 ashes/Hayden's squaring up to S. Jones in the preceding one dayers).
Aside from the Aussie issue, it is about time the ICC grew a spine, they consistently shirk the big decisions, they are, as Aggers rightly points out, a slave to the big Asian tv/sponsorship money, this is dangerously undermining the game, surely the powers that be need deposing.
I also believe India are behaving in an outrageous manor, it is seems they are trying to exhibit their influence on world cricket for the world to see. Im sure if England behaved in the same way, everybody else would simply laugh at us.
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Totally agree Aggers!! Can you imagine the furore that would be caused if FIFA dropped the worlds best refferee (e.g. P-L Colina) before the world cup final, just becasuse Brazil don't like him. Basically it wouldn't happen.
I do think though that this issue should never have got any further than a reporting to the ICC though. No one can make a guilty judgement with 'one word against another' and zero evidence!!! It shoud have been dismissed with a severe warning to ALL teams about future conduct.
However, the ICC have been incredibly weak in this case. I agree that it would be damaging for the tour to be suspended (as if that would ever happen when Indias board are obssessed woth cash like most), but how can the ICC not support thier officials??
Symonds and the rest of the Aussies can't complain about the alledged 'words said' as THEY created the situation themselves. At times they are brilliant and exceptional, but how can they let themselves down so much? Ponting and Symonds have an arrogance that goes way too far.
It's time for the ICC to stand up and put a stop to the threats we've seen from India & Pakistan, and surely others in the future. Teams with issues with officials need to follow due process. If teams want to pull out of a tour to make a stand against umpires and match referees, let them, and let them take the financial hurt!!!
LC
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Sadly Jonathan has got it right on the spot. I enjoy cricket because traditionaly it has been such a gentleman's sport with standards much higher than say football. However if this mess is not sorted out the game of cricket could well go the way of so many other major sports.
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Good article Aggers! Like you said, this Australian team is one of the greats (in cricketing terms) but their behaviour in this test was nothing short of a disgrace. India are no angels either and what should have happened is that Ponting and Kumble should have got together and made sure their teams behaved.
When I was younger, I was in awe of the West Indian teams of the 80s, who played hard cricket on the pitch but were gracious off it. There is no doubt some of these Australians are world class but their 'win at all costs' attitude lets them, and cricket down
If Symonds was racially abused, he should come out and say so. As far as I am aware, it is only Ponting and other Australian players that have confirmed this whilst Symonds has been unusually quiet.
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Although Australia play the game 'hard' meaning that they try to upset the opposition and don't walk when they're out. They don't complain when they get a few bad decisions - for example the 2005 Ashes series.
Australia got a few clangers at crucial times but they didn't then demand that the umpires were not used for the next game.
There are always bad decisions, its only when someone makes the most of like Symonds did that people perceive an injustice.
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While Jonathan is right to point the finger at the players, there is far more to it than that; the ICC has consistently, over the last few years refused to tackle serious issues like this (Zimbabwe to name just one other). When a governing body repeatedly shows itself to be toothless and gutless it is inevitable (albeit regrettable) that the individual boards will take advantage. The changes required to make cricket once again a by-word for sportsmanship and fair play have to be initiated from the top.
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Absolutely spot-on and unfortunately this behaviour is then replicated at the grass roots / club level of the game.
Having played cricket for the last 25 years I have to say that in the last 2 seasons I have seen some of the worst behaviour in my club career and a win at all cost attitude that is beyond belief.
Bucknor's removal is a big cause for concern and Dicky Bird called for the umpires to take a stronger line and get the captains together to sort out this nonsense.
However, after what happened to Hair then I can quite why umpires are shying away from this - otherwise it could be the end of their careers.
How about if Billy Bowden and the other umpires supported Bucknor and refused to take his place as a show of solidarity? That would cause the ICC a few issues and face up to their responsibilities.
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Bucknor, was held in high regard, as one of the best umpires in my opinion until a few years ago.
But if you have seen his decisions over the past couple of years, they show the decline in the standard. Sure, it took one controversial test for people to get him down from his high pedestal, but the blame for that surely shouldn't lie with the Indian management.
Bucknor may be well past his expiry date and like most cricketers, playing well past their expiry is just a painful experience for everyone involved. This test should've been remembered for VVS/Sachin/Hayden's wonderful batting and Lee/RP/Kumble's bowling, however all that remains is the memory of Msrs Bucknor and Benson and the missed opportunities.
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The amount of support that Test match umpires are getting from cricket's governing bodies at present is at the very least disappointing.
In the latest test between India and Australia, it appears that India have had the major share of bad luck/decisions. However, for the good of the game major cricketing nations should not be allowed to pressurise governing bodies into acting against umpires. Umpires that make difficult decisions in a fraction of a second (yes it is easy to huff and puff after 12 TV replays from every angle imaginable!)
Umpires need support - especially when difficult and sometimes controversial decisions have been made (i.e. Darrly Hair). If umpires genuinely have the support of the sport's governing bodies then they may even be able to stand up to such gamesmanship and pressures as outlined by Jonathan Agnew safe in the knowledge that there actions will be backed.
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I have to admit to being staggered by the response this recent test in Sydney has produced. From reading the comments of not only this blog, but many others in different countries, you would forgiven for thinking hostilities had been declared between both countries.
I have been an avid follower of cricket for over 35 years and have always thought that society reflected itself in cricket rather than the other way round.
Is it not a symptom of modern society that we are encouraged to compete and win at all costs? Are we not told from a young age that we must strive to be the best, to push yourself harder than the next person if you want to succeed? If this is so, why should cricket, and indeed cricketers, be any different.
For so long the Australian cricket team has been admired for these qualities yet now they are being admonished.
Oversteppiing the boundries of fairness? This can be measured by ones own standards. Hands up who of you has never stepped over the line.
Burning effigies, threats to cancell tours, counter claims, bullying governing bodies into demoting officials.... Sounds like a normal day in the Commons to me.
Grow up boys
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Dear Craig Thomas, what is it about "That, of course, does not offer any defence for racism. If Harbhajan Singh did racially abuse Symonds, he must be punished for it." that isn't clear?
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Great comments Aggers. It totally agree with you. The worrying think is that England have tried copying this aggressive style recently (since Duncan Fletcher left?)with the "Jellygate".
Its even more ambarassing when England do it as they cant back it up with the quality of play that the Aussies do. Certainly i would not want to be an umpire nowadays with what appears to be little backup form the governing body who bows to every team that sulks. A dire state of affairs where player power is starting to harm the game in the same way it has in football.
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First of all, i'd like to make it clear that the achievments of what is, in my view the finest Cricket team I have ever witnessed, should not be overshadowed by this whole episode. However, when even the normally bullish Aussie media are questioning the sportsmanship of Australia's on field sledging antics, you realise that it has gone too far and it is time that the authorities try to stamp it out.
Furthermore, an insult is an insult, whether it is a racial slur or not. In my view, the over the top verbals given to the Indian team are just as disgusting as what Harbhajan is alleged to have said to Symonds. Players of all nations need to realise that this is professional sport, not the playground.
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John, knows what he is talking about, he is angry at what happen, though I must say his article above is all over the place and is lacking coherence.
He jumped from think skinned aussies, to justifying the ban on Singh, to Bucknors removal
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"How dare the game be held to ransom in this way." What does that mean? How dare the game [hold itself to ransom]??
There's something amiss with your syntax here, Mr Agnew. You've got a passive voice with an implied subject that is the same as the object!! Who are you charging with doing the holding? And who is doing the editing at the Beeb these days?
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I'm a West Indian so if Harbajan did racially Symonds it especially resonate with me. However, what is clear is that Australia are truly pathetic to behave so abominably and then 'run' to the ump, when their feelings are hurt. I remember also the Glen Mcgrath/Sarwan incident in Antigua. It seems that there is a sledging rule book that only the Aussies have a copy of!
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As you have said the Darryl Hair situation has now opened the flood gates for all countries to continue whining about the umpires to get them changed for a more "sympathetic" umpire? At the end of the day we are all human and make mistakes. At the end of each test the umpires performances are logged and there performance over a period of time should be used to determine which games they can officiate in. It should not be done over a beer or glass of wine straight after one game.
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Spot on as usual Aggers. Only the players will change this present situation. Once they begin to walk when they have edged the ball then integrity will return to them and the game. Do not complain about umpires making mistakes when you are happy to cheat. Symonds hit it and knew he hit it, he accepted that the umpire was mistaken. Why then when players are willing to accept that do they not accept it when umpires make mistakes and give them out. They cannot have it all ways. Steve Bucknor will have made more than 5,000 decisions (5 days 45 overs a day from his end therefore 1350 front foot decisions, the same number of where did the ball pitch decisions and the same did he hit it, was it missing or going over decisons) in that match and got 2 wrong, yet he is incompetent. A batsman faces 200 balls scoring a hundred and makes one mistake, the one that gets him out, yet he is a hero. And once again the ICC show themselves the moral guardians of the game, bowing to pressure from the sub continent and afraid of the loss of television revenue. Shocking but not unexpected.
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When did 'not walking' become bragging about surviving through a bad decision ? Symmonds should be publically reprimanded for that whatever the racism charge (and that should be taken seriously as well).
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I agree with most of Jonathan's comments, however I must say that I find the continual defence of the unpires disappointing. Some of the deicisions were absolutely SHOCKING! For example, the Dravid and Ganguly dismisalls on the final day, not to mention the Hussey and Symmonds deicision. I mean how can Mark Benson give Ganguly out without referring it to the 3rd umpire. The ball DID NOT carry. These combined with the fact that deicisions went for Australia (Ponting and Symmonds on day 1 and Hussey in the 2nd innings) there was absolutely no chance of a fair result. Cricket is a sport, where was the sportsmanship.
If umpires cannot handle the pressure then they should be dropped. SIMPLE.
If players can't handle the pressure then they get dropped so why not umpires to?
Fair enough a bad deicision here and there is bound to occur, but so many errors in such a short space of time. DISGRACEFUL.
Australia are a great cricket side but they are setting a very bad example to cricket fans. Also if Harbhajan has said what he did, then there is no question he should be banned, but after seeing their performance in the 2nd test would you take their word for it?
I personally would not.
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If the Australians did not have a win at all cost attitude which includes constantly abusing and belittling their opponents this situation would not have arisen. Yest the aussies have great players which makes it all the more surprising that they have to intimidate the umpires and abuse their opponents so. They are constantly saying awful things about shagging an opponents wife and that type of thing then when you respond they report you to the match referee. Why can't they just use their skills!!!
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Well said Jonathan
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I also agree with everything Jonathan has said about the present Australian cricket team. It goes without saying they are incredibly talented and because of this I feel saddened that they resort to the vicious goading tactics that are clearly part of their psyche. It must be stamped out for the future of the game because if not I can see the Indians and other cricketing teams boycotting Australia altogether. Now that would be a tragedy.
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Mr Agnew does not go far enough. The fault does lie with the players, but more can be done by the officials. Symonds could be banned for cheating. The Australian team could be reprimanded for aggressive behaviour with the umpire. The match referee could make clear that any offensive remark will be severely dealt with. Why just latch onto politically-correct issues of race? What about if a player suggests carnal relations with one's mother. Not racist, but deeply personally offensive and just as worthy of a ban. There are confused double standards at play here, and the governing bodies need to think about what their stance is going to be in the future. A clear signal should be given that winning only counts when it is done through being better. Winning through cheating is worthless.
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Agnew, I don't understand why sacking Bucknor is a short sighted approach?
Over the last few years he is consistently very poor with so many bad decisions.
If a refree makes a mistake in a premiership game then he is demoted the next week to a championship game, so why not umpires in Cricket have the same accountability.
Because of his poor umpiring, now an interesting series on card was reduced to a mere boring series. If India has won that game, they would have gone to the perth game with so much confidence and the upset was a real possibility. Now only 4-0 is a possibility.
Umpires must be accountable and the decision to sack is was a step in the right direction.
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I agree that no single cricket board should have the power to influence the ICC unilaterally. However, I believe some fault lies with the quality of Umpiring.
Like players , clearly umpires have their sell-by dates. On the evidence of the the Sydney test, aging umpires on a small "elite" panel making inexcusable mistakes consistently will shake the confidence of any cricket player or board.
The ICC or some combination of cricket boards should implement either better technological support for umpires, a referral system, and/or a rotation system where umpires are "dropped" following categorically poor performances.
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Good points well made Aggers.
I was really looking forward to this series, but now cannot wait for it to end and fear that the Indians think the same.
We cannot blame the umpires for making genuine mistakes. As long as players claim catches they know not to be true, mouth obscenities when lbw decisions are turned down (viz Ponting vs Dravid in 2nd innings), it is inevitable that mistakes will be made
This is all going to end in the loss of the spirit of cricket, and constant referals to replays.
Ashes 2009 should set the standard. No sledging and batsman told by both captains to walk. Otherwise the game we have today will be lost
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I very much agree with Jonathan.
What is so disappointing is that we have a situation in current world cricket where one team (Australia) is so far above all the others in ability that they could set an example of fair play and good sportsmanship while still staying well ahead of the competition. As it is, their "aggressive" attitude becomes the standard that lesser teams will see as an integral part of their success and try to copy. What a lost opportunity to reverse the unsavory practices that have crept into the name under the guise of "professionalism"!
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A truly wonderful explanation for anyone who doesn't know what's been going on. Congratulations to Jonathan Agnew. However I would go further and comment that the apparent lack of leadership by the ICC on numerous issues in recent years, over possibly 7 or 8 years lies at the heart of this. Many members have been able to follow self interest without having the welfare of the game at heart meant that the Darryl Hare affair was a volcano waiting for it's moment to explode.
The lack of leadership over the issue of Zimbabwe made a mockery of the World Cup in South Africa. Whilst fault for the poor management and planning of the last World Cup has to fall at the feet of the ICC. True, the players must shoulder the blame, but where is the foresight that guardians of the game should be expected to have
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You do make some excellent points in this article. Players cannot continue with this current atmosphere of intimdation and this doesnt include just the australians (sreesanth is a good example). I believe this has arisen as one team has used these tactics to gain an advantage so other teams feel compelled to do so to go an even footing (which is understandable)
However I have to disagree with some of the points you made here.
What you are proposing is to make umpires unqestioned in their decisions. This will work for the good of the game in the vast majority of cases. However as you so rightly pointed out umpires do make mistakes. If they are allowed to get away with such mistakes how can they counted on not to let their standards drop?
Also please explain to me how it is in the spirit of the game when the umpires took the word of one team over an other team (whose case was pitched by 2 arguably the greatest batsmen who has ever lived and by a captain bowler who is respected for his honesty and integrity all over the cricketing world)
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I agree with much of what Jonathan has said in his Blog. I am deeply concerned about the way the ICC seem to be influenced by the more powerful cricket boards.
Daryl Hair's removal from the international umpires list was an appauling decision leaving the way forward for India effectively to remove Steve Bucknor.
I truely hope that the ICC's "Leadership" finally show some backbone and re-instate Bucknor before their authority is completely undermined and cricket suffers.
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Totally and utterly agree with everything said. When I have argued this case, a common response has been 'It's not just the Australians that do it', often referring me back to the Simon Jones / Matthew Hayden incident and 'Jellybeangate' at the Oval last summer. Yes, this is true, but the Australians are by far the worse offenders. Ricky Ponting is a fantastic player, one of the best I have seen in my lifetime, but for me he will never be a true great because of the way he and his Australian team have totally ignored and trampled all over the spirit of cricket.
With the regards to the treatment of Steve Bucknor - this is ridiculous. The more that this happens, the more that cricket will become like football - in the sense that the clubs (or board in this case) have far more power than they should. (I am not biased here either - I am just as passionate about football as I am about cricket). This is also the case with the players, Ricky Ponting and his team have put pressure on the umpires, and unfortunately it seemed to work.
This is a very bad time for cricket.
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Its just so disappointing to know that these all so called world class players talk about integrity and they themselves flounder on the same issue.
The point is australians play hard, no doubt about it but they dont play it fair.
The second test match has shown how the once called gentlemen's game has degraded to such a low level. Shame on the players and the administrators of the game who have brought this game into disrepute.
The other point i would like to raise is if the technology is available why not use it. many would argue that it would take the importance of umpires out of the game but i dont believe so. there is nothing wrong in refering to a TV replay if an umpire is not sure about the decision he is supposed to make. I think the umpires themselves should take up this issue and force ICC to bring in the TV replay technology.
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I agree with Jonathan, the players are at fault. Bottom line - if India had won the Test, they're players and fans would not have reacted so violently to the poor umpiring decisions throughout the match. There has always been sledging and occasional bad umpiring in Test cricket, they should swallow the pill and get on with the series. As for the Australians, I fear that Ricky Ponting has become too precious about his team and its achievements throughout the last few years.
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Re: Craig Thomas
I don't think Jonathan in being biased, I think he is speaking the truth and he would and has been just as critical of England. Why can't the Aussies take criticism in any shape or form?
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Congratulations Mr Agnew for having the courage to say what the rest of the world is thinking, all bar Mr Thomas above by the sounds of it who is no doubt an Australian. I would not defend Singh, if indeed he did abuse the Englisman Andrew Symonds, but that the manner and spirit that the Australian cricket team now play their cricket can be seen throughout the world, from the current crop of international test players, to the young lads on the village green, this is unnaceptable in the extreme. We cannot let the sacred game of cricket go the same way as other mainstream sports I could mention where it is usual and seemingly acceptable to question the umpires decisions at every juncture. I say come down on Singh if it can be proved that he abused Symonds, if not, get back on the park and put your dummies back in your prams.
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Craig Thomas misses the point completely.
"Mr Agnew seems to gloss over this point and as is typical looks instead to 'aussie bash'. I wonder how many English cricketers appeal vigourously or not walk when they know they hit the ball.".
The issue was Symonds went onto to gloat to the media that he was out but did not walk. THAT is the difference.
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I'm sorry Craig, but this was hardly aussie bashing! Agnew also points out that other teams play beyond the spirit of cricket, and also said himself if Harbhajan did racially abuse Symonds, he should be punished! Hardly a biased comment.
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None of the articles that I have read on this really gets to the heart of the matter here. The problem is that the people who dole out punishments and rulings on players are predominently of European origin. Any decision doled out or blessed by such a beauracracy will always be viewed with suspicion - sometimes rightly and sometimes wrongly- by the south asian nations. It is no surprise that that these feeling will persist given the long clonial histories that the south asian nations have. So a south asian team that hijacks the game is not culpable, but the clonial beauracrcy must change.
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While Agnew as has been the wont sides with the Ump, belittling the Indian team, it is noteworthy point he should look into that mistakes happen, once or twice, but if they continue against one team persistantly then it has a grey shade associated to it.
Bucknor obviously has crossed the line. His refusal to call the 3rd ump at the contentious stumping, smacks of contrmpt for Indian team and indeed arrogance.
The thinking in his head seems to be if he continues pandering to teams like AUS nobody can touch him and he could continue his career.
There is more than meets the eye and Mr. Agnew you need to open yours too.
You need to call spade a SPADE!!
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There's no evidence whether Harbhajan Singh abused Symonds. Basically Proctor has told the Indians that regardless of anything, he would always take the word of an Aussie over an Indian. Harbhajan does not have the most integrity as a cricketer, but neither do the Aussies. However Tendulkar does. I think Harbhajan was really getting under the Aussies skin with comments in the media especially about Ricky Ponting, so it was convenient to lay blame on him. Stump mic would surely have picked something up if he had said something, so to the person below who has said he has racially abused Symonds, choose your words more carefully. Nothing was proved, Proctor simply stated he felt the Aussies were more trustworthy, and naturally there were more of them on the field at the time, so India didnt have a chance of defending themselves. Will be interesting to see how Hogg defends himself, as their whole team will rally around him as well. Also I think Ponting needs to get off his high horse. During the 2005 Ashes he criticised Vaughan for not accepting his proposal on dubious catches, and Vaughan quit rightly told him where to go. India and Kumble were perhaps a bit naive, but even so, if you make such proposals then you ought to stick to them. You can't suddenly decide to abandon it when it when you need 7 wickets in a session to win a test match and it suits you! He also still denies that his side blatently cheated. Ponting is a great batsman, but he is a hypocrite and needs to learn a thing or two about respect. He's not worthy of tying Steve Waughs shoelace. Gilchrist also, someone who I thought was honest due to his walking policy showed his true colours. He was appealing for catches which had cannoned into the ground, as well as those that had clearly missed the match. If England lost the Ashes in such fashion there would also have been outcry, maybe more due to the magnitude.
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Mr Thomas also seems to be missing the point - or rather - the paragraph below the "They can give it, but can’t take it" comment.
He said, "That, of course, does not offer any defence for racism. If Harbhajan Singh did racially abuse Symonds, he must be punished for it".
He's not 'glossing over' the racism issue at all. The article's not about the racism, but about player behaviour (and in that, he has reason to 'aussie bash')and that the decision to remove Bucknor was a wrong one - see the title.
It's a blog. It's not supposed to be unbiased.
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The umpires must use technology and referrals when it is available to them. Umpires need to take more control on the ground and talk to the captains if there is excessive or inappropriate appealing and the third umpire should be able to initiate this action. Captains, vcs and senior team administrators should be given crash courses in cultural understanding and sensitivities on the sports ground when visiting/playing other countries.
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I think the Test Captains have to form a group that can stand up to their national associations, and get rid of unseemly behaviour like slegding through gentlemen's agreements. In the first instance, at least.
I am surprised the ICC is inviting another lawsuit from Bucknor if he never umpires another India match. You'd think they wouldn't want to burn themselves _yet again_ in the courts.
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I think this is a well balanced and intelligent comment put forward by Aggers.
The spirit of the game is being eroded by many, but I have to point the finger at the Australian cricket team as the major cause and culprits for this.
As a collective, as a team, as a pack, they verbally abuse their opponents relentlessly, pressurise the umpire and lie to obtain wickets. They obtain an advantage such that other teams have to respond to if they are to compete.
The Australians may have displayed the spirit of the game on occasion, but how many times have they done so in pressure situations? It is easy to walk when your team is 450 for 6 and you have scored a century. It is easy to not claim a catch when your opponents are 150 for 7.
When there superiority is threatened, they revert to a bunch of yobs. Screaming, swearing, shouting and glaring.
Sure other teams have crossed the line - Jellygate being an example, but none with the ferocity and regularity of the Australians. Secondly Sreesanth, Nel, Prior, and similar players are individuals. Their teams do not act in the same way they do.
Ricky Ponting said of his run out by Gary Pratt - "I think it's an absolute disgrace the spirit of the game is being treated like that. It is within the rules; it's just not within the spirit of the game." How very ironic.
P.S.> Andrew Symonds has proven himself to be a monkey, not for any racial connotations, but for gloating about the catch behind - which is a pretty apeish thing to do.
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As ever, spot on Jonathan. The point you make about powerful cricketing nations being able to hold the game to ransom by demanding that an umpire be removed if they make a wrong decision is a crucial one.
The last few years have seen a steady decline in the respect afforded to umpires at international level, with 'Ovalgate' and this most recent case being the most high profile examples. Teams should NEVER be allowed to pressure the ICC into removing an umpire. The complaining country is effectively changing the playing conditions, and affecting their neutrality. The ICC, as we have seen time and time again, will always take the easiest option to diffuse the situation in the short term, without thought for the long term future of the game.
It is so sad that cricket at international level is turning into 'just another sport'. Cricket is in danger of its most integral characteristics: honesty and mutual respect.
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It is not aussia bashing even a poll in the australian paper says that with 80% they dont play within spiritof the game, i dont beleive for one minute symonds made up the alligation and theindian guy should be banned , i hate it how the icc bows down to pressure from india, both teams should be ashamed of there behaviour but for totally different reasons, whyis it contstantly thesse two teams that cause agro, poor steve bucknor, what a disgrace removing him, its such a shame for cricket, i love australia and australians but the cricket teamwill win anyway they can, fair or fowl, even many cricket reporters want ponting sacked at captain, and india once again just come across as cry baby's as they are getting spanked, cant both teams just grow up,
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I would agree with much of the sentiment here, although I disagree with your view on the racist outburst - racism everywhere cannot be condoned for any reason whatsoever, no matter if the player in question had been receiving sledging all match for 5 days.
I do however agree that it is disgraceful that a complaint by the indian cricket board has led to an umpire being removed from the next test. Bucknor is the most experienced umpire in the world, and has no allegiances to anyone - tell me that there haven't been matches where india have received the rub of the green, resulting in a victory for them. It is unfortunate that so many wrong decisions happened to one side, but the australians did have a couple against them as well, and before anyone says 'but those decisions didn't change the match,' its because the aussies picked themselves up, got on with it, and then when they got the fortunate umpiring decisions, they ruthlessly drove the advantage home.
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"How dare the game be held to ransom in this way." What does that mean? How dare the game [hold itself to ransom]??
There's something amiss with your syntax here, Mr Agnew. You've got a passive voice with an implied subject that is the same as the object!! Who are you charging with doing the holding? And who is doing the editing at the Beeb these days?
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My 10 year old son, an avid cricket fan and young player, was appalled when he saw the interview with Andrew Symonds, who acknowledged he had got away a catch behind the wicket. "Daddy, isn't that cheating?" he asked. What kind of example are these cricketers setting to the future of the game?
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Typical one-eyed aussie response to criticism by C Thomas
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Craig Thomas, Agnew wrote:
"That, of course, does not offer any defence for racism. If Harbhajan Singh did racially abuse Symonds, he must be punished for it."
He also states that it is not only the Aussies guilty of this.
However I think you are missing his key point here, that much as the Australian team is brilliant, they have stepped, or more accurately long jumped, over the line of what is reasonable and sportsmanlike. The tenacity and desire of the team to win is admirable, the methods they have used recently anything but.
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Craig Thomas should read the column again to see that at no point does Johnathan Agnew detract from the seriousness of racial abuse. Instead he looks at the factors that may have led to Harbajan reacting in the way he did and if Craig can not see that since the days of Steve Waugh that the aussies have behaved like school bullies then he is obviusly wearing rose tinted specs.
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Sorry Aggers, you miss the point. The game of cricket in 2008 is a ferociously competitive arena played by athletes, unlike perhaps the English cricket of 20 years ago. Players and teams will try to take advantage of anything that will increase their chance of victory, even if only by fractions of a percentage point. The Aussies are simply the most extreme example of this. This whole melodrama in Sydney would not have happened had the correct umpiring decisions been made. Perhaps we need to have a sensible discussion about how this could be improved or made more accurate. Hawkeye has been around for long enough and like it or not, it is more accurate than any human being, perhaps the game (at international level at least) needs to embrace the technology that will bring it into the 21st century.
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the game is a metaphor of modern day life......
it is disintegrating before our eyes.
what a fantatstic example we are setting the next generation, our kids and our future??
I have nothing but contempt for most modern professionals (captained by Mr Ponting), they are louts: arrogant and full of their own self importance.
Too much money, no manners (eg. chewing gum, gobs open, like cows in a field), no respect (abusing umpires) and no brains....
Not so long ago the louts stood out, now it is difficult to spot the player who upholds the spirit of the game.
Shame on them all, no excuses they are responsible for the demise of a truly fantastic game.
Ban the lot of them!
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Well said Jonathon!!! Shame the authortise don't think like you.
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Post 2...Put your glasses ON, and read the piece properly! I have said it is not entirely an Australian thing. I have said that if Harbhajan racially abused Symonds, he must be punished.
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I agree with Jonathan on some points.
Yes, Umpires always do mistakes but not like this test and that also in favor of one team.
I love to hear your analysis on BBC.But either you did not see the match or do not want to blame umpires for their deliberate decisions.
You should write about What action should be taken against those bias umpires?
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Jonathan I agree with a lot you say, however in any job if you make a huge blunder then you are accountable. Umpiring is no different. If you make a mistake then that is human but if you don't follow the rules then your are incompetent or need a course to refresh yourself just as in any other profession. I have not heard Bucknor apologise for his errors.
By giving Dravid out because Ponting says so is outside the rules. The umpire needs to be sure himself before giving a player out.
Let us keep race issues separate from Umpiring.
On the race issue I agree if there is evidence that can be verified then fine. But there is none.
As Tony Greig said when things get tough for the Aussies they do resort to practices that can upset the opponent. Harbajan is a passionate young man and stakes are high for him as they are for others but you can't penalise him for something that can't be proved.
Finally the Aussies are one of the worst sledgers and some of the things they say can be very offensive. So do I feel sorry for the mess the Aussies have created themselves? No and neither do the people in Australia, based on press reports.
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In reply to Craig Thomas #2 Jonathan made it quite clear that he did not excuse racialist remarks and that they should be punished. However I believe that it is the umpires duty to police these remarks and not that of the players. Perhaps then the umpires would be held in the respect they deserve. The media too must take its share of the blame for highlighting every umpiring mistake even if it is only apparent on replays
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I agree with parts of the article in that it is the players who make the situation occur in the first place.
Also if Harbhajan has commited an offense he should be punished as long as there is eveidence in place otherwise its unfair to have one mans word against another!
I feel that India did bully the ICC into making the decision to withdraw Steve Bucknor but i felt that this was neccessary.
In football if a team were hard done by bad decision making in a game they would not want that official to be incharge in the next game. Bottom line is that Steve Bucknor made two very serious mistakes which evidently swayed the outcome of the match!
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Couldn't agree more Aggers..
I have watched alot of Australia playing cricket in the last 3 or 4 years.. What irritates me the most.. is the way the team thinks it is acceptable to verbally abuse batsman.. then when someone has the bottle to bite back or refuses to be bullied... they spit the dummy out... just ask Sarwan, Vincent, Pieterson, harbhajan, sreesanth (under constant provocation), Graeme Smith (no angel himself)...
What the Aussies forget is that Sport goes in cycles.. they may be enjoying their golden generation currently. but when this ends... which it will... there are going to be a lot of people around the world wanting to rub their noses in it..
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Mr Thomas obviously has some problems with recognising the faults of the Australians, and the point of this article. It is their intensity, and win-at-all-costs mentality that has raised the bar in world cricket, but ultimately to the games detriment. Sure, a player who edges the ball and is not given out is not obliged to walk, but it is definitely not in the spirit in the game, and it was the Australians such as Steve Waugh who set a precedent for only leaving the crease when explicitly being given out. The other example from the recent test match was Clarke vehemently claiming that he had taken a slip catch cleanly off Ganguly, who was going well on 51, when it clearly bounced before his hands. Fair enough if he wasn't sure, but that doesn't mean that both he and Ponting can tell the uncertain umpire that it was definitely out, especially with Ganguly (quite rightly in this instance) standing his ground. This Australian side is talented enough to win without such hard-nosed, unsporting play exhibited there, and perhaps more players generally should follow the example of Gilchrist, who I believe is the only player who can be relied on to consistently walk....
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I agree with Jonathan on some points.
Yes, Umpires always do mistakes but not like this test and that also in favor of one team.
I love to hear your analysis on BBC.But either you did not see the match or do not want to blame umpires for their deliberate decisions.
You should write about What action should be taken against those bias umpires?
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I disagree with Craig Thomas, in that whilst racism is bad and shouldn't be in the game, the PC brigade have a tendency to massively overreact things like racism. I believe the cheating perpetrated by Ponting and Symmonds was equally as bad. I'm not trying to ignore the racism, but if the media are to be believed there isn't even any proof that Singh said what was alleged, whilst it is plain as day that the Aussies were cheating! If Singh is guilty of racism then fair enough, but I believe some sort of retrospective punishment of cheaters should be also introduced.
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In truth, I think the crossroads was some years ago.
I would like to see the code of conduct changed to omit the words "on the basis of that person's race, religion, gender, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin."
it would then make an offence of
"using language or gestures that offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, threatens, disparages or vilifies another person."
On whatever basis. Trying to make your oponent play badly is the lowest of the low, worse than blatant cheating.
Sledging has gone too far and needs to be removed from the game. We need to see some of the appalling behaviour by cricketers stamped out. The Pakistan incident, englishmen throwing jelly beans on the wicket, now this. The deterioration in the conduct of the players must halt now. The only people who are going to achieve that is the ICC in partnership with the individual countries governing bodies. Symonds should be banned for not walking, Ponting should be fined for trying to unduly influence a decision with his finger gesture, and if they can PROVE what Harbhajan said, he should be banned for a long time also.
Every team playing international cricket needs to take a long hard look at themselves. They have behaved shamefully and cricket will disappear if it continues.
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I think Jonathen has expressed a very balanced opinion. Though a number of mistakes were maded by the umpire, the ICC should not have replaced Bucknor or atleast not after they said he was going to officiate.
As an Indian fan, I am happy to say that the this Australian team is one of the finest in terms of cricketing capability.
However they do not play the game like Gentlemen. I have always admired their desire to win. But the sight of Ricky Ponting raising his finger like an umpire for debatable catch that sometimes even fielders themselves cannot be sure was caught cleanly made me sick.
For Mike Proctor then to take the word of Ricky Ponting who we all now know, will do anything to win over sachin's who was Harbhajan, without any other proof smacks of imcompetence at best or racism at worst. Ricky ponting wanted to unsettle Harbhajan and break the partnership. Remember the famous (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underarm_bowling_incident_1981).
However the loser in this incident is the game of Cricket (ICC) and it is the players (who are paid a lot of money) who should take the blame for this.
In India, cricket means a lot to us. We may not win every match and we will give our players a lot of stick if they loose but we would not like to see them being treated unfairly.
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I must agree with Jonathan.
The game of cricket has been played in a poor spirit for some time; no nation can be exonerated from that, but the Australians are by far the worst culprits.
How can a team that fought the 2005 ashes with such determination, but reapect and decency for their apponents decend to, what in my eyes amounts to cheating.
That is what I call someone that knows he is out but stands there anyway and gloats when he is not given.
Mr Ponting and his men now need to look very hard in the mirror.
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I completely agree with all the comments made by Johnathan Agnew regadrding the way this current situation has been handled by the ICC and the Indian and Australian players.
When the sports ruling body is not strong enough to stand up for the true traditions and spirit of the game, it is not surprising the situation has escalated. My biggest fear is it could result in controversial decisions occuring more frequently, with no firm action taken by the authorities. At its worst, it could result in divisions between the different nationalities. If this occurs it will result in a more serious problem for the ICC to deal with.
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I completely agree. The decision to sacrifice the umpire last year was outrageous and it was totally predictable that it would set a precedent. The ICC has confirmed that it is nothing more than a glorified bowls club. It is time professional sport was administered by professionals.
Nigel Saunders
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This is reply to Craig Thomas..
When u point at indian crowd ..what about the austrialian crowd that gave racist treatment to SriLakan and South African team and target specific top player..what do u have to say about them...i know tht does not justify..wht is wrong is wrog..Do we have conclusive proof of what bajji said...for atleast one thing is sure we cannot take word of the concerned players symmonds who stand the ground when he was out 3 times or clarke who claims the catch when he had grassed. If that is the case what about Sachin's word...doesn't that accounts for?
Also, i wouldn't know how would have aussi react if these desicons where made againts auss batsmen. One can understand 1-2 can be mistake...but 8-9 cannot be mistakes..it called BIASED.
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Well said Jonathon!!! Shame the authortise don't think like you.
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Only after this incident involving Harbhajan and after reading articles written from various senior present-and-past cricketers, I have come to understand the extent of insults, sledging (that's what they call them), etc. that Australia indulges in on field. Is this Cricket? How can any self respecting cricketer not get outraged and loose his cool (and his wicket) when somebody insults his mother/sister/wife. SLEDGING needs to be rooted out of cricket. If this is the AUSTRALIAN way of playing cricket (and raising-their-kids as said by Alan Border) then AUSTRALIA needs to be told by the rest of the world that insulting and vitriol cannot be tolerated in matches involving International teams as this kind of behavior is simply not tolerated in other cultures. IF Australia has won their games by practicing this kind of psychological game on the field, then shame on them and the entire cricket fraternity for tolerating such an unacceptable behavior. I can't believe they call Cricket a genetlmen's game when the players cannot even respect each other.
One suggestion - in future, every batsman should wear a voice-recorder when playing so that all the insults, and abused hurled his way can be recorded.
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I agree largely with Aggers' comments. Bucknor had to be retained for the 3rd test.
One thing you've not mentioned is that not all Aussies have this attitude to walking... Gilchrist regularly walks and should be commended for doing so. It has not harmed his performances, average, respect within the cricketing community or the success of his team over a (frustratingly for an Englishman!) distinguished career.
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To Craig Thomas, if you're looking for unbiased reportage, take a quick look at the IRB Fair Play League. England are top, while Australia are at the bottom of the table, along with India. That would suggest that Australia aren't playing cricket in the spirit it was meant, as in other sports it is normal for the No. 1 team to be near the top of the Fair Play League, not the bottom.
Aggers admits that racial slurs are indefensible, but makes a valid point in asking what atmosphere would provoke such an awful response? Furthermore, this "monkey" comment remains unproven, aside from two Australians saying they heard it and three Indians (inc. Singh) saying he didn't.
A Gentleman's game no more.
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In reply to Craig, the orginal piece was about critisim of the umpires and not specifically about the racisim claims.
No one is Aussie bashing but history tells us the two countries who have had the most problems with racisim is Australia and South Africa. Anyone found guility (not on hearsay) should be punished with a ban. Remember Pakistan fans calling Sajid Mahmood a traitor in the last test series? Cricket doesn't need that type of support and doesn't need bullies who make other teams retaliate.
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Firstly Craig Thomas no one is disputing that IF Andrew Symonds was called a 'monkey' by Harbhajan then she should be punished but the point the Indians and many others are trying to make that has obviously gone over your head is that there was no conclusive evidence and they match referee went on the word of the Australian players which begs the question is the word of the Australian players more respected than that of the Indians or any other team...quite obviously not when looking at the dishonestly displayed by this team in this test match alone. To brandish someone a racist without any evidence is stupid and something that could dog them for not just the rest of career but the rest of their life and that amongst other much publicised issues is what the Indians are so incensed about.
Great column Aggers nice to see some unbiased commentary that looks at the bigger picture rather than some of the columns on a certain other cricket site (cricinfo).
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Craig Thomas refers to '.... tinted glasses Mr Agnew and try to provide unbiased comment'. It is a pity that he (Thomas) does not refer to the facts. J Agnew was highly critical of the behaviour of the English players last summer - and continues so to be. The point that needs to be emphasised is not only that Australia cheat, but that they gloat over their ability to get away with it. At the very least Ponting must have had doubts that he had taken that catch cleanly. In my mind he knew damn well that it was not out. He cheated. Symonds cheated. Clarke cheated.
It is a shame because this Australian team are not only the best of the present era but one of the best in the history of the sport. Sadly you could not give me enough money to watch them.
J Agnew is right .... something must be done now or the game is lost for ever. Why remove the umpire from the series and yet allow cheats to continue playing.
Finally, if there is proof that racist language is used in or even outside a match then that player should be banned for life irrespective of nationality.
Stephen Reeve
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Just come home from a tough day at work and enjoyed every word of your article aggers. A wonderful piece of literature you wrote there. Greetings from Norway
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Firstly racism has to be punished full stop.
Secondly (and far less importantly), cricketers from all countries cannot have it both ways. It seems to me that most international players try to con the umpires with ludicrous and constant appealing, claiming catches that aren’t and gloating when they “get away with one”. It seems almost as bad as football.
The point I am trying to make is that every instance of successful “cheating” means someone else feels cheated and they in turn blame the umpire.
Cricketers who play like this deserve everything they get. They alone have created the situation and only they can improve it. No doubt Symonds will be up in arms the next time he is given out incorrectly but he like the rest deserve everything they get.
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"But the real fault lies with the players – and it is their behaviour, attitude and respect for the game and its traditions that need urgently to be addressed"
The REAL fault of this now being a major issue between two nations lies with you and your colleagues. What was wrong with the time when these issues were sorted out internally .... instead of an incident involving two individuals (which nobody overheard)now being used to breed hatred.
What the press has done with this issue will be far more damaging and long-lasting than the incident itself.
Congratulations!!!!
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I don't think for one moment Jonathan is attempting to justify what Harbhajan Singh has been found guilty of, as Craig Thomas seems to consider. Indeed, Jonathan explicitly condemns it. His major point, which Craig Thomas seems content to gloss over is the attitude of the Australians, and their disprespect towards many of the conventions/norms of cricket. Not walking is one thing, which is fine, but for Symonds to then "visbly gloat" to the media is another. Playing competitively is one thing - playing the way the Aussies do, and its interesting to note they are roundly condemned in the Australian press is quite another, and is a backward step for sport in general.
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Though I am an Indian, I do agree with Mr Agnew's view that teams cannot dictate who officiates a match. But it is equally important that the standard of umpiring is maintained; just as no player, whatever his past performance, can take his place in a test team for granted, so it should be with the umpires. Moreover, I feel it is only a matter of time before television replays will be used for decisions such as doubtful catches and LBWs etc.- the technology already exists and seems to be well standardised.
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The real issue here is that the 'mistakes' are happening in one direction only, as they always tend to happen in Australia (even Bob Woolmer pointed it out a few years ago).
Saying umpires make mistakes is, in your own words, a 'cop-out' and a ridiculous diversion.
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The game of cricket is in danger of going the route of football, and the Aussies are leading the charge. For imagainary card waving in order to get players booked, read Ponting wagging a finger to try and get people called out. For simulation in order to win penalties/free kicks, read over-exuberant celebration to get people given out on grassed catches. It's a disgrace! And it's a disgrace that Bucknor has been dropped. Football referees are under constant pressure to try and call the right decisions and spot the deliberate cheating. Cricket umpires should not have to take on the added pressure of spotting this cheating.
I admit to a strong dislike of the Aussie cricket teams of old, but they always played within the spirit of the game, and let's be honest, they were bloody good. The current team is also bloody good, but with the exception of a select few, they are prepared to lie and cheat in order to win, and that's not right.
A "win at all costs" mentality may get you into the record books fellas, but mud sticks. And Ponting's team will now forever be remembered as an underhand, cinical team of cheaters.
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I don't agree with everything Jonathan has said. No doubt, racism should not be tolerated at all. However, the umpires also are responsible to some extent for the state of cricket at the moment. They should make use of technology to avoid gross mistakes. That will remove the source of the trouble to some extent.
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Aussies went overboard. They preach one thing but will do something else.
Agree Umpires will always make mistakes But not too.o many against ONE team in ONE test match. $440/hour sounds a hefty sum to make by the elite umpires to make mistakes against one team. I guess when we see the first mistake we should stop watching becoz we should know which way the game is going?
Some of the pundits like Tony Greig, Ian Chappell etc., have been calling for the ICC to revamp. What a great opportunity we hae now?
Sreesanth's shoulder barging incident was simply awful(i am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt possibly brain cramp for bowling the one feet no ball).
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Absolutely right Aggers. Ricky Ponting and his team, good though they are, need to remember that, as professional sportsmen, they are in the entertainment business. The way they play cricket removes the entertainment. Carry on like this and no-one outside Australia will turn up to see this snarling, wingeing bunch
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Absolutely spot on Mr Agnew, a brave and honest assessment of the Australian cricket team and those who think differently are in complete denial.
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This kind of thing has been threatening to happen for years in the way the Aussies sledge mercilessly. While undoubtedly any kind of racism should be exposed and the perpetrator dealt with in the harshest terms, it leaves the question why the comment was made in the first place. I find it rather sad and disingenous that Craig Thomas makes the point about 'English Glasses' - by all means play the game to win - but do so in a way that maintains respect for your opponent and the game itself. Otherwise, what's the point in playing? I've played in club games where I've seen opponents behave badly, such is their need to win - I want to win games I play in - but I don't want to lose the respect of the people I'm playing with and against in the process. Its not a case of English Glasses Mr Thomas - its about respecting the game and what it means - I wonder what the reaction would have been by the Australians if an English batsmen admitted doing what Symonds did when he was clearly out?
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I agree largely with Aggers' comments. Bucknor had to be retained for the 3rd test.
One thing you've not mentioned is that not all Aussies have this attitude to walking... Gilchrist regularly walks and should be commended for doing so. It has not harmed his performances, average, respect within the cricketing community or the success of his team over a (frustratingly for an Englishman!) distinguished career.
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Interesting comments. Crossroads, I think not, and I doubt the legacy of a fine team will be tarnished just because the Indians are such poor losers.
The match was marred by poor umpiring, resulting with poor player behaviour from both sides, but it was also marred by excessive beat-up of all incidents by the print and electronic media, aided by interminable replays which umpires currently don't have access to. Does anyone remember that it was one of the most thrilling and absorbing Test matches for years, with some superb performances? Tendulkar, Laxman, Hussey, Hayden, Symonds, Clarke, Lee, Kumble were all brilliant. The Singh incidient probably could have been handled without the need for formal charge.
I do hope the Indians show up for the Perth test because, aside from their hypocritical attitudes, they are the easily best team to come here in the last 10 years.
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Mr Agnew always speaks a lot of sense in my opinion, and although he may have glossed over the odd thing in his argument, his main point is well made. Cricket's current malaise is due to the poor behaviour of players. I'm sure very few genuine cricket fans would not agree that Australia are the main culprits. And the sad thing is they don't need to be, so far ahead are they of all the other test playing nations. Cricket, the sport I adore, is no longer a gentlemanly game at the highest level. In my opinion it was the sub-continent players who stopped walking in the 1980s, and now nobody walks, save perhaps Sangakkara and (ironically) Gilchrist (and Alec Stewart when he was playing). Now top players like Ponting, the world's best player, are appealing for catches that were grassed. I find it hard to understand how they sleep at night, knowing that their every move will be analysed to the nth degree by 10 replays. Players need to respect each other, the umpires, the laws and integrity of the game, walk when they've hit it, don't appeal when the batsman hasn't hit it, and take poor decisions with good grace. If they don't cricket will end up like football, Heaven forbid.
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Quite a few folks talk about being held ransom by BCCI.
Clarify few things:
About umpire change, After all the disgust of first days play any mindful umpire would refer a stumping appeal to the 3rd umpire.
Mr. Bucknor's ego, arrogance, bias or whatever is not fair something corrupt. How do we play such people as umpire.
Simon Taufel - is more than respected by any Indian - He did mistakes. We do understand error, But what happened in Sydney is bad.
Harbajjan issue,
Sachin and Harbajan claim they didn't
Ponting and few Aussie claim he did.
How is that proof enough to brand somebody "racist" for life.
Without all this hoopla, For life harbajjan will be attached as racist for a something no proof.
Do you really beleive Harbajjan is "racist", He is tempermental look at how he reacts when his teammates misfield or drop a catch.
I "assume" even Symonds wouldn't
have cared much, Except ponting with a arrogance, attitude called on all this.
Remove the Bucknor in Perth and Bajji guilt - Inspite of all the barbaric australian play would have continued the tour grudgingly.
Australia play hard, not fair.
Dravid's catch is good enough, Gilchrist could have seen contact clearly.
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Not only was Symonds guilty of extremely bad sportmanship but Ponting's lead in taking over from the umpire and his bleating about Harbhajan only adds to his growing list of black marks.
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Cricket is a form of entertainment and I wonder what kind of image these scandals portray to young kids? Indians are no angels, but, at the same time, they are not arrogant, wild and raucous like Aussies. The standard of behavior has gone down the drain in recent years and there is no room for cheating and Kumble is right that only one side played with that spirit.
Craig Thomas, dude, there is no evidence..read news again, its just that Match Referee took word of one group which means that Tendulkar who supported Harbhajan lied. See, history of Tendulkar, the guy whom Bradman compared with himself. See, who supported Ponting? Clarke, who even didn't leave the crease after he was clearly out in 2nd innings and Hayden, who is a dominating bullying figure on cricket field..Add Punter to that, who himself is not a great example..So, think before you write anything on this blog
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The stories you hear coming out from other players of Aussie sledging over the year, insulting players wives, saying they have slept with their wives, insulting their families etc is just as offensive as the alledged rascist comments of Harbigan. Whilst the rascism should be deplored and yes it should be punished, so should these other offensive comments which have been around for years. You can be sure that within this test match the Aussies emplyed some sledging, which would have been offensive to the players concerned, however they are not punished for this. I agree with Aggers, that they can take give it, but not take it, like all bullies
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Nobody but the players know if a racist comment was indeed used as the umpires don't know and the microphones seemingly didn't pick it up. All we can do is speculate the truth.
As for the way Australians play cricket which the article is actually about. I think it works and possibly represents some of the characters playing now, e.g Ponting isn't David Gower, but it definitely went too far in the last test from Australia. It's a shame that the sense of humour and sportingness that went with it has gone now, perhaps with Warney and others retiring? Ricky Ponting has also made a fool of himself now, as no one will trust him if he attempts to "verify" a catch again. He's even criticised in his own country so it isn't really Aussie bashing to say their antics did go too far in this test.
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Mr Agnew has has correctly assessed the problem. Its the businessmen who are running the show.I will add,in the Indian context, its now politicians who have also joined the party,and the aim to plunder the huge till they have created out of this cricket business.I certainlly approve youranalysis.
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Interesting comments. Crossroads, I think not, and I doubt the legacy of a fine team will be tarnished just because the Indians are such poor losers.
The match was marred by poor umpiring, resulting with poor player behaviour from both sides, but it was also marred by excessive beat-up of all incidents by the print and electronic media, aided by interminable replays which umpires currently don't have access to. Does anyone remember that it was one of the most thrilling and absorbing Test matches for years, with some superb performances? Tendulkar, Laxman, Hussey, Hayden, Symonds, Clarke, Lee, Kumble were all brilliant. The Singh incidient probably could have been handled without the need for formal charge.
I do hope the Indians show up for the Perth test because, aside from their hypocritical attitudes, they are the easily best team to come here in the last 10 years.
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I AGREED WITH THE COMMENTS OF JONATHAN AGNEW. "CRICKET IS THE GAME OF LORDS AND PLAYED BY GENTLEMEN". I AM SORRY TO SAY IT IS NO MORE A "GENTLEMEN`S GAME". I THINK ALL THE PLAYERS MUST BE STOPPED FROM SHOUTING,JUMPING AND PUNCHING IN THE AIR WHEN SOME ONE IS OUT.There are limit of every thing. THEY SHOULD HAVE WATCHED 1950-1960 CRICKET AND LEARNT FROM TEAMS OF THOSE DAYS.
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hello playmates,
i have to agree with jonathan the players never make a mistake, ever ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. the aussies want it both ways, they are acting like bullies, as soon as someone stands up to them and fights fire with fire they run home and hide behind mums skirt ( in this caes the umpires ). big load of kids the lot of um.
now that two teams have had umpires removed what future does this hold?, every time a team has a sticky descesion and goes behind they will run around shouting cheat and try to get officials removed, it is a very sad day for cricket and it needs correcting now
still chin up only 4 months till the english season starts.
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I appreciate that this will not be a popular thing to say, but...
If a racist remark was made towards Andrew Symonds or, indeed, anyone else, then it was wrong and should be punished. However, I suggest that 'monkey' is not necessarily racist – merely offensive.
The combination of his hairstyle and vast quantities of sunblock around the lips make Symonds look ridiculous in a way that other players do not. My opinion, you don't have to share it. It makes him a natural target for remarks centred on his appearance. It may be wrong to make any personal comments, but a lot happens in the heat of a moment and everyone is obsessive about racism, when this particular incident (and the spectator abuse in India) may have nothing to do with race.
I don't know the truth of this, and neither do you. Only the perpetrators know what was in their minds at the time they said the word monkey.
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I agree largely with Jonathan with his impartial views on the issue, which was truly a sad saga.
I truly admired the game of Waugh's team although at occasions it was right on the edge of the sporting spirit. And that's the difference between the Waugh's team and Ponting's team - Ponting's team just can't walk the fine line. Hiding the unfair game under the name of the much deserved 'hard' game is callous. Using and goading umpires, who for some reason have abhorrence for technology, just to score a win is not a game by any standard - even Australian standard.
I do agree that umpiring can be a tough task and a mistake here and there should be allowed in all the fairness of the game. This is not the first time mistake has been made and obviously not the last time. But what is shocking is that they kept repeating it without taking help of the third umpire and a feeling of bias was created in everyone that watched and heard the game. The match referee had a job to do here in order to bring the ethics back into the game but he failed to do so and watched it from outside. The failures of the official to nip it in time resulted in this outright revolt and the ICC will have to gulp it in all its humility.
Kumble and Sachin represent the humane face of the game and it is just fitting that the sports community support them by standing by them if we want the cricket to be played like gentlemen used to play. Kumble felt cheated by Ponting's volte face on his earlier promise of helping the umpire and Sachin felt cheated that his words before the hearing were not counted. In both the situations the cricket was compromised.
I just wish that the whole issue gets resolved and we witness some good games between the teams.
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MR. AGNEWS COMMENTARY AS USUAL HITS THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.
TEAM AUSTRALIA ITS TIME TO RID CRICKET OF SLEDGING. BEING WOLD LEADERS, PLS TAKE THE LEAD !
MR. HARBACHAN SINGH IF YOU DID INDULGE ON ANY RACIAL COMMENTS, SHAME ON YOU !
DISAGREE WITH YR COMMENTS ON MR. HAIR. HE MADE A DECISION WHICH HE WAS NOT ABLE TO SUBSTANTIATE. OVER A PERIOD OF TIME HE WAS THOUGHT TO BE RACIST AND THERE'S NO PLACE FOR RACISM IN CRICKET. GOOD RIDDANCE !
UNFORTUNATE THAT MR. BUCKNOR DID NOT HAVE A GOOD GAME. HE MADE A FEW REGRETABLE MISTAKES, BUT WHO DOESNT ?
UNFORTUNATE THAT HE WAS REPLACED.
MOST IMPORTANT AND SOMETHING THAT YOU DID NOT DWELL ON.
WITH ALL THE AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY WE HAVE WHY ISNT THE 3RD UMPIRE (TV UMPIRE ?) NOT ABLE TO OVER-TURN DECISIONS MADE ON THE PITCH ? THERE IS NO PERSON IN A BETTER POSITION TO SECOND GUESS HIS TWO COLLEAGUES ON THE FIELD THAN THE 3RD TV UMPIRE.
BY THE WAY, IM INDIAN.
THANKS
JEROME
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Absolutely spot on Aggers!!!!
I suggest Craig Thomas read the article again. Aggers clearly states that any racism should be punished.
Anyone who watched the 2005 Ashes could see that the Aussies, brilliant cricketers as they are, don't like it up em!!!!!
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It is not particularly novel to note that the Australians have been following the letter of the laws of cricket whilst ignoring the spirit of the laws for many years.
The most telling and, I hope, most lasting remark is that of Anil Kumble's who, consciously or unconsciously, echoed Bill Woodfull's summation of leg theory, another, older blight on the game.
The fact is that everyone who likes sports of all kinds instinctively knows what is and what is not cheating. Jardine knew he was cheating whilst not actually transgressing the laws of the game.
All those who watched it knew it too. The Australian public knew it and complained bitterly and rightly that it was 'not cricket'. The English public knew it, but were desperate 'to put one over the colonials' and accepted it as a necessary evil.
To their enourmous credit, the Australian public of today knows that Ponting's men are cheating without transgressing the laws of the game and are rightly criticising their own team for it.
Ultimately, Ponting and his team must decide whether to continue to behave in a manner they know to be wrong. Unlike leg theory, I cannot see a way to legislate for this sort of appalling behaviour.
In other words, if the Australian team choose to continue with their current standard of bad manners and ill grace, the rest of the cricket world will be faced with the unpleasant choice of aping Ponting, Symonds et al or of tolerating further losses.
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I do not agree with Mr Agnew. I may be biased because i am indian, but if you look at the umpiring error, it is completely unacceptable. why did the decisions not referred to third umpire when it is available. how can steve Bucknor ask fielders opinion (Ponting) before taking the decision? he could have instead referred to third umpire. also look at the way arrogance of Symonds when he stated that he was out, if he was rue sportsmen, he could have walked out just has Sachin had done on so many occasions. If you just support an umpire in spite of being wrong on many occasions then you are wrong. In Amrecian Footbal league, any decision can be challenged either by players or coaches. similarly in final phases there is automatic booth review. Finally, Pontng should take responsibility of begin captain f world champions and act accordingly.
Raj
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Nothing wrong with criticising mr agnew here craig althought i must say i agree with everything he has said and it's always refreshing to hear such honest truths but "Take off you English tinted glasses Mr Agnew" well you might as well be one of the cricketer with comments like that. the fact is that Australia play in the wrong spirit.they are fantastic cricketers, the best but their constant cheating is irritating. yes i use the word "cheating" but symonds laughs at cheating. moreover i was sickened to see anil kumble have michael clarke caught behind for a duck blatantly with the ball changing direction on the way to slip only to see "pup" not walking and putting on a show to the umpire as if to say i didn't snick it. thank God it was given out. keep up the superb work Agnew and co and i look forward to the test match special commentary on Englands tour to New zealand where im hoping the english batsmen get 100's and we don't find it difficult to bowl them out twice, if so i'll be worried.
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Excellent column. Sadly it applies to all sports, at almost all levels. In an after game confrontation at the U14 level my son's football (soccer) team had to call the police to restrain players and parents from the other team - and they had won!
From the 'professional' foul to the personal head butt, the steroids and the sledging, no sport is untouched.
As fitness levels dramatically improve, resulting in faster games, we have a balance in electronic helps: we should make use of these advances to aid the beluagured officials - and they have to ask for and be able to use the help that is there.
And the players need to realise that poor performances, personal and on and off the filed, will result in financial loss. How else will they get the message?
Lastly, perhaps we need commentary from those who did achieve greatness or captained wisely - Sobers, Mike Brearley etc - to bring back a sense of proportion.
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We live in a strange world.
One player calls an opponent a "monkey" - admittedly, not quite in the manner that thousands of exasperated parents across the world use the term against their bratty offspring every day - and he is punished. Rightly so, if proven guilty.
Another player calls his opponent a "b.....d" - a slur in any culture on the individual and his immediate family - and even if he is seen by millions on TV mouthing the word, it's brushed aside as "on-field banter".
It is indeed a strange world we live in !
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There's a huge difference - in my view - between a burning desire to win and a 'win at all costs' mentality. The Australians possess the latter and that is why they lost my respect some years ago.
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There has been no golden era of unselfish completely honest gentleman's cricket and there are plenty of books that document that. How does claiming a grounded catch compare with games thrown throughout cricket history? How does the Aussies current 'professionalism' compare with Botham and Richards' unprofessional 'antics' down at Somerset in the 80s. etc, etc.
Claiming catches that have obviously been downed is an area for the off field umpires. On field umpires should by the natural course of things be able to refer to the third umpire where there are doubts.
By the nature of the beast some catches will be hard to call and the batsman should be favoured. But cricket has always lived with benefit of the doubt decisions given by eye. HD TV is likely to improve the situation over the coming years.
Retrospectively if for some reason the catches are not referred and the fielder has obviously claimed a downed catch a warning is in order from the 4th umpire after play has finished.
Racism should be punished. And finally no team should be able to throw the toys out of the pram and threaten to go home, it's pathetic.
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The point about whether to walk or not walk is clear. Jonathan is not saying no-one else does it. He is saying that no-one goes on national tv, admits he hit it and then stands there smiling about it. That in a nutshell incapsulates the lack of respect for the game that the Aussies in particular, but many players in general now have.
To me, the captain must take the brunt here, as he is the man who has driven his side to this level. Indeed, even he runs at umpires waving his finger, or appeals for a catch when he knows it was grounded. Ponting is not leading as a man who has the values of the game at heart. His celebration at the end, along with that of all the aussies, was sickly. No Andrew Flintoff's offering hands of condolence etc.
The game is not what it was 15 years ago, and that is for two reasons - money, and the ICC have a lot to answer in that respect, and the Australian cricket team, who have taken the desire to win, abandoned it, and moved on to an unaccpetable deisre to win at all, and any, cost.
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Its an odd world we live in. It seems you can hurl any abuse you like at your opponents *providing* its doesn't have racial overtones but the moment any suggestion of racism is made all hell breaks loose. I'm not saying racial comments are acceptable but surely now is the time for better behaviour all round to be demanded and enforced.
For me, Ponting and Symonds are pretty much at the level of primary school playground bullies who, having continually wound up another child until they wildly lash out in frustration, then immediately run to the teacher in tears shouting "sir, sir, he hit me, he hit me!"
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Aussies went overboard. They preach one thing but will do something else.
Agree Umpires will always make mistakes But not too.o many against ONE team in ONE test match. $440/hour sounds a hefty sum to make by the elite umpires to make mistakes against one team. I guess when we see the first mistake we should stop watching becoz we should know which way the game is going?
Some of the pundits like Tony Greig, Ian Chappell etc., have been calling for the ICC to revamp. What a great opportunity we hae now?
Sreesanth's shoulder barging incident was simply awful(i am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt possibly brain cramp for bowling the one feet no ball).
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Well done Aggers.
I only wish you were still capable of hurling down bouncers at over 100 mph.
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what is so sanctimonious about the removal of a nonperforming and probably biased(against india) "senior" umpire.. is it an imposition of the culture of the raj wherein authority is paramount and "seniority" is untouchable .. i guess not .. bucknors quality has been degraded and it is the persistence of the ICC with him that is the cause of this problem. umpiring errors that were consistently made during the second test should definitely reflect on the selection of the umpire.. there should a selection policy too for umpires not only player.. players are the problem for the other problems that plague the series.. one should address the root of the issue rather than blame the BCCI of flexing its muscle.. this would not have happened if it were not that the asian bloc always feels discriminated against.. and many times rightly so..
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Forgo Ego and think about the future of cricket.
What has happened is unfortunate and clearly not good for the future. Australians have to look at it from what it does to cricket. Do they want every kid in Australia to stand their ground when he knicks a ball or appeal when he is unsure of catch? These are questions every cricketer has to ask to oneself. Ricky Pointing's biggest mistake is not doing what he did, but trying to defend it as right. At the end of his career he may statistically be the greatest batsman, but I think that will not necessarily speak of his contribution to cricket.
My biggest question is why do Australia - the best team in the world, the team that sets standards in all forms of game, set standards for sportmanship and fair play?
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Mr Agnew is not being pro-English, he is being pro-cricket. He stated clearly that Singh should be punished if found guilty of racism. I think his point is that the alleged outburst was a symptom of a disturbing trend in modern cricket, away from competitive sportsmanship and the other qualities that make the game unique and appealing, and towards a far more unsavoury approach where sledging and downright abuse are seen as legitimate tactics to be deployed as often as possible. Australia are simply the trailblazers of this trend. The likes of Peter Roebuck and Wasim Akram clearly agree - as do a majority of the Australian public, according to a SMH poll. The sad fact is most other teams are following Australia's lead. It may win you the game - but it certainly hasn't won you the crowd.
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MR. AGNEWS COMMENTARY AS USUAL HITS THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.
TEAM AUSTRALIA ITS TIME TO RID CRICKET OF SLEDGING. BEING WOLD LEADERS, PLS TAKE THE LEAD !
MR. HARBACHAN SINGH IF YOU DID INDULGE ON ANY RACIAL COMMENTS, SHAME ON YOU !
DISAGREE WITH YR COMMENTS ON MR. HAIR. HE MADE A DECISION WHICH HE WAS NOT ABLE TO SUBSTANTIATE. OVER A PERIOD OF TIME HE WAS THOUGHT TO BE RACIST AND THERE'S NO PLACE FOR RACISM IN CRICKET. GOOD RIDDANCE !
UNFORTUNATE THAT MR. BUCKNOR DID NOT HAVE A GOOD GAME. HE MADE A FEW REGRETABLE MISTAKES, BUT WHO DOESNT ?
UNFORTUNATE THAT HE WAS REPLACED.
MOST IMPORTANT AND SOMETHING THAT YOU DID NOT DWELL ON.
WITH ALL THE AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY WE HAVE WHY ISNT THE 3RD UMPIRE (TV UMPIRE ?) NOT ABLE TO OVER-TURN DECISIONS MADE ON THE PITCH ? THERE IS NO PERSON IN A BETTER POSITION TO SECOND GUESS HIS TWO COLLEAGUES ON THE FIELD THAN THE 3RD TV UMPIRE.
BY THE WAY, IM INDIAN.
THANKS
JEROME
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Well said Aggers. I couldn't agree more.
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At last a cricket journalist writes what the fans are truly thinking. Good on you Aggers. Spot on comment.
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I know that you believe that sreesanth did bowl the beamer to kp but the only present day bowler that does that is lee ask NZ.I however agree with your other comments fully.
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I agree with everything that Jonathon says here and I'm afraid Craig that I think you're missing the point slightly. Racism must be stamped out, agreed, but when did the term "monkey" become a racist insult. Parents call their children monkeys all the time, is that racist? The Aussies are the Kings of Sledge and if one of them gets called a monkey that goes with the territory of playing the game hard as they like to call it. When they get bullied back they run to the teacher.
They started this ugly business and unfortunately it has come back to bite them. It's time that true lovers of the "gentleman's game" started demanding more from the world's number 1 side.
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Can i ask what is the point of the 3rd umpire? he made 2 crucial errors in the 2nd test. Surely all decisions that the umpire is unsure about should now be reffered to the 3rd umpire? (although not LBW's)
He sits there drinking tea all day, it would give him something useful to do!
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I agree with you that individual cricket boards cannot dictate terms to the ICC. In this case, ICC should have reacted before the BCCI did. Bucknor did not just make a few mistakes for the first time in the Sydney Test. If this is what ICC calls "Elite", then it is sad.
I also agree that racism cannot be tolerated on any sports pitch (even off it). If we are really civilized, why have we been living with Sledging in cricket.
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Very well argued and accurate piece - clearly identifying the mix of issues in this particular row.
I strongly agree with his point about teams using their clout to "see off" umpires they don't like. The ICC should never have allowed it. But I also agree with Craig Thomas on the need to punish Singh if he used the word monkey.
The Australian team (as in other sports where they push the boundaries but whinge like hell when they are beaten at their own game) are partly to blame but so are the Indian board, which rarely seems to take the interests of the game into account in the way they behave. Their approach was also somewhat mirrored by Mr Patel above in his rant.
I do fear that without umpires getting the support of the ICC cricket will go the way of soccer with endless player, manager and press pressure on referees, who then lose the respect of all leading to the unedifying scenes we witness at football matches.
At least it's not happening in rugby yet!
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Well said Jonathan. I don't always agree with you but you have captured everything that I and I'm sure many other cricket fans have felt.
Craig Thomas unfortunately appears to miss the point entirely and this helps explain why these incidents have occurred. The Australians in particular will never acknowledge the problems they cause with their behaviour and because it is allowed to go unchecked by the authorities, they continue to believe they are doing nothing wrong.
The reaction of the authorities so far to the whole incident is extremely worrying. First, I struggle to see how Harbhajan was found guilty if there was no evidence other than Symonds' word. This should be explained. Secondly, the ICC should have announced immediately after the game that Bucknor was to be rested but they didn't allowing resentment to build. Thirdly, (and more importantly) the Indian authorities should CERTAINLY not now be allowed to hold the ICC to ransom, once they made the decision to let Bucknor stand. As Jonathan rightly points out, this dangerous precedent was set over the Hair incident.
Much as I'm pleased to see Hogg charged, my pleasure is entirely diminished by the feeling that this is purely a sop to the Indian authorities. Hogg's behaviour is consistent with the example set by Ponting, Clarke et al over the last few years which has always gone unchecked, so why charge him now? A crossroads indeed...
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Ya I completely agree with Jonathan.Whatever has happened will only destroy cricket.It is destroying cricket.Nobody is greater then the game.But this is exactly what Australian team is showing.Yes, mistakes do happen,but you should be sorry for that,not proud.They have obviously not broken any rule on the field,but there are things which are not defined by rules but by ethics.And it is important.And everyone should understand it.
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I agree with Jonathan on everything except the umpire view.
Mr.Bucknor fell far below the standards he set himself, so he should have been dropped. It happens in football when refrees make big mistakes and what Bucknor made was a series of high-profile, match turning, grave mistakes.
Come on Mr.Agnew, if you have guts, I am sure you will read my comment, explain us how you felt when Bucknor failed to spot the audible & visible deflection of Symonds nick to the keeper. Explain how you felt when the bat was behind Dravid's pads yet Bucknor thought the ball hit the bat.
He is a great man, no doubt. But time has come for him to step down, he is getting old.
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I agree with most of this article. After regarding Ponting as a tetchy, whinging captain in their 2005 Ashes defeat, I had begun to think him not so bad after all.
How wrong I've been! He's only magnanimous in victory. When he feels things are not going his way, the spirit of cricket gets thrown right out of the window. I think we may see more of this behaviour from him, as he no longer has Shane Warne to throw the ball to.
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Jonathan Agnew makes his point very clearly, and I completely agree, but my comment is this, why o' why when a player knows he has hit the ball, and subsequently the ball has been clearly caught, does he not walk, as in the case of Andrew Symonds. At the end of the day, Symonds not only cheated the Indian Cricket Team and the Umpires, he also cheated himself.
If he'd played in the spirit of the game, he would have just walked anyway, but untimately, what goes around comes around, and he has to live ultimately with cheating the game, the public and himself.
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Craig Thomas needs to read Agnew's column again if he thinks he seeks merely to "Aussie bash". I found plenty of praise for Punter's bully boys and their achievements in the article.
Has Mr. Thomas ever considered that it is the way in which the current Australians play their cricket (and talk it...) that causes the rest of the cricketing globe to so eagerly await the next time that Ponting and his mates get booted off their pedestal?
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Well said Jonathan. The behaviour of the Australian team was unacceptable and should be investigated because they are not playing in the spitit of the game. Having watched the game, Harbajan was obviously goaded as were many other Indian players, but it is no excuse for racism. Hopefully this mess can be sorted out and the game go back to the way it should be.
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Ignore the boorish comment above Jonathan; a really well written and thoughtful account as usual. You're absolutely right - these issues have been bubbling away under the surface of cricket for awhile now and it was only a matter of time before they erupted.
The ICC should not bow to pressure from ANY team whatsoever. I think it would have been better if the rest of the series had been called off, that way it would have forced the higher authorities to deal with the issues instead of using the umpie as a scapegoat.
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Rather than accuse Jonathan Agnew of
looking to 'aussie bash ' in his article,Mr Thomas might take time out to read the report on the BBC Sport website today where in an online poll in Australian newspaper the Daily Telegraph,79 % of respondents said Australia did not play in the true spirit of the game and 83 % said Ponting was not a good ambassador for the game . Mr Agnew is talking about the future of cricket for all,a little less sensitivity perhaps ?
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im indian but i have to agree with aggers that money has taken over the game.. however bucknor just had to go.. he made too many errors.. and that is just not on at this level.. and with age i do not blame him entirely for those errors.. so therefore he should retire and let a younger umpire take his place.
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Aggers.
I understand you are mostly a traditionalist on umpiring matters, and by and large go by the traditional school of umpiring mistakes getting evened out in the end. I said mostly, since regardless of my serious disagreement with your positions on many issues, I always read your write ups with interest. do you remember something you wrote the other day about Umpire Asad Rauf? about him giving the decisions too soon? well, there he got 2 decisions wrong, and both went against England, and one of them is an important reason a Draw becoming a loss, and as an England supporter who lives in India, I was also disappointed to see England lose that close match.
but, here the number of wrong decisions have been no less than 10, and that do not include LBWs. remember Sidy got a leg before call against him. of this 10, 9 went against India, and in 6 of them, the Umpire at the wrong end was Steve Bucknor. as a senior journalist, you might be aware of the not so good relation between Bucknor and the Indian team, and there are many instences where Bucknor has wronged India. from Bucknor's refusal to refer that Jonty runout in 1992, to Sachin Tendulkar's latest victimization in 05, the bad blood between SB and the Indians have been severe, and no other umpires have such problems. so to start with, Steve Bucknor do not have the confidence of the Indian players as well as the Indian public.
and by whatever logic, 9 clear mistakes against a team is not fairness or justice, and do not represent better standards of umpiring, and Steve Bucknor is accountable to the cricket watching public, and more importantly, the players in whom he should create confidence by his actions. he met neither of these, and his refusal to refer a stumping of Andrew Simonds is nothing short of hottiness, especially when one considers the fact that on the day before he made the mistake of the match when he gave the same man notout. Simonds patting Bucknor on the sholder in the field after Rahul Dravid's wrong dismissal would give absolutely the wrong signal to any rational opposition.
in such circumstance, there was no option for India other than pulling out of the tour, or getting the umpire replaced, and it is better that they got the tour back on track at least for the time being, by getting Bucknor off, and ensuring Justice to Harbhajan. Bhaji might have said something offencive to Simonds, but its hard to believe it just on the basis of Ponting or Simonds alone. racism as you said is a very serious issue, and to punish someone for that, you need strong evidence, which at the moment seems to be lacking. if there are telling evidence, then Harbhajan should be punished, but not on the words of the Australians, who are number one sledgers.
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In reply to Craig's post #2, i think Aggers has written a very fair article. if Harbhajan Singh did racially abuse Symonds then he should be punished, i think rascism is appaling and should not be tolerated anywhere. However as it stands it is one persons word vs another, so in any fair society the case would've sided with Mr Singh, as there is no hard evidence (unlike when Gibbs was caught on the stump microphone. Player testimonies cant be used, especially if they've already proved themselves to be benders of the truth (mr ponting and symonds....)
As for not walking, Yes there have been times when this has occured, but you dont get an english player saying to the press 'yeah i did edge it but didn't go cos the umpires got it wrong'
On your point of vigourous appealing, yes all teams do it, but not many CAPTIANS (again mr ponting, running theme here!!) raise their finger at the umpires to help get a decision, especially when a catch hasn't been made.
There would not have been this 'anti aussie' reaction if the austalian team was blameless, especially as discontent is now coming from their own supporters.
I hope the remainder of the tour continues without any more needless distractions, and keep writing your pieces with your continued high standard aggers
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I wholeheartedly agree with the above. But what i feel is necessary is an excellent 3rd umpire who is allowed to judge on ALL matters on the pitch.
This would take away in effect intimidation has on the field. Players would know that the decision can be made with all the evidence to hand and will therefore not try to con the umpire.
It may bring back the decision to walk when you are out!
Unfortunately even 3rd umpires can make mistakes but these are even more rare. (Symonds stumping!!)
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Am I wrong but doesn't the comment:
"Little wonder that, sometimes, a volatile character lashes out in what he would perceive as self-defence, and what does it say of these "hard" men that they then go and report him to the umpire?
They can give it, but can’t take it."
condone both the (alleged) racist comments and racism in cricket in general by saying 1. a player could be excused for making any racist comments if they are put under pressure by the opposition and 2. teams playing like Australia apparently do should ignore racist comments if directed at them?
Saying "That, of course, does not offer any defence for racism" is worthless after such a comment and tantamount to the old chestnut of "I'm not a racist, but...".
Can we put Mr. Agnew on trial to explain is comment here?
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I completely agree with Craig,
don't for one second think that 90% of the players out there would walk if they knew they were out especially in the situation Symonds was in. Umpires are there for a reason and of course they can make mistakes from time to time but the onus shouldn't fall on the inegrity of the player to decide his or her fate. Whether you like it or not the final decision rests with the umpire, not the player!
It is unfortunate that so much hype has been created over this matter and I hope that India bounce back in the 3rd test to make it an exciting series! The are a great side with world class players and it would be good for the game to see Australia challenged on home soil!
Proud Aussie!
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" That of course does not offer any defence for racism, if Harbharjan Singh did racially abuse Symonds, he must be punished for it" - can't you read, Mr Thomas? Agnew is talking about the game in general and of standards worldwide. It just happens to have come to a head here.
I am still old school as a very lowly club cricketer and if I know I have nicked it, I walk. Surely when players are also umpiring as they do at club level then you have to take the pressure off a colleague? But whatever is done in Tests filters down and there are any number of youngsters these days who insist on forcing the issue.
To me, it's really sad when player power gets an umpire removed - the issue in this series is, as Agnew rightly states that the players have to take a good look at themselves and agree to behave properly, not get an umpire changed to achieve some (incorrect) sense of justice.
This situation is just going to repeat over and over if the players don't get a grip. To me in as an interested observer in what should be a great series, in this test the Aussies crossed a line they will do well to take a swift step back from.
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Whilst for some reason I find it difficult to warm to Darrell Hair, I remember thinking at the time how the Pakistan team independantly decided that the umpires decison can be disregarded by downing tools. The ICC treated Hair shabbily and dressed the issue racial and this suited the Pakistan teams agenda.
The ICC has now given carte blanche to anyone who dislikes a cricketing decision the power to ignore umpires and match referees, and hold the boards to ransom. The ICC invited this.
Yes bad decisions were made in this game and if racist taunts were made then they should be addressed properley and players should be honest and respectful to each other.
This is what the boards should be encouraging and not worrying about political correctiness.
Do we really want cricket to go the way of football where players conning the referee is now alsomst accepted as part and parcel. Weak administration all over.
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I partly agree with Mr. Jinathan Agnew that the "umpires will always make mistakes too, just as the players do." It reminds me of Shakespeare's famous saying: "to err is human". But the question is when the umpires cross the limit. In the case of the recent Sydney test, why didn't the umpires take advantage of technology? They took the Australian crickers, especially Captain Ricky Ponting's words for granted at a very cruicial stage of the match, and made two vital decisions by way of giving Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly out. We saw these two outs over and over again on TV replays and found that in both these two cases the batsmen were not out. Then Australian Symond was clearly out, but he was given not out. In this case also the umpire did not take advantage of technology. All these three decisions went in favor of Australia. Then look at the role of the Australian players. They cheated, including Ricky Ponting. I watched on the TV a very enthusuastic Ricky Ponting pointing his index finger telling the umpire that Ganguly was out. The Australians wanted to win by fair means or foul. About Harbhajsn's alleged racial remarks, I would rather trust Tendulkar's testimony who was in the field than untrustworthy Australian cricketsrs. Sorry, Mr. Agnew, I am unable to thank Australia this time around for their win. They have cheated and killed the spirit of the game. This is not cricket.
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I agree with the majority of what's been said, and it seems to me that this overheated situation is the result of not dealing with it years ago. It's been well known for years that sledging and intimidation goes on all the time in cricket (and not just by the Aussies), and the ICC has persistently ducked the issue - no pun intended.
It's easy to resolve it - turn the stump mikes on and leave them on. Players would know that anything they said would be broadcast, and it would quickly cut the sledging back down to the banter level.
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Good column. In my opinion an insult is an insult, whether it be racist, sexual or what.
We saw what happened in the soccer World Cup final when Zidane responded to obnoxious banter by losing his temper and lashing out, which seems to be what happened here.
Symonds had boasted about successfully cheating in a way which, as it turns out, had almost certainly affected the result of the match and of the series. No wonder there was bad feeling against him.
The fact that there have been so many accusations of cheating of various kinds in recent years shows that top-level cricket is no longer being played in a sporting way.
Cricket authorities should ban sledging or attempts to unsettle opponents by verbal means. Microphones should be turned up so that players are held accountable to the paying public and TV audiences for anything they may say.
I played cricket for 30 years and never encountered the kind of verbal hostility that seems so common at the top level of the game. I would not have played for 30 years if I had.
Its not cricket.
Professional cricketers would do well to study the demeanour of their counterparts in the world of golf.
When playing a sport regularly starts to lead to international and racial bad feeling rather than communal spirit, then one asks larger questions like "what is the point of having cricket at all?"
Clearly this issue goes way beyond what one player said to Symonds, because now millions are joining in the debate and no one, least of all cricket itself is coming out of this well. Maybe it is time to burn a new set of stumps and places the ashes of sledging in a new urn, and let India and Australia play for them in the future in a sporting spirit.
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I do not agree with Mr Agnew often, but I have to say that he has hit the nail on the head here. Or should that be into the lid?
As we have seen with Premiership football, too much money has destroyed the "beautiful game" of cricket and the excellent standard and skills of the modern day cricketer are lost in the desire to win.
Strong leadership and aggressive cricket does not need cheating and intimidation.
And if the umpires do not have the capability, then for sure, drop them but in a way that mirrors that of those they are controlling.
Well done Jonathan.
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I understand that umpires do make mistakes once in a way, afterall they are humans, but in this test too many mistakes were made that also against key players. To understand the gravity of the mistakes just undo the mistakes and see for yourself what the outcome could have been. Instead of defending the system, Jonathan must accept the drawbacks (there are too many to list) of the present system and give suggestions to correct it. Change is long overdue, we are already in the 11th hour.
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Aggers, you have been bold yet brave. Excellent analysis. Thank you for not holding back, but saying it as it needs to be said. Thank you for expressing what so many true lovers of the game have long believed.
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Is not the point of playing sport to win? Gilchrist always walks but you made no mention of that! This smacks of envy. It is not the Australian's fault that they are so good. You didn't hear Pointing go on about the over the top and sickening celebrations and carry on that followed the 2005 Ashes. It is not as if Ricky fell off a Pedalo whilst drunk during a world cup! 16 wins is 16 wins. That will be remembered long after you have been forgotten. This “article” is a rant, not journalism! I dare you to come out and publicly call Ricky Pointing a cheat if this is what you are implying. If he has acted within the rules of the game then you have no case. When Monty wheels away with an over-the-top celebration after every wicket, you cheer. When Pointing celebrates 16 straight test wins there are calls for him to be sacked!
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BTW, Is it fair to punish someone when there is no proof? How can referee take the word of Symonds & Ponting but not Sachin? Neither umpires heard it, nor the microphones caught anything. If Singh had said that word, he should be punished, may be for 10 matches. But I am confused because I am not too sure if I should beleive Aussies.
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Jonathan I respect your views and enjoy listening to your commentary. Although I agreed with portions of your article, especially regarding the behaviour of the Australians, I must disagree with other parts regarding the decision to remove Buckner from the next test.
In principle you are correct, it is not a good idea to remove umpires or other match officials at the behest of one team that looses a game. However if you had seen the Sydney test match then you would realize why the feeling is so strong against him and the other two as well. It is inconceivable that the Indian team would have played at Perth if Benson and Buckner were again officiating.
The standard of umpiring by all three (3rd umpire was probably the worst) was so appallingly bad that it was unbelievable. I am one who believes in respecting umpiring decisions and that overall they even themselves out. However, the Sydney test match was effectively won for Australia by the umpires. Little wonder that Clarke refused to walk in his second innings after being caught at 1st slip as he thought he stood a decent chance of getting away with it.
I would recommend that all three umpires be relieved from their duties and never be allowed to participate at this level again. I would go so far as to question not only the number of bad decisions but also the way they fell against one team. If you’re a bad umpire then you would expect the bad decisions to be consistent for both team … something that did not happen (expect for Ponting’s LBW).
Personally I would prefer the Indian team to cancel the rest of the tour and return home. Playing on only gives legitimacy to the Aussie victory in Sydney. If the ICC had any guts it would strike the match from the history books. Even so, it is very hard to see how any team could possibly be up for the remaining games given the current environment.
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I agree that more than the umpires it is the players that need to be reined in. One can find instances of aggressive behaviour by almost all teams at some point or the other (Aussies are probably at the top currently), players not walking, etc. But the sledging culture is seriously damaging the spirit of cricket. Just like racial abuse, sledging should be dealt with disciplinary actions (microphones are an easy aid in this case).
Also, ICC should take advantage of the technology available and on-field umpires should be encouraged to refer to the third umpire in case of doubt.
Lastly, I would like the umpires on field be rotated with the third umpire so that same two blokes are not on the field all five days. That way they are less fatigued by the fifth afternoon and their decisions are, hopefully, less error prone.
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Anil Kumble speaking of sportmanship is just soo damn wierd and laughable, doesnt he remember the no of wickets he has taken at home with the help of so many wrong decisions . doesnt he remember the famous 10 wickets he took in an innings against pakistan.... guys we r not saints and must behave like human beings not saints.....
the whole issue stinks of double standards...........
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Well said Jonathan,you are spot on.For too long degenerate behaviour has been passed off as "playing it hard".Cricket is danger of going down the football route where cheating, mouthing at officials and winning at all costs is the norm.Do any of these arrogant thugs realise how this looks on TV around the world and the message that they send to the young and impressionable.The aussies may be able to play cricket but the manner in which they conduct themselves leaves a really bad taste.
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For once I don't agree with Aggers.
The mistakes in the decision making by the umpires gave in my mind Australia the victory. In England's last tour there were some terrible decisions at crucial moments as well. For me this is unacceptable. What's the point of playing the game if the umpires don't get the most important decisions right?
The standard of umpiring is not good enough and must improve.
As far as slating is concerned, why aren't the umpires intervening? The Australians should never be allowed to let it get to this in the first place.
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Well said, Aggers. I agree wholeheartedly. The walk/don't walk debate is an old one, but to actually gloat about fooling the umpire is some considerable way beyond the pale.
It starts to give a whole new and unwanted meaning to the term "it's just not cricket".... How dare you be so fair and honest with me, that's just not cricket.
Rant on Aggers, its a game worth ranting about
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This whole sorry episode reminds me of the McGrath vs Sarwan spat in Antigua 2003 when McGrath, with typical Australian arrogance, sledged Sarwan but couldn't control himself when the West Indian insulted him back and duly 'spat his dummy out'. The Australians are great cricketers, but they're even more accomplished bullies who cant handle it when things don't go their way.
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I cannot agree with the words "umpiring errors" that have been so wrongly used to describe the decisions made by Bucknor and Benson during the Sydney Test. These wrong decisions were made willfully and blatantly by these unfair human beings. I have never seen such poor excuses for umpires in more than 25 years of watching this great game. If not for these decisions, India would have won the match comfortably. The match, in my opinion, should be annulled. I was shocked out of my skin to observe Symonds being ruled not out at least three times in a single innings when he was clearly out in each instance. Even Jesse Owens won in Nazi Germany. As for Harbhajan's alleged racist behaviour, if "monkey" is a racist term, then what about banning similar words like "cat", "dog" and "crow."
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Interesting comments. Crossroads, I think not, and I doubt the legacy of a fine team will be tarnished just because the Indians are such poor losers.
The match was marred by poor umpiring, resulting with poor player behaviour from both sides, but it was also marred by excessive beat-up of all incidents by the print and electronic media, aided by interminable replays which umpires currently don't have access to. Does anyone remember that it was one of the most thrilling and absorbing Test matches for years, with some superb performances? Tendulkar, Laxman, Hussey, Hayden, Symonds, Clarke, Lee, Kumble were all brilliant. The Singh incidient probably could have been handled without the need for formal charge.
I do hope the Indians show up for the Perth test because, aside from their hypocritical attitudes, they are the easily best team to come here in the last 10 years.
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Also, in a dream world, the ICC could bring in retrospective fines after a game if a player has been found guilty of unsporting behaviour such as: standing in the crease when he knows he's out (better to presume a batsman knows when he's edged a ball rather than where a batman genuinely doesn't know), or excessive appealing by bowlers. Start with a 5% fine on the first offence and work up to match bans.
But umpires need performance-based evaluation too. Bucknor shouldn't be expecting a Christmas bonus for that display, from what I hear.
On the racism front - this needs to be stamped out ASAP, and there is no excuse for it, if Harbajan is found guilty. There can be no cultural excuse, and to be fair, I don't think the Indian players would hide behind that; they know racist language is ugly and those guilty of it should be punished.
Rather than turning down the stump mic, I think every player should have a mic fitted to them, and then their kids can listen to the sort of stuff daddy says in public! See if that changes their behaviour.
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Aggers, this this the best article I've ever read. I hope to God that those in power take notice.
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Jon, I think you are missing the bigger picture. Like most Indians,
I am convinced that racism is endemic
in cricket, and that teams from white
countries get far more than their
share of marginal calls. While I am
willing to concede that this may be
not be true, because of my life
experiences there is probably nothing that you or anyone else
could say that would convince me otherwise. The Indian reaction to the
Harbhajan incident must be understood in this larger context.
However, there is in fact a possible
solution. There has recently been a study in NBA basketball of the effect of a player's race on how
the the game is called by the
officiating crew.
https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/02/sports/basketball/02refs.html
It concluded that race is indeed a
factor, although not significant
except in very close games. Why
can't the ICC, which appears to have far more money than it needs, commission
an independent study to examine the effect of a team's or player's race on umpiring decisions
in cricket? This would go a lot
further in convincing people one way
or another about racism in cricket
than any rubbish about decisions
averaging out over time. I've been
watching cricket for over 20 years
and never seen the slightest evidence of that.
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Time to give umpires the power to send players off for unsporting or offensive behaviour. Once the players start behaving like footballers it's time to start treating them like footballers.
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One of the more sensible articles i've read on this. the sportsmanship seems to be rapidly disappearing from the game. the aussies are not the only ones who are to blame it seems to be seeping into every part of the game. we have our own players who refuse to walk ( Strauss for example ) and i wonder what message this is sending out to our younger players. do we really have to go down the same road as footie ? where players berate the referee constantly. with the influx of all the money that is pouring into cricket i fear that , that is the priority and not the ethics of the game that once seemed so important. time for icc to show its teeth.
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I don't think some of these people who made these comments actually watched the match! Anyone who watched the 2nd Test at Sydney can see there were numerous blunders made by the umpires (mostly by Bucknor but also by Benson, who improved slightly towards the end) and the quite blatant desire on their part for Australia to win their 16th Test in a row.
Jonathan, it would be nice of you to remember the England-India series last summer as well as mentioning Sreesanth for his loudness/brashness - last summer when India came over they put jelly beans on the pitch, made comments which were picked up from the pitch phone (Kevin P "I drive a Porsche-- what car do you drive?") as well when it comes to gamesmanship. They riled India, including Flintoff in the 20/20 match where he came over and made comment to Yuvraj Singh but they have never been punished. Sreesanth pushed past Vaughan in anger and he got fined. Double standards!
They also received several bad decisions. This time round India received so many I was beginning to lose count and Australia received a couple of bad ones. If this had happened to any other team they would also feel as upset and angry as India feel and they would react in the same way.
I have to disagree with your article regarding the players are the problem not the umpires. Very few players walk, even the ones that claim to must have not done so at some point during their careers.
There are two issues at stake here
1) The Umpiring
which was terrible, to India's detriment
2) "Alleged" Racism
which should be duly punished if so but for years teams have not reported the abuse they have received (particularly those of the subcontinent) so to hold up Harbajan Singh in regard to comment he may or may not have made (it is only one batsman's word against another) and to find him guilty is appalling. To compare the incident to Darren Lehmann, Hershelle Gibbs etc is unfair as those were actually proven as they were heard/recorded.
To conclude, the Australians are an excellent team and Symonds in particular is truly brilliant. Of course we all recognise they are the best team in the world, and watching the 1st test in Melbourne they destroyed India comprehensively. However, India fought back courageously in the 2nd Test but any hopes they had of winning or drawing was taken away by the umpiring.
I do urge anyone who is making comments who didn't watch the match in its entirety live should reserve
their judgement!
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I agree with everything in the article Aggers - superb stuff - God I hate the Aussies! - But Harbajhan Singh is also a muppet for saying 'monkey'and should be banned...
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Reading this blog, I found myself having to check the URL and author to verify that this indeed was your own writing Jonathan and not an impersonator. I scarcely believe it even now. Writing "they can give it, but can't take it" followed immediately by stating that racism must be punished is nonsensical to me. I think it should be reported and brought into the open by all teams, which I presume is not what you mean by "taking it". Also, I didn't see Symonds gloating after his lucky escape, but I don't think it affects the umpire's confidence or players confidence in the umpire. I think these statements detract form your other legitimate arguments.
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If I have understood correctly, Ricky Ponting has reported racial abuse purely on being told of it by Symmonds. Nobody else has heard such comments being made.I presume the two involved individuals were not solated at the time. If Mike Proctor finds Harbhajan guilty purely on the word of Symmonds and heresay, what does this say about his view of Indian integrity? and where is the justice in accfepting uncorroborated testimony. Also by pure coincidence they report a bowler who gets Ponting out for fun and with hardly any effort. The whole racist complaint has a strange smell to me.
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Mr. Agnew it seems like you forgot your MANTRA of "Umpires need to take time over decisions" Dec 5, 2007.
I think you didnt even question the approach of consulting Ricky Ponting THE FIFTH Umpire instead of consulting on field umpire, or third or fourth umpire.
I alway read your reports with great interest and always saw you a true ambassador of the game and good journalist but it seems like you also have your drunk part when you forget about truth and write excuses if English side lose or find excuses when Mark Benson officiate like US ambassodor in the UN.
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This is not a question of Aussie bashing Craig. Mr Agnew also suggests that the Indians have been out of order in pressing for a change of umpire. I am afraid that you cannot simply dismiss his points because he is English. Had you read the newspapers in Sydney you would have seen that sections of the Australian press are asking the same questions. Regarding Andrew Symonds I agree with you entirley which is why I know that you will be delighted that Brad Hogg is now also facing similar charges to those of Harbhajan Singh.
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It is a sad day when human error is punished with banishment. the persons who have sent Bucknor packing are short sighted and obviously never made a mistake in their lives. what about Symonds why not banish him. Both he and Ponting knew that they were out yet none of them walked, are they being punsihed or villified. nothing wrong with winning but do it within the spirit of the game. Adam Gilchrist would have walked had he been in either Ponting's or Symonds' shoes, so all the Aussies are not bad.The other umpire also missed a call but he remains, let's be fair here the poor umpires are only human.
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The players making the mistake are punished (they loose the game and if they do it often enough, their place in the side). What punishment do we see for umpires? The mistakes that they make affects someone else.. the playing team and the paying public. Thats why their mistakes should be minimal if not zero (which is not possible ofcourse). If it takes a powerful cricketing nation to boot off incompetent (Bucknor) or arrogant (Hair) umpires off the panel then so be it. It can only be for the betterment of the game.
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This sport like most others is run by and for the benefit of big business who provide sponsorship and because of the positions of power it provides for the administrators. The only way to change what is happening is to target the sponsors in a way that hurts their products because then they will either apply the pressure for change or withdraw. Therefore providing its own pressure for change. I no longer watch cricket because it is no longer the game I have loved for over forty years.
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90% correct aggers!you need to watch bucknor's performance to make a judgement. in the last 5 years , he has made sure that the indians haven't progressed. last series..series 1-1 and the last day..3 plumb lbws not given and australia save the series. dont believe me? it's on tape!
before the series started , i predicted a possible indian win..once i realised that bucknor was umpiring..i changed my mind.
also, ricky ponting claimed the catch of dhoni whilst the ball was grounded..it's on tape!michael clarke catches ganguly and grounds the ball..benson asks ponting ( as you do)..and he says out!! great!
weak umpiring..bad sportsmanship and i hope india return home..
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Well done Aggers etc etc
Just wanted to point out a remarkable grammtical oddity in the article: "How dare the game be held to ransom in this way."
You have somehow managed to contrive a sentence in which the the object of the passive verb - "the game" nonetheless bears the responsibility for the action attributed to the implied subject (presumably rogue cricket boards)! Sort of like blaming a kidnapping victim: How dare it be held to ransom! How dare the game indeed!
Who is doing the holding? And who is doing the editing at the BBC these days? :)
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Is this the time to bring in the benefits of technology? If appeals for catches, and runouts were automatically referred to the third umpire there would be no benefit to the players in applying pressure. I believe the brief low down to play would do less harm to the game the antics of all the major international teams now. I have more reservations about lbw decisions as I am not convinced that Hawkeye is more reliable that an umpire just because it has the pretty computer graphics.
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Jonathan,
You are missing the MAIN point of the whole issue. Harbhajan got accused for making racist remarks by Ponting to the umpires. Ponting did not hear it but he went by his teammates words. That is perfectly fine. Umpires reported to Refree - that's also PERFECTLY fine. NOW, in hearing, NO EVIDENCE is there to support that 'Bhajji' really said that. This is a very big charge - effectively calling 'Bhajji' a racist. The match refree took such a huge decision based on words - yes just words - from Aussies and out of 4 present, Gilly and Ponting did not hear anything! So he took word of Hayden against Tendulkar and decided that what aussies said was true. Again, NO EVIDENCE. How can you tranish someone's name for such a big charge without any significant evidence? How can such a high profile refree say that he likes what Aussies say and not what Indians say? How can such a big ruling be done based on word of one against word of another without support of no evidence? THAT, my friend, THAT, is the real issue.
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The whole episode has opened up a long overdue debate on a number of points...sledging, umpire decisions, fair play, sportsmanship and more.
I wonder if the incident involving Singh would have escalated to this point if Mike Proctor had taken a different decision.
Was the previous decision taken about the incident on Boxing Day in the back of Mike Proctor's mind? He has admitted his decision then was probably wrong.
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Aggers, as ever, speaks complete sense.
Twice now, highly respected and very competent umpires have been removed because of player power. This has created a precedent for any team in the future to have an umpire removed, because they fear he may be biased, or prone to mistakes.
The game will quickly descend into farce unless those running the game get a grip, and stand firmly against bully-boy players such as Ponting and many of his fellow Australians.
I take Aggers point that it is not just Australians who are trampling over the Spirit of the Game, but it falls to the players themselves, and their respective captains, to decide that no matter how the opposition may choose to play, the game of cricket deserves the respect of the players and they should behave properly.
Faced with this opposition, it will soon become obvious who the villains are, and they can hopefully be routed out and summarily dispatched into the long grass.
I believe there are enough true believers in the game to allow us to weather these difficult times, but we must stand firm.
Its a shame that a team and a captain with so much talent will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
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My only issue with these articles is that they falseley imply that Australia is the ONLY team in the world who sledges, doesnt walk, appeals dubiously etc.
This simply isnt the case, and this talk that Pontings men are single handedly responsible for destroying the spirit of cricket is about as accurate as my bowling (which is rubbish). His mention of Sreesanth as a similar offender stunned me - I really enjoy his aggressive attitude on the pitch and have heard many - commentators, players etc praising him for this....all of a sudden this incident kicks off and rather then being young and plucky he is according to Agnew an haibtual line crosser.
I enjoy most of Mr Agnews articles - even those critical of Australia - but this one seems just a wee bit biased to me.
Enough of the Aussie bashing - Its getting very tiresome, and im struggling not to respond in kind with an equally biased anti - English/Everybody else post where i make similar remarks about Englands 'spirit' ....for example the Pratt incident, Ashes 05....which although legal, is the exact same sort of thing Agnew is battering the Aussies for....so lay off guys...
And to address the articles title - after what has happened this morning i would say POLITICS in cricket is the real problem and the lack of an administrative body with spine. A strong ICC is what is needed - there is no point adressing player behaviour without this most vital of ingrediants.
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Nice article, Mr. A.
My gripe, though....
I do think it might have been a good idea to 'rest' Bucknor instead of announcing that he would officiate in the 3rd test - he evidently had a nightmare of a game and is not in top form, and all indications where that India would find his appearance so soon rather hard to swallow. I do not consider that as 'bowing to pressure' but taking steps to ease the situation. If a player had performed like that the manager would consider resting him - not for ever, but until he is ready again. Umpiring may look easy, but I should imagine it can be very stressfull and evidently it requires a lot of concentration over long periods of time. The application of common sense seems to be sadly lacking.
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Sreesanth should be dropped till his behavior improves. Otherwise, he might trigger another crisis just like this one.
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Aggers has a point of course but let us not forget that sledging is nothing new and not confined to Test cricket. I remember being at the receiving end in Bolton League cricket some 40 years ago as a youngster.Similarly there never was a "golden age " when every batsmen walked and fielders honestly acknowledged whether a catch was good or not. However, the intense commercialisation of the game and the all-seeing camera has meant that it is now much more in the public`s eye. I`m afraid that it will be very difficult to restrain the players when so much is at stake and that ,in my opinion, it is only by the increased use of technology for adjudication that we will be able to dampen some of the vitriol that surrounds controversial decisions and fuels the inevitable rows.
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Playing in the "spirit of the game" and sportsmanlike is exactly why England do so badly in many sports. Ok there are points at which you have to draw the line but one thing always annoyed me about playing cricket in England - no one plays all out to win. Any thought of niceness above winning means that someone, sometime will come and walk all over you which seems to happen regularly with England teams!! I gave up village cricket because of the, in my opinion, pathetic attitude....
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Superb article Aggers.
And before Indian and Australian supporters alike attack it, I suggest they stop and consider a moment of introspection and self-reflection.
The fact others have made mistakes or acted badly does not excuse their own unsporting bullying attitudes (Aus) / racist remarks (India).
It is easy to point at the other side and bleat that they started it. It is much harder, but more more valuable, to consider whether one's own behaviour is good for oneself and good for one's sport.
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Well said Aggers. Although no nation is beyond reproach, it is the arrogant Aussies who are the worst culprits - I think Gilchrist was another 'squealer' who ran to teacher as soon as someone gave some stick back.
Cricket should be played hard and fair. If players can't be trusted to do that, then maybe decisions should be taken out of their hands and snicks/fair catches brought under a controlled referral system.
I actually thought the 'Jellybeangate' affair was very funny - this sort of stuff has been going on for decades at local & county level.
So it makes me laugh when we have episodes like Ponting complaining after his 2005 Ashes run-out... as you say if you dish it out, you've got to take it.
Although banter has always rightly been part of the game, for decades everyone knows who's been most responsible for elevating this to sledging & abuse - anyone remember Ian Chappell, Merv Hughes' exchanges with Atherton and Robin Smith, "Mental disintegration" - Steve Waugh, etc, etc?
The thing is, with their natural talent & will-to-win, the Aussies don't need to go over the top.
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Very good read, and i must agree totally.
I myself are from the West Indies, and feel slightly agrieved about what has happened to steve bucknor.
This is because growing up i always found him to be a very fair umpire. There is no denying he had a poor game, but just because it is India, and it was such a big test match doesn't mean he has to be criminalized and labeled as "incompetent".
As for Australia's conduct, well whats new? They have agreived many in the West Indies and other nations all around the world, and just as Jonathon said, while chasing a record victory India should have expected the horrible nature in which they play the game would have come to the fore. Having said that is doesn't make it right.
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Sreesanth should be dropped till his behavior improves. Otherwise, he might trigger another crisis just like this one.
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A good article in deed. No sport is played in a vacuum nor is Cricket. As a captain of a country, the individual has to be aware of what he is getting into. What Australian's did was bad, but how Ponting is defending is worse. What India got was a raw deal but threatening to leave is extreme. There are justifacations by both Ponting to behave so, and by BCCI to behave so. Firstly, Ponting doesn't know any other way of playing his cricket, wrong as it may be, crude as it may be, cherished for its achievements as it may be, it is certainly not a gentleman's way of playing it, and certainly can't be befitting for a any captain of a country to conduct themselves like Ponting as done. India is bullying ICC , using its wealth but ICC isn't know to swing into action quickly. Infact it sits on things, till it threatens its bottom line, which is the rupees that flow from BCCI. It's the first time this has come to the fore. Its only India that can hold Cricket Australia accountable via bullying ICC. Wrong approach but its done for achieving the right result.
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Agree amost entirely but Bucknor has lost it in the last few years and should have been retired earlier.
Also wich is worse - calling someone a monkey or makinmg sexually gratitious remarks about opposition players wives. Anyone going to cricket dinners will know that the latter is one of the many normal aspects of sledging. My view - both should be outlawed. If so the entire Aussie team would be banned and the rest of the world could lose to the second team.
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Well said Aggers. We don't want to see cricket dragged down to the level of football. We seem to be sliding into a culture that it is ok to cheat, because winning is all that matters. It is not just Australia and it is not just in cricket. But wouldn't it be good for Cricket to re-establish itself so that in any walk of life doing the dishonourable thing was "simply not cricket"
Well I can dream!
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As a cricket commentator myself, I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Jonathan in the past & would like to compliment him on his very good analysis of the situation. However, there is one exception. In my opinion, Jonathan's comment that "umpires will always make mistakes" though correct per se, is far too kind to the two umpires on this particular occasion. I would suggest that they were not simple mistakes, but were horrendously basic errors with catastrophic consequences against one side (India) & highly favourable to the other side (Australia). Let me explain - a)when Australia were 130 odd for 6 wickets, Symonds was ruled not out by Bucknor despite a loud snick being heard by all except Bucknor. Symonds, who was on 30 at the time, when on to score 160 odd. A 7th wicket at that stage, could have made a tremendous difference to the final outcome of this match. b)Dravid was given out by Bucknor, when the ball clearly nicked his pad, with the bat well away from the ball. Again, this very bad error could have made a tremendous difference to the final outcome of this match. Benson too, who was clearly unsighted at the time, was guilty of a basic error, when instead of referring the appeal to the 3rd umpire, he decided to accept Ponting's word that Clarke's "catch" off Ganguly was cleanly taken. Ganguly was batting comfortably at the time. Each one of these three very bad errors were made at critical junctures of the match & all of them were in favour of Australia. I therefore question the notion that these could be dismissed as mere "mistakes". I have watched & commentated on cricket over many years, but this is the first time that I have witnessed incompetence on this scale by umpires, where the cumulative effect of their errors resulted in one team being so blatantly disadvantaged in favour of the other. Given the importance & tight situation of this match, this is incompetence on a seismic scale, which experienced umpires should never be guilty of.
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Anybody who saw the test match can see that Bucknor has become totally incompetant as an umpire. He literally gifted the win to Australia.
India apparently have agreed to continue with the series but whats the use, they have lost the series because of some horrible horrible decisions against them.
I say this watching the game as a neutral, if I was an Indian supporter I would be livid.Its time for Bucknor to either retire and give a statement as to why it made such decisions as they were all one-sided
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Of course Mr Agnew makes a fair point about the excess of sledging - and not only Australian players are to blame.
It could also be argued that national associations should require players representing their country not to make false claims, and should conduct an inquiry into Symonds and other claims in this last test.
As to the case in point, the treatment meeted out to Symonds in India was shameful and the home tieam should have been fined - as happens in soccer. Singh's remarks are unacceptable and should be penalised harshly. Having watched him play several teams I am not surprised he was caught out this time - his demeanour on the pitch this time is not very nice.
And of course we should have greater resort to the instant replay technology. It will not solve everything but it is silly to reject a valuable tool.
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This is not a question of Aussie bashing Craig. Mr Agnew also suggests that the Indians have been out of order in pressing for a change of umpire. I am afraid that you cannot simply dismiss his points because he is English. Had you read the newspapers in Sydney you will see that sections of the Australian press are asking the same questions. Regarding Andrew Symonds I agree with you entirley which is why I know that you will be delighted that Brad Hogg is now also facing similar charges to those of Harbhajan Singh.
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I agree with Aggers that much of the responsibility must rest with the players. If umpires could trust in the honesty of the players there would be far fewer miscarriages of justice.
I am personally greatly saddened by the general acceptance of what I consider to be cheating as evidenced by players not walking when they know that they have nicked a delivery. It seems that nobody (neither fellow players or commentators) is prepared to criticise a player under these circumstances. It is apparently considered to be 'part of the game'.
What does greatly concern me, as a recreational cricketer, is that this acceptance of cheating percolates down to all levels of the game whereby young players see nothing wrong in not walking as they see the top players doing it all the time. They won't necessarily differentiate the fact that they are being umpired by teammates rather than 'top profesional umpires'!
A radical solution, but how about an automatic one match ban if the technology can prove that a player nicked a ball but did not walk. That might encourage the return of honesty!
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A very good article Aggers. Having watched a lot more test cricket over the last 3 years I have noticed a terrible decline in the standards of behaviour by 1st class cricketers.Cricket should be played hard as it always has been but sportsmanship has been replaced with a win at all cost attitude that truly stinks. I always used to admire a player who would walk but that kind of sporting behaviour is a dim and distant memory. Cricket needs a new broom to sweep it clean again!
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Symonds shouldn't have gloated about it, but NO Englishman, South African or Indian would have walked! So let's not get carried away. Agnew has commented on Gilchrist's walking before the umpire's decision and has explicitly noted that you can NOT expect players to do so. Sometimes the decision is in your favour, sometimes not. Unless you demand ALL players to play according to G.'s rules, you can not fault S. in this. Ponting does have to answer the question whether HE was always fair and honest. THAT is the Australian problem of this tour .. and that's serious enough and shouldn't be distracted from by jumping on a bandwagon.
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I live in Australia, call myself Australian.
I have become every more repulsed by this recent Australian Cricket Team. It started during the 2005 ashes and has grown.
Ponting's catch, the not walking are blatant cheating, let alone the other antics.
I am sick of Ponting crying about others when his team behave so, with him seemingly the ring leader.
Dave
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I would like to agree with Rakesh Patel (50). It is time the Aussies stopped escaping punishment. Ponting may be a great batsman (No Lara or Tendulkar) but he is a very bad human being.
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Well done Aggers etc etc
Just wanted to point out a remarkable grammatical oddity in the article: "How dare the game be held to ransom in this way."
You have somehow managed to contrive a sentence in which the the object of the passive verb - "the game" nonetheless bears the responsibility for the action attributed to the implied subject (presumably rogue cricket boards)! Sort of like blaming a kidnapping victim: How dare it be held to ransom! How dare the game indeed!
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Money ruins sport, it becomes essential to win to satisfy TV company's, Sponsors etc etc.
Money ruined Football, or Soccer to any Aussie's reading, and it will ruin Cricket.
Australia are no saints and may well be the worst for trampling the spirit of the game, but everyone, including us English is very very guilty, anyone remember jelly-bean gate? Andrew Symonds should have used that funny grey squishy thing between his ears before opening his trap about being caught on 30, in this day and age who really expects a player to walk if not given out? Because if you do you are going to be on the forums moaning after every match, Cricket isn't like that anymore, and in all honesty I wonder if it ever was, WG Grace never walked after the umpire had given him out, let alone before! And has anyone here heard of "bodyline"? Symonds offence lies in being thick enough to tell everyone he cheated. It's this perceived injustice as much as the "alleged" racist slur and ensuing ban which has irked the Indian team.
The various shouts about catches that had grounded and batsmen who should have walked however pale in comparison to the charges of racist abuse, if Singh did indeed call Symonds a monkey, and I don't for one minute believe this rubbish about the word monkey not being a racist insult if said by an Indian. Then in my opinion the ban he has been given is not nearly long enough. That being said I fail to see how he can be charged without any evidence. Ponting's word is worth nothing as he has shown he isn't always completely honest, you can’t have it both ways Ricky! and in the absence of any testimony from the umps, or recordings from the stump mics, the charges should never have been brought. It's just the word of Ponting, Symonds and Clarke against Singh, Kumble and Tendulkar.
On a different note, the counter accusations by the Indian team about Hogg are bloody ridiculous, the two Captains should be hauled in front of the ICC, Ponting should be told to tone it down a bit and get a grip on the sledging from his boys, and Kumble should be told to get over it, shut up and get on with playing cricket. They are supposed to be senior statesmen for the game, and they are acting like spoilt brats, albeit multimillionaire spoilt brats.
And whats this rubbish about burning effigies of the umpires in Calcutta, absolutely disgusting! Trying to insinuate that an umpire should be burned for bad decisions is worse than any silly childish sledging, for gods sake are we completely losing our minds? It's a game!!!
I think what needed is a reality check here, nothing more.
So no more Aussie bashing please, they play the game to the letter of the law, which an option open to every team.
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I think that the players and the umpires are both to blame for this. Had the umpire had a good match it would have been ok, had the game been played in the right spirit it would have been fine, but together the combination is deadly!
I personally think the only way round this is for their to be a review of an umpires performance after every match (replacing him if needed) and that a proper complaints process should be in place with players punished for mouthing to the media. Players behaviour should also be reviewed and if a player is found to have got away with conning the umpire he should be unable to play in the next match but forced to be picked so that 1 team is a player down. These things together would soon sort this problem out!
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Aggers, I will be posting a transcript of your comments on our club notice board for the forthcoming season. At our club we have fought hard to create a culture in which the ability to play hard without disrespecting, or worse still, hating the opposition, is seen as the way the game should be played.
This is a sad example which has been set by international cricket, and it makes the job of keeping club cricket healthy all the harder. Last year we feared that some junior cricketers would give up the game rather than be subjected to taunts and abuse. It must not be allowed, let alone praised, as it has sometimes been by some pundits, as "part and parcel of the game."
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A very true and fair article by Jon Agnew. It must be said the Aussies do play it hard and that is why they have the record of consecutive test wins. However, it must also be said that they have always considered sledging and not walking when out(Gilchrist excepted) to be an acceptable part of the game and they also consider themselves the best at it. So it does leave a "bitter" taste when 1) Symonds doesn't walk 2) gloats to the press about it and 3) Gets the skipper to complain about sledging. The one who cheated the most is Symonds not just the umpires but in the main himself, knowing that he actually only got 30 runs. Maybe he knew he needed a score to keep his place in the side!!
The ICC - "gutless". "We have not bowed to pressure"! No of course not Mr Speed, he stated both umpires were poor. Then why only replace Mr Bucknor? simple India only complained about Mr Bucknor.And why was Mike Proctor replaced, did India complain about him too.
As for Harbajan, if he was racist then throw the "book" however my prediction is the appeal will be heard after the Perth test, therefore allowing him to play and his ban will be suspended.
What next, not playing against a team because someone is in a rich vein of form!!
Get on with it
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Agnew has got most of it right.
1.If Harbhajan has made a racial jibe, then he should be punished. However it is a case of he said she said and without enough evidence its tough to digest the verdict. This opens pandora's box... because of the "vast cultural differences" any "mental disintigration" will now be reported. Symonds has a right to be upset if abused with a racial slur, but harbhajan will have to live with the tag forever even if the verdict is reversed.
2.Australia definitely need to tone down the sledging or learn to accept some in return. It is easy to provoke a hot head like harbhajan, and especially if the player is symonds, since he just gloated over how the umpires got it wrong and he stood his ground and turned the match around.
I agree that the umpires can make errors, sometimes blatant, and every side has had some in their favour, but i haven't heard anyone brag about these to the press. I definitely think the aussies were about to be humbled and could not cop it.
3.BCCI erred in asking for Bucknor's skin (although, my personal belief is that bucknor is narcoleptic ;-)). It should have pressed the harbhajan issue and let the ICC take the decision to remedy the poor umpiring standards at SCG. By doing the above, BCCI would not have been accused of flexing their muscle and would have got the desired result also.
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Ricky must be sacked, if not he has to come with an shamefull face to ask sorry for the entire genuine Indian team, Bret Lee is another plastic hero with his fluke wickets.
Shane Brad,
Tasmania.
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All are at fault, no doubt we are at fault too. Those least at fault though are the umpires. The umpires on the field should be the ones who call the shots. Any move to disable their authority is disastrous. A 'bad decision' by an umpire is as much part of the game as a bad defensive shot or a bad bit of fielding. There are normally 15 people on a pitch the umpires are the two that adjudicate. Some umpires will have a bad game, some players will get a string of tough calls(I seem to remember that Nasser Hussain had a rough period), the whole point of the game is that one takes it like a gentleman and then you put it behind you. The problems started as soon as technology was brought it, and then third umpires, this has undermined the 1st and 2nd umpires. Snick-o-meters, ultra-slow-motion, microphones, stump cameras et cetera; no doubt inevitable, but nothing more than telly pleasing toys which will ultimately destroy cricket. As for banter/racism on the pitch; again this is for the umpires to rule on, on the spot (a red card might be handy here, a sending off in cricket could be very costly). Its the money that does it.
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Excellent synopsis, Jonathan.
Australia was as graceless in winning as India was churlish in losing.
The Australians have always played their cricket hard. But, there is a difference - Steve Waugh's team was tough; Ponting's team is petulant.
Harbhajan is no saint either. His celebration on taking Ponting's wicket was to say the least, childish.
Bucknor, who has been such a fine umpire has been undone by the circumstances.
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During the Rugby Union World Cup the Australians complained that England were setting out their stall to play a "dirty" game in the quarter-final match.
Funny how when the tables are turned unsportsman-like behaviour is suddenly condonable.
Andrew Symonds gloating flys in the face of fair play. He should be punished not Harbhajan Singh.
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Agnew has combined three important points to make a good article but the questions of racism and players' bad behaviour obscure the main point.
Racism can never be tolerated, and the main surprise is that the guilty party was Harbijan Singh, who has always struck me as the least aggressive in the Indian team.
Players do behave badly and are unsportsmanlike but it is not confined to Australia. They started the trend and they are by far the worst but no team is spotless.
By bringing in these points Agnew weakens his main point - that umpires' authority must not be undermined. They have by far the most difficult job in cricket, there are precious few of them and to have the cricket authorities undermining them is appalling. Dress them down in private by all means but never in public and stop this humiliating trend of announcing that they have been dropped for future tests. Cricked can learn from Rugby and the public support given to Wayne Barnes after his hideous error in the Rugby World Cup (for non-egg-heads, he missed a crucial forward pass). I'm sure he got some stick behind the scenes but he was fully supported by the authorities.
How sad that cricket should be losing the moral high ground to rugby.
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The first bit of good sense I've heard talked about the issues arising out of this amazing Test Match. However, I have to say Bucknor has been bordering on the incompetent for some years now and should be nowhere near international cricket in my view.
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As an Australian I am disappointed that Jonathan's remarks are so stunningly accurate. It pains me that our national team behaves as though winning were the only thing & opponents are roadblocks to be crushed & brushed aside rather than worthy adversaries whose efforts are to be appreciated. One of the more damning symptoms is that Ricky Ponting routinely refuses to acknowledge the opposition's achievements, restricting his comments to the Australians & how they played.
I think the umpires should be more autonomous & not subject to interference from the ICC. Players have an organisation to stick up for their rights, why don't umpires? The idea of threatening to boycott a given official is quite simply ludicrous. Try getting away with that in football.
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Outstanding piece Aggers - when winning becomes more important than playing the game to the best of one's ability and in the right spirit, I'd rather not watch. It's up to the vast majority of players out there to rise above this nonsense and not fall to the level of the rabid few.
Thanks for calling it as it truly is and challenging those who fob off their responsibilities as ambassadors for the world's greatest sport to anyone and everyone else.
Keep up the good work...
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Jonathan Agnews comments are clearly made by someone who watches considerably more cricket than most of us and who, by the nature of his role, is closer to players of all nationalities than most of us.
I applaud his frankness and his opinions on this matter. Is this an end to BBC fence sitting?
I have always appreciated Australian cricket and their ability to dig deep when in a dire position (136-7). Somehow they always find a 'hero' or two who produces a matching winning performance. However my admiration is considerably diminished when I am made aware of the circumstances in which those performances were made. I don't have Sky TV so I rely on old fashion reporting!!
I disagree with Craig Thomas's view that Mr Agnew glossed over the racial abuse that is alledged. I certainly did not form that opinion. What the article explained was the atmosphere that exists on the field of play which explains (without condoning) why players vent their frustration in such a manner. Perhaps we should be made aware of what Australian fielders had discussed as they settled down in their slip cordon. I bet it wasn't Christmas presents.
The fact of the matter is that all teams nowadays walk over the laws and spirit of the game when they want but resort to the authorities when it suits them. This isn't an Australian thing, it is apparent in all teams. It is of course apparent in most sports. 'Win at all costs' is the modern mantra.
What has interested me is news of the two Australian newspapers whose polls seem to suggest that home support (amongst their readership) views the role of Ponting and the team as less than satisfactory.
One hopes that Ricky and his fellow captains get the message that cricket followers don't want that brand of cricket.
PS; I see that we now have a mediator between Ponting and Kumble in advance of the next test. These officials must now have their own jumbo jet to follow on behind the touring sides! How many more of these useless officials do we need? Is Mike Proctor now redundant? The whole thing is fasical.
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Aggers as ever has spoken much sense and hit several nails firmly on the head. Any abuse should be considered unacceptable, racially motivated or otherwise, as should knowingly not walking when out. Of course, there are times when a batsman is not sure whether the ball hit bat, pad or clothing, or whether it carried to the fielder, but if the batsman knows - as Symonds apparently did - that he was out, then should he not also be up before the match referee?
Partly as a result of that, one of the things which leaves me an unsatisfactory taste is the way that Harbhajan was apparently "convicted" on the word of the Australian players. Harbhajan denies vehemently making the comment complained of, and apparently neither umpire heard it. Perhaps the match referee would have been entitled to accept the word of the Aussies, were it not that the same Australians (Symonds in particular) in the same match have been seen gloating about deliberately misleading the on-pitch authorities. Yes, justice should be done, be surely it should also be seen to be done, and I am really not sure that it has been here.
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Great article Aggers.
Although I don't think the decline in sportsmanship in the game can be laid solely at the door of the Aussies - it is a universal problem.
On every team there are the fair minded, the single minded and the bloody minded.
India complain about Symonds not walking but I would be very surprised to see either Dravid or Ganguly doing so.
Similarly, the Aussies do create a hostile atmosphere which in my opinion is against the spirit of the game, but you did not seem to mind so much when England adopted the tactic to secure a home Ashes victory.
Have we also forgotten jellygate and the numerous incidents that occurred on India's recent tour of England?
Until punishments can be introduced to force players to be as honest as possible it is a situation we may have to live with.
What annoys me is that, as you have pointed out, India are as culpable as any other team for the lack of honesty among players in the modern game, yet they bleat when umpires make mistakes.
Maybe it is time for the ICC to flex their muscles and not only lay down the law to the players, but to the teams that think the game can be held to ransom to get their own way.
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The Aussies are not the only ones who don't walk,(Gilchrist does.
English players in general don't walk. If they think they can survive an appeal they will stand and wait for the umpire.
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I agree with just about everything you say Jonathan.
I think it's about time the sledging stopped, it's not hard, it's not clever and despite what some might say it's just poor sportsmanship.
I used to represent my country at a junior level at Table Tennis, I remember many senior players who weren't good enough to beat me normally playing just about every trick in the book to put me off in an attempt to win.
The Aussies would have us all believe differently but they are no different to the people I've just described - winding up the opponent with verbals to win needs to become completely unacceptable
I also don't get how the cricket authorities can punish a batsman for shaking his head when given out lbw but still allow such sledging to go unpunished.
maybe this needs to blow up just to bring everyone to their senses!!!
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Right, a couple of points:
first of all, post 36
"There are a few examples of fine sportsmen in the ausie team. Lee, Clark, Hussey are a few that spring to mind."
Er, sorry, which players are you referring to? Hussey is a confirmed non-walker (witness his brass-necked refusal to walk in last years Commenwealth Bank series despite a visible nick to the keeper). Clarke in this very Test just gone was appealing for everything, refused to walk despite edging to slip, then claimed a catch which was dubious at best...so they are right alongside Ponting et al, the "hard men" of international cricket.
Secondly I think it's high time Bucknor was removed from the international panel - virtually every test he stands in there is a poor decision, and this one just gone surely topped it off. How can the players be expected to have confidence in an umpire who is clearly incapable? The odd mistake here and there (e.g. like Simon Taufell) people can live with but Bucknor, in the words of a previous post, is indeed well past his sell-by date.
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In the 21st century, we got to get this umpiring this down as close to a science as possible.
Are there any ICC guidelines for umpires to follow ? For example, one guideline could be: For close stumping decisions or run outs, do not think, just go to the 3rd umpire. Are there any training programs to re-inforce these guidelines.
I think the problem with Bucknor was not going to the 3rd umpire when he needed to. If the guy could'nt hear a loud snick, how could he be sure of a close stumping or a run out. And this is not the first time that is has happened with Bucknor. On top of that, he is seen smiling. That is arrogance. Mark Benson is seen to be serious. He wilted under the pressure put on him players and his mistakes were seen to be genuine and that is why there was no complaint against him.
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Great article. I would only add that what happens in sports arena is a sad reflection of society as a whole- where the 'me' culture of do anything or say anything to get ahead is prevalent. Whether it be pushing old ladies to get a seat on the train or parents abusing teams playing against their son's team in an inter school match- it is everywhere to see. It is absolutely disgusting to see the abuse used by footballers and now cricketers alike. Whilst we cannot hear the abuse it is often obvious the words that are being used. These players are the role models today's youngsters look up to. This needs to be stamped out vigourously by referees and umpires alike.
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Whilst I am by no means a fan of the way the Australian team has played its cricket over the past couple of years, does the Indians' repsonse not strike anyone else as demonstrating an inability to lose with dignity.
If we're so concerned about the spirit of cricket should we not be questioning the team's simple tit-for-tat reporting of Hogg and its overreaction to a serious allegation against one of its players?
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Is this the time to bring in the benefits of technology? If appeals for catches, and runouts were automatically referred to the third umpire there would be no benefit to the players in applying pressure. I believe the brief low down to play would do less harm to the game the antics of all the major international teams now. I have more reservations about lbw decisions as I am not convinced that Hawkeye is more reliable that an umpire just because it has the pretty computer graphics.
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But the Aussies don't racially abuse anyone do they? Regardless of how much sledging you receive in the field, racial abuse should never be condoned – The Australian team surely upholds this.
When England won the Ashes in 2005 there on field attitude was of aggression and long were the calls of 'maintain the killer instinct' and “they don't like it up 'em”.
Perhaps sledging should become a point of contention in the game but all I’m reading hear is that Australia have become the victim of building a successful team and everybody is lining up to take their opportunity.
To single out Australia is hypocritical and if there is a growing feeling that this style of play, regardless of whether Aus, India, England, the West Indies or any other team do it – the new regulations need to be introduced…not a witch hunt. Complaining about another team is pathetic and again hypocritical.
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Brilliant article. This Aussie team have long since been outed as sneering, shouting yobs - even one of the elder statesmen in Hayden spends a good proportion of his cricketing day acting the hard man.
But nobody's mentioned England's behaviour here (as Aggers actually did a couple of weeks ago). Moores has tried to inject the tough guy mentality into the England team and it's totally backfired, embarrassingly so actually. Witness the jelly baby stuff, the banter etc.
More than likely Moores has used the Aussies as the template, but at least their big name players perform regularly. And they win regularly (although I should make it clear that I completely disagree with the manner they win in).
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Dear Jonathan. I could not agree less with you. I think if you look at this test in particular, the real looser is the game of Cricket. i agree with you that there is nothing wrong in playing the cricket the hard way, but Australians should realise that cricket is being watched by millions of people world wide and ONLY WINNING is not important. Showing Respect to opponents and PEOPLE who watch the game is paramount. I think Ricky Ponting is short sighted in otb accepting that He was not WRONG at many a points in the game e.g Claiming the catch, appealing when the new Dravid had not touched the ball. I hope the rest of the tour goes on and in GOOD SPIRIT.
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I am sick and tired of listening to people saying - human error (umpires) is part and parcel of the game. We should be constantly trying to improve the game by using the latest technology and not just accept these errors. Just because humans traded each other as slaves in the past doesn't mean it is right. It might have happened in the past but we now know that it is not right. So too with umpiring. We are in an age where satellites can read the time off of people's wrist watches from hundreds of miles above the earth. Surely we should be able to use some of the commercially available technology to get rid of 'human errors' in cricket and make it better.
And please don't get me started on the 'hard cricket' aussie style. You can win games but not people's appreciation when you think your way is the right way. People living in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. And for cricket's sake increase the size of the international panel of umpires from just 8.
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Surely the book should have been thrown at Symonds after he admitted hitting the ball.As an albeit average league cricketer nothing causes more resentment on the field than a player knowing he is out being given not-out and then gloating about it. I'm sure this is what then caused most of the problems for the rest of the game.
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I agree with Aggers wholeheartedly.
It is interesting indeed that Symonds who so gleefully admitted that he was out even though the umpire didn't give him, then benefitted from the 'nick that wasn't' in India's innings.
This whole business of not walking because "it's the umpire's job" is laughable. Yes all sides do it and all sides are equally at fault. Under Law 27 a batsman is DISMISSED if he is given out by the umpire OR if he is OUT under the laws and leaves the wicket. This "umpire's job" approach presumably means that batsmen could slog the ball to deep long off where they are caught but if they stay in the middle they might just get away with it. They might just persuade the umpire that something is amiss. Or if Brett Lee flattens the stumps of a batsman, all he has to do is stand and wait for the umpire to give him out (which he might not if the pressure is on). It is, after all, apparently, the umpire's job to dismiss batsmen.
The Preamble to the Laws specifically cite as against the Spirit of the Law, appealing to the umpire knowing that the batsman is not out. I suggest the Preamble needs updaying as soon as possible to include among the list of effective cheating the act of batsmen not walking knowing that they are out.
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an observation: calling a black guy a monkey is racial abuse in a white-dominated country/society, because it *is* meant as a racial insult when used by a white against a black.
in india, where you have all kinds of cultures and colours, people aren't so insulting about race. sure, there is an insidious post-colonial preference for fairer skin, but one's race is not really considered a valid area of insult.
caste, regionalism, insulting your parentage or calling you an animal are very indian ways of verbal abuse: 'you dog', 'you pig', 'you donkey', 'you monkey'...
see? it's NOT the meaning of 'you are black therefore you have barely evolved from a monkey' like when it means a white racist says it...
c'mon, indians all over the world have and still do bear the brunt of racism; all the more reason we dont like dishing it out. it's hitting below the belt. we are painfully aware of that.
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The Aussies are not the only ones who don't walk,(Gilchrist does.
English players in general don't walk. If they think they can survive an appeal they will stand and wait for the umpire.
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I agree with just about everything you say Jonathan.
I think it's about time the sledging stopped, it's not hard, it's not clever and despite what some might say it's just poor sportsmanship.
I used to represent my country at a junior level at Table Tennis, I remember many senior players who weren't good enough to beat me normally playing just about every trick in the book to put me off in an attempt to win.
The Aussies would have us all believe differently but they are no different to the people I've just described - winding up the opponent with verbals to win needs to become completely unacceptable
I also don't get how the cricket authorities can punish a batsman for shaking his head when given out lbw but still allow such sledging to go unpunished.
maybe this needs to blow up just to bring everyone to their senses!!!
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Totally agree with Aggers comments.
Points to come out of this sorry episode in international cricket:
1. The Aussies were handed victory by poor umpiring decisions.
2. ICC were right in withdrawing Steve Buckner from umpiring the forthcoming Test. I think it is unfair to put Steve into the melting pot at Perth following what has happened on and off the field at Sydney.
3. If Harbhajan Singh racially abused Andrew Symonds as stated then he should be severely punished. No excuses and none of this rubbish about cultural differences and misinterpretation, a racial slur is a racial slur.
4. The Aussies were so wrapped up in getting this 16th successive win that they lost all judgment and failed to play 'within the spirit of the game'.
5. Two experienced umpires should never have got intimidated by players of either side.
6. A quality side like India despite the umpiring should have been able to bat out two and a bit sessions to save an important Test Match and keep themselves in the series.
7. The ACB should have repremanded Andrew Symonds for the comical press conference afer the first day when he gloated to the worlds on the umpiring mistake in his favour.
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I'd like to add my voice to those praising this article. Well done Mr Agnew.
Not the slickest article you've ever written, you come across as genuinely angry, but it hits all the relevant nails bang on the head.
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Hi! Jonathan
frankly speaking most people would not give 'two monkeys' about what has happened here...the game of cricket has long lost its old gentlemenly (but the prejudice in one form or the other was always evident ever since it became a gentleman's game) character and has now joined the ranks of commercilly contolled sports like the Olympics,Football,Tennis and even Golf..the young who have grown up with the changes in the game would not want to give two hoots about the old traditions instead they would think this one as just one more incident the violent world is evolving into..
The most remarkable thing is that India has stood up to the Aussie might in Australia it self which would have never been allowed to happen say even ten years ago ..well this is telling us something that the world is indeed becoming one ..one global village..there will be no love lost between Australia and India after this ...once the players makeup on the field..the ordinary citizens will forget too once they realise it is all to do with overdramatization on which commercialism (TV Ratings) thrives ..
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God I really hate to say this as an Englishman, but after reading the responses above it is clear that there is a big case of the green eyed monster at work here.
Yes the Aussies sledge too much, even my Australian mates say so. But the reason they win 16 test matches in a row, TWICE is that they have better players.
For heavens sake wake up and smell the roses, every team out there is guilty of something, look at the South Africans under Cronje!
The Aussies play to letter of the law, nothing more, we can be just as abusive if we want, in fact Pryor tried that recently, didn't mean we won 16 test straight though did it!?!
I wish people would stop seeing cricket through rose tinted specs, when was this supposed era of the gentleman cricketer?
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Am I alone in recalling those halcyon days when players (including notably Australian players such as Steve Waugh) walked off towards the dressing room when they knew they were out - before the umpire had raised that finger? But we seem to live in very confused times. Umpiring decisions are now shown to be suspect not just once but many times over in a single match - that has to be remedied by the cricketing authorities & they were right to remove Bucknor (albeit for wrongly stated reasons). And yes, players ought ultimately to take the lead in showing responsibility and visibly demonstrating sportsman-like behaviour. Can we have the good old days back, please?
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But the Aussies don't racially abuse anyone do they? Regardless of how much sledging you receive in the field, racial abuse should never be condoned – The Australian team surely upholds this.
When England won the Ashes in 2005 there on field attitude was of aggression and long were the calls of 'maintain the killer instinct' and “they don't like it up 'em”.
Perhaps sledging should become a point of contention in the game but all I’m reading hear is that Australia have become the victim of building a successful team and everybody is lining up to take their opportunity.
To single out Australia is hypocritical and if there is a growing feeling that this style of play, regardless of whether Aus, India, England, the West Indies or any other team do it – the new regulations need to be introduced…not a witch hunt. Complaining about another team is pathetic and again hypocritical.
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Aggers as ever has spoken much sense and hit several nails firmly on the head. Any abuse should be considered unacceptable, racially motivated or otherwise, as should knowingly not walking when out. Of course, there are times when a batsman is not sure whether the ball hit bat, pad or clothing, or whether it carried to the fielder, but if the batsman knows - as Symonds apparently did - that he was out, then should he not also be up before the match referee?
Partly as a result of that, one of the things which leaves me an unsatisfactory taste is the way that Harbhajan was apparently "convicted" on the word of the Australian players. Harbhajan denies vehemently making the comment complained of, and apparently neither umpire heard it. Perhaps the match referee would have been entitled to accept the word of the Aussies, were it not that the same Australians (Symonds in particular) in the same match have been seen gloating about deliberately misleading the on-pitch authorities. Yes, justice should be done, be surely it should also be seen to be done, and I am really not sure that it has been here.
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Agree with Agnew (not 100 percent though). I agree on the aspect that powerful Cricket Boards trying to manipulate the appointment of Officials when decisions don't go in favour of them. Tell me how many times would a Board request such a change?
I guess the commercialization of the game has also introduced extreme mainstream media attention, each vying their opportunity to paint their own perspective. In this game, in particular, the Umpires erred as well as the Players. How come an Umpire does not make use of available technology? It is plain common sense and would be stupid to believe the words of the fielding Captain. I wonder if Benson would have believed the same had it been Shoaib Malik or Jayawardane? I am not trying to paint a racial picture over here but that is how Umpires of some countries act. In both the cases reported by Agnew, it is a team from sub continent that has bore the brunt. Saying so, the Umpiring standards aren't impeccable in the sub continent as well. Everybody errs! It is just the frustration of not using the available technology coupled with some aggressive behaviour.
In the end, as long as cultural differences exist, i mean, sub continental teams being passive and unitive while the Aussies being more aggressive and analytical, the game is bound to face controversy on and off the field. It all adds to the drama and in the end, all that matters is, how things are handled by the concerned authorities in charge of the game!
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You're spot on, Mr. Agnew. But, both umpires in SCG added to the fuel. It's not only Bucknor who made a mess of several - not just two - blatantly wrong decisions, umpire Benson's giving Ganguly out solely on the finger-pointing by Ponting was simply sickening. Good to see that BCCI has finally stood up to ICC - the hands that feed...! Next step ought to be to exclude ALL Aussie cricketers from Indian Premier League, until remorses are publicly articulated. Hit under the belt...as the so-called First World says!!!
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Regarding the sacking of Mr. Bucknor, nobody is bigger than the game of cricket. That includes umpires as well. For some reason, Mr. Bucknor seem to always have problems with sub-continental teams as they always over-appeal. But that should not lead to bias. I think the umpiring controversy issue might have calmed down if Mr. Bucknor and Mr. Benson had apologized for their mistakes in a gentlemanlike fashion. Remember Aleem Dar said sorry to Sachin in England for wrongly giving him out. That is how you earn the respect of players. Umpires need to earn the respect of players. They should not think they are bosses of the game and bigger than game.
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Yes, BCCI lost the plot by clubbing racism and Harbhajan with umpiring and Steve. First there were issues with umpires and their home-state bias, now we have issues against individual umpires; where do we go from here? Let us not react with narrow minds. Perhaps what we really need is bringing in a range of technologies to aid umpires.
More importantly, however, cricket is losing its sheen as a gentleman’s game not only for characters like Ponting and Sreesanth but also from commercialising it. We can’t do much with the latter but we sure can hope for a shift in the attitude of the players. We need players like Gower and Vishy, who do not hold record number of centuries nor are they regarded as the greatest captains. But what they had in them may best be described as 'cricketer-like-qualities', which is something we need to revisit.
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I'm afraid the so-called crossroads was passed a long time ago. Cricket has opted to follow the route of football to maximise income at the expense of everything else. Fair play? Forget it. There's too much riding on games and tours now.
Do yourself a favour. Don't bother paying to watch test matches or even county cricket. Waste of money. Go instead to support your local cricket club, wherever it is.
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...er let's get one thing clear - If the Turbanator did call Symonds a monkey there is simply no excuse, no justification and there can be no mitigating circumstances. Imagine if Ponting had issued a racist insult at Harbajan in India? All hell would have broken loose, and rightly so.
For India to then throw their toys ourt of the pram and complain about Bucknor is a pathetic attempt at shifting the blame. Bucknor made some honest mistakes - sure, they contributed to India's defeat. But he did not make any racist comments. Bucknor's performance is a totally separate issue an should have been reviewed by the authorities, without any pressure from the Indians.
Australia's unsporting behaviour is also a separate issue. I agree with everything Aggers has said on that. But just because Ponting and others are desperately unlikable, this does not justify racism.
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Great article! Besides being a perceptive and intelligent piece, one can hope that coming from Mr. Agnew, it will carry some weight in influencing cricket officials.
The Aussies do leave a sour impression for most non-Aussie viewers of the game, and I am pretty sure this is not simply a case of sour grapes. The abundant Aussie talent is not tempered by any higher values in the players. Ricky Ponting's interviews show clearly that he is unaware of how arrogant he comes across to the viewer. It reminds me of something that Charles Darwin had said about Australia: "too great and ambitious for affection, yet not great enough for respect." Seems to apply to their cricket too.
Perhaps the best way to further the points made by Mr. Agnew is for India to cut short the current tour of Australia and cite the primary reason for doing so: not Harbhajan, not Bucknor, but the arrogant and twisted spirit of the Australian game.
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Well written.
However, the Bucknor issue should be seen in its own context. He has been making atrocious decisions for some time. He is old, undoubtedly with less than optimal eyesight and hearing and as one commentator suggested, is "past his sell -by date". He needs to be retired.
It also strengthens the call for bringing technology in and having the third umpire make the final ruling. It might cause pauses- but it will prevent bad blood and unfair play.
The Aussies play with double standards. They give it to others "under the guise of chirp and banter" but cant take it themselves. "What is on the field should be left on the field" they say, with the now obvious but unstated requirement that all thats fine as long as it does not happen to them. Their behavior over recent years has been vile, pre-pubescent and uncivilized. What their cricket team and their supporters need to realize is that it does- rightly or wrongly- reflect on Australia as a nation. Australian fans who have been writing vociferously to support their captain should ponder this with a cool head.
Until there is objective evidence, Harbhajan is not guilty. Period. Same with Hogg. To do otherwise is illegal and irresponsible and plain wrong. The match referee, asked to act as a judge, failed miserably. This type of event will probably happen again. The only way to stop it is to ban "sledging" as it is unfair and adds a method for some to "cheat" and affect the results and takes away from what should be a game between bat and ball only. Sledging or attempts at "mental dis-intigration" are just other names for asserting an unfair leverage over opponents outside the laws of the game. Cultural issues will always be hurt and its asking too much for young sportsmen with likely limited knowledge of other cultures to be sympathetic to such nuances - therefore ban sledging. Cricket cannot ban racism- its too ingrained in human nature. But cricket can save itself future disasters by banning all sledging.
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Aggers has hit the nail right on the top of the head: there is a fine line between playing the game "hard" and being outright jerks. And Australia has crossed that line so many times that any counter would have lost count many times over. The shameful smirky image of Ponting holding his finger is disgusting to see.
I may not have had the privilege of having live TV coverage of the matches, but I do read the commentary. And I have never seen any of the top fielders, namely the Collingwoods, the de Villiers and the Dilshans ever attempt to shout for a grassed catch. And sure, maybe sometimes the likes of Monty Panesar can be a little optimistic when it comes to lbw appeals, but would his wicketkeeper and slip fielders back him even if it was way off line? Likely not.
...and when we've even got some of the most hardened Austrophiles singing from the same songsheet, we know this isn't your run-of-the-mill.
And a final message to the Indian team: grow up.
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One of the best syntheses of the current situation. I virtually stopped watching premiership football because of the pressure placed on particularly by multi-millionaire managers - heaven help us should cricket go the same way - there will be almost nothing left to watch. Contrast this with Brian Ashton who, in the last world cup, when asked about a potentially career-ending high tackle on Jonny Wilkinson by Brian Lima inadequately penalised by the referee, refused to comment saying it was the citing commissions' job to deal with such incidents not his. I'm glad he got reappointed - sport needs more with his attitude. One of the reasons that umpires get things wrong is the behaviour of the fielding team - this can easily be stamped out by strict enforcement on excessive appealing.
One issue I do have is on walking. Virtually nobody does it and hasn't done for many years. Even the great Mike Brearley in his book on leadership (originally written in the early 80's)said he was against walking because he believed it implicitly questioned the competence of the umpire to make a decision.
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A few points... As long as we keep trying to cure the symptoms rather than the cause, cricket might just stay on at the same crossroads. As for the player behavior, if sledging is condoned by an international body like the ICC, then it is difficult to understand where the line should be drawn. The players are obviously not going to look at a "book of acceptable words" before they make the rant. As for the umpiring, again the fault lies with the system. Unless we do something about the 'errors' in umpiring rather than dismissing them all as "bad hair days for the umpire", there is every possibility that this is going to repeat. Last but not the least, 8 or 9 mistakes in a single test match seriously questions the credibility of the umpires, no matter how esteemed he was made out to be. Peace.
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Well, I partly agree with your comments - but bad umpiring is bad umpiring and there should be some mechanism to keep them under check. What's blatant about Bucknor is that he kept on making the same mistakes during the course of the test match. He definitely seemed rattled by the Aussies. And you know that he can't possibly be umpiring fairly if he felt intimidated by one team.
You pointed out how Symonds mentioned in his interview that he got away with a catch - did you notice him patting Bucknor on his back after getting Dravid out? Wtf was that about? Look at the tapes and you see what I mean. That was appalling... Symonds thanking Bucknor for the century and the wicket.
With regards the ban on Harbhajan, I do not understand how Proctor could make the right decision if he does not have supporting audio or video? Does he mean to say that Sachin Tendulkar's integrity is not as much as Ricky Ponting's?
Its easy to come out with a post that does not necessarily address the actual issues/facts - but its just that factual interpretation of what happened is the need of the hour.
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Jonathon, an excellent article, spot on. Cricket indeed is at the crossroads, and the time has come for firm action I feel (but of course I doubt it will be taken).
Umpires will come under even more pressure (just like football referees), but I think this trend can be changed when (not if) more use id made of technology - it's not easy to put pressure on a TV replay machine in the third umpire's room!
There must be no further buckling by the ICC - teams cannot be allowed to decide who umpires their games.
And sledging should be stamped on - perhaps even allow the umpires to give 5 runs to the team at the receiving end of a sledge, each time it occurs!!
But of course, the ICC will do none of the above, but continue bumbling along.
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I don't think it's as easy as blaming the players and exonerating the umpires. I suggest the reason this Test was so controversial was that the players realised early on that the men in white coats were making mistakes and would be swayed by some sharp practice. No one comes out of it well (although Ponting probably wins the National Disgrace stakes, by a head from Clarke and Symonds), and although I don't like to see an umpire removed at a team's request, I think Bucknor's been poor for years now.
But I don't understand why it's apparently OK to turn the air blue and make all sorts of unspeakable comments and suggestions to your opponents, but beyond the pale to use the word "monkey". Is that really unquestionably worse than boasting about shagging your opponent's wife? Is it worse than accusing your opponent of acting as a rent boy? (No punishment for these in the past) Presumably it's even OK to threaten to have someone killed, as long as you don't call him a monkey?
Harbhajan quite possibly said something unpleasant to Symonds (although exactly what may be unclear), but I don't recognise the procedure as any sort of due process, and I don't believe he's been found guilty beyond reasonable doubt. As for the Australians, my mum used to say "If you can't take it, don't dish it out". Crying to the match referee when their target responds makes their obsession with macho posturing and "mental disintegration" all the more unpleasant.
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Brilliant article. This Aussie team have long since been outed as sneering, shouting yobs - even one of the elder statesmen in Hayden spends a good proportion of his cricketing day acting the hard man.
But nobody's mentioned England's behaviour here (as Aggers actually did a couple of weeks ago). Moores has tried to inject the tough guy mentality into the England team and it's totally backfired, embarrassingly so actually. Witness the jelly baby stuff, the banter etc.
More than likely Moores has used the Aussies as the template, but at least their big name players perform regularly. And they win regularly (although I should make it clear that I completely disagree with the manner they win in).
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God I really hate to say this as an Englishman, but after reading the responses above it is clear that there is a big case of the green eyed monster at work here.
Yes the Aussies sledge too much, even my Australian mates say so. But the reason they win 16 test matches in a row, TWICE is that they have better players.
For heavens sake wake up and smell the roses, every team out there is guilty of something, look at the South Africans under Cronje!
The Aussies play to letter of the law, nothing more, we can be just as abusive if we want, in fact Pryor tried that recently, didn't mean we won 16 test straight though did it!?!
I wish people would stop seeing cricket through rose tinted specs, when was this supposed era of the gentleman cricketer?
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Spot on Jonathan! Respect for the umpire is an absolutely central tenet of cricket, and the spirit of cricket. Obviously an umpire who continually makes mistakes should be removed from the test panel in due course, but to remove an umpire in mid tour for a few controversial decisions must rank as one of cricket's darkest hours.
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While I agree with a lot of what Jonathan says, I question the fact that the umpires are not to blame. We cannot condone incompetence in any form, and when it is blatant, and can seriously affect a match, then it seriously affects the game and needs action. Jonathan treats umpires as omnipotent saying they make mistakes but that's okay. Well, that's not okay. They are paid to do a job, and if they don't do it properly, they should be given the boot! Would your employer keep you if you screw up to the extent that it affects the company's image and viability on a consistent basis? Even politicians are voted out (except for dictators, and it seems that we have given umpires dictatorial rights).
Soory Jonathan, incompetence is not acceptable. They are being paid to do a job, and just like us poor stiffs out here, if they screw up, boot them!!!
We have technology available to assist them and it should be used. Only arrogance gets in the way of referrals when good batsmen hesitate after being given out on a dodgy call. There are thousands of available umpires available. Let's make sure that only the competent ones officiate because a nation's pride is at stake!
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Agree strongly with you Jonathan: the title of your column sums it up in just 6 words. Also agree v. much with Neal (message no.11).
There's sledging and sledging, always has been. I wouldn't have wanted to set a match some of what the two Chappells and Kim Hughes apparently came out with, and that was 30 years ago. But the situation today is clearly way out of line, and not just from Australia. 'Hey, mate, you couldn't **** bat your way out of a **** wet paper bag' is one thing. Open, non-stop, deliberately targeted abuse, personal or racial or sexual, is quite another. Difficult to put a stop to, now it's got such a grip. But some sort of start surely has to be made. Ideas, anyone?
And relating to this: whatever happened to everyone's sense of humour? Is there quite so little fun out there as it looks? Do so many players really not seem to like themselves or anyone else any more? If that's so, it has nothing to do with 'being a competitor' or 'playing hard but fair'. It's just a carry-on by players who won't grow up. Why should we watch?
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I have to agree on the point that undermining the umpires weakens the game considerably, Bucknor should not have been removed.
However Aggers, simply trying to assign blame on the players or umpires or the fans for that matter is ignoring the elephant in the room - the luddite refusal of the ICC to use available technology. There would be no reason to have this impassioned debate about mistakes by umpires and cheating by players if we just stop insisting that the field umpire must have miraculous eyesight and hearing and instead have electronics do that.
This whole argument that the umpire is always right even if everyone else can see he's made a mistake is just idiotic. Just equip the guy to make better decisions and not leave it up to chance so that the motivation for such unpleasantness is removed.
I remember when TV replays and a 3rd umpire were introduced - all the tradionalists were up in arms claiming that it would undermine the umpire on the field and remove "the glorious uncertainties of the game". Think of how many more such disputes would have happened if that was not done.
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Last summer I went to watch a minor league cricket game in Lancashire, which was watched by the proverbial six men and a dog.
The noise was tremendous - not from the 'crowd', but the fielders who kept up a monotonous appealing, sledging and encouragement, which was so noticeable in the absence of spectators.
If sledging had been stamped on when it first appeared by the umpires, and given official backing, we wouldn't have the present nonsense.
Umpires Budd and now Bucknor, have been sent into limbo for doing their job. I understand that India provide 70% of the money coming into the game, so what is the point of the I.C.C?
I saw my first test match 62 years ago at Old Trafford. I have no doubt that some wrong decisions were made then by the umpires, but it was all 'swings and roundabouts' until TV cast its beady eye on the game. There is nothing the media like better than controversy. The game of cricket itself means nothing to them.
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Well said Mr. Agnew. I have been a great fan of Australian cricket and have watched them for atleast two decades. It is unfortunate to see Mr. Ponting and his men tarnish the name of this great cricketing nation with the way they have played in the past few years. While certainly the "play hard" attitude is not only an Australian thing, I must say as the world's leading cricekting nation they set a precedent and an example for others to follow: not only for the next generation of Australian crickters but for other teams in the world as well. It is also indeed unfortunate that the teams simply do not display the comradarie that used to exist in the past. If the teams do intend to "play hard" then they should keep it to the field. This issue of racism and name calling that none of the witnesses seem to have actually heard seems highly disruptive, one that Mr. Procter appears to have botched completely as well.
Having said all that, the people who need to bring the beautiful spirit of cricket back are the players of all nations and not anyone else.
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You're spot on, Mr. Agnew. But, both umpires in SCG added to the fuel. It's not only Bucknor who made a mess of several - not just two - blatantly wrong decisions, umpire Benson's giving Ganguly out solely on the finger-pointing by Ponting was simply sickening. Good to see that BCCI has finally stood up to ICC - the hands that feed...! Next step ought to be to exclude ALL Aussie cricketers from Indian Premier League, until remorses are publicly articulated. Hit under the belt...as the so-called First World says!!!
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Jonathan, although in principle I agree with you, the world and professional sport in particular has changed.
Winning is everything, simple as that. The money, the glory, the kudos, it's all about having won. How you get there doesn't matter, and neither should it. These aren't children, these are highly paid professional sportsmen who crave victory at all costs.
If cricket wants to survive as a spectator sport we need all the needle and intimidation we can get - it's only words after all.
Look how much you lot are talking about it right now.
Toughen up a bit Aggers, it's only a game!
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Aggers, didn´t all this start with an Aussie bowling underarm along the ground to stop England hitting a six to win off the last ball ? Or was it with Larwood and bodyline bowling?
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I do not agree with your view on replaing senior collegue as foolish.
Yes I agree umpires do make mistakes but it is sheer number of mistakes made on a single match and more than 95%of those decision goes against one team is not right. If a player keep on making mistakes he will be dropped and asked him to play domestic cricket. If an employee keeps on making mistakes he will be fired and same applies to Steve Bucknor as well. In his time he was the best umpire and now he passed his prime. Like players umpires needs to handle pressure in the middle and cannot be succumbed to the opposition pressure. With the age people tend to loose their judgement and team like Australia know this very well and apply more pressure on Bucknor to get the decision in their favour.
It is shame that it has come to this far.
Even before India's request for change of umpire ICC should have acted fast and said that Steve B will be replaced for the next match. This would have brought bit more respect for ICC.
Now ICC should add more umpires to their elite panel.
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I couldnt agree more with Johnathon's comments. Yes its so very disappointing that the Indians held the game to ransom, but what beggars belief for me is that Symonds was so brazen in telling us that he was caught but didnt walk. What kind of a role model for young sportsmen is that?
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Jonathan, although in principle I agree with you, the world and professional sport in particular has changed.
Winning is everything, simple as that. The money, the glory, the kudos, it's all about having won. How you get there doesn't matter, and neither should it. These aren't children, these are highly paid professional sportsmen who crave victory at all costs.
If cricket wants to survive as a spectator sport we need all the needle and intimidation we can get - it's only words after all.
Look how much you lot are talking about it right now.
Toughen up a bit Aggers, it's only a game!
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"Retrospectively if for some reason the catches are not referred and the fielder has obviously claimed a downed catch a warning is in order from the 4th umpire after play has finished."
If it can be proved after the innings that a fielder knowingly claimed a downed catch, then never mind a warning - he should be banned from the rest of the game and the following match, if not longer. Maybe that'd put a stop to it.
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I tend to agree with this article, and the fact that the ICC has not acted to help its umpires for sometime.
There needs to be a two-fold action from the ICC.
Firstly, they need to start defending their umpires, and not give in to intimidation, or otherwise the intimidation will just get worse.
Secondly though, the umpires need more support in getting the decisions right, and, if necessary, that does require more use of technology.
Thirdly, different cultures and different languages mean that one persons sledging is easily another players abuse. It should be stopped.
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Well, I partly agree with your comments - but bad umpiring is bad umpiring and there should be some mechanism to keep them under check. What's blatant about Bucknor is that he kept on making the same mistakes during the course of the test match. He definitely seemed rattled by the Aussies. And you know that he can't possibly be umpiring fairly if he felt intimidated by one team.
You pointed out how Symonds mentioned in his interview that he got away with a catch - did you notice him patting Bucknor on his back after getting Dravid out? Wtf was that about? Look at the tapes and you'll see what I mean. That was appalling... Symonds thanking Bucknor for the century and the wicket.
With regards the ban on Harbhajan, I do not understand how Proctor could make the right decision if he does not have supporting audio or video? Does he mean to say that Sachin Tendulkar's integrity is not as much as Ricky Ponting's?
Its easy to come out with a post that does not necessarily address the actual issues/facts - but its just that factual interpretation of what happened is the need of the hour.
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I can bet that kids have already started practicing sledging instead of concentrating on enhancing cricket skills. This is the impact this Australian side has in the future of the game. Sledging is a skill and not every team or person is good at it. You have to be politically correct and sledge enough to know how far to go. That is exactly what these Aussies are good at. I wont be surprised if it is taught in the academies in Australia.
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Jonathan, although in principle I agree with you, the world and professional sport in particular has changed.
Winning is everything, simple as that. The money, the glory, the kudos, it's all about having won. How you get there doesn't matter, and neither should it. These aren't children, these are highly paid professional sportsmen who crave victory at all costs.
If cricket wants to survive as a spectator sport we need all the needle and intimidation we can get - it's only words after all.
Look how much you lot are talking about it right now.
Toughen up a bit Aggers, it's only a game!
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It baffles me.
Another 'root' cause of this problem is the seeming acceptance that it's ok not to walk if one is caught but not given out.
The laws of the game state clearly that if you hit it and are caught then you are out.
Andrew Symonds blatantly and delightedly admitted to cheating. Hopefully I can call him a cheat without being reported by Ricky Ponting.
Of course there will be comments saying this is naive. Cricket is a professional sport. Batsmen get given out when they're not so why should they walk when they're not given out.
The short answer is because they 'are out'.
'Professional' is a word that is used not just to denote a distinction from 'amateur' but also to signal the highest in standards. In the business world if one is a professional, accountant, solicitor, doctor one is held to higher standards. One is rapidly removed from one's post if one breaches these standards.
The professionals also police themselves.
Perhaps the same standards should apply in sport.
Andrew Symonds is a cheat. So is Ricky Ponting, so is Michael Hussey and so is just about every other 'professional' cricketer. The notable exception being Adam Gilchrist!
Thanks Aggers for talking sense in a senseless situation!
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Mr Agnew,
If you followed English cricket seriously and if there was this one series that England played were you believed that England definitely had a chance to win and if you saw not one not two but atleast ten decisions go against you in a test match and if you believed that had it not been for the umpires the result would have been much different, then you'd be thinking the same as the million people back home in India and I would have written this article of yours. Hope this clarifies things a bit.
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Jonathan -
"And that is why the decision to remove Steve Bucknor from the next Test is so short-sighted."
Have you been watching the match at all??
Steve Bucknor's is removed - not because of the racism issue. But do the poor umpiring.
Just like how a referee - an English man was dropped after the quarter finals of the football world cup where he made a series of bad decisions that cost that particular team a game (germany i think) - the ICC has decided to drop an incompitent referee.
What do you have to say about the 7 decisions that went against India and cost the match. Australia are SO dominant?? Would they be considered so good had India squared the series?
Everyone wants good fair results - the right decisions made. Did any Indian complain after the 1st Test. Sure - one or two mistakes a match is fine.. but 7?? Symonds gets 3 lives, Ponting gets 1, Hussey gets 2, Australia get another 2 (dravid & ganguly).
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Why in so called Cricket Spirit it is ok to punish a player at all costs but not an umpire even when he failed to perform his duties? Just like a player who has to keep the game in right spirit, umpire has the burden of making sure he is capable of keeping his focus on the game and give right decisions. But, what Steve Bucknor did not do is use the technology that is at his disposal when he is in doubt, he would have been a good umpire if he put his arrogance aside and called third umpire on those dubious decisions. That would have cleared him, time and again he made mistakes in Sydney test with out calling third umpire, why he had to ask Ponting whether Clark took the catch or not? Couldn't he refer that to third umpire? To keep Cricket in good spirit umpires should also be made accountable for their errors. They are not gods I disagree with Jonathan
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I agree with Jonathan. I believe that it is appalling that the players cannot play for the love of the sport and the only goal on their mind is winning - at any cost. They should play because they enjoy the game and if they win it is a bonus. There should be stricter rules brought in for player's conduct.
I also believe it is wrong to blame the umpires, especially Steve Bucknor who has been a fair and level headed umpire throughout his umpiring career. I feel however that all umpires feel more inclined to give appeals when there are lots of players appealing because they fear that if they use their own head and play the game by the rules they will get the Darrell Hair treatment, which was disgraceful and i believe that there should be a full inquest and appropriate action taken to reinstate Hair or to at least clear his name from shame. If the umpires cannot use their own knowledge of the rules without fear of expuulsion then the game has already reached an irreprable stage and action must be taken to refom a new cricket where there is no fear of dismissal for abiding by the rules for umpires.
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Aggers,
I agree and disagree with your comments but believe that you don’t really see half the situation and propose no such solutions to the problems facing Cricket.
I agree with your statement that the players are to blame for placing unreasonable pressure on the umpires, even going so far as to intimidating them in to taking decisions.
I Disagree with your analysis that Bucknor should not have been replaced. After all according to my calculations, if the match had been umpired effectively India would have taken 24 Wickets Legitimately and the Australians only 17, yet Australia won ? Would you wish to play with Umpires if you needed more wickets than the opposition in order to win ?
But this is besides the point. The key point is to take action in order to improve the quality of the game that we love so much and in order to do that you need to perform 2 key actions which will improve the quality of the umpiring and to play cricket in the spirit it should be played ;
1. Divorce Decision making on all decisions from the 2 umpires on the pitch to three umpires in a commentary box. This carries the advantage that the umpires who make the decisions have the availability of all the technology they need to take the RIGHT decisions and are not intimidated by the crowd or players in to making decisions. They would then have two administrators on the ground (like the umpires today) to convey the decisions to the players and to report any problems between players. Simply put , you have the tools use them to improve the game !
2. Ban Sledging – This is at the heart of the Singh / Simmonds problem – No sledging would mean that this situation would not have arisen and that could only be a good thing for cricket.
The advantage of these two changes would lead to better quality umpiring and the game being played in the spirit it was meant to be played in and the best team winning rather than the team who can manipulate the umpires the best or one that can mentally disintegrate the other the best.
I am not saying this is ideal but the episode shopuld present the ICC with food for thought and they should use it as a chance to ensure that it never happens again.
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Good article...
I think it's quite likely that the Australians deliberately provoked Harbhajan hoping he would respond with a racist comment as he had done before.
All teams are guilty of sledging to some extent but Australia invented it and have got it down to an art form.
Sledging is ugly and nasty. Nobody minds a bit of good humoured banter on the field but sledging is premeditated personal abuse aimed at demoralising/humiliating a particular opponent with a view to him losing concentration and then getting his wicket. How can this pack dog practice be considered a legitimate part of any sport? It's been outlawed in fox hunting so time to outlaw it in cricket as well.
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Mr. Agnew,
your article brings up many interesting points and for the most part, I agree with it. I agree that it's the players who are responsible for their on-field shenanigans. After all, they are grown-up men playing a professional sport. Why shouldn't they be held accountable for their actions. Along the same lines, racism is reprehensible and should not be tolerated by anyone, if there is "proof" that someone was guilty of it.
However, I do disagree with you regarding your position on the removal of the umpire, Steve Bucknor. Most of us are professionals who are judged by our performance at work. What happens when our performance is not satisfactory? Depending on how poorly we performed, we might get a slap on the wrist or worse, might get fired. Along the same lines, umpires are professionals, who, happen to make a lot more money than most of us make. They are getting paid to do their job and are certainly not doing it for charity. So then why should they not be judged by the same standards as other professionals? If they fail to do their job in a satisfactory manner, there should be repercussions. And you do believe that Steve Bucknor's standard of umpiring was way below standard, don't you? After all, he's in the ICC's elite group of umpires and gets the big bucks for it. Just as in any other job, higher the job profile (and compensation), higher are the stakes and there is less margin for error. To summarize it, I think he did a horrendous job and as a professional, he should be held accountable.
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I agree with Aggers to a large extent.
Umpires will make mistakes as has been said; but,to me, it is surely time to use technology more. I am aware that it is not conclusive and that the brief experiment in domestic cricket did not work well. However, in such high profile games as Test matches it must be used. Everyone knew that Symonds was out when he was on 30 within 5 seconds; that decision could easily have been corrected. Over the weekend, we saw three claims for catches when the ball was being pressed against the ground - no one will convince me for example that the South African did not know the ball had been grounded or when Ponting claimed a catch, it was touching the ground.
It is disappointing, however, that the same Indians who won a series in England last year thanks to a bad umpiring decision have the nerve to criticise the umpire.
The solution to players cheating should be bans. Players who sledge should be immediately sent from the fiels and banned for the rest of the match - e.g. the mouthful Dale steyn gave Chris Gayle when he got him out the other day as well.
ICC must get things in order and certainly not make scapegoats of the umpires.
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I couldn't agree more with the sentiments in Agnew's article. As an Indian, I would like to say that if it is proved that Harbajhan made a racist comment then yes he should be banned from playing.
Likewise Brad Hogg should also be banned if he made racist comments to the Indian side. Racism cannot be tolerated- whoever the culprit is.
Likewise the Aussie team's cheating tactics of knowingly staying on the field when players know they are out shows poor gamesmanship. Ponting and his team clearly lack discipline and their bully-boy tactics bring disrepute to the game and to Australia as a country. What a shame!
At least the Australian public's reaction to Pontings team goes someway in showing what the correct behaviour should be on the cricket pitch. The cricketers these days seem to behave like overgrown schoolboys. Their boorish behaviour is not impressive at all.
Cricketing rules against sledging should be implemented.
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Perhaps Mr Agnew could post some facts to back up his claims of Australia being a bully?I watched both ashes series,and it was England's wicket keeper who copped the criticism for a foul mouth.Both those contests were played in good spirit.Were you one that praised England for their aggressive attitude when they won the ashes 2005?What a hypocrite.I also saw the tensions between India and England in their last test series.Why wasn't you claiming that England were bullies then?This holier-than-thou attitude makes me sick.Jelly beans anyone?How childish.But of course that incident did not belittle cricket in any way.Brad Hogg has been charged for calling a player or 2 a bas**rd on the field.Is that the worst that the Aussies say on the field these days(if he did say it?)Can you tell me when an Aussie last shoulder-barged another player,but that it is not being a bully is it?That is just getting a person back for abuse.So what did the English bully say to make the opposition player shoulder barge him?Respected cricket writer?give me a break.
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Well said Aggers.
Instead of vilifying the umpires why not have a system, like in grand slam tennis, where players can request an umpire's decision to be referred to a TV replay umpire, say 3 times an innings?
The Aussies have ruined the spirit of playing cricket - even their own public have had enough. They are obviously a great team but have reduced it to football style thuggery where there is no respect for honesty and integrity.
The ICC are too spineless to do anything about all this - as long as the money rolls in they will sit on their backsides and do nothing.
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Aggers
I believe the argument touches on some serious points, the key one being that everyone in the game is responsible.
Firstly, the umpires are only human and I cannot believe the ICC and many other people commenting here have fallen for the red herring of hanging Steve Bucknor out to dry. Yes he made mistakes (the key one being not giving Symonds out) but there should not be a mechanism where one international side threatens to withdraw from a tour if a particular umpire officiates. Where does this end? I agree this is a dangerous precedent and is typical of the men running the ICC.
Secondly, where is the responsibility of Harbajhan here? If he said what he said, should he not take his punishment? Let us be clear. If this was a white English cricketer who said this to West Indian/ Indian/Pakistan/Sri Lankan what would the reaction be? Racism is bigger than sport and must be addressed and stamped out. Mind you, it is said that sport is a reflection of society - if this debacle represents society, we have fallen far indeed
Thirdly, what on earth are the Aussies crying about? It seems that the report to the umpires suited Pontings purposes, but I bet he does not have the same feeling of responsibility when his team mates are dishing it out - hypocritical or what?
The whole affair saddens me. I have been a cricket fan for 40 years (West Indian) and just wish for the cricket of the 60's/70's and 80's.
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If only the people involved in football felt like this...
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I would agree with Jonathan instantly, were it not for the fact that the decisions which went against India were not so blatantly wrong, that even Stevie Wonder would have had no difficulty in judging some of them.
ICC has always taken extreme steps against the players whenever umpiring is concerned. Players are fined promptly even when they show slightest protest against umpiring, while umpires have a license to kill any player's career and go scot free. ICC has repeatedly ignored the call make use of the technology to avoid totally dodgy decisions. THIS MUST STOP. BCCI has the monetary clout to force their hand, and it's high time they did so to restore some sort of balance and fairness to the game
BCCI should stand firm behind the players and not just be satisfied with removal of Bucknor from officiating in third test. They should ask immediate dismissal of all charges against Harbhajan, apology from Procter, Ponting, Symmonds and the Australian cricket board for putting the guest team through all this hassle. By dismissing Bucknor, ICC has practically acknowledged faulty decision making, thus India should ask them to take the unprecedented step of declaring the test match void. THEY SHOULD DISCONTINUE THE TOUR IF NONE OF THESE CONDITIONS ARE MET.
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Both Australia and India are as bad as each other. They should take a look at how England play if they want to see how cricket should be played in a gentlemanly, respectful manner. Even though bad umpiring cost us Test series in Australia (2006-7) and against India in 2007, our players just got on with the job and didn't complain or cheat. Michael Vaughan, unlike Kumble and Ponting, sets a good example to his players in how to behave both on and off the field. The recent history of cricket shows the England team is a shining light in a game increasingly marred by sledging and general cheating.
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I think in the end we have to say that australians are smart. they know how to push the limit and invite the other guy to cross the limit.
sort of reminds me of my sister when we were small kids. we would get into a progressively worsening verbal bout. but everytime teh fight would end when she would be the one to start crying because i did/said something nasty. naturally, my position was untenable in front of my parents!
the big problem is that playing "fair and hard" is a self defined phrase. naturally aussies would always be within those limits. point is, have they discussed it with opponents before a test match like the pact regarding close catches?
I mean they can talk dirty about the opponent player's mother and wife etc and thats just "playing hard" even if the other player does not reply back (say some 15 years ago). In my view, its as bad as calling someone monkey in reply to sledging.
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In light of the recent alligations made against Brad Hogg I will be interested to see what the Australians' reaction is. I think that if they choose to behave in a similar manner to the Indian Cricket Board then there will be a huge outcry.
With respect to the issue of appealing for a bump-catch I do feel it is disgraceful, much like diving in football, but is it all that different from the extravagant over-appealing for lbws that used to go on? And can't it be dealt with in the same way?
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I do not agree with your view on replaing senior collegue as foolish.
Yes I agree umpires do make mistakes but it is sheer number of mistakes made on a single match and more than 95%of those decision goes against one team is not right. If a player keep on making mistakes he will be dropped and asked him to play domestic cricket. If an employee keeps on making mistakes he will be fired and same applies to Steve Bucknor as well. In his time he was the best umpire and now he passed his prime. Like players umpires needs to handle pressure in the middle and cannot be succumbed to the opposition pressure. With the age people tend to loose their judgement and team like Australia know this very well and apply more pressure on Bucknor to get the decision in their favour.
It is shame that it has come to this far.
Even before India's request for change of umpire ICC should have acted fast and said that Steve B will be replaced for the next match. This would have brought bit more respect for ICC.
Now ICC should add more umpires to their elite panel.
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As a cricket commentator myself, I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Jonathan in the past & would like to compliment him on his very good analysis of the situation. However, there is one exception. In my opinion, Jonathan's comment that "umpires will always make mistakes" though correct per se, is far too kind to the two umpires on this particular occasion. I would suggest that they were not simple mistakes, but were horrendously basic errors with catastrophic consequences against one side (India) & highly favourable to the other side (Australia). Let me explain - a) when Australia were 130 odd for 6 wickets, Symonds was erroneously ruled not out by Bucknor, despite a loud snick being heard by all except Bucknor. Symonds, who was on 30 at the time, when on to score 160 odd. A 7th wicket at that stage, could have made a tremendous difference to the final outcome of this match. b) Dravid was incorrectly given out by Bucknor, when the ball clearly nicked his pad, with the bat well away from the ball. Again, this very bad error could have made a tremendous difference to the final outcome of this match. Benson too, who was clearly unsighted at the time, was guilty of a basic error, when instead of referring the appeal to the 3rd umpire, he decided to accept Ponting's word that Clarke's "catch" off Ganguly was cleanly taken. Ganguly was batting comfortably at the time. Each one of these three very bad errors were made at critical junctures of the match & all of them were in favour of Australia. I therefore question the notion that these could be dismissed as mere "mistakes." I have watched & commentated on cricket over many years, but this is the first time that I have witnessed incompetence on this scale by umpires, where the cumulative effect of their errors resulted in one team being so blatantly disadvantaged in favour of the other. Given the importance & tight situation of this match, this is incompetence on a seismic scale, which experienced umpires should never be guil
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Spot on Aggers! Well said. Let's hope there are no repercussions upon you!
And isn't it the same in so many other sports? We can't turn the clock back to a bygone age, but some very wise, strong, bold and courageous sports enthusiasts in leadership positions will need to be making some tough decisions in the coming years if all our beloved sports are to be rescued from becoming purely money making businesses, and little else. Ethics and sport are NOT incompatible!
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Cricket should be adminstered by cricketers and not by businessmen, lawyers, or politicians who play the role of Homeric Gods (playing with the lives of mortals--players and umpires) far too easily.
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The main problem in this match was not that the umpiring was biased or just incompetent - it was that the incompetence was enhanced significantly by ultra-aggressive, intimidatory and dishonest conduct by the entire Australian team - including Saint Gilchrist. Since there is no provision to protest exactly that, the only alternative was to protest the conduct and the incomptence in umpiring separately - the former through a dignified protest from Kumble and the latter through asking for Bucknor's sacking as he allowed his natural incompetence to be so enhanced. All umpires make mistakes, but the Australians forced the umpires to make many more than normal in this Test and skew them drastically in their favour through their unprofessional and childish antics. The Harbhajan issue is entirely separate from this. He should be punished if guilty, and that judgment should not depend solely on Aussie claims. This should not be treated as another grassed catch.
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While the sentiments of the article are undoubtedly accurate, the follow up comments seem to be missing a basic point.
While the problems of the Aussies and the Indians are obvious in this series, the actions of players and administrators of sub-continental teams when decisions go against them, seem to me to be the biggest threat to the game.
Pakistan's response in England, India's here.
This is a game. All teams, including India, Australia and Englad can cite many examples of decisions, or a series of decisions going against them.
How have England, W Indies, S Africa etc responded.
Quietly and with diginity.
How did Pakistan and India respond ; boycotts, threats, burning effigies of the umpires, using their weight to change umpire appointments.
This is the major threat and the ICC must stand up to it to stop this becoming a major effect on results where umpires are afraid to act failrly with ALL teams for fear of reprisals etc.
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Aggers has said publicly what needed to be said, and I commend his courage and candid honesty.
Ponting and Symonds are an absolute disgrace and an afront to the spirit of cricket. Action should be taken against Symonds for bringing the game into disrepute. There should be no room in the sport of cricket for someone so obviously lacking in integrity, morality and common decency.
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hear hear!
spot on Aggers and well put. i have been trying less eloquently to make these same points on forums such as bbc's 606.
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Whilst this 'game' has long been entrenched in great tradition, and whilst I am happy to see technology being introduced in an effort to further the game, I confess to being seriously concerned about how not only players but management teams feel the freedom to attack umpires and match officials alike.
I was brought up on cricket and still play at small club level in a team designed to bring youngsters through from colt to senior level. I am find myself embarrsed that the so-called heroes of the game set such poor examples to the young.
Ponting, Flintoff and the like are all greats in the eyes of the young but should they still be selected if their behaviour both on and off the field brings the game into disrepute? Play the game lads: let the Umpires umpire and keep your mouths shut when it doesn't go your way.
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hear hear!
spot on Aggers and well put. i have been trying less eloquently to make these same points on forums such as bbc's 606.
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Bucknor's performance needs to be penalized.
Not penalizing him will send the message that they are above everyone else and can control the fate of the game by their whimsical/biased actions.
In fact Bucknor should be retired.
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Well written.
However, the Bucknor issue should be seen in its own context. He has been making atrocious decisions for some time. He is old, undoubtedly with less than optimal eyesight and hearing and as one commentator suggested, is "past his sell -by date". He needs to be retired.
It also strengthens the call for bringing technology in and having the third umpire make the final ruling. It might cause pauses- but it will prevent bad blood and unfair play.
The Aussies play with double standards. They give it to others "under the guise of chirp and banter" but cant take it themselves. "What is on the field should be left on the field" they say, with the now obvious but unstated requirement that all thats fine as long as it does not happen to them. Their behavior over recent years has been vile, pre-pubescent and uncivilized. What their cricket team and their supporters need to realize is that it does- rightly or wrongly- reflect on Australia as a nation. Australian fans who have been writing vociferously to support their captain should ponder this with a cool head.
Until there is objective evidence, Harbhajan is not guilty. Period. Same with Hogg. To do otherwise is illegal and irresponsible and plain wrong. The match referee, asked to act as a judge, failed miserably. This type of event will probably happen again. The only way to stop it is to ban "sledging" as it is unfair and adds a method for some to "cheat" and affect the results and takes away from what should be a game between bat and ball only. Sledging or attempts at "mental dis-intigration" are just other names for asserting an unfair leverage over opponents outside the laws of the game. Cultural issues will always be hurt and its asking too much for young sportsmen with likely limited knowledge of other cultures to be sympathetic to such nuances - therefore ban sledging. Cricket cannot ban racism- its too ingrained in human nature. But cricket can save itself future disasters by banning all sledging.
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Craig Thomas, try reading the whole piece before you go off on one.
Agnew says "That, of course, does not offer any defence for racism. If Harbhajan Singh did racially abuse Symonds, he must be punished for it." That sentence alone renders your comment irrelevant.
However, you have revealed yourself to be just the kind of myopic partisan you wrongly accuse Agnew of being.
The observation that it is a double standard to report a player for abuse when you yourself have yourself initiated it is valid, while the possibility that English players (none of whom were involved) may be just as unsporting as Symonds was, in no way lessens his error nor does it compromise Agnew's condemnation of it.
Your comment is riddled with bias and school-boy logical fallacies. I suggest you don't give up the day job, assuming you have one, and leave the writing to the professionals.
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well aggers, i wont completely agree with u, BUT why not the umpires report excessive appealing? or did they and no action taken? or at least warn the players? I'm not aware of any Australian penalised for such sort of offense, umpires shud take the blame for not controlling the proceedings, and they are unfit to officiate.
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Good article. However I still feel the need for evaluating the performance of an Umpire should be no different from that of a player. A bad performance must be acknowledged and corrected. In the absence of ICC playing a fair role in responding to bad Umpire performances the cricket boards feel compelled to do so. Hope we have learnt the lessons from this incident.
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I completely agree with aggers but why cant we know more about the abusive incidents - if the aussises say he did say that and india say he didnt who is right.
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They can play as hard as they want - any team that can win in such a fashion (three wickets in the final two overs) deserves accolades. Ponting was given out wrongly - yet this is not mentioned - why? The Indian batsmen were the victims of some appaling decisions but so was the Australian captain and it could be argued that ALL had an influence on the outcome of the test.
As for the accudation of racism - there is a background to it (previous complaints had been made in India to the Indian Board fo Control) and I disagree with Agnew - feeling pressure while batting does not make it okay to throw those comments about.
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Good article. However I still feel the need for evaluating the performance of an Umpire should be no different from that of a player. A bad performance must be acknowledged and corrected. In the absence of ICC playing a fair role in responding to bad Umpire performances the cricket boards feel compelled to do so. Hope we have learnt the lessons from this incident.
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I agree with almost all of Aggers article but I take issue with the way in which the ICC have gone about this business, the rules & laws apply to all Players & Match Officials etc for M. Speed to remove S. Buknor after the Indian ulimatum and then state he was removed without regard to the ultimatum just doesn't hold water and if they reverse M. Proctor's ban just where does that leave Mike make no mistake he is a very well respected figure in world cricket. The ICC must back its officials decisions and if India's sensitivities as upset so be it let them play cricket elsewhere. I suggest the Test & ODI Umpires must back S. Buknor and send a message to the ICC that unless they reinstate Steve they will withdraw their services as every Umpire I have have watched in the past 50 years has a shocker of a day now and them.
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Cricket, like golf used to be an honest and honourable game.
Today, sadly, it seems that dishonesty pays, especially where money is involved.
Children, from an early age must be taught that cheating has no place in sport. Sledging at cricket is cheating, make no mistake !
As for the poor umpire, has he forgotten the golden rule, "when in doubt, not out "?
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For the most part I agree with Aggers, but I think there need to be certain clarifications made. Firstly, even if there is an intimidating atmosphere around it does not justify a racist comment. Maybe abusive language etc etc, but unless there is a racist sentiment there a racist comment does not somehow pop out. It would not even enter someones brain unless they had that feeling at the back of their minds. I still think that unless there is proof of Harbajan saying "monkey" he should not be branded as one. Even though my personal belief is that I think he did say it. The Indian media has recognized that there was no proof, however, has not addressed whether they think he may have said it or not. Which I think is dissapointing.
Secondly, I agree that Bucknor should not be labelled "incompetent" and asked to be removed based on a bad performance. However, Darrell Hair was not percieved merely as imcompetent, but rather biased, abrasive and someone who did not give players from certain teams their due respect. The Oval Test fiasco (of which most commentators apart from Aggers, agrees that Hair was incorrect and his umpiring and attitude questionable). Do not compare this affair with the one at the Oval.
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An emotional outburst from Aggers - not what one usually expects from such an urbane commentator - but the points were well made.
Over Christmas I read a new cricketing book called "The Sledger's Handbook" by Liam McCann. Whilst it had the pithy and witty comments of Fred Trueman to departing batsmen which were amusing it also, I was shocked and surprised to find, contained details of what the Aussies say to incoming batsman not only about the abilities as cricketers (perhaps a legitimate subject) but also as men in their own right, sexual prowess or proclivities, their wives and their sexual abilities, their families, their children. It was systematic bullying designed solely to injure and upset.(in passing makes jelly beans look pathetic - which it was)with the sole purpose of putting the chap off his game.
Their defence was that what goes on in the field stays on the field (the so-called Las Vegas Defence - not much of one as an offence has still been committed) and the intimation being that the player concerned can retaliate in the same vein. If he can't, or chooses not to then that is his problem. A further projection of their hard edge in playing the game.
Put this in context with the Harbhajan/Symmonds incident. As far as I can tell Harbhajan is a decent chap not given to making insults but is clearly a very dangerous spinner on a turning Sydney wicket. Assume that after receiving volleys of abuse he replies making an injudicious comment instead of sticking to their hard man creed the Aussies of what goes on in the field stays on the field the captain lodges a formal complaint asserting racism.
Once an allegation like that has been made the dispute is elevated to a different level of intensity. Everyone, and quite rightly, has to say there is no place for racism in sport and if there was clear evidence of a racially motivated insult (whatever the provocation) it must be punished.
If one examines the purported comment (and Harbhajan strenuously protests his innocence)on scale of all possible slurs that could have been said, and coming from one coloured person to another, this one (though capable of being offensive) does seem rather mild and not very likely to have upset such a rough tough figure as Mr Symonds. Especially if one compares it what the Aussies have said in the past.
Whatever comment was made it did however provide the opportunity for an alert captain, adept at applying pressure at a personal level, to exploit the situation to put people off their game in furtherance of the all-important 16th win. And we can expect no let up in furtherance of the 17th win just so Mr Border can be consigned to history and replaced by Mr Ponting.
Purely as an aside I seem to recall that when player's imitated the umpires' out signal they were fined part of their match fee but when Mr Ponting did it the umpires relied on it in this match! Extraordinary!
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Sorry Aggers but the world has moved on. While I don't condone any of the antics/gamesmanship/behaviour that's gone on in this test match, the simple fact is that the game isn't played by 'chaps' any longer.
I do think it a bit rich for the Indian camp to complain about the standard of umpiring - any touring team to the sub-continent in the pre-neutral umpire days would gladly talk about the apalling standard of local umpiring they had to put up with. As for walking, sorry, but that's what the man in the middle is there for. Seen many footballers penalise themselves lately?
The simple fix for this is for both captain's to publicly 'kiss and make up', make a clear statement about what they will and won't permit from their players and move on.
Sadly we are now in a very modern and corporate sporting world where winning is everything. In that world you should expect to see almost all of the old standards left behind. I personally think that's a bit sad but, the world's moved on.
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Spot on Aggers. This is actually just another depressing symptom of player power dominating the modern game, and not just the game of cricket. Why would I want to watch or support a sport where cricketers sledge / abuse each other, walk off squares or threaten to pull out of tours just because they don't like a decision or two? And, it's truly pathetic, and yes even disturbing, to view images of people burning effiges of umpires they don't want officiating in forthcoming games. Have these people got nothing more important going on in their lives?
What is equally frustrating is the weakness of the cricketing bodies in the manner how they handle such matters. What a cross-roads indeed.
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Spot on Aggers. What is sad is not just that the win at all costs attitude has tarnished Australia's winning run, but that the Australians are the best at that approach amongst cricketing nations. The money in the game and competition for places in sides has led to the vast majority of players engaging in some unedifying behaviour, which needs to stop. At the same time the ICC needs to start backing its umpires and referess. I shared your concerns at the Darrell Hair incident (regardless of whether he was right or wrong) and these are now multiplied by the treatment of Steve Bucknor.
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Absolutely spot on! What will it take for the cricket administrators to act appropriately? First Cricket Australia and all other national control boards must take action. If unwilling to do so the international administrators must do so. How to take the game out of the hands of ruthless commercial interests is another matter in particular on the Asian subcontinent.
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I totally agree with the article Aggers. I wonder though, would the Indian team have reacted so badly to this test match, had they not lost it.
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Hi Aggers,
Very clear and concise comments, I agree with your sentiments completely.
Can I ask - after the short-sightedness of the decision to discipline the umpire, where does it go from here? Surely the ICC have to either back-track, to reinstall some backbone (oxymoron!) or go on and invite Shakespeare's dreaded Wheel of Fortune...? No win situation...
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I have not often agreed with Jonathan Agnew but this time he is spot on. But how come professional sports writers and commentators have been so loathe to criticise the ugly intimidating and cheating tactics of many of the so-called sportsmen they
invite us to idolise? And what about the authorities? Why don't they allow the stump microphones to be turned up so we can all hear the vile behaviour that goes on out there? We often hear commentators saying "there's a lot of 'chirp' out there". If they are journalists why don't they report what is actually going on rather than giggling about it? What are they afraid of?
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Does anyone remember that this same Match Refree had punished Rashid Latif for a questionable catch and banned him for 5 matches where as he has his head in the hole now that Rickey Ponting claimed a questionable catch.
All the bad calls went against one team. There is a double standard.
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I mostly agree with Jonathan but you have missed a couple of points. What about Mike Proctor? How can he find someone guilty without any evidence? He is willing to take the words of Ponting and Hayden over Tendulkar and Kumble even after all the theatrics of Ponting in the match that included claiming of false catches. Even the Australians will agree that Tendulkar and Kumble are more believable than Ricky Ponting.
Another interesting thing is the trouble following Andrew Symonds everywhere. Other teams also have black players. The West Indians have more players of African heritage than any other team. They never complain of racism in India or by Indian players. Australia has just one black player in the team and they probably haven't had one in a while. And yet that player always claims racism against him. Can't we see it is not about race?
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"Cricket is truly at a crossroads"
I don't think anyone could have put it better. I am upset with this whole thing, yes, it has been bubbling, but you never really expect such a thing as this.
It was quoted "he was removed from the 3rd test to calm the situation" .. this is simply unacceptable. To remove him for extremely bad decisions, possibly; as a cricketer would be dropped for bad performances.
Thank Jonathan for the usually excellent column. Ever thought of ICC chairmanship?
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Agree with Aggers. What really gets my goat is that so-called good guys like Gilchrist who tries to make-out he is a walker was just as vociferous as Ponting in his appeal to the Dravid dismissal. No good being a sportsman whilst batting and not when fielding.
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Jonathan,
A well thought and written views, I believe. I agree that cricket, as a game, for the youngsters is in crisis. What do they learn - play "hard", disrespect opponents, cheat and WIN? Or play with all competiveness, enjoy and pay respect where it is due but don't cheat to tarnish the game millions love?
The umpiring mayhem is now an incident of the past. The on-field gamesmanship of the Aussies will be folklore, all cricket lover will hate to read. The postmatch mess regarding the racism allegation is more serious. How could one accept that ICC-appointed Mike Procter's decision is the right onewhen the ICC-aapointed umpires were blatantly wrong their dozen decisions? Will Mr Procter punish Hogg? I can't see that happening and if it happens, I can't trust his decision-making.
It is high-time ICC looks at itself as a descision-making body and re-evaulate what really is at stake?
If India calls off the tour, which I am sure they won't, I will be most surprised because I think this is a more media-driven craziness for publicity. I am sure, beneath all this, the waters are as cool as in the Reefs. And the two test will go on. And Ricky 'arrogant' Ponting will have more chance to raise his fingers at the game.
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God, what a mess, and well said, Aggers. The most worrying part of this is the way the Indian cricket authority have used their muscle to force the ICC to get rid of a respected umpire because he had a bad day at the office. Where is cricket going to end up if this sort of bullying is allowed to continue?
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Regarding the sacking of Mr. Bucknor, nobody is bigger than the game of cricket. That includes umpires as well. For some reason, Mr. Bucknor seem to always have problems with sub-continental teams as they always over-appeal. But that should not lead to bias. I think the umpiring controversy issue might have calmed down if Mr. Bucknor and Mr. Benson had apologized for their horrendous mistakes in a gentlemanlike fashion. Remember Aleem Dar said sorry to Sachin in England for wrongly giving him out. That is how you earn the respect of players. Umpires need to earn the respect of players. They should not think they are bosses of the game and bigger than game.
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as usual, a well-written piece, but with very minor aberrations (like Steve Bucknor's umpiring in his good old days).
what has to be remembered here is that in both the instances of the "ban" and "decisions", the match referee and umpires seemed to have solely relied on the opinions of a party with vested interests, without using other means that were available to them. and that is the principal reason they must be castigated. and performances of the match referees (with quite a few of them from England), especially the consistency of judgement, have not instilled confidence in the system either. to say "rich cricketing organizations muscle their way with ICC" is as crass as "umpires favour the white cricketers"
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Hello,
What a bunch hooey from a pretty good swing bowler(English conditions only)turned commentator!. So, are you saying that Indian or Aussie players are responsible for the blunders (NOT mistakes)commited by the Umpires in the test. Look, Umpiring is a Profession and with it comes power and accountability. Actually, more accountability than players,as they are they are undisputed(disputed later maybe) Kings on the field!. Jonnathan, if your bosses deem you to have done a poor job in writing your column,which affected the stakeholders(including BBC), do you seriously think they will just say you had a bad day and do nothing about it, not even reprimand your poor performance,especially if there is a pattern? I don't think so.
They sure as heck will warn you! Umpires are likewise. All this talk of being pressurised, hey it is a profession, for steve's sake(pun intended), if it is too hot in the kitchen,get out!.Don't screw up my feast! That's what your boss or mine would say and they will be right!. I paid $149 to watch this series from this tundra(minneapolis,usa) and I feel cheated by Bucknor and to a lesser extent Benson. I am a stakeholder in this like so may fans around the world.
I don't have much problem with Benson(not because this is BBC site) but he has been good in the past and made a horrible mistake by not giving Hussey out when he was Plumb out and should have called the third umpire to adjudge Ganguly's dismissal(basic error). What did he do? Ask Ponting!. This is like the Fox guarding the Henhouse!. Not Good.
You can cut Benson some slack though, but with a severe reprimand for his poor performance!. But Bucknor, this guy personifies INCOMPETENCE. He is the same guy who ruined India's last Sydney test in 2004, otherwise India would have won that series. This time this senile umpire reprieved Symonds twice. How can you not hear the BIG edge from Symonds bat and be absolutely sure of Dravid's edge. I have umpired a few games at a low level,and think that it is always more difficult to see a deflection off a spinner than a pace bowler. Can anyone explain that to me?.
Now the racism aspect. Look racism is not just white on others, Black on others, Brown on others etc. Sadly,there is plenty to go around in all countries. It is a power and control issue. It is human nature to pick the most volunerable people or people in the most volunerable situation to discriminate. So entire Humanity needs to be cognizant of that. But I feel three things need to be done in dealing with it.
1. We should be very fair and honest before we BRAND something racist. Because if we brand all and sundry racist,then the rightful abhorrance of racism will be belittled,thus affecting the seriousness with which we deal with it.
2. We should develop fair and reasonable machinery to readress the aggreived.
3. We should give the guilty a second chance.
Now I am a Hindu, we worship many creatures,(including Monkey)we believe God didn't create the world but he IS the world. We have no believers or non believers. He is in all of us and everything. Consequently,we are able to see Hindus coexist in any country, be it christian dominated or Muslim dominated. God loves all of us equally whether someone believes in my VIEW(religion) of god or not. Many in my religion have been racist and discriminated people on castes. But this was a perversion of religion than anything else. It was and still is a matter of Power and Control. I am not CONDONING racism or Casteism, but trying to explain it.
Why do I bring religion into this discussion? It is because there seems to be a cultural/religious overtone in this contraversy. We have to understand the word "Monkey" in a religious context. We love monkeys in India. They are everywhere. We worship a monkey, Hanuman! He embodies courage and valor and a great servant of god.
You should visit India to understand what I am saying!. By the way have a good grip on your glasses(real monkeys) and purses( human's upto monkey mischief). It is difficult for a westener to understand how the word monkey is used in India. My dad used to call me a little monkey when I was up to any mischief! Hopefuly, I am not upto one here, seemingly condoning Bhajji's action!. That is not my intention.
Now if I apply the three standards, I put forth earlier to Symonds incident, the complaint of being called a Monkey(however disgusting)cannot be independently verified, hence cannot be prosecuted!. However knowing Harbhajan and what a hothead he is, there is a good possibility that he said it. But he was tricked in to it by the aussies especially Symonds. Symonds said that he got agitated when Harbhajan patted Bretts posterior. Well Brett Lee is not exactly a Whimp who cannot respond himself. Infact he has not said a word till today!.That tells me that the "Victim"(or his posterior) was not really bothered/hurt by it, but Symonds took it upon himself and became a vigilanti or a COWBOY(just like our esteemed President)and "had a crack at Harbhajan". I want to know what he said to Harbhajan to instigate him?.
It is also a disgrace how the media, in particular, Channel nine in Australia covered it. They juxtoposed the infamous"Monkey" chant from a section of the Indian crowd in Bombay with Bhajji's incident. Can't get worse yellow journalism than that. What the heck a crowd chant from a bunch of ignorant and uneducated uncouth low lives has to do with what happened on the pitch in Sydney???. Is it guilt by association?. Then I am guilty too so are over a billion people because we belong(in my case belonged)to the same country! Ridiculous isn't it ?
Now all the observations are not intended to absolve Bhajji of this act. If he said it even once and it can be INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED beyond a REASONABLE DOUBT, then he needs to be banned for atleast 2 years!.
This will be a good precedent to set and India can lead by example.
Finally, to all those sore losers in India and everywhere,whatever you say, you got give it to the aussies, they are good!. Aren't they? They are talented,committed and hard working. How about the Indians copying these triats,especially committment as they are talented? And yes the Aussies not only push the envolepe they tare it pieces!. But boy, without them cricket would be like baseball, boring, make no mistake!
Cheers from the Tundra
Sridhar Iyengar
Minnesota,USA
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Umpires will always make mistake - Agreed. But 10 fatal mistakes in a single game and 9 of which against Indian team ? This same idiot has given Sachin Tendulkar out while he was in 90s twice within last year. He has numerous erroneous decisions gone against Indian team. Are you saying he has no agenda ? His blunders are so big that Sydney test needs to be declared invalid and disciniplary action needs to be taken against both the umpires. I wish ICC cared for the game and BCCI shows more respect for its players.
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Overall good article and captured the essence. I however feel there are two issues -
1. Short term - the disgust and lack of regard the Ponting and his men have shown towards Cricket and Indians in this particular test. It is not the first time though. Ponting still refuses to accept that that there was anything wrong with the way they behaved during a match. Plenty of evidences are available, with pictures, to suggest that Australians were cheating and had one track mind, at what ever cost, to win the game. They will bully umpires and opponents, if we have to and just cop-out afterwards as you so elegantly descibes. Shame on Ponting and Gilchrist. Kumble very well articulated afterwards, even that Ponting does not understand what Kumble means by that. He needs English lessons under a good British teacher.
2. Long term, each team needs to be taken care of, starting with Aussies. If you look at last five years, they are always at the center of dispute in any major game. It is the arrogance and diregard for the game that even their own countrymen are not happy about. Why can't ICC put pressure on Australian cricketing body and ask them to shape up and show measurable progress. Evrytime something like this happens, some uproars happens and then you are back to square one after a year or so.
Shame on Australians for winning the test in a way they did. I have no respect for them, not as cricketers nor as human beings.
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I Agree the spirit of the game needs to be paramount and all test nations should be given a firm directive from the ICC that harsh penalties, ie suspending the captain will be enforced should the umpires/match referee see over the top aggression or appealing during a match.
BUT.. singling out the Aussies is tall poppy syndrome. Nothing more.
If India can force the ICC to reverse the suspension as they did with Bucknor it will be a sad day for cricket.
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I agree with Aggers to an extent. Yes the players shouldnt push the boundaries and play the match within the spirit of the game, but if we are talking about the australians bullying the umpires by convincing them to side with the aussies, then whos at fault? Surely the umpires should have the strength of character to say, "No, i know thats not out. So in my eyes, the umpires are entirely at fault with the players. What umpire makes 10 mistakes, with the majority against the Indians?! And I remember a certain test match against England last year in the summer where Tendulkar was batting on 99, and Umpire Taufel gave him out LBW even though the ball struck his pads inches away from the off-stump. At least Taufel had the decency to apologise for the mistake he made personally to Mr Tendulkar, now why hasnt Mr Bucknor or Mr Benson apologised to the Indian team for the mistakes they made which cost them the test match and, incidently, may cost them this vital series??? Answer that Mr. Agnew!
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When was the last Australian home series when the most controversial decision went against them? I have been following cricket since the early 90s and I have not seen one. Mark Waugh walking over the stumps given not out, Sachin given shoulder before wicket and denied sawdust for Kumble, Langer and Gilchrist given extra lives against Wasim and Saqlain, McGrath allowed to ball very wide against the Kiwis to save a match; you name it and it went Australia's way. It is obvious to anyone following cricket for a reasonable amount of time that Australians put undue pressure on the umpires. The ratio of marginal decisions going their way, shows it is working in their favor. What has the ICC done to rectify this?
I agree the problem is not with the umpires but its not the players, its ICC. Australians get away with murder. How is calling someone a monkey worse than the sexual remarks by McGrath against Sarwan in the 2002-03 series under Proctor's watch? Why was Rashid Latif banned for 5 matches but Clark and Ponting get off scot free? And why would you keep a match referee who has a proven incompetence record in handling a volatile situations?
I agree that umpires are human and they make mistakes. Making a decision in real time is difficult and they deserve some leeway. But the same should not extend to match referees. I see no one in ICC removing these bad apples. There can be inconsistencies between different officials; one might be more lenient than the other. But when you see the same official with different verdicts in similar situations, I think he owes the public some clarification.
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There are still few honest cricketers playing the beautiful game. Remember Kumar Sangakara, when he walked out in a game against England, even before the Bowler or fielder appeal for the caught behind.
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I dont know how many will read all through the postings. But will try this.
wrt Removing of Bucknor. What else would you have seen with Bucknor at the helm for the Perth Test. Team India/fans/lovers/neutrals were disenfranchaised(Kumble bowling half trackers in the Sydney test on the 5th day) and if they had to play under Bucknor they should have rested key players(better to use them talk to the kids who come to the stadium). Jaffer/Laxman will start the bowling. If Australia wants to win 17 in a row why bother then.
This is what would/should have happened had the old-boys network not removed Bucknor.
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Excellent piece Aggers.
I think it is time that the umpires are given the power to punish players on the field of play - over step the mark with the banter in the middle and you get a warning, do it again and you can't bowl for the rest of the innings or bat until 8 wickets have fallen or something similar (and if it's in the last innings, punishment should be carried over to the next game). This may seem over the top, but it would only have to happen once or twice and then the players might actually think about their actions.
The other thing not mentioned here is the over rates - 13 overs in an hour is pathetic, they should bring in penalty runs (as they do in 20/20 cricket) for this - it is defrauding the spectators!
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To hail a victory with as many as 8 bad decisions is as hypocritical as defending a standard of umpiring that must not be acceptable at test cricket level.The cricket lovers who pay a lot of money to see the best of skills display do not want this.They want a fair game.Of course a few mistakes can happen and would be accepted as part of the game.If the umpires are going to win matches for teams,why bother to play at all?And by the way ,the commentators get into the grounds free.I wonder if they have the moral right to pass judgement on what the PAYING public should accept or not.
I recollect the sky cricket presenting team discuss the Pietersen dissmissal in Sri Lanka endlessly...and that was` only ONE decision...
I challange you Mr.Agnew,order an analysis into how many test matches the Aussies have won with the help of the Umpires ,and if you still can have respect them as an amazingnly talented team,then we are both talking about a different game
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The sad thing about the Australians is that they do not need all this gamesmanship to win. They are the best team in the world by some margin and already set a good example in the attractive way they bat, bowl and field. Other teams are copying their approach and making the game more exciting. If they played the game fairly and in the right spirit, that would be copied too. Instead, Ponting's legacy will be to leave a bad taste in the mouth.
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Aggers,
I agree with most part except for the umpires bit. You are saying umpires should not be held accountable for dubious or border-line biased decisions. It's one thing to get an LBW wrong, a slight nick not called or to make mistakes that are human, another thing to get the most simplest of calls like a regulation catch, pad-up catch with no bat in view, not catch no-balls that ended up in dismissals, not-call 3rd umpire for a review on more than one occasion, relying on the catcher's word (the same bloke who stood at the crease after nicking it to slip), I mean I am getting tired typing all the mistakes that have happened in one game & that too against one team.
Where is the fairness in judging what really might have happened with the umpiring? Where is your sense of duty in asking tough questions not just of the players but the officials? It is simply views like yours that have become a detriment to the sport. You should be calling for embracing technology not just sticking with the old-fashioned loyalty that is unjust.
Aggers, your opinion only tells one side of the story. As a writer you gotta cover all your bases man. Umpires are not the say all, end all. Aggers, you should go back & watch the videos of all the controversial decisions with an open mind then maybe you can offer a fair opinion for/against the horrendous umpiring. You are saying players should be faulted? I don't trust Ponting anymore nor Gilly but, you know what, I do understand that he was trying to win the game. He was trying to play for the record, which got the better of him & some of his teammates.
Every team is known to have done that at some point or the other. The whole fiasco for this game lies solely with the umpiring. I play in a rec-league in the US, where we have better standards of umpiring than what we witnessed at the SCG, that too with non-neutral umpiring. When the players apply pressure if the other team caves in it's one thing, but if supposedly-neutral umpires cave-in & make so many atrocious mistakes then we gotta take a good look at the whole ICC operations.
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I think both teams have shown a disgraceful lack of respect to the spirit and history of the game. Both Captains should be punished and no match fees paid. Racism, cheating, conning Umpires, what has the game turned into. The ICC should take a hard stand now, before the point of no return is reached.
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I also agree with Aggers. I always find it difficult to understand how the Aussies seem to get away with their behaviour. We all now they are great players, but they are not sportsmanlike. However they are not the only ones pushing rules and codes of conduct to the limit. Umpires now seem to have a job from hell. And to change umpires sends out the totally wrong message. Yes, mistakes were made which cost India dear...the sport needs to support it's officials and players need to learn some respect! This sends out all the wrong messages to young players especially. This is not to say that bad umpiring is rewarded...many of the bad decisions wouldn't happen if the technology available is used. The 'walking' issue is always contentious and if we can't be honest but leave it to umpires you must take the rough with the smooth and accept that sometimes the decisions go your way and sometimes not! Winning in sport is what every sportsman wants but surely not at all costs!!
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What a disappointing article from someone whose radio commentary I rather enjoy.
Aggers, you've managed to criticize the Australian team for having "trampled all over the spirit of cricket", yet have given no concrete example other than that Symonds didn't walk and had the audacity to be honest about it. Given that not walking seems to be the norm, should players lie to the media afterwards to keep up the charade?
The rest of the first half reads like an apology for Harbhajan, even though you explicitly say something else. "He should be punished, but not much because the Aussies are fair game anyway". Right?
If you want to criticize the Aussies for their conduct towards other players or the umpires on the field then do yourself and your readers a favour and actually name things that they have done that they shouldn't have - given the supposedly constant nature of the offense it shouldn't be hard, right? Oh, and presumably it'll be something no other teams do, since the article seems rather pointed at Australia. I'll even start off - I think Ponting doesn't go as quickly as he should when given out.
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If Harbhajan did say what he is meant to have said (and i can't for 1 minute think Pointing would have made it up, also Indian fans had banners up refering to "monkeys" as recently as the one day series 2 months ago)are we all not missing the point!
If this had been a non-coloured or "white" English or South African player abusing an Indian player racially, 1st of all Indian authorities and the rest of cricket would demand he was banned for LIFE and polititions would no doubt be dragged into it in this present day climate that we live in.
Surely racism EITHER WAY is wrong and i can't beleive the Indian cricket authorities (who represent a nation that has been racially abused for centuries)are sticking up for him!! To me this is paramount to condoning racism,which, as i said earlier, wouldn't be the case if it was the other way round and a "white" player was saying degrading remarks about a "coloured" player.
Racism is racism which ever way you look at tit and MUST be stamped out!!
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I totally agree with Aggers- the Aussies have become terrible bullies who cannot cope with anyone giving it back. I believe that the umpires make mistakes because they are under so much pressure out there from the Aussies. The tragedy is that othere teams are starting to copy them in order to appear "hard": witness England's mindless return of the ball to the keeper at high speed after every ball. The game's adminstrators have to take action but, as with the FA, all they are interested in is money, and as long as that is rolling in they won't do anything. It's a real shame.
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Defending the umpires after this match is a little difficult dear Agnew. One or two mistakes in a match is pardonable, but 8 wrong decisions against the loosing team and 1 against the winning team is a bit far fetched. Mr. Andrew Symonds not only snicked once but was stumped on 3 occasions, two of which never got referred and the third was goofed up by the 3rd Umpire. Now how does that happen? Mr. Ponting snicks and stays and Mr. Dravid has clear daylight between ball and bat and goes – how does that happen? Ponting claims a grounded catch and is not reprimanded and Michael Clark snicks and lingers on, and again goes scot free and is awarded a catch which he never finishes – how does that happen? Mr. Ponting finds reading Harbhajan’s spin a wee bit difficult and becomes his bunny in the series, and who is hounded for racism – no surprises for guessing! And since when did we start taking the accuser’s words as evidence and dish out justice?
I have a feeling Mr. Agnew if such a farce would have been enacted in the subcontinent, you would have surely looked into the match fixing angle. How much money was at stake on the 16th straight test win by the Aussies? Is anyone looking into this angle? The ICC is distinctly lucky that a gentleman like Anil Kumble is the Indian captain. I shudder to think what Saurav Ganguli would have done in his place!
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Nice one Aggers, typical comment by a correspondent whose lifestyle has never seen hunger.
The match referee has never really picked on unsporting conduct so I wonder what exactly he is refereeing? Well Aggers one on your side of the net.
‘Little wonder’ is I presume a cousin that occasionally pops up when you are short of an excuse.
Racism is so awkward for a society that is institutionally steeped in it that name-calling becomes racist. The actual racism is judgement without evidence against an innocent.
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have 2 disagree wi you aggers n thats the first time in a long while iv done that,racism is the lowest insult ever,we must make an example of him,there are no angels in world cricket ,there all as bad as each other,remeber murali being stump in new zealand?jellybeangate?gibbs tirade at pakistan.stop it all,give clear rule and stick 2 them,the aussie arent any worse than anyone else ,just so happens there top dogs,clear up the game and set the tone and stick 2 it
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For once I agree entirely with your stance Aggers. Your reading of the fundamental problem with international cricket is spot on, but it was always going to be the outcome once the 'businessmen' of the world realized there was a vast profit to be had. ( after all they've successfully ruined Soccer and Rugby ) Now we have an overly crowded fixture list, player burn-out, pressure kettle mini-tours and aggressive and unattractive cricket - time for a reverse 'Kerry Packer' breakaway me thinks!
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Well said Aggers but I am afraid is already too late the last bastion of sportsmanship - cricket - has been breached.
The need to win and the feeding frenzy of the fans when they win or lose is ruining sport the governing bodies it seems just concede every time there is pressure applied
Paralells can be drawn to rugby and again look at the disgraceful incident involving Tana Umaga and Brian o'driscoll the IRB was simply too scared to cite and ban the all blacks captain for foul play due to the fear of the backlash of the NZ public.
In the recent rugby world cup the NZ public went ballistic when NZ got beaten by France because the ref missed a forward pass but did not mention that the NZ players spent the last 10 minutes at least camped in the French 22 but none of the superstars had the 'nous' to take 3 points for a drop goal!!!
As was pointed out Pakistan succesfully ended Darrel Hairs career
Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger week in week out presurise referees and assistants with impunity
The players of each of these teams regularly surround and harrass the officials to gain advantage
Martin Jonhnstons disgraceful behaviour and disrespect shown to the Irish president by refusing to line up on the red carpet before the grand slam decider fully condoned by Woodward at the time
Modern coaching is such that any competitive edge that can be taken is and even if that means laying down a marker for future they do it
Seems to me there is no going back
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I totally agree with Jonathon Agnew. It is the players, the whole of Australian team and few others in other teams. These are the people who bring this gentlemen's game to gutter. No matter who the umpire is they are bound to make errors, but the batsman or a fielder clearly knows when they nick a ball or taken a catch on the bounce. These are the dishonest ones spoil it for the rest.Afterall it is only a game and almost all cricketers are well paid and why on earth they are hell bend on winning at any cost? Ordinary fans feel cheated by this behaviour. The ICC never going to be strong enough to tackle these issues, it is the individual boards should take a lead and set a moral standard.
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I note with amusement the number of bloggers who seem think that Australia invented sledging.
What a laugh..................
England have always taken a great deal of pleasure from niggling at them.
Careful, for some of us live in glass houses.
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I have seen comments at various places that this is how the Aussies play in their backyards. If that is the case, please keep that to your backyard. There are backyards in India where a dispute is decided by a bloody nose on a regular basis. That does not mean that we expect our team to behave the same way.
Please stop calling everything as umpiring "mistakes". Do you honestly believe these are mistakes? The umpire can't hear it when the ball hits the face of the bat for one team and gives it out for the other team when you can't even see the bat because it is so neatly tucked behind the pad. The umpire refuses to call the third umpire for stumpings and grounded catches. It is not one or two instances we are talking about, it is about a dozen, some of them very blatant and almost all of them against one team. Are these really honest mistakes??
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This is definitely one of the better articles that I have read over the last few days but it misses some crucial, crucial important points. First, there is no way Aggers that any team or spectator can be expected to respect an umpire who consistently makes mistakes AND is too arrogant/easily intimidated to refer decisions where there is a massive element of doubt e.g. Ganguly's catch. So why is the dismissal of Bucknor short-sighted? The way my colleagues at work have laughed about how cricket can be so farcical like that is not doing any favours for the sport. When there are only 10 elite umpires in the world and probably around 100 international venues, things won't get any better. This was always going to explode at some stage. The argument about things balancing out is optimistic, and a cop-out. For now, until drastic changes are made, teams have to complain because this is the only option available.
But at least an appeal against umpires could have been the end of the issue. Indians should note that Cricket Australia themselves have recently advocated greater use of technology. The issue of Harbhajan is ridiculous. He may well have snapped, and punish him for more than 3 test matches if this is the case, but where is the evidence? Surely even the traditionalists must agree that the whims of umpires cannot go this far. Branding anybody a racist without any sort of evidence can have enormous implications and that is why I agree with India defending their player until such a verdict is proven. If Proctor wants to speak like a lawyer and say that he was satisfied with the verdict "beyond all reasonable doubt", then he must prove it like a lawyer. This is the biggest umpiring blunder of them all, and I am glad that India will not tolerate it.
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Spot on, Aggers. The bearing of the Australian team, and their capacity to fake, con and deceive is seldom drawn out so frankly. And whilst it is impossible to argue that Harbajan should not be punished IF indeed he did racially abuse Symonds, I find myself unable to believe the Australians this time; you can only cry wolf so many times.
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Surely the best article on this sorry saga I've read since it exploded.
I love watching the Aussies play cricket, as do I love watching India play too. For pure talent these two sides take some beating, and when they come together it's a really mouth-watering prospect.
What a shame then, that this series has descended into chaos and so many unhealthy precedents have been set.
Jonathan isn't wearing English-talented glasses at all. The only thing that JA is guilty of is loving the game and wanting it to be played in a hard-but-fair manner. I feel – and England's immature jelly bean goading can be lumped into this – that teams, wanting to ape the Aussie model of success, are going too far in trying to reach their objectives. I'm afraid the Australian team should take the blame for that.
Sledging has always been a part of the game, and some of it is sharp and funny, and can be a useful psychological weapon. But there are lines to be drawn in the sand.
Australia – brilliant team, big personalities and magnificent players. It's just a shame they have to resort to behaviour that sometimes breaches cricket's code of conduct.
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If "Players are the problem", then who has allowed it to grow into that way? Isn't it the governing body ICC? So why get worked up now if the episodes of Hair and Bucknor have taken place? ICC is clearly a short-sighted and hollow organization. It doesn't take appropriate measures where it is needed the most. There seems to be no difference of opinions when they draft rules, however the divide of the native-English speakers and the non-speakers come to the fore the moment the same rule were implemented.
ICC should sit down and settle its internal differences in a democratic manner. But, can it really do so? As far as I know as an Indian fan, the BCCI selects its office bearers in one of the most undemocratic and unethical ways anywhere in the world. There is no way to bring in the public opinion (that of cricket fans) who number in millions across India, and who are the chief reason why the BCCI is an extremely rich body today. ICC can't be any different with such member organizations.
One admits, sports bodies are run like this all over the world. But, when things start going out of control, rescue measures shlould be taken up. The need of the hour is to ask the ICC and its member bodies to be more accountable in their functioning. They should be answerable to those who play cricket and watch it all over the world. Unless you had the ICC reformed from within, you would always have one or the other crisis to fume about.
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Just in case anyone forgets -- a disproportionate number of incorrect decisions by Steve Bucknor tend to affect India adversely, just as they did at Sydney. There is a pettern here and anyone can go back and check from the time he refused to consult the 3rd umpire for what looked like a clear run-out against South Africa when India played them at Port Elizabeth in 1993. There is an unmistakable trend here and so by no means is Bucknor an innocent servant. Secondly, why is that whenever a team gives Australia a run for their money in Australia, a vast majority of umpiring decisions tend to favor Australia? Australia are the best team in the world, no doubt but the repeated favors they get from umpires -- for whatever reason -- taints their glory at best.
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If any one notices, Ponting has become "the Harbhajan's bunny" and it is hurting his average. This is how he tries to get rid of Harbhajan from future tests against them.
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How I agree with Jonathan Agnew. What have they done to our beautiful game? The childishness and purility of all this is the thing that strikes me most, but then we have child-oriented society these days, so why are we surprised? The juvenile delinquents who abuse cricket are beyond contempt - they all seem about 10 years adrift in terms of emotinal ability after all. As much I would defend an umpire's role, they too often simply refuse to enforce the rules of the game on the field and cricket's authorities will not take a proper hand. That it should come to this! Oh my Cowdrey, May and Graveney of long, long ago.....
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hi,
great comments jonathon, i agree wholeheartedly but i must add for an aussie to report anyone for saying anything just makes me smile. there are very few cricketers now who walk, hence the clamour for more technology.
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while I have sympathy for mr bucknor and his colleagues they are there to do a job, if they don't do that job like myself in my job they should get the sack. we now live in the modern world of replays etc and cricket must respond and help the umpires with referals to a third umpire who is impartial (in this case not australian!)I would join in with the rest of cricket fans that want to watch good cricket, ponting and his team have shamed australian cricket, whether it's their sledging, aggression, letters under players doors, sending spies in to opposing teams changing rooms, or as hinted at during the last Eng thrashing that the aussies were told to claim an edge every time a.strauss played and missed Ponting and co should have listened to Shane Warne he warned them about their arrogance. A sorry way to play sport and demean the great game I love.
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Cricket has developed into a game where intensity is everything, and that has come part and parcel with its rise in popularity with the kids i play with. The best games are the ones where we play with intensity and passion, it draws fans of other sports to it. It is time it was accepted that cricket has moved on, however there is no excuse for racism.
Malcolm Speed has taken the sport a long way backwards and has destroyed many key principles. It should not be allowed for umpires to be chopped and changed at the click of a finger. The Indian cricket team seems to have dictated the ICC"s decisions and it is disgusting that international boards( not just India) feel that they can dictate the game, and are higher than the ICC
World cricket needs a new leader and a change of direction that is solid and stable
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Very nice article. You made your point very well. Thanks a lot for it.
Yes, umpires are human and they will make mistake. But my question is: how do we know these mistakes are honest and not deliberate? What about an umpire with an agenda and definite bias? We'll just always assume all the mistakes are honest? You have to keep in mind these Cricket umpires have enormous power on their hand to make huge impact on the outcome of an entire TEST match that can affect millions of people all over the world. How can we make sure that these umpires never abuse their power? And what about the unfortunate Cricket team who may be the victim of a biased umpire? Where will be the justice for them?
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I largely agree with Jon. The only point I would like to make is that the ICC should come off its pedestal and be more grounded. Players opinion should be considered in form match reports - which today seem to be brushed aside by frivolous excuses like 'Players cannot publicly comment on umpires', 'ICC cannot be controlled by cricket boards' etc.
But the fact of the matter is why does ICC not make its rating critera public?
For example, Bucknor has come in for criticism for his poor umpiring decisions particularly against India. He was widely criticised for his poor decision making during India's tour of Australia in 2003-04. In May 2006, he accused TV companies of doctoring their images to make umpires look bad[4], and he was one of the umpires responsible for the farcical finish to the 2007 World Cup final.
Similiarly the dumb and senseless comments made by match referees in defending their decisions is absolutely avoidable. Generic statements like 'I was doing my duty' instead of sutpidly saying 'I felt this and i belive that etc' do not have potential to fuel any fire. No one cares what they feel or believe without hard evidence..
Similiarly, the whole idea about sledging and 'mental distintegration' should be banned as there doesnt seem to be a rationale for it in the spirit of the game. Sir Don Bradman once said that he would drop any member from his team who would adopt 'mental disintegration' (courtesy Steve Waugh) inspite of being warned. Ultimately its the millions of cricket lovers who suffer helplessly and at a cost :-)
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I dont understand why people praising this article.I totaly disagree that players are the problem - not umpires.Third umpire making mistake and how can we ignore that.
I really feel icc should conduct some enquiry about bukners behaviour either he dont like india or he might be more interested in some thing other than cricket.
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Spot on Aggers. And thanks to the person who quoted Freddie's example of true sportsmanship. Like an earlier Fred he is as competitive as they come, and gets himself into stupid scrapes, but he knows the meaning of sporting play. Let's hope Vaughan and Collingwood take the right lessons from this. It's good to see the number of Aussies who are critical of Ponting as well.
The only point where I disagree is over the decision to drop Buckner. It was purely pragmatic maybe, but the umpires did not help their own cause by the way they appeared to give in to Ponting's pressure. It would have been better had they publicly rebuked Symonds after he boasted about having conned them. It would not change the decision but would have demonstrated their impartiality to all. However, whatever happens Buckner should be brought back for the last test.
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I think JA has said what most cricket fans have been thinking over the past few years - I love cricket but watching the Aussies is like watching a bully in the playground. I think the comment about they can dish it out but they cant take it is so true - what about Ponting v Pratt - maybe they should grow up, get some manners and not feel as though they've got one over someone because they have cheated and not been noticed - I hate bullies. Its also true that they just cant take being criticised - funny how Mr Thomas seems to have receded back into his brainless aussie shell
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Harbajhan understandably felt for once in a position of some strength as he posted his highest test score against the aussies allied to the deep frustrations that India must have felt after so many truly awful decisions going against them - 7 key decisions that would certainly have seen the Test drawn if not resulted in an Indian win.
What irks me most is the whinging aussie mentality (similar to the rugby comments posted by other contributors) and classically bully boy responses. You have to say it appears to come from a deep seated chip on the collective shoulder from players like Ponting. I have been a Ricky batting fan for years and will stay up all night to watch him, Mike Hussey, Gilly, Sourav and Sachin. He has however proven to be a bad loser, poor sport and has dragged Gilchrist and the team with him following the appeal for the caught behind off Dravid's pad - clear to see by all. I have honestly concluded that this team is now cheating and cannot be trusted. I can only think the pursuit of the magical '17' has clouded their judgement. No wonder the whole cricketing world has turned against them ! Well done Jonathan for your brave comments - no doubt you will become persona non grata in Perth around the Aussie dressing room but good on you and Thank you.
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I have to agree with most of the comments on this article, but i am disappointed that you mentioned Sreesanth. There are a lot of English and SA cricketers who take this to a different level and i don't think it is the players fault to feel aggrieved and lash out at umpires who make blatant mistakes, i.e. Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson. Same thing happened a couple of years ago when Tendulkar was repeatedly given out by Aleem Dar.
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Jonathan, I agree with most views on your article and the responses from readers but would like to bring to light that Steve Bucknor has a history of poor decisions especially involving the Indian team. If you go back to various series involving India playing other teams and figure how many poor decisions he has made(where the Indian team was the victim)you may reconsider your opinion on him.
It amazes me that he somehow draws sympathy after repeated failings. It is a major mistake by the ICC to have Steve Bucknor officiate this test series with India playing in it after the many protests they have recieved and his history
I agree with you about Harbhajan Singh. I personally feel Harbhajan may not have made that comment but if it is true there should be consequences, whoever the player is, if there was intent to abuse based of origin, skin color or race.
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First Time I saw Jonathan Agnew is writing a fair comment. May be because this time Australia is involved. But he is right. Although Steve Buckner should retire as he has made lots of mistake in the past and we should give chance to new better umpires, but Jonathan is absolutely right that its more Player's fault then Umpire. Umpire has trusted the player. If it would be Steve Waugh or Allen Border, they won't have stayed on the crease when they would have felt that they are out. Ricky Pointing definitely giving a wrong message to Australian youngsters. Winning attitude is always good and the way he had played against India in previous world cup final was superb. But after this kind of behavior, people will never have respect for him as they have for Allen Border or Steve Waugh in any part of the world. Steve Waugh has shown what is called Hard, not the Ricky Pointing way of being Hard. But, most importantly, I would like to congratulate Jonathan for writing a fair articles.
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"Umpires will always make mistakes – just as the players do..."
but after players make a number of mistakes, they are punished. Umpires need to understand that there are implications of not operating at the highest level. If they show signs of being incapable of sustaining that level of competency, they need to be removed.
I do not see anything wrong with that.
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Well Done Aggers, completely agree
India needs to realise it's not a self-appointed cricket oligarchy and Australia, pathetic locker room U13 mentality Australia, need to take a very long hard cold look at what the current team's legacy will be. Steve Waugh this is what you left behind.
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Ricky is vulnerable and i hope he should be feeling ashamed for what he has done, it looks like Steve and Ricky are best of pals, as how Warne and Tendulkar is but not as genuine as them, Australia must be realising Warne's comments now and undoubtedly it prooved be true, Bret Lee to me looks like absolutely a show man and the world would love if the Indian team brings Sehwag back to play the third test, this is the right time to smash the show man as how he did the last tour.
Tom,
Perth.
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Spot on Aggers ! But I've witnessed the events on the field and read about this stuff for way to long, so here's my 2 cents :
I've always been fascinated with the Aussies as both cricketers & as sportsmen. They've played some fantastic cricket over the years, but lets face it, their cricket has always carried with it a whiff of arrogance & boorish, unsportsmanlike behaviour, except that now the whiff has ballooned into a full-blown stink. Symond's public confession without as much as an apology is testament to where Aussie cricket is heading & Ponting's antics in the field simply remind me of Trevor Chappell's disgraceful "underarm delivery" to the Kiwis in the World Series in 1981. I suppose the precedent was established by presumably Aussie cricketing heroes a long time ago.
As for the racist incident, gentlemen, who ARE we kidding here? South Asian cricketers have borne the brunt of some brutal verbal abuse on the field by the Aussies & the English for as long as they have played cricket. Funny, how economics can change sporting behaviour overnight. The emergence of India as an economic power, the BCCI as the richest cricketing organisation in the world & the Indian cricketers as gritty competitors who have begin to assert themselves both on and off the field has created the conditions ripe for a power struggle such as the one we see played out in the media today. Yesterday, it was Australia and England who controlled cricketing destinies, decisions, board seats, coaching salaries & venues. Tomorrow, it WILL be countries like India.
This change may not be palatable to the Aussies but the sooner they realize that this ain't the 1930's & that their opponents wouldn't otherwise be serving them tea at their English club-house, the sooner they could change their attitude and do some real service to the fascinating, wonderful game of cricket !!
Cheers !
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In total agreement with Aggers. It's very sad to see remnants of fair play disappearing from the game. England too have been guilty of going over the score in the last year. Let's see the Captains do what is right not just try to win games!
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Jonathan,
Great article but I would like to make a couple of points. Bucknor was suspended for extremely poor on field performance. Why do we need to make a bigger issue out of it? If an international player does not perform he should expect to be dropped, so why should it be any different for umpires. Let's not forget Bucknor was the umpire at the farcical finish to the cricket world cup. He has been a great umpire but clearly not upto to the task recently. Let's not convert this into an India led blackmail.
Which brings me to the second point. Of course, umpires are human and they will make mistakes but anyone who thinks the personal and collective stakes in international cricket are not very big is living on another planet. Both for the players and the spectators, we cannot afford to let outcomes be decided by umpiring decisions. Why not use technology. Let cricket follow the tennis way and allow captains/coaches a finite number of appeals per innings(say 2). Over time this will ensure that we do not demonise umpires for mistakes and yet results are not compromised by human error. I am an Indian fan and I think Australia might have deserved this win since they bowled out India in 70 odd overs. But, boy, would I have liked to see if India could have held on had the right decision been given on Dravid. I feel like the spectator is the loser here. Hopefully somebody cares.
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I agree with everything except the view that Steve Bucknor shouldn't have been removed. I would have removed him from this series for two reasons.
1. Given the current tension it is unfair to put so much pressure on one man, especially one so admired as an umpire as Mr Bucknor.
2. He deserves better than to umpire two teams playing with such a pathetic approach to the game. Give him England, New Zealand. These are going to be teams playing cricket for the love of the game, especially now we've dropped that gobby sir dropsalot, Prior.
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What a sorry article. The conclusion: umpires are not to blame, but the players. Almost in every cricketing country, when international matches are played, there is pride and honour at stake. The article forgets to mention the important point made by Anil Kumble that players can do so much to play to the spirit of the game. What happens when umpiring is shockingly and utterly bad? As with players, bad umpiring needs to be dealt with speedily and swiftly, so that decisions are made objectively and not biased one way or the other. Bad umpiring wrecks the game, when a great deal is at stake. One more point into the pot, Jonathan Agnew. Gone are the days when cricketing nations from South Asia, in particular, like Sri Lanka, India or Pakistan will endure constant sledging and vile ridicule by teams like Australia. For cricket to continue, Australian players need to learn to play the game and honour the spirit of the game.
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Mr Agnew, this is pretty good objective stuff. It's interesting that former players like Steve Waugh now belief there is need for television review. It was only a few months ago that Simon Taufel made two horrendous decisions against the same Indians when he gave Sachin and Saurav out. Perhaps, they were winning then so there was no need to ask for Taufel to step down from the next test(s). No one really cares about the game anymore.
If we will continue to let the those countries with vast resources for making money for the game continue to dictate whether or not an official does a game then I am afraid I am already losing credibility in the system. At this point in time I am calling out India and Pakistan - both countries are now having their say with whom officiates the games. Why not let them chose the officials in the first place anyway?
An article thaSimon Taufel made two horrific mistakes when India batted: giving Sachin and Saurav out wrongly. It does take a confident and courageous man to admit his mistake. The best thing about the article was when he mentioned that people come to watch great cricketers play and he wrongly gave one of them out. Great spirit and great understanding of the situation.
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Jonathan,
As many reviewers have mentioned in agreement with yo ur article, it seems to me that whilst we insist on trying to govern by 'law' rather than by 'spirit', cricket will flounder desperately. in it is time for the ICC to stand up and be counted and carry the torch for world cricket that they hold - unfortunately their structure and relatively recent commercially-minded and based decision to move to Dubai makes me fear the worst.
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I have registered my protest by e.mailing the Australian Cricket Board Website - you can find this at cricket.com.au . I expressed the view that the team and cricket board should be ashamed of themselves for their behaviour on the pitch and that they have dishonoured their own game.
Winning at the expense of the game is not good enough.
As said earlier they have got away with increasingly outrageous behaviour and still claim to be the best in the world.
I am afraid their behaviour has removed any claim. The game they play is not cricket.
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Sorry Jonathon but I disagree with your comment that umpires are not the problem.
Making one or two errors is acceptable and human, but to make ten errors suggest incompetence. It also give the paying customers impression that the match may have been fixed, bearing in mind the record was at stake. Also remember almost all the mistakes were against India
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I agree about the spirit of the game is turning sour, it’s very sad. Ironically, I thought the abuse of the last England Ashes team, although with some humour at times, could have been called racist (as were the Auzzies press to the England Rugby team before the 2003 WC Final) …but then of course you can’t be racist to white Englishmen, nor do we ‘whinge’ about it. However, two points:
a) Regrettably, sportsmanship is being lost but is it also exacerbated by TV technology getting better? Maybe twenty years ago a same cheat wouldn’t have been so easily exposed. It does beg the question shouldn’t the umpires have access to the technology when they so feel fit and for ANY decision?
b) If an umpire has a really bad game then, like any team player, he perhaps needs to be dropped …but then are umpires looking worse because of better TV technology?
I’ve always admired Gilchrist as someone who walks but the rest of the Auzzies are having their undoubted talents overshadowed by their mouths, although it has probably helped them get those wins.
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I totally agree with Jonathan, the way the Aussies conduct themselves is a disgrace. If the decisions that went against India were given against Australia they would be up in arms demanding the umpires removal. Having said that the Indians should not be allowed to hold the game to ransom, a judgement was made by an impartial referee based on the testimony available so the Indian players and board should accept this and get on with it for the good of the game that has provided so well for them
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What a lot of hot air.
So australia are supposed to be bad sports for what reason? Appealing for something that wasnt out, and not walking when out. Every cricketer on the planet is guilty then.
Yet no one says India are bad sports for 1. demanding an umpire be removed for two bad decisions, and 2. threatening to call off the tour because an neutral icc match referee suspended one of their players for making a racist remark.
Who has committed the greatest crimes against cricket?
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I think the author has missed the point. This is not the first time steve bucknor has done it against india. He did the same during the 2003 series in the same ground and also during the 1999 series. It can not be a coincidence that steve bucknor made fundamental human errors on 3 occasions.
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Jonathan, I rarely agree with you but I feel you have got it spot on this time. My fear is that it is too late. As you said anybody should have been able to see this coming in the professional game, not least because the recreational game at club level is already being eroded by players thinking that if that is the way the pros do it, it must be alright for them - and this when the players are umpiring the game themselves, or are at best interested spectators. The win at all costs mentality is ingrained in some teams and the pleasure of playing the game has gone. All that remains is to fight fire with fire, or sstep back from the brink all those who play and love the game.
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I would like to finish it in a simple sentence, Australian team are gone thinking everything in this world belongs to them,but all credit goes to the Indian team,
victory to Australia in the second test is a cheat.
Ian,
Melbourne.
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Oh come on.....
If any of you think this is a new thing there must be a lot of young people reading this..
England....who invented the way to play cricket "Not in the sprint of the game" attitude during the body line series, guess that was the only way to beat your opposition?? (Bradman)
South Africa...the team captain was on a bookmakers payroll.
Pakistan...Years of constant suspicion and accusations of match tampering.
Australia, the famous underarm delivery against NZ
Zimbabwe...the constent interfering by the government lead to the whole team resiging.
Cricket has moved with the times..its a modern game and like it or not all the modern evils come with it, just like all other sports.
This is a sponsor driven drama, Indianan cricket has the biggest sponsorship deals in the world and that folks is the best bargaining chip around, no wonder the ICC backed down and changed umpires. They are the ones who should go on strike in support of Steve...that would be fun hey!! India dropped their heads and lost....they don't like it and they are going to take their bat and ball and go home..just like Pakistan did in the UK last tour...Its easy to hate winners and Aus are winners, and Agnew doesn't like....ooohhhhhhh
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I have written to the aussies direct.
Their website is cricket.com.au and they have a contact point there.
Perhaps if everyone who thinks they behave disgracefully on the pitch and have been allowed to get away with it for too long writes directly to them they might get the impression of the damage they have done to the game.
They will not be reading this site but they will read their own.
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Dr MrAggers,
I partially agree with your opine.
However we must see the 2 isus in different light.
Racism-There is no way we can have it in our beautiful game.Let football handle it for us!!
I am an indian & i strolngly believe tat if Harbhajan has uttered racial remarks agsts Roy,he shud be penalised. However,the as it happened the trial was taken in the most suspicous circumstances & the result was equally shoddy. Hoe can you convict someone without any proof,evidence.Just because the great matt hayden & clarke testify symonds claims, the poor sardar is punished!
Y not take in the word of Sachin! Can you ever find anyone with a cleaner record than Sachin!have you ever seen sachin shooting curses at the new batsman??
So the demonstrations in India are related to the false conviction of Harbhajan Singh!
Umpiring-
Umpiring in SCg test was simply woeful. It went agsts one team then the other. Furthermore, all bad decisions came at crucial junctures of the game which hit india badly.
To remove bucknor from WACa test is a wrong precednece of sorts..
But the man has lost it!
It was in the common good of all parties(Oz,India,nBucknor) for him to be replaced.
India aren't sore loosers. India lost the match at SCG & was there a word said abt. it by the indians.
Its d aussies who always complain abt hthe hotels n grounds in India!!
Spirit of the Game upheld by India-
Even though indians had a raw deal when it came to umpiring,no word was asaid by the during the test match.
Technically,the players are suppose to report/complain after the game,However,Ponting took the rules for a ride by complaining on the third day.
The way Indian team has carried itself is a tribute to there greatness.
Aussies have always taken the game's spirit to the cleaners & chopped it time n again.
They are our world champions but they dont command respect.infatc they have lost it
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I would have rather had Mr. Bucknor for the test 3 but indian should have dropped key players. Give number 17 on a platter to Australia.
India should have opened bowling with Jaffer and Laxman etc., and let Australia score 1000 runs for 0 wickets. And then indians should have declared at 0 for 0 in both the innings.
This is what ICC was afraid of if they had Bucknor.
Bucknor could be the nicest person outside the ground but by not showing remorse for the bad decisions that he continues to make he and the ICC make a mockery of the sport. Same thing happened to Tauffel who had a bad day"(that did not hurt the match) and apologized to the party involved. What a difference.
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Steve Bucknor has consistently given poor decisions against the Indians ever since he burst on to the scene. These poor decisions have been well documented. Sydney was the final straw.
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I would have rather had Mr. Bucknor for the test 3 but indian should have dropped key players. Give number 17 on a platter to Australia.
India should have opened bowling with Jaffer and Laxman etc., and let Australia score 1000 runs for 0 wickets. And then indians should have declared at 0 for 0 in both the innings.
This is what ICC was afraid of if they had Bucknor.
Bucknor could be the nicest person outside the ground but by not showing remorse for the bad decisions that he continues to make he and the ICC make a mockery of the sport. Same thing happened to Tauffel who had a bad day"(that did not hurt the match) and apologized to the party involved. What a difference.
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Dr MrAggers,
I partially agree with your opine.
However we must see the 2 isus in different light.
Racism-There is no way we can have it in our beautiful game.Let football handle it for us!!
I am an indian & i strolngly believe tat if Harbhajan has uttered racial remarks agsts Roy,he shud be penalised. However,the as it happened the trial was taken in the most suspicous circumstances & the result was equally shoddy. Hoe can you convict someone without any proof,evidence.Just because the great matt hayden & clarke testify symonds claims, the poor sardar is punished!
Y not take in the word of Sachin! Can you ever find anyone with a cleaner record than Sachin!have you ever seen sachin shooting curses at the new batsman??
So the demonstrations in India are related to the false conviction of Harbhajan Singh!
Umpiring-
Umpiring in SCg test was simply woeful. It went agsts one team then the other. Furthermore, all bad decisions came at crucial junctures of the game which hit india badly.
To remove bucknor from WACa test is a wrong precednece of sorts..
But the man has lost it!
It was in the common good of all parties(Oz,India,nBucknor) for him to be replaced.
India aren't sore loosers. India lost the match at SCG & was there a word said abt. it by the indians.
Its d aussies who always complain abt hthe hotels n grounds in India!!
Spirit of the Game upheld by India-
Even though indians had a raw deal when it came to umpiring,no word was asaid by the during the test match.
Technically,the players are suppose to report/complain after the game,However,Ponting took the rules for a ride by complaining on the third day.
The way Indian team has carried itself is a tribute to there greatness.
Aussies have always taken the game's spirit to the cleaners & chopped it time n again.
They are our world champions but they dont command respect.infatc they have lost it
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Is this article written by the same man who recently wrote a piece singling out Aleem Darr of Pakistan !! So it seems that Umpires are not at fault, except when he happens to be Pakistani.
Get Some consistency in your analysis Mr Agnew!
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Jonathan,
As an Indian fan I am inclined to take my teams side, but I ask you, would the English have accepted the result if they had been in the match instead of India and not complain about the pathetic decisions, not one, not two going against them? The umpire is human and prone to make mistakes, but why so many against one side? One of India's newspaper's headlines read:
India c Benson b Bucknor!
The Indians are not entirely in the clear either and I would be surprised if we see more of Jaffer or Yuvraj in the test series. These two could have easily helped India to safety if they just had done what they were in the match for - to bat! I see no reason for India to continue to field players who do not perform, and they must be rested as was the umpire.
The best way for the Indians to respond to the aussi sledging is to win the remaining two tests!
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Singh after putting together a good innings, calls Symonds over in order to gloat and racially abuse him and as a result we are questioning Australian ethics. I accept that the Australians need to improve their behavior but can’t help but feel the resentment expressed here isn’t as much to do with the success of the team as opposed to an honest assessment of their behavior. If Singh had sledged Symonds (Singh is a serial sledger yet publicly complains about it – if you want an example of someone who is prepared to dish it out and not take it here is one) and Symonds had responded with a racial slur there would be no criticism of Singh here.
For those Englishmen who keep reciting Flintoff’s act in 2005 you have no idea how hypocritical you look. England displayed a win at all costs attitude during that series and if you choose to assess them by the one individual act of sportsmanship as opposed to the numerous acts of gamesmanship than please don’t pretend to be presented an objective viewpoint.
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1. This means we have to go use technology as Fletcher suggests.
2. That may just help restore sportsmanship in that there'll be no point not walking if you nick it or appealing if the batsman didn't hit it.
3. I don't buy the "walk if you nick it" line as some now suggest as batsmen are too often given out when they're not.
4. I agree wholeheartedly with Aggers. But don't forget Ponting was given out when he wasn't in this very test!
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Couldn't agree more Aggers brilliant article. You've hit the nail right on the head teams feel they are above the law. Give the umpires a chance of course they make mistakes but they also do a brilliant job under intense pressure. The ICC needs to deal with this problem instead of then backing these teams. How must the umpires now be feeling?
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Maybe Australia should be kicked out of world cricket for a while, if there behaviour is so poor? I am amazed at all this talk of bad behaviour from Australia. I dont get it. Why has all this come out now when an Australian has been racially abused and a side that thought they were a lot better than they really are have lost. If the Aussies were kicked out I still dont think India or England would replace them as number 1. And that is what all this is about, sour grapes!!!!
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I completely agree with the assessment, except for one part related to the game being relegated to profit making. The business aspect is taking over all the games and nobody can help the situation.
The fact that bothers me the most is the entire cricketing word (however small it might be) has been taking all the abuse from the aussies for such a long time.
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I agree with all sentiments that support Jonathans views, however there is only one way this issue is ever going to be resolved and that is my pet subject. I even considered running a national campaign, but came to my senses in time, what am I talking about it? "Walking" when you know full well you both touched the ball and it was taken fairly.
If everyone who played cricket at all levels did this we could return to my beloved sport with dignity and this would inevitably lead to umpiring errors to be minimised to zero, because bowlers may also not shout when they know full well there was some bat involved in potential lbw's.
Finally, as I step off my soapbox, please dont tell me "walking" could be the difference between someones career or not because I will not accept that as an excuse.
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Two readily available solutions (But of course ICC will not agree to this!)
- Empower players with 3 (or X) appeals per innings to both sides, and then Onfield umpires can use replays to validate their judgement or correct that. Technology is available, if we can use it judge run outs, if we can use it to see if the ball crossed the boundary or not (things not easily discernible to the Umpire), I fail to see why they cannot be used to resolve borderline decisions such as slight nicks, clean catches etc. Any doubt still, give benefit to the batsman!. The argument that it will be timewasting is simply that, an argument. We will never know till we put it to practice in the INTERNATIONAL arena. And then it removes completely the question of biased or incompetent umpiring because we have a 'review' process in place. Of course, LBW is out of the purview of this, as its always a 'what might have happened' rather than the 'what happened' in the other cases.
- Hook up the players with microphones and never turn the stump microphones off..! :-) As we saw in the recent twenty20, Symonds said 'sorry mom' after he dished out some words. Wouldn't that be an easy way to make sure that people are on their best behaviour, knowing that your family and rest of the world can hear what you utter!. Wouldn't we have utter silence occassionally broken by a "well batted/bowled mate" or "great catch/stop dude".
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Superb article !
I just hope and pray that there are many Aussies and Indians who are ashamed of their teams.
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I am not quite sure if Jonathan Agnew would have written same column if this horrondous umpiring and unsportsman like behavior would have taken place during Ashes. I guess perspective changes when things are really close to your heart versus when you can view things as a third party from a non-relaetd nation.
Sydeny test made few things very clear:
1. Bad umpiring decisions should be referred to third umpire. Captain and coach should have right to challange a decision but should be penalized in terms of number of overs you get to bat if challange is overturned.
2. Umpires should have retirement age. Clearly, Mr. Buckner has past his prime and should be sipping Mohitos on Carribean coast.
3. Captains like Ricky Ponting should be charged match fees for unsportsman like conduct.
4. Winning at any cost is fine but then cricket should no longer be called Gentelman's game.
I think India should call off the tour, pay fine and let Aussies celebrate their "unbelievable victories." Afterall, Aussies won't be legit till they win against India (as Mr. Ponting has suggested) or for that matter any country who does not want to take crap from the current Aussie cricket team.
It is sad that this is happening in a country of legends like Bradman, Miller, Harvey, Border, waugh!!
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Superb article !
I just hope and pray that there are many Aussies and Indians who are ashamed of their teams.
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Mr Thomas how do you know Habhajan called Symods a monkey where u there,no u were not and nor were the others and stupid Hayden think he is above every one else.U have no idea how angry the Indians are and rightly so.I don't what u think or any one else.
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Yes,Umpires are humans and they do make mistakes, and so do players, but when players do not perform consistently they are removed from the team. Same should happen to the umpires, specially Mr Bucknor, he has consistantly given bad decisions against India, no objective person can deny that. Just removing him from umpiring against India is not enough, he needs to be disciplined in the severest of forms. If he is a superb umpire as the ICC and some of the pundits are saying, it is even more trouble some, because if he is so good how can he be making so many errors against India?, in this case a serious inquiry should be conducted by the ICC.
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While I'm largely in agreement with Aggers, however, I have my doubts about results, no matter how record equalling, when achieved in the manner that Australia gained this one. Noteworthy yes, but worthy of congratulation, no. It appears racial slurs are relative to some, but it's the context in which words are applied which makes them abuse racial or otherwise. It amazes me how people are willing to make judgements when not apprised of all the facts. In particular, why guilt is assumed and a punishment applied just because an Australian says so.
I just wonder how many straight tests Austrialia would have won had they not used their usual bully boy tactics which they excel at over other teams that also employ the same tactics. In my opinion, most of the poor umpiring decisions are initiated by the pressure put on them by the vociferous calling of the fielding side.
And finally, "frustrated of St John's Wood" - I'm staggered that you think racial slurs between people of different ethnic backgrounds is OK even if offensive! Please note that using the term "coloured" is offensive for me of Caribbean descent. I doubt Harbajan or Symonds would describe themselves as such.
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Missing a point here Agers -
After the last ashes tour in England there was a change - the Australian team had softened its stand and allowed friendships to flourish with the England camp - it all seemed perfectly fine, but they lost that series and in the end said they did not deserve to win or draw in spite of the last call in the last match being actually not out.
Ponting did lose his rag as he watched players rotated off the field for a shower and rubdown between their bowling stints and specialist fielding substitutes brought on - according to the laws England said it was OK, but news to Ponting and co that it was in the spirit of the game. There was an "in your face" attitude adopted by England which got them through that series but backfired the following one.
I have observed that the Australians have not given any such concessions since and do not allow a chance to use the laws fully go by. I believe anyone criticising them should have a realistic look at the history of their own house - what about the disgraceful way England umpires were not used again if Botham did not get his way. At least a documentary was made and the issue aired by the UK. Has the same been done by India and Pakistan to explain where the idea of neutral umpires came from and why? That era was the rock bottom in terms of sportsmanship in the history of Cricket, not the current storm in a teacup.
I believe Richie Benaud said the second test currently being discussed was a below average game in respect of sportsmanship but not as bad as some he had seen recently. What about a good look at the games he is referring to? It is understood the leading team should show the way but in my opinion that was England in 2005. They sledged and bullied their way to a famous victory, pushing their luck and the laws all the way. It was very enjoyable to see such a want to win , and they are now sorely missed by both Australian fans as well as obviously England fans.
The Indian team is attempting to do the same to the Australians now but they have forgotten the part about preparation which the England team of 2005 did get right to match the attitude they brought to the field.
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Spot on of course. We all should remember Jeff Thomson 20 years ago bowling a bouncer, that almost smashed the skull of a batsman and sent him in agony to the floor, then he picked up the ball and stumped him out - he couldn't even be bothered to see how the poor guy was (carried off on a stretcher). Everyone was aghast then that how could a person (read Australian animal) could do that in a civilised sport. So in other words - nothing new at all. Some Australian players do seem to have an animal history.
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Yes,Umpires are humans and they do make mistakes, and so do players, but when players do not perform consistently they are removed from the team. Same should happen to the umpires, specially Mr Bucknor, he has consistantly given bad decisions against India, no objective person can deny that. Just removing him from umpiring against India is not enough, he needs to be disciplined in the severest of forms. If he is a superb umpire as the ICC and some of the pundits are saying, it is even more trouble some, because if he is so good how can he be making so many errors against India?, In that case a serious criminal inquiry should be conducted by the ICC.
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Sledging has been part of cricket from it's inception however TV technology has enabled those so offended to report it and prove it (only if they have felt they have been hard done by). You don't find a century maker or winning team captain complaining.
The pressures on the modern day cricketer are huge and it is therefore a win at all costs. The traditionalists will not like it but there will be no going back. Technology will assist in picking out the culprits but at the end of the day the Australians have set and keep setting the benchmark that everyone else aspires to. That is winning.
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Very biased comments from a respectable commentator. India is a cricket mad nation which provides more than 70% of the ICC's income. True, that makes India very powerful, but I do not think that India has used this clout in any way to influence the outcome of the issues in question. The out come of removing Mr.Bucknor from umpiring and allowing Harbachan Singh to play in perth are fair. It should have happened with out India protesting. A few decades ago , every one knows how immaturely the then most powerful cricketing nations(England and Australia) controlled cricket and its wealth. By the by a question off the track, England's FA is the most powerful foot balling body on the planet and do you think they do not influence FIFA decisions?. Please change this patronising attitude. It won,t work in this new world.
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Excellent comment as usual from Aggers and I would suggest that the world of technology has been finally proven to be the worst thing that could have happened to the game of cricket. It is quite clearly the case that the game is no longer controlled by the umpires but by arrogant and dishonest players who will look to the instant replay to gain any advantage. The pressure brought to bear on umpires by the use of replays has lead to umpires no longer operating with total conviction in their decision making and that weakness is played upon by the less scrupulous players. The umpires decision should be final and the mistakes should be an honest part of the game. I do not believe that the standard of umpiring has improved with the introduction of technology but their authority has certainly been undermined.
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Agree with parts of the column. Also bear in mind, seeking justice and fairplay should not be misinterpreted as one team being monetarily powerful, blah blah...
When the columnist himself agrees, nasty, intimidating....ways of the Oozis...its so happens that in recent times, Pakistan and Indian teams stood up to the shortsightedness of some officals and players..
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In total agreement with Jonathan's comments which are spot.
I would like to believe that Harbhajan is innocent though I would be very surprised if he did make racist comments. If he did then he obviously needs to be punished accordingly.
My second point is that the ICC needs to control, and instead not to be controlled by players. If players want to control the game we all might as well pack our bags and forget cricket. Players cannot and must not control cricket. There are rules which must be applied and respected.
Point three - as regards umpiring, yes when incorrect decisions are made it can and does have significant impact on the result (As we have seen on many occasions). I do not agree that player power should force the ICC to change the umpire, absolutely not. However, I believe it is the ICC's responsibility to consider this issue - umpiring errors - and come up with some kind of solutions.
Final point - back to the players. Any incorrect umpiring decisions, would be minimised if all players played in the spirit of the game. The spirit of the game, over the past 10-15 years at least, has gone. For me the spirit of the game of cricket is you walk when you know you're out, and fielders do not claim catches they know they did not catch, and bowlers are not agressive in their claims for a wicket when they well know (in majority of cases) the player is not out. Yes today's games are highly charged and much more money is at stake, but that should not detract the players and administrators from the sport of cricket. Sadly to say, this is what it is all about these days .... until somebody changes this!!
The events of the past few days is sad for cricket and sport.
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Symonds has shown what he thinks of the game by his actions earlier in the match and his reaction afterwards. By taking pride in the fact that he got away with something he (and the Australian team in general) has set cricket down the road that football is now on whereby trying to con the ref is considered part and parcel of the game.
Looks like the only sport I'm going to be interested in watching from now on is the rugby. At least in that game if a team tries to put pressure on the ref the team themselves get punished.
Truly a sad start to the new year for cricket.
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I would have rather seen Bucknor officiating and India resting key players. Australia should have scored 1000/0 and india declared both the innings at 0/0. That would have been the proper treatment. And the aussies could have won 17 comfortably. Hey a record is a record eh.
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Brett Lee and Adam Gilchrist aside, the Australians are just an arrogant bunch who start whinging when it's given back to them or when things aren't going their way.
Yes, it may happen all over the world, but these guys are by far the worst and someone with a lot of power needs to stand up to them and tell them to stop showing off their 'win or die' attitude.
If Harbhajan did abuse Symonds then yes he should be banned but if you are going to ban him, I believe that Ponting should also be banned for his ABSOLUTELY DISGRACEFUL raising of the finger for Clarke's 'catch'.
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Thank you, Aggers, for that sane and wise piece. I'm sure we all hope that cricket can be rescued.
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Jonathan – I completely agree with your thoughts. Indeed cricket is now at a crossroads, but what is to be done about it?
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Yes, BCCI lost the plot by clubbing racism and Harbhajan with umpiring and Steve. First there were issues with umpires and their home-state bias, now we have issues against individual umpires; where do we go from here? Let us not react with narrow minds. Perhaps what we really need is bringing in a range of technologies to aid umpires.
More importantly, however, cricket is losing its sheen as a gentleman’s game not only for characters like Ponting and Sreesanth but also from commercialising it. We can’t do much with the latter but we sure can hope for a shift in the attitude of the players. We need players like Gower and Vishy, who do not hold record number of centuries nor are they regarded as the greatest captains. But what they had in them may best be described as 'cricketer-like-qualities', which is something we need to revisit.
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Cricket has ended up where it deserves to be, in the gutter.
The ICC are incompetent politians who couldnt run a kebab shop.
The fact that they are clearly running scared of India tells its own story, it just another in a long line of politically "awkward" situations that where never dealt with, seeming to start with the "heads in the sand approach" over the Zimbabwe issue and has deteriorated ever since.
I honestly don't give a fig what happens now, Cricket is nose diving at a rapid rate through greed.
One day I hope I can bear to watch this circus of a sport I used to love.
I fear whilst the Indian Cricket Cou.... I mean the International Cricket Council are in charge I wont hold my breathe.
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all modern sport is suffering from overexposure due to the advances in communications. World class sportmen now are treated like gods and can hardly be blamed for behaving in like manner. winning is now the only aim in sport as being successful reaps ridiculous rewards. I can see no answer, drug use is widespread and very few international sports personalities could be called good role models.Sounds depressing: go and get involved in sport instead of just watching these sometimes pathetic heroes . you'll be healthier for it too
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Stan (84 and 247) is absolutely correct. He should be congratulated on his keen eye for detail.
Jonathan's mistake may be entirely understandable given his obvious passion for the matter at hand, but it is important that someone stands up and defends the English language.
Well done Stan!
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What a lot of hot air.
So australia are supposed to be bad sports for what reason? Appealing for something that wasnt out, and not walking when out. Every cricketer on the planet is guilty then.
Yet no one says India are bad sports for 1. demanding an umpire be removed for two bad decisions, and 2. threatening to call off the tour because an neutral icc match referee suspended one of their players for making a racist remark.
Who has committed the greatest crimes against cricket?
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Missing a point here Agers -
After the last ashes tour in England there was a change - the Australian team had softened its stand and allowed friendships to flourish with the England camp - it all seemed perfectly fine, but they lost that series and in the end said they did not deserve to win or draw in spite of the last call in the last match being actually not out.
Ponting did lose his rag as he watched players rotated off the field for a shower and rubdown between their bowling stints and specialist fielding substitutes brought on - according to the laws England said it was OK, but news to Ponting and co that it was in the spirit of the game. There was an "in your face" attitude adopted by England which got them through that series but backfired the following one.
I have observed that the Australians have not given any such concessions since and do not allow a chance to use the laws fully go by. I believe anyone criticising them should have a realistic look at the history of their own house - what about the disgraceful way England umpires were not used again if Botham did not get his way. At least a documentary was made and the issue aired by the UK. Has the same been done by India and Pakistan to explain where the idea of neutral umpires came from and why? That era was the rock bottom in terms of sportsmanship in the history of Cricket, not the current storm in a teacup.
I believe Richie Benaud said the second test currently being discussed was a below average game in respect of sportsmanship but not as bad as some he had seen recently. What about a good look at the games he is referring to? It is understood the leading team should show the way but in my opinion that was England in 2005. They sledged and bullied their way to a famous victory, pushing their luck and the laws all the way. It was very enjoyable to see such a want to win , and they are now sorely missed by both Australian fans as well as obviously England fans.
The Indian team is attempting to do the same to the Australians now but they have forgotten the part about preparation which the England team of 2005 did get right to match the attitude they brought to the field.
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I agree partly with the article and with some of the comments in response to the article. But there are a few questions that I would like to ask
1. ICC match referee Mike Procter in his official document says "I believe that one group was telling the truth", this means that Indian players are lying and Australian players are not?
2. During the ICC hearing Ponting and Gilchrist said they had heard nothing (according to the official document), there were 4 Australian players who attended the hearing so how did Mike Procter make up his mind about who is lying and who is not! then how can one justify the ban on Harbhajan.
In these kind of situations what should India do just shut up and play the game or stand up and complain. This is not the first time India has voiced their opposition against Bucknor so ICC should listen and do something.
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yes aggers
bang on
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That was an unbelievably poor attempt at dealing with a complex issue.
Furthermore, it reeked of bias and stank of a chance to cut down the tall poppy. I completely agree that sportsmanship and honesty within the game has disintegrated, but the blame appeared to be slanted against the Australians. The Australian side is not alone in its crimes against the game.
The Aussie team is not alone in trampling on the sportsmanship that once defined this great game. Every team sledges, several teams have been guilty (or found guilty) at some stage of a racist slur, many teams have been guilty of tampering with the ball, fixing matches, drugs, over-appealing, bringing the game into disrepute, the list goes on. The game is not what it used to be, unfortunately, this is the way it is going and I agree that many of the money focused board members have failed to deal with it. I don’t think we can blame the Australians, every team is guilty.
Nearly every batsmen in professional cricket does not walk, the notable exception being an Australian, Adam Gilchrist. Andrew Symonds’ only problem was that he was stupid enough to publicly rejoice about what everyone else knew. Failing to walk stopped many years ago and most batters would have stayed put.
Secondly, I know Aggers gets to a few more games than me, but I don’t think the Australian team has particularly changed in its intensity or so called ‘hardness’ over the last 30-40 years (Kim Hughes leadership being the obvious exception). This is not a new thing that has happen. Ponting over the last 3 years is no worse or better than his predecessors with Ian Chappell arguably the worst protagonist during this time.
With regards to the spirit of the game and the Australian side, I’m not entirely clear what Aggers has a problem with, he has not stated anything about what they do wrong, just whinged about ‘hardness and intimidation’. I cannot see on the screen, what they do differently to other teams, other than win that is. I’m still not sure what was ‘ugly and offensive’ about their last match. I agree that it is not easy to warm to them like the West Indies team of the 80’s, but this like-ability factor does not constitute revolution.
As far as ‘dobbing in’ Harbhajan, I think racist remarks are something that should be fair game for the snitch and I don’t think that this particular snitch (Ponting) is a liar either. I’m also pretty sure that Ponting ‘can take it’ too. What Aggers failed to mention was what this ‘monkey’ phrase was used in the context of previous slurs by his countrymen 2 months ago. For the team to then start using it is an outrage.
Finally, I do agree with you Aggers that the treatment of umpires in this situation is an absolute injustice. Getting rid of Steve Bucknor for the next match is a poor move and sets a bad precedent.
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Yes,Umpires are humans and they do make mistakes, and so do players, but when players do not perform consistently they are removed from the team. Same should happen to the umpires, specially Mr Bucknor, he has consistantly given bad decisions against India, no objective person can deny that. Just removing him from umpiring against India is not enough, he needs to be disciplined in the severest of forms. If he is a superb umpire as the ICC and some of the pundits are saying, it is even more trouble some, because if he is so good how can he be making so many errors against India?, In that case a serious criminal inquiry should be conducted by the ICC.
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Let us not carried away and say that the umpires are above it all. I would be willing to bet if someone were to analyze the errors made by Steve Bucknor, there would statistically be a significant bias against India.
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Stan (84 and 247) is absolutely correct. He should be congratulated on his keen eye for detail.
Jonathan's mistake may be entirely understandable given his obvious passion for the matter at hand, but it is important that someone stands up and defends the English language.
Well done Stan!
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I fully agree with the comments in the article.
Kumble said "after all it is a game." This is no longer true. The moment organizations start commercializing a sport it is no longer a sport but a business. That being said it is unfair that decisions should be taken on the opinion of a single umpire on the field. In all fairness each time should be given 3 challenges against appeals in each innings. The complaint that it holds up the game is totally baseless. But it will avoid such unpleasant situations and perhaps save the careers of young players like Sharma who was robbed of a wicket which may have inspired him to greater performances. As it happened it has deflated a young cricketer and may have even rung the death knell of his budding career.
K.B.Nair
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Cricket Australia is to be blamed for this issue. They sidelined Steve Waugh untimely to give rise to Ponting's leadership style. Winning at all costs is their mantra which gives instant gratification and attracts youth to the game. With globalization of economy, the ruthless corporate culture of SUCCESS is everywhere.
I do not think if India would have manages to save the test, all these issues would have died down soon. India lost and the team had to find an excuse for their defeat.
I have umpired in first class games and committed many errors. Players and captains told me about my decisions and moved on. However the game has changed. Cricket is not just a hobby; it has become a profession and way of earning for a lot of people. ICC should now include technology and other means to promote elite umpires. It is pathetic that it has only 8 elite umpires to officiate in international games which earns them a lot of money.
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top stuff Aggers, could nt agree more
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Excellent comment as usual from Aggers and I would suggest that the world of technology has been finally proven to be the worst thing that could have happened to the game of cricket. It is quite clearly the case that the game is no longer controlled by the umpires but by arrogant and dishonest players who will look to the instant replay to gain any advantage. The pressure brought to bear on umpires by the use of replays has lead to umpires no longer operating with total conviction in their decision making and that weakness is played upon by the less scrupulous players. The umpires decision should be final and the mistakes should be an honest part of the game. I do not believe that the standard of umpiring has improved with the introduction of technology but their authority has certainly been undermined.
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Your advice on how a team should play true to the spirit of the game seems fine in the mind but what do you propose to enforce it? By your own commentary, it would appear that the Australian team intimidates umpires into making bad decisions favourable to them. Might the removal of Steve Bucknor not be a (mild) statement to the umpires that they should not be so intimidated? Would you have a practical other remedy to this? Perhaps that players whose behaviour is shown to clearly contravene the spirit of the game through things like tv replays should be banned?
I also am perplexed by a more-or-less uniform absence of discussion of Ponting's role in the Ganguly dismissal. To me, the tv replay shows Clarke (whose integrity is in question for more reasons than this catch) rolling over and grounding the ball. If this makes it a bad catch, surely Ponting's confident assertion that the catch was good is a blatant example of cheating, given the prior agreement and its role in sealing the dismissal? Does this not go to the heart of the integrity issue in Ponting's case? There does not seem to be any grey area here, unlike in the case of the question of whether to walk or not that you take Symonds to task for.
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Mr Agnew, this is pretty good objective stuff. It's interesting that former players like Steve Waugh now belief there is need for television review. It was only a few months ago that Simon Taufel made two horrendous decisions against the same Indians when he gave Sachin and Saurav out. Perhaps, they were winning then so there was no need to ask for Taufel to step down from the next test(s). No one really cares about the game anymore.
If we will continue to let the those countries with vast resources for making money for the game continue to dictate whether or not an official does a game then I am afraid I am already losing credibility in the system. At this point in time I am calling out India and Pakistan - both countries are now having their say with whom officiates the games. Why not let them chose the officials in the first place anyway?
An article thaSimon Taufel made two horrific mistakes when India batted: giving Sachin and Saurav out wrongly. It does take a confident and courageous man to admit his mistake. The best thing about the article was when he mentioned that people come to watch great cricketers play and he wrongly gave one of them out. Great spirit and great understanding of the situation.
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I agree partly with the article and with some of the comments in response to the article. But there are a few questions that I would like to ask
1. ICC match referee Mike Procter in his official document says "I believe that one group was telling the truth", this means that Indian players are lying and Australian players are not?
2. During the ICC hearing Ponting and Gilchrist said they had heard nothing (according to the official document), there were 4 Australian players who attended the hearing so how did Mike Procter make up his mind about who is lying and who is not! then how can one justify the ban on Harbhajan.
In these kind of situations what should India do just shut up and play the game or stand up and complain. This is not the first time India has voiced their opposition against Bucknor so ICC should listen and do something. During the last India-Australia series in 2003-2004 Bucknor was criticized.
read this if people don't remember https://content-uk.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/137365.html
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Let us not carried away and say that the umpires are above it all. I would be willing to bet if someone were to analyze the errors made by Steve Bucknor, there would statistically be a significant bias against India.
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I don't always go along with Aggers' thoughts and comments but on this occasion I do. The Australians are a great cricket team but not one to be admired.
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as Aggers says there has been a lot of criticism of the Oz team,in Oz too...see the Sydney Morning Herald articles that various links will take you to...6this is one positive aspect of the sdituation.
But it is the apparent total lack of 'due process' that is the most serious issue here imo. this means the natural justice process..and in 2 instances
1. the catch (alleged) of Ganguly. It is incredible that in contradiction of the laws where a batsman should be given the benefit if there is doubt, the opposing captain was asked for his decision because the umpires were unsighted. WHAT??!and what was Ponting supposed to say?
2. and what was the finding of fact about the 'monkey' comment based on? the Australians' 'evidence'?...because 'they are more reliable witnesses' than the Indians? WHAT??! It is clear that nobody accpts Proctor's findings as most contributors here say 'IF' Singh made a racist remark..nobody seems convinced; there is no transparency in Proctor's considerations..just one word against another..that isn't proof of a serious offence.It certainly has no transparency either. Due process is 'innocent until proved guilty'.
And then there is the appalling background of abuse that the Australians in particular create as players, and it seems spectators. And do we have to wait for a player about to retire like Zidane,to give a normal human reaction to having your mother insulted in the most offensive way? They do seem to be 'must win junkies' on the field even if their better media and public opinion is much more rational and respectful.
In this context the Indian threat to abandon the tour seems to have produced a very valuable crisis which may well help to improve the game.
As for Steve Bucknor's appalling performance, and bizarre offloading of his responsibility onto Ponting, I think it is a very very sad low in the career of an excellent servant of the game. And completely different from that of Hair, whose record leaves a very questionable taste in the mouth, and who apparently said afterwards he was willing to be placated by lots of dosh, as if he was the injured party.
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Great post Aggers as usual. Players are at fault you are right, but lets be serious, the Aussies made umpires Benson and Bucknor look like complete muppets. How on earth Bucknor missed the huge edge from Symonds yet clearly saw the "edge" of Dravid will always be a mystery. Also as a keen spectator of the game everyone knows that the giveaway sign of a batsman conceding an edge is if they look behind them at the edge or the 'keep, Symonds literally turned his back on the Ump thats how obvious it was. Also has anyone noticed in this test Bucknor appeared to make his decisions in double quicktime, what happened to his infamous slow finger of death? Ricky Ponting states that he did "what was right for the good of the game" when he along with Symonds reported Harbhajan..well what about Hodges remarks which were clearly audible when he went up to Kumble at silly point. The fact that Ponting raised his finger to give Ganguly out is an image that will live with me forever, why oh why could Benson not see sense and confer with the third umpire instead of Ponting? Clearly replays showed Clarke's fingers were not under the ball, hence it touched the ground - seriously I have never seen such shocking umpiring in my life and Bucknor should be hugely embarrassed with himself seeing how Symonds went to the world press to gloat about his luck, you would of thought Symonds had a bit of sense about him to stay quite. On a last note, where is the solid evidence that Harbhajan did in-fact say anything racially untoward Symonds - I have not seen any, bar what has come from the mouths of Ponting and Symonds so how on earth have they suddenly come up with this 3 game ban charge, surely innocent until proven guilty still stands in this day and age? John D.
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Craig Thomas gets my vote (as a former English cricket fan in the 50's who is now fed up with the demise of what used to be a fine cricketing nation). He had the guts to write a piece that was seized by a crowd of sour grapes critics eager to put the boot into Australia. Australia puts 150% effort into the game and the result speaks for itself. Instead of carping about their attitude, why don't the other teams put a similar effort into developing their national games to the same levels and raise the standard to the Australian level and then we can all enjoy exciting cricket again.
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Great piece Aggers.
Australian cricket has been blighted by rank unsportsmanlike behaviour ever sice the odious Greg Chappell ordered his bowler, off the last ball of the innings, to deliver a grasscutter to new-to-the-crease number 11 New Zealand batsman who had to hit a six to TIE the match! o This was in 1981. It seemed to me then as it does now that Australia have never recovered from the thumping Brearley's England team handed out during the World Series Cricket 'crisis.' Their behaviour since then has nearly always been boorish and insufferable. It turned my stomach to witness the sledging of the legendary Viv Richards in the 80s. If that was bad, their behaviour since then has been even worse with the mealy-mouthed Mcgrath and co. I have long thought their behaviour threatens the noble game of cricket to its very core. One of your correspondents is so right when he says Cricket's USP is the spirit the game is played in. Australia have lacked that spirit for close on three decades. The goal is not just to win ...but to win with honour. That's what makes it the game we love - not a slogfest featuring 22 boofheads!
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Well done Aggers. You have written clearly what Cricket lovers believe.
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I fully agree with the comments in the article.
Kumble said "after all it is a game." This is no longer true. The moment organizations start commercializing a sport it is no longer a sport but a business. That being said it is unfair that decisions should be taken on the opinion of a single umpire on the field. In all fairness each time should be given 3 challenges against appeals in each innings. The complaint that it holds up the game is totally baseless. But it will avoid such unpleasant situations and perhaps save the careers of young players like Sharma who was robbed of a wicket which may have inspired him to greater performances. As it happened it has deflated a young cricketer and may have even rung the death knell of his budding career.
K.B.Nair
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I don't always go along with Aggers' thoughts and comments but on this occasion I do. The Australians are a great cricket team but not one to be admired.
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I am amazed at some of the comments here. Some of you lot seem to think sledging is something new.
After watching and playing cricket for years, I can assure you all it has been going on for some time, and ALL teams are guilty of it.
The Aussies are perceived as a "tough team" and they most probably are. But a lot of the focus is on them now as they are the best team at the mo, and everyone wants a piece.
For many years the only thing they have been guilty of is playing the game hard, but fair.
It is unfortunate that a couple of bad decisions went against India, but we have seen a few dodgy ones go their way on their turf too.
Perhaps they should be more worried about their dismal performance in the first test, and how half the team threw away their wickets in the 2nd innings in Sydney.
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A good article by Aggers, he gets to the core of the issue.
Perhaps a solution is to appoint an ICC Board that loves and understands the game and sets standards and laws without fear or favour - regardless of race or creed. Rules that demand players as gatekeepers of the game to respect it, nurture it and polish away the tarnish that as become so much apart cricket today.
I'm sure deep down most players do not intend to disfigure this beautiful game, but most are young and vibrant and most of all want to win - that's only natural.
Mentors and more mature role models are required to lend an ear and perhaps a hand in the cauldron of the modern game - not unlike life itself really.
Head of the ICC Malcolm Speed has neither the love, passion and care for the game as some previous decisions by him and his ICC board have so coldly confirmed.
This is not basketball Mr Speed and you're not the man to take cricket forward either.
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Agreed, but I think this has been bubbling up long before the likes of Sreesanth and Nel have been on the scene.
Why has the spirit of cricket not been called into question about so many South Africans and Aussies being picked for England?
Please tell me when the last English player didn't wait for an umpire's decision when he was caught in the slips at waist high. Perhaps they were waiting for a no ball call. Under Vaughan's (which to some extent is a legacy from Hussain's) leadership, it seems that the English players in their own mind don't have a right to be given out.
What about the precedent set by some of these players by waiting for instructions from the dressing room (to see a reply) to see if they should leave the field of play?
Also, personally I find it much more insulting to have jelly beans thrown at me than a few words aimed in my direction.
Let's get our own house in order. We're no angels with the Spirit of Cricket...need I mention specialist fielders and a toilet break every time a bowler is about to bowl?
Maybe someone should ask Flitoff about sledging...look what it did to Yuvraj in the 20:20! He'll be foolish to antagonise anyone again.
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Am I missing a trick here or what?
Yes, there were some poor umpiring decisions, but these have nothing to do with Ricky Ponting.
With respect to the suspension of Singh, this matter rests with the match referee. The Indian team and management have decided that they will try to remove Bucknor and to overide the process of the match referee. If they disagree with this process then that is why there is an appeals process. This should be used rather than threatening to call off the tour.
If anyone is not operating within the spirit of the game here, it is the Indian team and management who, because they did not agree with the umpire's and referee's decisions, have threatened to call off the tour.
If people have a problem with players not walking, then say so. But this isn't an issue with just the Australian side surely? When was the last time that an Indian batsmen walked? Or that an Indian captain recalled a batsmen he felt wrongly dismissed? It isn't a desirable part of the game, but to confine criticism to Australia smacks of sour grapes from a cricketing world who haven't been able to match a winning side. Yes, it is a problem but just because you happen not to win many matches doesn't make it acceptable.
The Australian team do play hard and I'm sure that they sledge. But there is a firm line between this and racial abuse and no provocation can justify racial abuse. This must be absolutely clear. This is not about being able to take what you dish out. Racial abuse is a criminal offense in England (and Australia I think).
Reinstate the tour. Reinstate Bucknor. Hold an appeal for Singh and abide by the usual process and the evidence, whatever it happens to be.
Cleaning up appeals, preventing sledging and encouraging batsmen to walk should be a broader issue that the ICC addresses.
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If, like me, you think the aussies have got away with their tactics for too long and have brought the whole game of cricket to a sorry state then write and tell them.
cricket.com.au will bring you to their website and write to the contact us section.
Their "achievement" is to bring shame to their country and shame on the game of cricket they play.
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yes aggers
bang on
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Interesting that many seem to suggest that "Bucknor has to go." Really..and why is that? Is it being claimed that he is intentionally targeting India with bad decisions? if so, that's ludicrous. Some suggest that it's his age and he should retire. And if that is the case, wouldn't that be a decision for his employers to decide and act upon at the right time? Its absurd and ridiculous for countries and their cricket boards to decide what umpires can and cannot be used for officiating. Over and above that, its truly detrimental to the game. The Indian board of cricket has over reacted and is equally to blame for putting this game in disrepute.
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I fully agree with the comments in the article.
Kumble said "after all it is a game." This is no longer true. The moment organizations start commercializing a sport it is no longer a sport but a business. That being said it is unfair that decisions should be taken on the opinion of a single umpire on the field. In all fairness each time should be given 3 challenges against appeals in each innings. The complaint that it holds up the game is totally baseless. But it will avoid such unpleasant situations and perhaps save the careers of young players like Sharma who was robbed of a wicket which may have inspired him to greater performances. As it happened it has deflated a young cricketer and may have even rung the death knell of his budding career.
K.B.Nair
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I agree, umpire will always make mistake .. but if there is TOO many mistakes in a single game, in favor of single team (almost) and at the crucial moments which will change the result, there is something fishy about that. Bucknor was deserved to be removed rather he should never get the job again. If I cheat in my company, I will be fired, why won't he.
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Aggers - best article I have read on this whole sorry debacle - thank you - the majesty of Tendular's 100 will be overshadowed for all time by the poor behaviour of Australia and as for India deciding to throw their weight around due to a few contentious umpiring decisions, that is another sorry tale - my blood boils as a cricket fan sometimes! - what should have been a classic Test has become a very sorry affair...
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Frustrated of St John's Wood.
I believe it to be Mr. S Waugh's record winning streak of 16 wins will be assigned to history and not Mr Borders.
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Regarding the Symond's not walking issue.....Kerry O'Keefe, an Aussie commentator on the ABC, made a suggestion that walking should be mandatory and that any player later found guilty through video evidence of not walking when they should have should face a heavy fine or some other punishment. This puts the responsibility for walking onto the batsman, and relieves the umpire of having to make such ridiculously difficult decisions. It also seems to me to be more in the spirit of the game. Didn't everyone use to walk in county cricket 20 years ago?
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Aggers this is going too far.
It is easy to jump on the ant-Australian bandwagon, but really, they deserve much better treatment.
Australians have done more to preserve the game of test cricket than any other nation. Their high scoring, quick over rates and spectacular skills have revolutionised the game. To a man, they are approachable, mature men who work harder on their game than all other teams: a real sign of humility, unlike the overpaid and pampered Indians who were too lazy to even get properly in shape for their Australian tour.
I agree, their competitive streak is fierce, but so is England's, India's, South Africa's, everyone's. It was not so long ago that KP refused to leave the wicket after being given out. England play the game just as hard as Australia these days. It's just much easier to attack Australia because they tend to win, and so much easier to do it with words than out on the pitch, where they reign supreme.
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Johnathan is so right to claim that businessmen and money are at fault here. The biggest worry is how much effect has the man who started it all on all the sports which he has dragged into the professional arena with his satelite transmissions.Rugby cricket soccer golf tennis they have all prospered but has the service of viewing these sports given the viewer a better sporting event or has the whole system been warped by his power and control?
He's an Aussi too.
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More people should follow Jaywardeners example in the one days and walk.
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So right, Aggers. I play cricket at club level, and without doubt some of the Australian based players we come across border on the offensive in their behaviour. The current crop of youngsters we are trying to develop see the goings on at international level, and copy them in much the same way as young footballers seem to emulate their so called "icons".
Boys of 15 and 16 playing cricket nowadays seem to take it as part of the norm that sledging occurs. At my club we condone this, but it is very difficult to eradicate when it often seems to be the most talented player that is the worst culprit.
The players and administrators MUST take the lead. The Umpire is often the fall guy...quite wrongly! The match referees also seem to have little authority and are often rubbished by appeals. However, that said, the link to the two major contrversies in the past 18 months are there to see. Mike Procter has handled both events poorly, but I do wonder if it was he that made the decision anyway and not his superiors.
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Well written article from Agnew, even though it is my first time reading such a nailing article from him. But I have no surprise. When the ICC goes clueless and punish an umpire who happened to be a scapegoat, how could he sit calm? There is nothing new in the umpiring part. My Buckner made some mistakes that any umpire might have done in his career. But Buckner became the scapegoat, of a spineless ICC. Instead of straightening the players that spoil the spirit of cricket ICC was very happy to put all the blame to a poor Umpire.
ICC did not had the guts to stand up to a powerful Aussie team and question their attitude towards the game. Instead they found a person who has the least chance of hitting them back. This kind of improper behavior from Aussies team members was going on for a while. Thanks to Indian Cricket Board for whatever reason, decided to hold this case up in the Cricket world against all the threatening of humongous fines. I had to argue that removing the umpires is not the solution. But this incident should be a lesson for the entire cricket playing nations especially Aussies. It would be an incident that would be remembered by the cricket world, if the teams could learn from this.
My comment on Harbajan Sign's ban, is it was totally injustice. If he has used abusive words to Andrew Symmonds, he should be punished, but only with proper evidence.
Here we have a situation were there is no evidence and only doubts. There are no audio or video evidence. None of the Umpires knew about it. Two of the Aussie players say he said that and the two of the Indian players says he has not said that. I am just surprised how could Procter say that Aussies players are telling the truth or in others words how could he tell that a Player like Tendulkar was lying? Procter is no court Judge or a cop with a lie detector. How could he label a player a racist under doubts? This will lead to a very bad crisis in the cricket world. Any team can walk to the umpire and file a compliant against anyone without any evidence. I strongly vote to over turn this ban to avoid further consequences and for the good future of cricket. Was Ricky taking his anger on Harbajan? What a shameful way to end the one's reputation. The rank one batsman in the world is now has rank zero in the hearts of cricket loving people. I hope these incidents will never ever happen again. Let us give some respect for this amazing game.
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Gee I wanted to see Aust score 17 wins in a row. I would have rather had Bucknor and the team india let Australia score 1000/0. The indians should have declared 0/0 in both the innings. What a match would it have been?
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On part of Umpires, i think there is also third Umpires in the game. I think its up to him to look at the replay and give the best decison. Why did the third Umpire did not give not out to Dravid & Ganguly and had given Symonds out in the 2nd Test match.
What happen when Ganguly was given out that was Third Umpire decision. when a replay is played at that time people at the Stadium and at home watch and judge if the player is out or not. In today's world where technology is the best invention done by humans is used in the Cricket, why was it not used in the 2nd Test. Do you have answer for it, i guess not.
That's what you call poor Umpiring. Steve Bucknor is my fav. Umpire of all time. I see him in every World Cup Final and i always say to my friends that he is the best Umpire beside Mr. Shepard.
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I only partially agree with jonathan.
In my view,Nobody is bigger than the game including the umpires.So If an umpire does a bad job that costs a team,why not that team have a right to appeal for a change,And I dont mean just by a single mistake,But ICC can be more discrete in this.
But also ICC definetly should not allow any board to force this decision on it.
Even the best rated Umpire must stand down if his consistency lacks.
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100% correct Mr Agnew! Its about time the Truth re the Aussies was called. I conceed they are by far and away the best team in the world, but why do they need to stoop to such low levels. Now perhaps someone is giving it back, and to quote an old TV program "they don't like it up 'em". It may be that other teams do some "sledging", including England, but it seems to be the aussies that are the worst. Look, nobody minds a bit of banter, but some of this stuff is bordering on liablous. I look back on the Ashes 05 series, and remember a great series of games played in a pretty good spirit, maybe the sub-gate episode excepted. I remember Freddie going up to Brett Lee at Edgbaston, after a terrific match. So why can't the players return to those values. If they continue to flout the laws, then who can blame umpires for getting it wrong. Maybe next time Andrew Symonds is given out without touching it, he will have good grace to accept the decision as the flip side of the coin, however methinks he probably won't. By the way, I don't want this to be a an aussie bashing session, it just happens to be that this incident has brought matters to a head. I think cricket is reaping the seeds it has sown over a few years. Players and administrators need to look at the bigger picture, and get back to proper standards.
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2nd Test was should not have no result because of poor Umpiring decision and only one Side played this game honestly and stupid remarks by Ponting & Symonds. On part of Umpires, i think there is also third Umpires in the game. I think its up to him to look at the replay and give the best decison. Why did the third Umpire did not give not out to Dravid & Ganguly and had given Symonds out in the 2nd Test match.
What happen when Ganguly was given out that was Third Umpire decision. when a replay is played at that time people at the Stadium and at home watch and judge if the player is out or not. In today's world where technology is the best invention done by humans is used in the Cricket, why was it not used in the 2nd Test. Do you have answer for it, i guess not.
That's what you call poor Umpiring. Steve Bucknor is my fav. Umpire of all time. I see him in every World Cup Final and i always say to my friends that he is the best Umpire beside Mr. Shepard.
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Hooray !!
At last some common sense from a cricket lover and in particular an ex pro.
Thank you Mr Agnew for nailing this fair and square, can't disagree with any of your sentiments.
It is truly remarkable the depths the Aussies have sunk to in this shameful episode.
Ponting is a 'little' cry baby , reminiscent of the school bully who can't take a bit of his own medicine. He is a disgrace to anything remotely near sportsmanship. However good his team maybe,this episode will forever cast a shadow over anything they have achieved.
Well said and thanks again Mr A.
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Your best article yet Aggers! Well done. In fact it was India who made England look a bit silly for excessive verbal aggression on the field during the summer - it is a shame they couldn't have done the same to Australia too.
I thought the retirement of Warne and McGrath would have brought Australia back to being a beatable side, and there is some evidence in the last test that this is the case. Perhaps the Australians' petulance is to do with this realisation.
Cricket is at an interesting crossroads. During the 90s I felt the game was in serious danger, but the advent of Twenty20 and the rise of India as an influential body have increased the global profile of the game. I hope voices like yours continue to guide cricket in a positive direction, by seeing the benefits of innovations like Twenty20 but also trying to preserve the spirit and importance of test cricket. Cricket is a complex organism, whose evolution needs to be constantly monitored. If it fails to evolve it will die, but if it moves to fast and into the wrong areas, it will gradually lose its identity and its link with the past.
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A briliant summary of the issues, Aggers - well done!
Both sides are partly to blame for this fiasco, with their boorish behaviour and intimidatory tactics, it is no wonder the umpires succumbed to the pressure, however regrettable that is.
I would however, make a few additional comments: -
1. Umpire Bucknor - not his first offence - remember the WC Final fiasco!! A great umpire, but time for a rest
2. With so many international matches now on the schedule, why not enlarge the Test umpires elite panel, to give the officials time to recover.
3. Bucknor's unforgiveable mistake was to refuse to refer contentious decisions to the third umpire. The rules must allow the available technology to be used wherever possible - the right decision is more important than anything else.
4. Harbajan's ban is excessive, in my opinion - as others have commented, questioning a player's parentage / lack of it appears acceptable by comparison. However, we have already seen the damage one ICC climbdown has caused, a second would not be good for the sport's image.
5. A message to both teams - for heaven's sake, grow up, behave like professionals and get on with it!!
Cricket will overcome these problems, but the professional game must realise the current example it is setting to youngsters is appalling.
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A good thoughtful article, which I think covers most of the catalogue of woes afflicting the international game. I would only add that there seems to be a problem with the fans too. When people are being burned in effigy over a mere game, there is clearly something wrong - though I don't suppose everybody in India reacts like that.
Now it seems India are threatening to pull out if Harbajan's appeal doesn't succeed, thus ensuring that whichever way it goes it's a disaster for the game. Either the ICC self-destructs or the tour is called off. Thanks guys! I'm starting to think there should be a complete moratorium on international matches until some of these problems are sorted out, if they can be.
But it isn't only cricket. Somehow all top-level sport seems increasingly charmless these days, and I can't see the fun coming back into it while it's all about money and power. Much as as I love Test cricket, perhaps it would be better to watch club matches, or just have County cricket on the telly (and of course radio) with far fewer Tests and ODIs played.
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Aggers.
I completely agree with you on this one. Onething i dont understand with Ozs are, they can sledge their opponents whatever they want, but they dont take it. Thats pathetic. Look at Michael clarke and Ponting in this Test match, When they knicked,they didnt walk and They claim catches,that they didnt catch.. PATHETIC LOSERS.
Ozs can go on and win 30 Test matches in a row. But they are all BAD SPORTSMEN, THEY LOST RESPECT. ANIL IS CORRECT, ONLY ONE TEAM PLAYED CRICKET.
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There is no doubt about the umpirng blunders and it was there for everyone to see. Steve Bucknor needs to rest at home as age has caught up with him and is unable to call the right shots.He will be doing a great justice to the game of cricket if he chosses to go this way as he had his salad days.
As far as the Australian spirit goes we have to take the fact into consideration that all the forefathers of the current team were prisoners of old blighty once and the Aussie spitit is definetly HARD and they have to be left alone as it is not their fault...after all its just a sport and if hardness comes by de-fault then its not their fault......
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I agree with most of what Aggers says - that players are to blame to a considerable extent. But it is naive of him to ignore the obvious - the repeated mistakes made by the umpires that had a very strong bearing on the eventual outcome of the match. Yes we would all like Cricket to be a gentleman's game but the reality is different! Because if all players were 'gentlemen' and 'walked', what would you need umpires for except to call 'over' and 'time'? So please come back to reality Aggers and accept the fact that if umpires make blunders, not just 'mistakes', they should not have the divine right to continue to wreak havoc on the game of Cricket!
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I think India should cancel the tour right away and should not wait for the decision on Harbhajan's trial. Because they will blame Harbhajan no matter what and they will not ban Ponting, Symonds & Hogg for there remarks & bad sportsmanship. On part of Umpiring which stupid Umpire will give out a player on other teams Captain decision (Ganguly). As we all know every time India & Pakistan play all eyes of cricket fan around the world glue there eyes to see that match. Now same rivalry in between India & Australia.
Symonds blame Harbhajan for what happen in India in the past. When Australia tour India.
Ponting wanted 16th Win to match Steve's record and wanted to break in order to make history. Well he might but with a very bad reputation.
Hogg is the worst Cricker i have ever seen who made stupid remarks for no reason and lost respect from other Cricket players and Cricket fan.
Umpires, they should have consulted with third Umpire before making decisions for which they are not sure.
ITS A REAL SHAME THAT AUSTRALIA IS SO SCARED THAT THEY KNOW INDIA IS THE ONLY TEAM WHO CAN BEAT THEM AND PLAY HARD AGAINST THEM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD IN THE GAME OF CRICKET.
2nd Test was should not have no result because of poor Umpiring decision and only one Side played this game honestly and stupid remarks by Ponting & Symonds. On part of Umpires, i think there is also third Umpires in the game. I think its up to him to look at the replay and give the best decison. Why did the third Umpire did not give not out to Dravid & Ganguly and had given Symonds out in the 2nd Test match.
What happen when Ganguly was given out that was Third Umpire decision. when a replay is played at that time people at the Stadium and at home watch and judge if the player is out or not. In today's world where technology is the best invention done by humans is used in the Cricket, why was it not used in the 2nd Test. Do you have answer for it, i guess not.
That's what you call poor Umpiring. Steve Bucknor is my fav. Umpire of all time. I see him in every World Cup Final and i always say to my friends that he is the best Umpire beside Mr. Shepard.
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The articles touches on several points but glosses over it without offering solutions.
1. all 'outs' should be refereed to 3rd umpire
2. umpires to decide on no-balls (which they miss sometimes) wides and player behaviours on the pitch - sledging, jelly bean incident, players asking the batsman to go back as with Kevin Peterson when umpire had given out
3. all players in the pitch to have micro[hones so that what they say can be monitored.
Without sledging and poor umpiring Australia would not be the best team in the world.
With so much money at stake it is necessary that the 'out' decisions are carefully made. In such instances the need to ban umpires would not arise.
Without offering any solutions it is pointless writing articles.
V S Mani
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The articles touches on several points but glosses over it without offering solutions.
1. all 'outs' should be refereed to 3rd umpire
2. umpires to decide on no-balls (which they miss sometimes) wides and player behaviours on the pitch - sledging, jelly bean incident, players asking the batsman to go back as with Kevin Peterson when umpire had given out
3. all players in the pitch to have micro[hones so that what they say can be monitored.
Without sledging and poor umpiring Australia would not be the best team in the world.
With so much money at stake it is necessary that the 'out' decisions are carefully made. In such instances the need to ban umpires would not arise.
Without offering any solutions it is pointless writing articles.
V S Mani
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Bad for Cricket: India and Pakistan have demonstrated their power to remove umpires and rules they do not like, next step will be to choose umpires and rules to their liking. Australia have demonstrated hypocritical and unsporting behaviour, perhaps India and Pakistan can bring in rules stopping this malpractice totally, everyone on the field should shut-up except for the umpires and the fielding captain to re-arrange the field only.
India and Pakistan treat incidents as national affronts and use this to justify disproportionate behaviour.
ICC are in someone's back-pocket; they should not be and England's representatives must make a firmer stand for stringent, unbiased rules and their firm application with integrity and ensure more respect is given to both live, TV and radio fans of the game.
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Well said Aggers.
It is about time that the game was administered by cricket men not business men.
I live in Australia and I have been amazed at the amount of criticism that the Australian team has come in for from the Australian public.
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Aggers,
Once again well done in hitting the nail on the head.
As a sports fan and cricket nut in particular this is all very depressing.
The annoying and salient point is that Australia do not have to play like this to beat teams and having watched cricket in Australia and England I have had plenty of first hand experience of what you describe.
For 20 years I have listened to Mark Waugh, Shane Warne, Justin Langer and many others besides chirp away.
Cricket like many sports at the highest level is played in the mind and if any team, not just an Aussie, identifies a weakness it is human nature to pursue it.
That's fine to a point but the next step of claiming catches you did not hold or appealing for bat pads that did not hit a bat or even worse not walking when you BLATANTLY hit the ball is poor for the game. You are merely moving the day that technology plays an increasing part in the game and an umpire becomes a ball-counter. Part of the essence of cricket is human frailty and unfortunately the Aussies have decided to exploit that to a point that is too far for many spectators, including Australians themselves to stomach.
Symonds is not what Harby described him as. He is quite simply an idiot for admitting to his conduct DURING a match.
Like Gold medallists caught for taking drugs, the victorious Aussie team will be remembered in part for deliberately undermining the spirit of the game - and they can't turn the clock back on that one...
The other issues like the strength of the Indian/Asian cricket boards, the spinelessness of the ICC and Speed in particular, (who as an Aussie must be torn on how to act - why does he not reprimand his countrymen publically and be done with it?) and the "who called who what" are all side issues for another day.
If the players acted in the spirit of the game, the game would be much better off.
And to finish, yes we all know they are very good at dishing it out and relatively poor at taking it back.
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I agree with Jonathan.
I am sure Harbajhan must have been provoked by the aussies for him to have said something.
Steve Bucknor was acknowledged to be one of top three umpires only 2 years ago. Now ICC says he is incompetent because indian business men said so.ICC completely muddled up between race issue and umpiring issues.
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Mr. Agnew,
You said that India and Pakistan protest against the decision they don't like.
Did you like the decisions that were made by the two umpires in this test match ?
And Hair was seen off by his own egos. How can you penalize a team for ball tampering when you don't have any evidence?
And one last question, please answer this at least.
Should Mike proctor who suspended Rashid Latif for claiming a bum catch, suspend Clark and Ponting
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Dear Agnew,
I think you are quite accurate in your overall assumption of the situation but slightly ill informed about the situation at hand.
The umpires were very much guilty of incompetence: yes I have watched and played enough cricket to make the distinction between making a few bad calls and gross negligence. Just because Steve used to be the best umpire in the world does not mean that he'll retain that status forever and on this occasion he's performance was way bellow the acceptable level. Then why after seeing his abysmal performance he did not step down himself from the 3rd test? That would have solved a lotta problems. I hope you can somehow get hold of the feed from ESPN and not Channel 9 and watch the match again: will surely explain why this issue has created such a big fuss.
Everyone likes to win and a little bit of foul play is always there..but this time the Aussies took it way too far. They (The Aussie Cricket Team) should understand that when they stretch the limits of their mind games(polite enough?)and the rest of the world dont follow suit: there is nothing wrong with the rest of the world :) Can't wait for them to get to India that would be some tour:D
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JA's article does not offer constructive solutions.
1. All 'outs' to be made by 3rd umpire
2. Umpires in the field to have say on no-balls, wides and on player bad behaviour
3. all players on the filed to have microphones so that what they say can be monitored and punished.
Without sledging Australia would never be top in cricket. In this test they should have lost if Symonds was given out or he did the 'walking' rather than gloating.
V S Mani
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Indulgence of cricketers does not stop with India. Whilst I find it head scratching that anyone would threaten anything over Harbhajan Singh's behaviour he is not alone in thinking he can get away with anything. According to Derek Pringle this was not the first time he has been alleged to have made that insult.
Shoaib and Asif must still be smiling the other side of their faces. I note during the twenty20 world cup no broadcaster even bought it up.
Inzamam despite a horrendous disciplinarily record still had people rushing out to defend the indefensible at the Oval.
Flintoff is still indulged despite last winter where he and the senior players picked themselves and destroyed the winter tour. Then threw everything in the face of their backers.
Prior and Collingwood were unbanned this summer. Indeed BBC writers defended the indefensible for months after.
Not to mention the poverty of the world cup. The ICC have sat back as the game's board smear themselves. Only intervening to ensure proper respect is paid to Zimbabwe bizarrely.
I actually liked the 2nd test with time to watch as it looked like the first real test cricket I had seen with all 22 players trying in a long time.
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A totally fair and unbiased assessment of the happenings ,i have seen uptil now .....there are some issues i dont agree with though the "hair" incident ..because there the players had hardly any option.bucknor should not have been replaced at india's insistance ,he should have been given a warning(in private)that from now on when in doubt just refer it to the third umpire .....simple!!
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I don't always agree with Jonathan Agnew but I think he has hit the nail right on the head with this article. I would however disagree with his comments regarding the umpires. I think they should be changed but not because of the protests from India but by the very fact too many obvious decisions were incorrectly made and therefore the required standard was not met for Test match level umpiring.
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I just want to add my nameto all the others who wholeheartedly agree with what Aggers says in his article. I used to be a football fan, but now I can't watch it because big business and gred have taken hold of the game and squeezed the soul out of it. With incidents such as we have seen in Australia I can see cricket going the same way. Cricket is a unique sport where sportsmanship has been important. People mock the game because of this, but please don't kill its culture with a win at all costs, make as much money as possible attitude. A great article, Jonathan
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Well said Jonathan. I would add however that the tension is being heightened by technology revealing all the umpires' errors. Practically every test match recently has been marred in this way. The technology is here to stay and the ONLY solution, and I'm talking here about being fair to the umpires as well as the teams, is for the technology to be harnessed and used at the time to arbitrate on close decisions. Otherwise the game will become a laughing stock and will continue to spiral out of control.
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Jonathan, That is the most balanced article have I read amongst all.
You are absolutely right about the behaviour of the Australian team, we can call the Indian captain a bastard, but when we are given the same treatment, we run to Mommy with a complaint. Racial slur in any form is not acceplable and should not be tolerated, it goes for both sides playing cricket if you can call it that.
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Mr. Agnew,
You said that India and Pakistan protest against the decision they don't like.
Did you like the decisions that were made by the two umpires in this test match ?
And Hair was seen off by his own egos. How can you penalize a team for ball tampering when you don't have any evidence?
And one last question, please answer this at least.
Should Mike proctor who suspended Rashid Latif for claiming a bum catch, suspend Clark and Ponting
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I gave up playing and watching cricket years ago because of increasing instances of violent language and behaviour.
Perhaps the only good thing arising from this latest fiasco is that the Aussie public seems now to be as ashamed of their own team as the rest of the world has been for years.
They are not the only offenders but clearly have been the worst.
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Very biased comments from a respectable commentator. India is a cricket mad nation which provides more than 70% of the ICC's income. True, that makes India very powerful, but I do not think that India has used this clout in any way to influence the outcome of the issues in question. The out come of removing Mr.Bucknor from umpiring and allowing Harbachan Singh to play in perth are fair. It should have happened with out India protesting. A few decades ago , every one knows how immaturely the then most powerful cricketing nations(England and Australia) controlled cricket and its wealth. By the by a question off the track, England's FA is the most powerful foot balling body on the planet and do you think they do not influence FIFA decisions?. Please change this patronising attitude. It won't work in this new world.
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I agree with all of Agger's comments. Anybody that disagrees is either overly patriotic or simply condoning bad behaviour. Something needs to be done though to improve the standard of umpiring. Are these "elite" umpires performance regulated? I was annoyed by Daryl Harper's amazing display throughout the recent tests against Sri Lanka. A catalogue of wrong decisions. One LBW he gave against England wouldn't have hit a second set of stumps. Was he questioned by anyone in authority on his decisions or performance? He should have been demoted for that display and a younger one given an opportunity to prove himself and gain experience. This has happened recently in premiership football following referees bad decisions. Australia boast that they have the best umpire in the world in Simon Taufel but they also have the worst in Harper.
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Well said, Mr Agnew. I've lived in Australia for 5 years now and I would like to add that Ponting's arrogance is only the tip of the iceberg. Arrogance, unsportsman like conduct and playing to win at ANY cost regardless of the consequences is part of Australian culture. It is instilled in the population, it is taught in schools. Australia is at a crossroads where it is tossing aside its fairplay culture and embracing the worst tenets of plastic fantastic American culture. This mentality has crept into the most hallowed of sports, unfortunately.
Let us please return to the days where cricket was cricket. It was played hard but it was played fair and honestly. Mistakes were made but that has always been part of the wonder and attraction of the game where the umpires were just as big characters as the players themselves.
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It appears that the Australians couldn't take Harbhajan batting well with Sachin and seem to have concocted an allegation of racism to unsettle him. There are no witnesses who heard the word monkey but Ponting(Harbhajans bunny) made a complaint to the umpire. Big hard macho australians swear and cuss at will but run to the umpire to unsettle a young fiery player. Hopefully Ponting can score more than a couple of runs now poor thing. This australian side will be remembered as a bunch of sissys desperate to win at all costs----soon forgotten good riddence to them
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Poor article, you've allowed the high emotion of the situation to cloud your judgement. The suggestion that the aussies can dish it out but can't take is a load of clap trap. As the captain, Ponting is obligated to report any instances of racial abuse, whether that be from an opponent or the crowd. He didn't go to the umpire to make a complaint about abusive language, he was reporting a serious incident of racial abuse.
The BS argument presented by many of our Indian friends that monkey is a term of endearment is a complete joke. One only needs to look at the inaction of the Indian cricket authorities when large sections of the crowd were making monkey chants complete with fans waving cartoon placards, all broadcast for the world to see. Even in the face of this indisputable evidence the Indian cricket board did nothing and in fact were completely dismissive, much to the ire of the Australians.
Also think back to the last series defeat of the aussies in India when Ganguly and Singh were giving the middle finger to the aussie supporters in the crowd once the series was won, again all on television and all without reprimand and certain without comment from Indian fans. To add further insult many of the Australian supporters were being pelted with food and stones for much of the last day of the test. Add also the increasing belligerence of the Indian cricket authorities (and the asian block) in dictating terms of the ICC, removal of umpire Hair a case in point.
All things considered, the claim that the charge of racial abuse against Singh (a repeat offender)brings unwarranted and patently unfair dishonour on the Indian cricket team and the Indian people is, quite frankly, a joke. If you want to point the finger at anyone start taking a closer look at the BCCI and its belligerent and holier than though attitude to the rest of the cricketing world. With their support base and consequential wealth and power they will continue to undermine the structure of the world organisation.
We all know what is going to happen with the Singh situation. The ICC is going to roll over yet again (as they did with Murali when they changed to the rules to make his action legal) and cede even more power and control to asian block and we will all be dancing to their tune.
Finally, not everyone is happy with the behaviour of the Australians but the sense is that the reporting in the media (particularly overseas) has gotten out of hand and it seems that other countries are intent on demonising them Australia players who in the main part are a great bunch of guys who had to fight hard for their opportunities. This probably needs to be contrasted against the attitude of the Indian players who largely are where they are because they have great skill, but more importantly, a position of privilege and don't work as hard or have the same burning desire to achieve because of their 'comfortable' lifestyles.
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A totally fair and unbiased assessment of the happenings ,i have seen uptil now .....there are some issues i dont agree with though the "hair" incident ..because there the players had hardly any option.bucknor should not have been replaced at india's insistance ,he should have been given a warning(in private)that from now on when in doubt just refer it to the third umpire .....simple!!
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I'm just a lover of the game. I played at a moderate level and umpired for a short time. Seemingly the spirit of the game is not being truly upheld by any teams at the moment. Captains must ensure their players play to the spirit. Let the umpires be the sole arbiters. I thought cricket was based on a degree of trust. I love cricket because of the way it is set out to be played. It should display self control yet competiveness with an appreciation of the opposition. England are not exempt from my criticism. Sometimes arrogant in their attitude. Pompous & childish. You can play just as hard without resorting to the verbals. Cricket does not need to cheapen itself. Let skill be the decider. Accept the decisions of the umpire. Get rid of the chirping. I have travelled world wide in my support of England and cricket in general but, sadly, my love of the game is rapidly diminishing due to the boorish behaviour over the past few seasons. (I do not think the England support overseas is helping in that respect either). Many with just a football fan mentality. My hard earned money may well remain in my pocket when it comes to future matches and I never thought I would ever come to say that in all my living days.
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ICC should have guts to void the Sydney test result. I hope proper justice prevails.
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Totally agree with everything that Aggers says. Play hard but play fair. Something that clearly isn't happening looking at the Paul Harris catch and the Matthew Sinclair catch in the tests in SA and NZ at the same time.
I really pity those that think blatant cheating is acceptable on a cricket field. Would you coach kids to cheat?
The Australian achievement of 16 wins has certainly been tarnished. Since the ashes defeat in 2005, Ponting has become a bully as shown by his on field behaviour to the umpires. The match referee needs to address this before the Perth test.
Australia may have won 16 on the bounce, but cricket ultimately has been the loser this week.
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There is a tide in the affairs of cricket which if not taken at the full will mean that cricket will even further bow to the gods of TV and money.
Aggers suggests that it is the players rather than the umpires who are to blame - OK on the sportsmanship thing - BUT - the players play for money - in the main provided by the TV companies.
Perhaps the TV companies should share some of the blame? Perhaps they should sponsor a 'Fair Play' scheme that would reward players for doing the 'sporting thing'?
Why in the world should sportsmen have to be paid for doing the 'sporting thing'?
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Your best article yet Aggers! Well done. In fact it was India who made England look a bit silly for excessive verbal aggression on the field during the summer - it is a shame they couldn't have done the same to Australia too.
I thought the retirement of Warne and McGrath would have brought Australia back to being a beatable side, and there is some evidence in the last test that this is the case. Perhaps the Australians' petulance is to do with this realisation.
Cricket is at an interesting crossroads. During the 90s I felt the game was in serious danger, but the advent of Twenty20 and the rise of India as an influential body have increased the global profile of the game. I hope voices like yours continue to guide cricket in a positive direction, by seeing the benefits of innovations like Twenty20 but also trying to preserve the spirit and importance of test cricket. Cricket is a complex organism, whose evolution needs to be constantly monitored. If it fails to evolve it will die, but if it moves to fast and into the wrong areas, it will gradually lose its identity and its link with the past.
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Valid points as ever.
The Australians are, to my mind, hypocrites. Trying to get opposing teams to accept the word of the catching fieldsman and supposedly promoting honesty yet claiming catches that have bounced, claiming catches that have hit only thin air and not walking when they have edged the ball themselves. Publicising it at press conferences isn't good form.
The BCCI is like a bully. It is extremely greedy and likes to throw its weight around.
So both parties, in my view, need a damn good haranguing. Cricket is suffering here.
There is one thing in common between this incident and Ovalgate - the match referee Mike Procter.
It was Procter's failure to act sensibly, intervene and inject some mediation and common sense which went a long way to ensuring that test match was forfeited by Pakistan. Procter failed to censure Yuvraj Singh for an obvious case of dissent in the first test and now his hearing of the alleged incident is coming under rightful scrutiny.
Ponting's bristling behaviour towards the Indian journalist who asked some very pointed questions of him hasn't helped his reputation.
The ICC has fudged this issue and the dangerous precedent from Ovalgate has been reinforced.
What the ICC should have done is this:
Told both Cricket Australia and the BCCI to shut up while it investigates the issues, and does that quickly.
Then demanded that Ricky Ponting, Anil Kumble, James Sutherland and Sharad Pawar (the respective heads of Cricket Australia and the BCCI) attend a meeting where they get a major and very harsh lecture in which they are told to respect the Spirit Of Cricket, which includes respecting the appointed officials.
Made the decision that the best ranked umpires will officiate very high profile (aka tense and large crowds prone to displays of effigy burning) series, regardless of their country of origin. That would mean the excellent Simon Taufel (who's Australian) and perhaps Aleem Dar (Pakistan) or Billy Bowden (New Zealand) would officiate this series.
Demanded of match referees that they are harsh but consistent in dealing with issues reported to them. Process must be seen to be clear and fair.
Steve Bucknor has been on the slide for a while and it's sad that he's been exposed in this way.
A national body should not dictate who can and can't umpire test matches in which they play.
It's a slippery slope...
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At last the Australian boasts of hard sportsmanship has been shown up for what they are. They have taken sledging (abuse) to new levels, which bad though it is, most quality players are strong enough to rise above it. But to then cry to the umpire when they get some back is typical of thier selective sportsmanship.
Micheal Clarke hit the cover off the ball to slip and stood there expecting us all to buy the lie. Symmonds who is so overated its not true was probably out 3 times, ponting who was clearly out earlier then looked as if the whole world was against him when given out.i blame him as he sets the tone for the team, i believe Lee and Gilcrist are decent guys but the rest are like babies. Its time the so called people who run the game stood up to it and as for the over rates, don't get me started on that.
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No I do not agree with you at all. If you think rationally then simmering problem has started with extremely poor & biased umpiring. When 98% of bad decesion go against the team then it is not "To err is human" but it is a deliberate act. Since nobody can critisize umpire & their decesions then one vent their feeling. It is so easy to fix matches via umpires and ICC is responsible for appointing, promoting &glorifying incompetant umpires just becuase they ensure victory of Australian team which ICC officials like Malcolm Speed like to win. Just immagine if reverse has happened ie becuase of bad umpiring India would have won, you would be say entirely different thing and probably started third world war. It is racsiam as practised by ICC officials by subjectively applying the laws of cricket to favor one side over other is the main problem & which need to be addressed if you want the cricket to survise otherwise people will move to other sports
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Mr. Agnew,
The problem in Sidney cricket ground was about justice not about who controls the game.
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I can understand the contention that umpires make mistakes, but how many, and the fact that an overwhelming majority of these mistakes were to the detriment of a single team should be taken into account. Bucknor displayed either extreme incompetence or a bias against India. Umpires should not just be impartial, but also seen to be impartial. He needed to go.
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Aggers,
Thankyou!
There has been considerable commentary on this sorry affair, which was inevitable and has been coming for a long time; your reflections are wholly accurate and only someone so close to the events, as well as loving the game as much as you do, could provide such an insight.
Interestingly, much of the Australian press agrees with you and is clearly embarrassed by it's own "sporting heroes" - when was the last time that happened?
It is also very unfortunate that the match officials, men of considerable experience and integrity, are in danger of having their reputations tarnished: The ICC have to either increase their reliance on technology or better defend the final "human" decisions of the umpires - they cannot have it both ways.
Whatever would Jonners have made of all of this - I think we know only too well.
JF
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Aggers...a brilliant article and spot on. Some of the responses from your Australian readers beggar belief. Look as Aggers points out there is absolutely no excuse for racist behavior anywhere and that needs to be dealt with, but there is still a fundamental underlying issue here in that Ponting’s stewardship of the team goes so far over the mark it’s bordering on the disgraceful. Are the Aussies the only team that do this? No, not at all, and England have been guilty of it in the past, as have other nations, but clearly Ponting’s teams are by far the worst and something needs to be done. If this type of verbal abuse by the Aussies is left unchecked then someone is going to end up throwing a punch at one of them soon. I'm sure Ponting will then go running to the umpires to complaint (I thought we were the winging poms????), but its his verbally abusive tactics that started it.
Ponting clean your act up...you should be remembered as a great cricketer not someone who had to transgress every cricket rule to win.
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There is a tide in the affairs of cricket which if not taken at the full will mean that cricket will even further bow to the gods of TV and money.
Aggers suggests that it is the players rather than the umpires who are to blame - OK on the sportsmanship thing - BUT - the players play for money - in the main provided by the TV companies.
Perhaps the TV companies should share some of the blame? Perhaps they should sponsor a 'Fair Play' scheme that would reward players for doing the 'sporting thing'?
Why in the world should sportsmen have to be paid for doing the 'sporting thing'?
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YOU SUMMED IT UP, BRILLIANTLY.Now, i know how Aussies have been dominating, Bob Simpson scoreing a cuntury upon coming back to play , due to Kerry Packer, series.
SHAME, SHAME , AUSSIES
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totally agree with johnathon . cricket looks to be going the way of football people who don't care about the game just the money .if sportsmen cheat ban them they are just as bad as sportsmen who take drugs
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I disagree. Jonathon, you ought to have mentioned Benson. While Steve Bucknor might have made genuine errors there was no such excuse for Benson. It is his behavior that fuels allegations of double standards - he allowed Ponting to dictate that Ganguly was out. Benson lost the authority, and ther is no excuse for that. That umpire was certainly a problem because I don't blame any player for that.
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While I agree with Agnew, I am not sure if no blame whatsoever could be placed on the umpires. An umpire, especially the stature of Bucknor is responsible for making decisions to the best of his ability, and in light of this of course it is true that the occasional wrong decision might be made. However, cite the case of Symonds being stumped by Dhoni and Bucknor almost arrogantly choosing not even to refer it. This in my opinion is unacceptable, making a wrong decision is different from using all available avenues in the process of making that decision, and I feel that the usually long thinking Bucknor has been a bit trigger happy in his decisions during the 2nd test.
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As alluded to in an earlier comment, why is it acceptable to give personal abuse but not acceptable to give racial abuse?
Such a taboo subject.
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at the same time Aggers.... how dare "incompetant umpires" hold a game to ransom as well? If umpires make so many "mistakes" that it totally changes the outcome of a test match, especially one where a record is to be broken if won, and almost all the bad decisions go in favour of one team well that that smacks of something more than just errors to my mind. If players can be guilty of match fixing why not umpires? Especially umpires about to retire. Seems fishy to me.
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Aggers you are spot on. The India sub continent teams, India,Pakistan,Shi-lanka should be banned from international test cricket until they have tided up the cheating. Umpires decisions are final you accept there decisions and do not moan about decisions if the International test cricket board appoint umpires then every body should give them there support. Pakistan have two bowlers, one is definitely and will always in my book be a chucker thrower and the other one is a slinger. Its about time the authorities banned these players from test cricket.
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Monkeys are clever and intelligent, athletic,and with a great sense of humour and fun. A racist slur? come off it, you must be joking. It should be taken as a compliment.
These big international players seem to have lost all their senses. Certainly that they are ordinary people who depend on the fee paying public for their jobs.
A drastic decision would be to stop all international cricket for a year so that we can all come down to earth and reflect on the great game and where we want it to go. Then the players can return to the scene with new found humility and respect for the public.
from monkey Nick
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Yes, there is a problem with player behaviour, and not just with the Australians.
But the ICC has always had it in their power to deal with it, immediately and on field: The Umpires. They hear and see what is going on, and if they were given much wider powers to deal with the issue of sledging and bad conduct, then a great deal could be stamped out.
Alas, this latest decision proves again that they could never do this, because the ICC will not back its own officials. It allowed itself to be bullied by Pakistan (backed by India) over the Daryl Hair issue. Now it has allowed itself to be bullied by India over Steve Bucknow.
Late last year, the ICC decided to expand its panel of international umpires from, as a means of easing the pressure on them with all the tests.
But - who on earth would now want to BE an international umpire, when the ICC as their employer shows that it will not stand by them or support them? Who would WANT to work for an organisation that goes to water every time an umpire has a bad match or even a bad day ,and a test team throws a hissy fit? If an umpire's conduct proves over a period of time that they are not up to it any longer, or that (perish the thought) they are guilty of obvious bias, then yes, take action after an appropriate inquiry.
The ICC's decision may have resolved the immediate issue, but it is very short-sighted and sets a dangerous precedent. Yes, Steve Bucknor had a bad match - but there are ways to deal with that. And those ways should not include backing down to India.
I wonder how Steve Bucknor feels this morning? Or how the remaining nine international umpires feel? Won't they be worried that if they make a mistake and upset a team in a match, they will be sacked forthwith? For dedicated, hard-working and professional people like those umpires, the ICC decision will be greatly disturbing.
I think the ICC should have stood by Steve Bucknor and the tour conditions. Let India forfeit the $2million, take its bat and ball and go home - India will be the immediate losers, but at least Cricket itself would win the ultimate war.
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I wonder if Aggers actually watched the entirity of the 2nd Test in Sydney? For that matter, the first in Melbourne? What are these instances of poor form on behalf of the Australians?
Take, for example, Ponting raising his finger to signal Ganguly's dismissal in the 2nd innings in Sydney. Ponting and Kumble had an agreement that the fielder's word would be taken for low catches. Ponting adhered to this in the first innings and was signally to Ganguly that , yes the ball had carried to Clarke in the second innings. Is this so offensive?
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What really gets my blood boiling is people like Agnews making sweeping and irresponsible statements like these : Umpires will always make mistake.
What the hell is that supposed to mean ? Is the umpire beyond question? Is he some sort of medeival king that is beyond questioning by us lowly peasants? and why does Agnews spew venom when the umpires hack England the last occasion was a few weeks ago in SL. Shouldnt he follow his own advice and bow before the revered umpiring gods when they muck up. Is there anybody that can put an end to this utter idiotic hypocrysy from Agnews ?
Just because you have the authority to write doesnt mean you write what comes to your mind. Atleast have some morals and integrity and a bit of consistency in your views would help. And in this case either you are against the umpires or with the umpires. Dont sit on the fence and pontificate.
Is cricket important or umpires important? is cricket made for umpires or umpires for serving cricket?
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at the same time Aggers.... how dare "incompetant umpires" hold a game to ransom as well? If umpires make so many "mistakes" that it totally changes the outcome of a test match, especially one where a record is to be broken if won, and almost all the bad decisions go in favour of one team well that that smacks of something more than just errors to my mind. If players can be guilty of match fixing why not umpires? Especially umpires about to retire. Seems fishy to me.
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As an Australian, I say thank you, Aggers, for pointing out the huge elephant in Australian cricket's room. Few journos here in Oz would dare to criticise our team, for fear of having their access curtailed. One notable exception in the past few days has been Peter Roebuck, but then he's an Englishman, isn't he, so he has no local master to whom he needs to grovel - I'd commend his articles to your readers, if they can find them on line.
My greatest fear for world cricket is that, given the proven success of the nasty, bullying, selfish, cheating, dishonest Australian "way", it could become a template to be adopted around the world. This is especially worrying given the increasing number of national teams with Australian coaches. And let's not forget that the current CEO of the ICC is also an Aussie.
My national (mens) cricket team is an embarrassing disgrace, regardless of its technical excellence. In my book, success without honour equals failure.
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Bad umpiring decisions, outright bullying when a touring team is batting, absolute arrogance and bad sportsmanship have been happening for more than a decade in Australia. Why wasn't anything done before? Even the sycophantic Australian media at that time did not find anything wrong with this very bad behaviour by Australian cricketers. Is it highlighted now because of the economic power of Indian cricket. People should decide to never go and see a cricket match so they do not increase the earnings of these punks. This is the only way they will learn a lesson if people Boycott them. This win at all costs is because of the earnings and glamour associated with it.
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Spot on - on the boorish, lying, cheating, cry-baby Australian team.
Completely off the mark - on the incompetent, partisan, vengeful Bucknor.
Calling Bucknor's actions "mistakes" makes me wonder if the person actually saw what happened on the ground or is just riding a moral high horse of "umpires are sacrosanct" without looking objectively at facts.
Life after life to Symonds, Ponting, Hussey. Making a mockery of umpiring by giving Dravid, Ganguly out when all the technical help is available - It's NOT umpiring. At most benign, it's incompetence. Given past history of Bucknor with Indian team, it's cheating or worse.
If in any other job one can fired for incompetence and cheating, it should be here too - TO KEEP CRICKET ALIVE.
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they would'nt have lost if Ponting was an honest man,he is not only bully but has no integrity,he ia behaving like he used to in his early days,ie a disruptive and a rif raf.
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Ever heard the one about the spoilt little child with the ball? When he thinks that he is losing he runs home crying with his ball so no-one else can play. Is this a story that they tell in India and Pakistan?
Two dangerous precedents have now been created by the Pakistan and Indian governing bodies. Any game or sport is based on rules or laws which must be respected. Whether Australia have taken sledging too far is entirely irrelevant. The precedents created by the childish Indian and Pakistan teams, their histrionic cricketing boards and their governments is what has truly tarnished the spirit of cricket.
The child that takes the ball home when things don't go his way, ruins the fun for everyone. Looks to me like India and Pakistan are hell bent on ruining cricket for everyone.
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Looks like yet more supposedly unbiased commentary blaming most of the mess on the Australian team. As far as I am concerned this article could have been written about any of the teams in world cricket at the moment but surprise surprise it has been written about the world number one in the test and ODI forms of the game, Australia.
I think there are a number of points that need to be addressed here. Just so that people can have a go at me later I will say upfront that I am a proud Australian living in the UK.
1. The Umpires. There were apparently numerous terrible decisions during the match, the majority of which went against the Indian team. I'm not sure how this is supposed to be the fault of the Australian team unless people are suggesting that the umpires were paid off which seems unlikely. The BCCI have now got their way and got Bucknor removed from the third test, presumably much like the Hair fiasco in 2006 he won't be umpiring any more games involving India either. While he did have a shocker by all acounts is anyone seriously suggesting that he was deliberately making bad decisions against India/for Australia?
2. Racism. To claim as many Indians seem to be doing that Singh either did not call Symonds a monkey or if he did then it was not a racist slur is ridiculous. It was only a few months ago that the Indian supporters were in trouble for making monkey gestures at him, it is beyond belief that Singh would not have been aware of this. Racism needs to be stamped out of the game both on the field and in the stands. Australia can't exactly claim to be holier than thou in this department either given our past form in this department with both supporters and players but we are at least trying to stamp it out and punish those who are proven guilty.
3. Singh being banned and the match referee. The match referee is in a no win position here. The idea coming from the Indian supporters seems to be that the referee has taken the Aussies word over the Indians, but if he had not punished Singh then he would have been doing the same in reverse. To be honest I think unless there is uncontrovertible proof that you can't ban a player but the referee did say he was satisfied beyond any doubt. What made him that satisfied I don't know and neither does anyone else but he seemed to be quite sure of it, presumably being aware that it would create a lot of controversy. In any case this is nothing to do with the Australian team, it is the match referee's decision taken after talking to both teams and officials.
4. Sledging. Is there honestly any team in world cricket that doesn't do it? I'm not saying it is right or wrong but I genuinely don't think there is a single team that can claim they don't sledge the opposition. And if the Aussies are so much worse at it than everyone else and aren't being punished for it then why aren't other teams doing it? Or is it just an excuse for losing to a team that is playing better? Please note that sledging is a totally different matter to racism which has no place in the game or society as a whole.
5. Walking. There is only one player in the world who walks and that is Adam Gilchrist, an Australian. It's all well and good to say that Symonds should have walked but I can't see that the Indian team would have done it had the shoe been on the other foot and I'm sure there have been numerous occasions when they haven't. Personally I believe that players should walk but given that no one does then any team that decides to do so is immediately at a disadvantage to their opposition.
6. Excessive appealing. Please see my point on sledging above. Every team in the world does it. The Aussies are no worse than the English, the Kiwis, the Pakistanis and every other team in world cricket.
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Isn't it about time the Aussies set an example for the rest of the world to follow by setting out to win each game without all the sledging and aggressive behaviour. When a team has been at the top for so long they must look to test themselves further and move the game along. This would be an ideal opportunity to prove that they are up to the challenge. We could then all admire them for being one of the truly great teams in the history of cricket.
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So why did it take so long for Agnew to criticize the way the australians play their cricket. We have all known it for years that the australians run to their mama when they get intimidated. They cried during bodyline(though they have employed similar tactics to root out opposing tailenders). They cried when england won the ashes. They cried about the indian crowds when they heckled them(while the australian crowds are famous for that).
Also it was pitiful to hear mark taylor and his colleagues in the commentary box boast about the australian team when they were playing their cricket in a pitiful manner.
I would strongly suggest that the indians should return back unless bhaji is cleared of all charges and an apology is forthcoming from cricket australia.
It was a joy to watch some of the australian teams of the past. This present bunch are cowards in the true sense of the word. If past australian cricketers support ponting, its real shameful how low australia has stooped.
I am surprised players from other countries are not coming out with their thoughts.
UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Am beginning to hate the game i loved so much.
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Apparently Glenn McGrath spoke out in defense of Ponting et al.
A few years ago Australian sports writer Ken Piesse wrote in a book that McGrath called the Sri Lankan batsman Sanath Jayasuriya a "black monkey". Some irony, eh? Needless to say, no repercussions for that comment - just as countless instances of offensive Aussie sledging have been justified as "playing hard".
In the late 1990s, McGrath gave an unforgettable display of the Aussie spirit when he spat on the face of West Indies player Adrian Griffith. This time he was fined - but that was hardly enough to deter the workhorse. His abusive language on the field continued, finally resulting in a "severe reprimand" (not a ban like Harbhajan, mind you) from an umpire in Jan 2006.
After McGrath retired in 2006 -
Indian captain Anil Kumble surpassed his record for highest number of Test wickets. Given McGrath's maturity and magnanimity, which he displayed abundantly on the field, we can safely say McGrath isn't the least bit bitter about it... and that CAN'T be why he's speaking out against Kumble's team today.
--
Glenn, the endorsement of a true gentleman such as you completely restores our confidence in the integrity of the Aussie cricket team. Thank you for speaking out - and not spitting instead.
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As alluded to in an earlier comment, why is it acceptable to give personal abuse but not acceptable to give racial abuse?
Such a taboo subject.
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Shame shame shame the thing is there is no need for the aussies double standards and win at all costs no matter how philosophy, they bat well right down the order, have great bowlers and are superb in the field. They set the standard for these new cricket athletes but for some reason clear to the rest of us feel the need to drag the game down by their clear unsportsmanship, this to gain an edge they already have ... wake up Australia winning is important no doubt but at what cost to your image and the sports you're involved in, win the right way and they world will respect you, keep doing what you are doing and the world will not want to know you. Dignity, honour, valour and honesty look them up, they makes interesting reading and are attributed to great people but sadly missing from this fine australian cricket team.
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Ever heard the one about the spoilt little child with the ball? When he thinks that he is losing he runs home crying with his ball so no-one else can play. Is this a story that they tell in India and Pakistan?
Two dangerous precedents have now been created by the Pakistan and Indian governing bodies. Any game or sport is based on rules or laws which must be respected. Whether Australia have taken sledging too far is entirely irrelevant. The precedents created by the childish Indian and Pakistan teams, their histrionic cricketing boards and their governments is what has truly tarnished the spirit of cricket.
The child that takes the ball home when things don't go his way, ruins the fun for everyone. Looks to me like India and Pakistan are hell bent on ruining cricket for everyone.
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I can't believe that the game that all of us who are writing in so obviously love is being held to ransom and tarnished by those who should be its custodians.
I was brought up to believe in the "spirit of cricket", something fundamental enshrined in the laws. It is about time that the administrators take this seriously instead of pursuing the "spirit of the dollar". The players need to take it to their heart instead of their egos and if they don't then there is provision in the laws to punish them - so do so!!!
Let's hope that just for once those who are involvd in the game at the highest level actually do the right thing before cricket becomes as morally bereft and corrupt as football.
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This ein't Cricket. The Cricket I knew was that of Bradman,Worrel,Weeks,Walcott,Sobers,
Hasset,Hazare,Mankad,
C.K.Naidu,
Hutton,Compton,Evans,Tallon,
Hasset,Cowdrey,Dexter,
Harvey,Miller,Trueman. All were truely great gentleman Cricketiers. The game was honoured by such players.I feel India lost due to rotten umpiring deliberately once sided against India. the match should be annuled due to match fixing by umpires.
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I feel that the incident in 2006, when Daryl Hair was removed from the elite umpiring duties, the ICC had opened up Pandora's box. ICC really needs to sort themselves out.
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It's bad to put all this pressure on the umpires. Like the players, they have bad days, but if they prove themselves on a consistent basis, allowing for the occasional bad decision, they will perform their job best. It's a very simple point i'm making. If certain umpires can't handle the international game, don't let them officiate. I believe that's how other sports do it. Bucknor has proven himself at international level and cannot be expected to get every decision right. It's because of this inevitability that the technology debate comes in. Should it or shouldn't it be used? It would certainly rule out all this controversy, but, at least cricket's taking the headlines. All publicity is good publicity?
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I am in complete and total agreement with you Aggers. You have almost 100% echoed my views. I have never been this downhearted about the state of my beloved cricket and it is the players to blame. Yes, there is increasing money and business involved but none of this excuses what we have witnessed over the past week in Australia. I just pray that we have reached the nadir and the players and their bosses will quickly put their house in order before permanent damage is done.
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As alluded to in an earlier comment, why is it acceptable to give personal abuse but not acceptable to give racial abuse?
Such a taboo subject.
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Have to say that Aggers blog is right on the nail. However, to my mind he doesn't go far enough.
Sledging at the end of the day is Intimidation and Intimidation is Bullying. It is an unnecesary part of the game. The cricketing authorities should have said enough is enough a long time ago but, because they are so tootheless, they have just let it continue to the unnacceptable stage that it has now reached. Rather than deal with a situation, they wait until a situation explodes and gets out of hand. There have been many instances in the recent past of this crass attitude.
On the matter of HS, I have not heard or seen any proof of the comments made and I am wondering how you can find someone guilty without proof. If there is some proof then surely all concerned would benefit by it being made available. If it is being taken on the cricketers word, then one side is telling porkies and how are they going to decide correctly who that is ?
On the question of umpiring, clearly mistakes were made. However, the third umpire was introduced with the aide of video evidence to assist the umpires on the field. Why in so many situations is that person not used. In the game of rugby, the referees use it to good effect. In my mind the umpires mistakes are not making referrals when they should.
The ICC tell us that Mr Bucknor is being rested and it's their decision. That stinks to my mind. To me, if a person has a bad day at the office, then you get them in, tell them so and tell them to improve. If their work is subsequently not good enough then you take alternative measures.
Umpires are being made scapegoats, no doubt about that and they have their bosses to blame.
My only hope is that the cricketing authorities undergo a major shakeup and start acting like leaders which they are supposed to be.
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Some good points Aggers...
Although i think that you are being a bit over critical of the Australians. I agree that they have in the past and present over stepped the mark on sportsmanship, but at the end of the day for catches like clarkes, in club cricket you have to take their word for it so why different in this case.
Also, i think over-appealing and un-sporting behaviour should be punished at this top level so the example can be reset at lower levels as well. this would include incidents like over appealing and the "jelly gate" incident.
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i agree with most of your arguements. But its way over time, that the aussie players change their unacceptable attitude. Also its time for the aussie cricket board to control their players and to bring in some discipline.
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First of all fantastic article Aggers.
Dropping Bucknor was a horrendous decision and I cannot believe the ICC has bowed so wilfully to pressure from the BCCI. Bucknor is a very good umpire who had a very poor test but that is no reason to throw him to the wolves. This decision sets a dangerous precedent with other countries being able to ask to have an umpire dropped if they do not like them, stating what as happened here to back up their call. India should be allowed to boycott the tour as long as they pay for the loss in profits for Australia, what would be expected to happen if a team canceled a tour.
Although the Aussies have not taken the spirit of cricket into account under Ponting, it is no reason to criticise Ponting and Symonds for reporting racial abuse, afterall who wants to watch cricket if its poisoned with racism. I also believe
that while Singh is not a racist person I believe he did say something which could be deemed racist (maybe it was 'monkey') as Singh has previously apologised for calling Symonds a 'monkey' back in India and most probably said it in the heat of the moment. However this does not mean that he can be let off for it and deserves tro be punished if he said it, with the sportmanship of the Aussies being delt seperately. And to all those Indian fans who accuse an ICC match referee of being bias by favouring Pontings word, who just dropped the perfectly competent Bucknor for you when you had a strop about the outcome?
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It could be that the ICC, not wanting to appear spineless in an emotive, highly charged situation opted to pick between the devil and the deep blue sea - to be seen to be doing something, anything. And with political correctness as well as the more genuine anti-racism agenda being the more obvious moral high ground, they couldn't be seen to be downplaying the Harbhajan issue. They chose to focus on the umpiring one instead.
I believe some of the vitriol and ill feeling could have been contained had the BCCI chosen their words better. Rather than focusing on the perceived injury and insult to not just their cricketers but "..to all Indians...", and ranting about India's anti-racism agenda, etc. they should have focused on the lack of due process in the hearing, and on the lack of evidence. Had they chosen to highlight in the press that their protest was based on facts and process, they might not have been accused of throwing their toys out of the pram or flexing financial muscle. As it stands, their less-than-ideal approach in complaining about issues that they may have genuinely felt aggrieved about has left room for accusations about their attitude. There may have been more sympathy for their case had their own conduct been more compelling.
I personally object to Procter's conduct during the hearing. Taking one side's word against another in the face of compelling evidence amounts to awarding hearsay and complaints that can't be backed up. Going so far as to say that he has no doubt that Harbhajan meant for the words to offend, etc. is nothing but conjecture. It goes too far. How can he know what was going on in Harbhajan's mind, if at all he even said what he was accused of?
I am of Indian origin, recently returned from Britain. As many have pointed out, Indians can be as racist as anyone else. However, the accusation of racism is too strong and injurious a slur on one's character and professionalism to made lightly, or to be upheld easily without proof.
As for the Brad Hogg issue, India probably put a lid on it during the game, expecting a certain amount of sledging, however unacceptable, but decided to make a deal out of it once Ponting made an issue of the Symonds incident. Probably a case of India feeling the gloves had come off, and why be the only ones putting up with the nasty jibes.
The sad thing is, in today's world, gentleman aren't what they used to be, hence the gentleman's game is getting diluted too...I should probably end my somewhat stream of consciousness post here :-)
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Has anyone else actually heard what Andrew Symonds has to say about the whole thing? On Guardian Unlimited, it says that he told the Australian Herald-Sun newspaper that the situation in which he was "racially abused" arose because he felt the need to intervene when he saw Harbhajan hitting Brett Lee on the butt with his cricket bat whilst running. That seems like an odd thing to do, but it seems even stranger that Symonds felt he had to step in, because anyone who knows anything about it can probably guess that Brett Lee has enough of a mouth and enough of a temper on him to look after himself. Considering that, if Symonds then felt compelled to step in and tell Harbhajan what he thought of him, it's not all that surprising that he got a mouthful back off Harbhajan. Harbhajan probably shouldn't have called Symonds a monkey, given that the south Asian connotation of that towards someone of African descent implies that they're a stupid ape just climbed down from the trees. But Symonds might just have been asking for it a little bit there.
If this is so, you have to question the fact that nobody's called Brett Lee to give his version of events, and just to yay or nay the thing about Harbhajan hitting him. Bit fishy, that. Lee himself isn't without tarnish from the Sydney test, what with claiming that wicket on a no-ball. I'm not trying to detract from the fact that he played brilliantly, and there probably aren't many people who'd argue with a decision if it meant a bonus wicket. I'm not saying any of ours would, and the umpire should have picked up on it and said no. But still, we know he can be a good sport about things, which is at least one of them. I remember watching it on telly when our Freddie went over to him and sat with him and consoled him at Trent Bridge in 2005. That's being a good sport, and to some extent, you could say that Lee extends him the same courtesy - there is a sort of respect between them that stays. It's good to know at least one of the Aussies is human at least some of the time.
Ricky Ponting has behaved absolutely despicably. It's all just gone to his head; he cares more for his own glory and the need to feed his own vanity is greater than that to remember that he's only human, and the higher you climb, the further you fall. He can't just appoint himself Fourth Umpire, and randomly start deciding that he knows best and has the final authority on who's in or out. The way he has behaved in this test and after it suggests that he's abused his position, and should be relieved of it. Michael Clarke can also get down off his high horse. He's not the captain yet, and, as a skinny batsman, India's tailenders should hang their heads in shame at going out to him, whether they were really out or not. I'd sure be embarassed if I went out to him. As for Symonds, perhaps he should learn to mind his own business. He might, and so would the rest of them, if we could hear all of what they said. That goes for the Indians too. Bearing in mind that these are the people who got massively upset by a couple of jelly beans, we shouldn't be too surprised that they're overreacting a tiny bit. Yes, the match unfairly went against them, but throwing your toys out of the pram isn't the right way to win friends and influence people.
And don't give us all that about Hanuman, the monkey god who helped Lord Rama rescue his wife Sita from the demon King Ravana of Lanka. We know what he meant.
If he said it.
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Umpires can have an allowance to make mistakes. But I don't think it can be as many as were made in this case. That is most certainly a case of incompetence. And if 90% of the mistakes are against one team, then there is a strong reason to suspect there is bias. If that is not the case, only other explanation is that the umpire is intimidated by the other team.
All the above mean that the umpire is unsuitable to do the duty. BTW, it is not the first time Steve Bucknor has been accused of showing bias against India.
Jonathan Agnew ignores facts conviniently while making his case. I am surprised to see so many people jumping in to appreciate his one sided views.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Bucknor
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i agree with most of your arguements. But its way over time, that the aussie players change their unacceptable attitude. Also its time for the aussie cricket board to control their players and to bring in some discipline.
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This ein't Cricket. The Cricket I knew was that of Bradman,Worrel,Weeks,Walcott,Sobers,
Hasset,Hazare,Mankad,C.K.Naidu,
Hutton,Compton,Evans,Tallon,Hasset,
Harvey,Miller,trueman. All were truely great gentleman Cricketiers. I feel India lost due to rotten umpiring deliberately once sided against India. the match should be annuled due to match fixing by umpires.
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It could be that the ICC, not wanting to appear spineless in an emotive, highly charged situation opted to pick between the devil and the deep blue sea - to be seen to be doing something, anything. And with political correctness as well as the more genuine anti-racism agenda being the more obvious moral high ground, they couldn't be seen to be downplaying the Harbhajan issue. They chose to focus on the umpiring one instead.
I believe some of the vitriol and ill feeling could have been contained had the BCCI chosen their words better. Rather than focusing on the perceived injury and insult to not just their cricketers but "..to all Indians...", and ranting about India's anti-racism agenda, etc. they should have focused on the lack of due process in the hearing, and on the lack of evidence. Had they chosen to highlight in the press that their protest was based on facts and process, they might not have been accused of throwing their toys out of the pram or flexing financial muscle. As it stands, their less-than-ideal approach in complaining about issues that they may have genuinely felt aggrieved about has left room for accusations about their attitude. There may have been more sympathy for their case had their own conduct been more compelling.
I personally object to Procter's conduct during the hearing. Taking one side's word against another in the face of compelling evidence amounts to awarding hearsay and complaints that can't be backed up. Going so far as to say that he has no doubt that Harbhajan meant for the words to offend, etc. is nothing but conjecture. It goes too far. How can he know what was going on in Harbhajan's mind, if at all he even said what he was accused of?
I am of Indian origin, recently returned from Britain. As many have pointed out, Indians can be as racist as anyone else. However, the accusation of racism is too strong and injurious a slur on one's character and professionalism to made lightly, or to be upheld easily without proof.
As for the Brad Hogg issue, India probably put a lid on it during the game, expecting a certain amount of sledging, however unacceptable, but decided to make a deal out of it once Ponting made an issue of the Symonds incident. Probably a case of India feeling the gloves had come off, and why be the only ones putting up with the nasty jibes.
The sad thing is, in today's world, gentleman aren't what they used to be, hence the gentleman's game is getting diluted too...I should probably end my somewhat stream of consciousness post here :-)
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jonathan, i am truly surprised at your defence of the umpires, you could excuse one horrendous error but surely to have a catalogue of them by both umpires smacks of at the least, incompetence.
i wonder whether you would still offer the same defence if england were on the receiving end..this was truly a combination of the aussies arrogance coupled unsportsmanship and umpire incompetence that deprived India of at least a draw.
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What a pity Aggers had couldn't resist entangling himself in this sorry ness and revealing his own bigotry. I wasn't aware that Aggers had ever been out in the middle playing Australia at any time in the past 3 years. I am also not aware of any complaints against the Australian team by their on field opponents for their behaviour over the past three years. I didn't see any negative comment about Australia in the UK when they lost at Ashes, although I do remember England importing specialist 'emergency' fielders and their bowlers regularly femoving themselves from the ground for physio. Both tactics that were completly against the spirit of cricket. Similarly since when can a batsman 'bully' bowlers? What a crass statement against Haden. If he was an English opener i suppose he would be 'fearless and talented'. Now on the issue of racism. It is alive and well in every country in the world, some are still practicing genocide. Australia with its multicultural population is perhaps the least racist country in the world. But we still have this malaise lurking in our midst and ADMIT IT and try to do something about it. Indis on the other hand is perhaps ome of the nost racist countrie in the world with its caste system end would do well to ADMIT IT. Their actions over this incident do them no credit and their cricket team is exposed as VERY POOR SPORTSMEN that fact that NO Imdian admits to hearing the racist comments does not mean they sdid not occur. Three Australian cricketers said they din one said it offended him. The perpetrator denied saying it, as you might would expect. However in a court of law in the Westminster system three against one equals GUILTY EVERY TIME. Perticularly if those three have never made similar claims against anyone else. ( Ponting and Gilcrist sais they not hear the racist remark). That Australa play to win no one denies - all cricket teams do. Australians do not walk - no International cricketers do except Gilcrist. As for how this game night / would have panned out without the wrong decision - Tandilkar was given not out on 34 when he snicked he ended up making over 150. Who is to say how the rest of the Australian team would have batted had Simons been given out. Anyway it was up to the Indians to get him out, they couldn't. I too would like to see cricket played in a more 'gentlmanly' fashion. However is this an English Gentlman we are supposed to enulate or perhaps an Indian, Zulu or Maori gentlemam? We ear not gentlmen in Australia after all we are just a colony founded by Englands worst murderers, child molesters, political ofes and Irishmen thown in simply because the English wanted their land. We are doing our best but we simply don't have the material to work with to achieve 'gentleman' status it seems.
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Umpires can have an allowance to make mistakes. But I don't think it can be as many as were made in this case. That is most certainly a case of incompetence. And if 90% of the mistakes are against one team, then there is a strong reason to suspect there is bias. If that is not the case, only other explanation is that the umpire is intimidated by the other team.
All the above mean that the umpire is unsuitable to do the duty. BTW, it is not the first time Steve Bucknor has been accused of showing bias against India.
Jonathan Agnew ignores facts conviniently while making his case. I am surprised to see so many people jumping in to appreciate his one sided views.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Bucknor
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i agree totally. its a shame that the aussies are taking this approach its a real shame, id much prefer the best team in the world to be a more gracious and fair team, aka not claiming fake catches, id be ashamed if a player i was supporting did such a thing!
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Bad umpiring decisions, outright bullying when a touring team is batting, absolute arrogance and bad sportsmanship have been happening for more than a decade in Australia. Why wasn't anything done before? Even the sycophantic Australian media at that time did not find anything wrong with this very bad behaviour by Australian cricketers. Is it highlighted now because of the economic power of Indian cricket. People should decide to never go and see a cricket match so they do not increase the earnings of these punks. This is the only way they will learn a lesson if people Boycott them. This win at all costs is because of the earnings and glamour associated with it.
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Well said. I hope some of the top players take time out to read this article.
I myself am heavily involved in youth cricket, and guess what, my charges like to do exactly what they see their cricketing role models do. It is simply ruining a great game.
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It has been said and I need to say it again.
Jonathan, great article. But inaccurate in your assessment of Steve Bucknor. Bucknor and Benson were miserable in a one-sided way. Sure umpires make mistakes. But incompetence is a different thing. If the direction of a 5-day game of cricket can change solely based on umpiring decisions, then the umpire should not be officiating. If Australia have shown that they can successfully con Bucknor, then what confidence do you expect the Indian team to have in him when he is officiating at Perth? India were right in 'holding the game to ransom' or however you else you wish to put it. Bottom line was, Bucknor had to go.
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Good article, Jonathan. You have presented an unbiased point of view. I am an Indian and for some reason, Mr. Bucknor is perceived as an umpire who always had/have problems with Indian team as we (and even other sub-continental teams) over-appeal. But that should not lead to bias in making decision for genuine appeals. I think the umpiring controversy issue might have calmed down if Mr. Bucknor and Mr. Benson had apologized for their horrendous mistakes in a gentlemanlike fashion. Remember Aleem Dar said sorry to Sachin in England for wrongly giving him out. That is how you earn the respect of players. Umpires need to earn the respect of players. They should not think they are bosses of the game and bigger than game. Nobody is bigger than the game of Cricket. That includes umpires as well..!
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Throughout all of this post-SCG debate the one thing I have yet to read about is any note of comprehension or penitence from the Australian team.
Despite the fact that the entire cricketing world is up in arms about this Test match and the way the Australians played, not one note of contrition has emerged from the Aussie camp.
I find it incredible to think that Ricky Ponting and Co. can be so entrenched in their blinkered perspective on life as to they think they are "in the right" and have no need to offer even the merest hint at humility.
I believe a lot of this global revulsion to the Aussie style would have been avoided, ironically, if "lucky" Michael Clarke hadn't actually taken those last three wickets. At least with a draw there would have been a sense of at least some justice being done. The Australians not equalling the record consecutive victories and the series still being live would perhaps have allowed the horrors of the previous five days to fade away.
Sadly that was not to be, and until Ricky Ponting can provide us with a somewhat more mature approach to this situation than he is currently demonstrating then the rest of the world will continue to call for his head.
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Apparently Glenn McGrath spoke out in defense of Ponting et al.
A few years ago Australian sports writer Ken Piesse wrote in a book that McGrath called the Sri Lankan batsman Sanath Jayasuriya a "black monkey". Some irony, eh? Needless to say, no repercussions for that comment - just as countless instances of offensive Aussie sledging have been justified as "playing hard".
In the late 1990s, McGrath gave an unforgettable display of the Aussie spirit when he spat on the face of West Indies player Adrian Griffith. This time he was fined - but that was hardly enough to deter the workhorse. His abusive language on the field continued, finally resulting in a "severe reprimand" (not a ban like Harbhajan, mind you) from an umpire in Jan 2006.
After McGrath retired in 2006 -
Indian captain Anil Kumble surpassed his record for highest number of Test wickets. Given McGrath's maturity and magnanimity, which he displayed abundantly on the field, we can safely say he isn't the least bit bitter towards Kumble for the reason..
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Glenn, the endorsement of a true gentleman such as you completely restores our confidence in the integrity of the Aussie cricket team. Thank you for speaking out - and not spitting instead.
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As an Australian, I say thank you, Aggers, for pointing out the huge elephant in Australian cricket's room. Few journos here in Oz would dare to criticise our team, for fear of having their access curtailed. One notable exception in the past few days has been Peter Roebuck, but then he's an Englishman, isn't he, so he has no local master to whom he needs to grovel - I'd commend his articles to your readers, if they can find them on line.
My greatest fear for world cricket is that, given the proven success of the nasty, bullying, selfish, cheating, dishonest Australian "way", it could become a template to be adopted around the world. This is especially worrying given the increasing number of national teams with Australian coaches. And let's not forget that the current CEO of the ICC is also an Aussie.
My national (mens) cricket team is an embarrassing disgrace, regardless of its technical excellence. In my book, success without honour equals failure.
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Agree with everything Aggers has said. Regarding poster 41, I think you'll find that Mr Hair offered to resign if he was compensated for loss of future earnings, as he considered he had done nothing wrong
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Its a very fair assessment of the situation and also the ICC moves to defuse the explosive situation. I agree with everything you have mentioned except the umpires issue. Umpires, officials and match refrees exist only to make the game a fair one and improve the game itself. But the ICC, the umpires and officials have failed very often to do that, and its not a case of thinking umpires are human they make mistakes... who wants such a "human" umpire??? Correct decisions is what the game needs, whether it is purely with the use the technology or use of technology upon a fair challenge policy or whatever it takes to make the decisions a fair and acceptable one. And officials and rules that make the game a fair and acceptable ones and maintain the spirit of the game......
We want to see cricket not drama like the australian teams "fairplay" or a suspense thriller if an umpire like bucknor or even a horror story with officials like Mike proctor, mike denness or chris broad....
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I wondered how long it would be before the English journalists jumped on the moral high-ground to remind us how terrible the Australian's are. After all the Aussies are the only ones in world cricket who do this type of thing aren't they?
How soon you forget about the rediculous jelly bean throwing antics and Prior spending more time insulting the Sri Lankans than actually taking catches behind the stumps.
Sledging is a problem in all teams - not just in Australia. Stop demonising the Aussies and get off you high horse.
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This Australian side can do no right in the eyes of the English media. You've got a situation where an Indian player has racially abused (Mike Procter says beyond reasonable doubt) an Australian player. The Indian management then holds the ICC to ransom unless the decision it disagrees with is over turned. To add to this, the Indian board has also lobbied the ICC to remove an umpire they disagree with. How the hell is any of that in the spirit of the game. And how the hell has that got anything to do with the way Australia plays it's cricket. And yet, once again in the English media, all of this seems to be because of the big bad nasty Aussies. What a load of rubbish! As for sledging, Bradman was called a rabbit by the English team in the summer of 1928-29. This issue is about racial abuse, not sledging, there is a huge difference. If you believe, none of the other teams in world cricket sledge or that it's a modern phenomenon invented by Aussies, you are kidding yourself. Having lived in England, heaping scorn on the opposition seems to be the way the English deal with defeat. Read their press and it seems Australia has never beaten England fair and square! What a pathetic bunch of bad sports.
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Some good points by aggers, but a few points to consider:
1. The game is a professional sport now and gone are the days of amateur anything. That doesn't mean bad sportsmanship should be tolerated however winning is the goal of any professional so aslong as it is within the rules to a certain extent we should tolerate it.
2. Racism of any form should be outlawed from crowds and on the field but charges and suspensions should be handed down only if there is evidence to suggest guilt, not one mans word against anothers.
3. The aussies showed poor sportsmanship at the end of that game not commiserating with the indians however the indians showed poor sportsmanship by attacking the aussies for playing as all other countries do, not walking unless given out and appealing when they believe it may be out, otherwise why appeal?
4. The umpires had a poor test however the icc should not bow to indias demands to remove steve bucknor, if the poor decisions continue then he should be re evaluated however all countries have been on the receiving end at some time so you just have to take the good with the bad.
5. the correct result probably should have been a draw or different but you move on and compete hard in the next test.
6. aggers toughen up and play hard its test cricket and it has always been hard, teams play to there strengths look at the windies in the 80's intimidating fast bowling and ruthless cricket, if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen, look at the english in the ashes they played the better cricket and won we all know that, did the aussies do anything different i don't think so we were outplayed, if you play well you will beat anyone.
7. Ricky ponting doesn't take losing well and HS has his measure at the moment i can't wait till perth.
cheers
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Aggers,
Thank you!
There has been considerable commentary on this sorry affair, which was inevitable and has been coming for a long time; your reflections are wholly accurate and only someone so close to the events, as well as loving the game as much as you do, could provide such an insight.
Interestingly, much of the Australian press agrees with you and is clearly embarrassed by its own "sporting heroes" - when was the last time that happened?
It is also very unfortunate that the match officials, men of considerable experience and integrity, are in danger of having their reputations tarnished: The ICC has to either increase its reliance on technology or better defend the final "human" decisions of the umpires - it cannot have it both ways.
Whatever would Jonners have made of all of this - I think we know only too well.
JF
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I agree with Jonathan.The modern day cricket is played under considerable scrutiny from TV -technolgy. Umpires are human and will make mistakes.It is up to the players to lift the game and restore integrity and honesty. If a batsman knows he is out, don't wait for the umpire to raise his finger, just walk.Perhaps for LBWs, unless it is plumb- the batsman can wait as he may have doubts as to whether the ball is going to hit the stumps.The ICC must get all the countries to partcipate in a confrence to restore integrity to this gentelmens game.
Ranjit
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Aggers,
Thank you!
There has been considerable commentary on this sorry affair, which was inevitable and has been coming for a long time; your reflections are wholly accurate and only someone so close to the events, as well as loving the game as much as you do, could provide such an insight.
Interestingly, much of the Australian press agrees with you and is clearly embarrassed by its own "sporting heroes" - when was the last time that happened?
It is also very unfortunate that the match officials, men of considerable experience and integrity, are in danger of having their reputations tarnished: The ICC has to either increase its reliance on technology or better defend the final "human" decisions of the umpires - it cannot have it both ways.
Whatever would Jonners have made of all of this - I think we know only too well.
JF
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Instances of incorrect decisions:
1. Ponting caught behind
2. Symmonds cuaght behind.
3. Symmonds stumped once.
4. Symmonds stumped twice.
5. Hussey PLUMB LBW on back foot in crease.
6. Hussey caught behind.
7. Symmonds LBW first ball.
8. Jaffer caught off no-ball in 2nd. innings.
9. Dravid caught behind.
10. Ganguly given out by Ponting.
11.RP Singh dubious LBW.
Don't blame umpires, duh????? And, finally, take Ponting & Symmonds words based on above over Bhajji and Sachin's.....Mr. Agnew, please open your eyes.
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whats better? amn who doesnt walk and admits it or a man who doesnt walk then continues to deny he was out? at least symonds was honest about it. id like to see some quotes about him "gloating" because when i heard him it merely souned like he was admitting the obvious.
sure the aussies may not be the best when it comes to taking what they give out but who in their right mind would stay silent after being racially abused?
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The simple fact is that Ricky Ponting in signaling that the Indian batsman was out when it was clear that the ball was grouned in the act of making the catch was cheating. Who now cares if Australia have won 16 on the bounce? Too many people from Andy Caddick on Five live this morning to the show presenter are reluctant to call it as it is - cheating. So where does any sport let alone cricket go from here - 'I won but so what I cheated!' in any other walk of life it is called theft.
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J Agnew, I agree that umpires make mistakes, however, when umpires make gross, multiple errors, mainly against one side, one has every right to question their ability and competence. Name me one profession where you are allowed to make continual errors and are not questioned about your ability. If a professional eg. doctor, engineer or scientist made ridiculous error after error (when under pressure) they would be re-trained, re-assigned or sacked!
The performance of umpires must be reviewed after every test and appropriate action taken if they are not up to standard. Premiership football does this with their referees.
This episode has proved that technology must be used to prevent fraudulent decisions.
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Aggers you seem to be jumping on the Peter Roebuck Aussie bashing bandwagon after his outrageous article in one of the Aussie newspapers. This mud slinging from pommie journos is purely opportunist as the rest of the cricketing world are sick and tired and envious of the Aussies dominating the game, they have the killer instinct that no other team has and every other coach dreams of and this an opportunity to try and bring them down. Grow up for goodness sake this is a big boys game, you poms continue with your niceties and continue with your cricketing decline.
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I agree with most of this article. What is fails to state is that the BCCI raise 70% of total cricket revenue worldwide. The ICC doesnt run this game; its the BCCI. Malcolm Speed is a lame duck. The BCCI have been upset for some time because Australia voted for the English guy to be next ICC Presisent, and not the Indian guy. A few years ago India played Sehwag when he was serving a ban; they locked the Match Referee out of the ground, the match went on, the ICC said it lost its test match status. It shows the BCCI will stop at nothing to control the game. Its a shame the Indian players have to tow the BCCI line as I am sure they just want to play the game and not get involved.
The ICC has set a very dangerous precedent with dropping Bucknor. Next time a team is upset with an umpires performance they will have cause to ask for them to be changed. I was taught you always accept the umpires decision, we all need to remember this.
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I'm Australian, so probably bias and definitely arrogant... But would it help the tensions in cricket if Australia lost a game or two?... Would there have been so much controversy if India had won, or even drawn the match?
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It seems ironic that India made no complaint about the poor decisions that enabled them to draw last years Lords test and subsequently win the series. What was the umpires name again? Steve Bucknor by any chance. They were also instrumental (with Pakistan and SL) in hounding one of the worlds best umpires out of the game 18 months ago. You reap what you sow.
Any sympathy the average Aussie would have had for the Indians given Australia's boorish behaviour has now been forfeited.
Go Australia! Wipe the floor with these whiners at Perth.
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Apparently Glenn McGrath spoke out in defense of Ponting et al.
A few years ago Australian sports writer Ken Piesse wrote in a book that McGrath called the Sri Lankan batsman Sanath Jayasuriya a "black monkey". Some irony, eh? Needless to say, no repercussions for that comment - just as countless instances of offensive Aussie sledging have been justified as "playing hard".
In the late 1990s, McGrath gave an unforgettable display of the Aussie spirit when he spat on the face of West Indies player Adrian Griffith. This time he was fined - but that was hardly enough to deter the workhorse. His abusive language on the field continued, finally resulting in a "severe reprimand" (not a ban like Harbhajan, mind you) from an umpire in Jan 2006.
After McGrath retired in 2006 -
Indian captain Anil Kumble surpassed his record for highest number of Test wickets. Given McGrath's maturity and magnanimity, which he displayed abundantly on the field, we can safely say he isn't the least bit bitter towards Kumble for the reason..
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Glenn, the endorsement of a true gentleman such as you completely restores our confidence in the integrity of the Aussie cricket team. Thank you for speaking out - and not spitting instead.
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Congratulations Aggers. It is time someone of note within the game came out and highlighted the so-called "spirit" of the game as the Australians see it. Win at any cost. It is mainly down to Ponting himself. Players tend to follow their leader and he has always been a mean-spirited player...a fact he attempts to disguise as just being hard and competitive. Shame on him and shame on this present team. Having sd all that, sorely tried as the Indian player might have been by an overly-aggressive and distinctly unpleasant team, there is no excuse for racism if in fact it is true.
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I couldn't disagree with anything Aggers has said.
If the Aussies in particular but others in general will go to such lengths to win a game, isn't it time they looked to the harder disciplines of restraint, honesty and sportsmanship that made the game so special and important in the first place?
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In the whole I agree with Jonathan Agnew but I think the Indian team had no choice but to ask for removal of the umpire, Steve Bucknor.
Just look at the mistakes? he made in this matach.The worst one was the stumping appeal against Symonds. When Dhoni appealled he just walked up appearing to be smiling and just put the bails back. Bucknor should have at least referred it to the third umpire.
The Dravid caught behind decision and the pat on the back that Symonds gave Bucknor at the end of the over was like watching two pals working together. Jonathan must have a short memory this is not the first test that decisions made by Bucknor have gone against the Indian team and changed the course of the match until now the Indian team have taken them on the chin and got on with playing .This time the mistakes were so blatant that ICC should have come out straight after the second test and said they replacing Bucknor that would have been the right way of doing things. The ICC are either too weak or are in the pockets of the Australia board. I repeat the Indian board were left with on alternative but to ask for Bucknor removal other wise he would have just carried on making the same mistakes? against the Indian team.
Last thought for, Jonathan Agnew in his opinion would the Australian team have taken the same decision against them and allowed Bucknor to umpire in the next match. I think not they would had ICC replace Bucknor the by third day of the second test match all behind close doors as has been happening for years.
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Craig Thomas gets my vote (as a former English cricket fan in the 50's who is now fed up with the demise of what used to be a fine cricketing nation). He had the guts to write a piece that was seized by a crowd of sour grapes critics eager to put the boot into Australia. Australia puts 150% effort into the game and the result speaks for itself. Instead of carping about their attitude, why don't the other teams put a similar effort into developing their national games to the same levels and raise the standard to the Australian level and then we can all enjoy exciting cricket again.
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Excellent Article. What has peeved the Indian team is Mike Procter calling Sachin a liar. Only person who heard Harbajan make the comment is Andrew S himself. What will Mike P say about Hogg, Since the complaint have come from both Anil & Dhoni.
It was good that Indians didn't walk out of the game in the middle.
Does Ponting understand that people are smart enough to understand what is happening through TV and internet?
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Aggers...., you're having a laugh!
During the game there was opportunity, and in the countless games before it from all teams, where batsmen from both sides have known they are out and have not walked, and further more, bowlers have appealed for wickets they know should not be given. Every team has had players do it...., the difference may be they probably didn't admit it as quickly as Symonds did.
Does you memory only serve you what the press and those jealous of a teams success want you to see and hear? Did you not watch the game? do you not watch any tests?
I seem to remember Damian Martyn getting a serve of bad decisions when over here on the last ashes. I also seem to remember Hoggard appealing blatantly for wickets that should not be given and was given a a decision or 2...., however, I don't seem to recall the toys been flung out of the cot like the Indians have done this time round.
Tell me, do you think that there would be the threat of abandoning the series if the Indians hadn't already lost it? I doubt it? Now that smacks of sore losers to me!
Australia have the only player that is known to walk - Gilly..., yet every side have self confessed 'non-walkers' in their side including their captains.
Tell me of a game where the umpires or referees don't make mistakes and where the players don't take advantage....., dare I say diving in football!?
I think your comments are misguided, irrational and emotionally charged and has no business in the formal press let alone in the local pub.
Its not the players responsibility to give themselves out because it cannot be guaranteed that they will! That is why you have an independant third party to ajudicate.
My suggestion to the other teams is to pick up your game! I only wish our football team had the killer instinct like the Aussies.
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Can't agree more. As the reputed cricket writer Peter Roebuck said "Ponting and his men behaved like wild dogs..." very very true. For the first time, I am shamed and embarrassed of calling my self a Aussie Fan. Wish someone induce little insight into Ponting and his team mates.
Further, the way the umpiring was conducted in this match, one would wonder if there was any malpractice involved by the alleged umpires (in view of the importance of this match for Ponting as a captain).
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Aggers...., you're having a laugh!
During the game there was opportunity, and in the countless games before it from all teams, where batsmen from both sides have known they are out and have not walked, and further more, bowlers have appealed for wickets they know should not be given. Every team has had players do it...., the difference may be they probably didn't admit it as quickly as Symonds did.
Does you memory only serve you what the press and those jealous of a teams success want you to see and hear? Did you not watch the game? do you not watch any tests?
I seem to remember Damian Martyn getting a serve of bad decisions when over here on the last ashes. I also seem to remember Hoggard appealing blatantly for wickets that should not be given and was given a a decision or 2...., however, I don't seem to recall the toys been flung out of the cot like the Indians have done this time round.
Tell me, do you think that there would be the threat of abandoning the series if the Indians hadn't already lost it? I doubt it? Now that smacks of sore losers to me!
Australia have the only player that is known to walk - Gilly..., yet every side have self confessed 'non-walkers' in their side including their captains.
Tell me of a game where the umpires or referees don't make mistakes and where the players don't take advantage....., dare I say diving in football!?
I think your comments are misguided, irrational and emotionally charged and has no business in the formal press let alone in the local pub.
Its not the players responsibility to give themselves out because it cannot be guaranteed that they will! That is why you have an independant third party to ajudicate.
My suggestion to the other teams is to pick up your game! I only wish our football team had the killer instinct like the Aussies.
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Why should Ricky Ponting not be banned, for a period of five Tests, for unfair practices that contravene the spirit of cricket? Think back to September 2003, and the Pakistan-Bangladesh series. Then Pakistan captain Rashid Latif was docked for claiming a catch, when the ball had touched the ground. He was suspended for five games -- effectively missing the entire one day series between the two sides. On that occasion, the match referee while handing out his sentence said: "As captain a lot of responsibility falls of Rashid Latif 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 Pakistani captain shall be banned for five one-day internationals." The match referee was -- surprise, surprise -- Mike Procter no less; the same official currently in the hot seat in the India versus Australia series. BAN PONTING!!!
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i disagree.
the australians play the game to win and they do win! it is only becuase england or india or any other team cannot get near them that we complain. they are in the business of winning and that is what they are doing. it is the umpires job to make decisions, if they get them wrong it is for the players to feel lucky, not to walk. i wudnt. fair play to australia!! if only england were abit more ruthless we might win more
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I agree also with Aggers - this has gone on way too far - most players walk when out in a gentleman's game. The aussies take it too far - claiming catched they know were grassed, not walking when knowing you are out - they should be the ones punishes. I am convinced Harbhajan didnt say anything otherwise the response would have been much more animated by the aussies than it was - how would you respond if called a monkey. Also why does Ponting's word hold more value than Sachins or the umpires??? Bizarre - aussies ruining the game!
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Aggers 1, the current state of cricket 0. I even see the sort of behaviour as shown by the majority of the current aussie team in our young players. No consistancy of attitude, no chance to 'bend' the rules missed. No sportsmanship=no sport.
Finally, before the shouts of 'whinging poms' abound, remember the attitude to body-line... leave the commonwealth? Does everyone remember Lilley and Thompson bowling gentle half volleys at Boycott and Edrich in the spirit of commonwealth? Envious of the aussie skills, yes, but whinging aussies is now an apt description of a team who are losing the plot
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Aggers is spot on - and the sooner the tv stations recognise that we as cricket lovers do not want to watch umpires honestly given decisions so ridiculed as to cast the whole spectacle of a hard fought 5 day PROPER cricket test match belittled the better. ICC be bloody strong
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Quite.
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I firmly disagree with Aggers on one point. He believes umpires should have the final say.
They are humans and will make mistakes. But why not eliminate some mistakes via the use of technology?
Some pundits have said that technology cannot be used unless it is 100% correct.
I can bet that replays in slow motion will offer the same or better results.
It is foolish not to use technology that is already available. And it can be improved.
I would in fact go even further. Just remove the umpires from the field altogether. Place them in TV booths. Every no ball because of overstepping will be caught this way.
Every nick will be heard by placing a microphone near the stumps etc etc.
How can this be not better than having two humans on the field. I dont get the so called purists or traditionalists.
Also, ban sledging in every form. It has no place in cricket. If players want to talk, surely they can meet after the day's play is over.
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Excellent article aggers . Sad but very true . We are indeed at an ugly cross roads in the world of cricket .As a 36 yr old cricket fan who has spent most of his life folowing the game i must confess to being whipped up into excitement when two players at the top of there game come head to head in the middle (no one can forget the infamous duel of Allan Donald and Athers at Trent Bridge 98) but i cant help thinking that the art of sledging has simply got out of hand and although the Aussies do seem to be leading the way in this new found skill , they are by no means the only team guilty of this .Surely the time has come to turn back the clock and revisit the grass roots of the sport and as already mentioned let the bat and ball (not the egos) do the talking . Lets see more respect for the umpires and stop using them as scape goats every time tempers boil over in the middle . Do we really want to see umpires being treated like premiership referees !!
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Aggers,
Steve Bucknor should not have been dropped for the next test...it is unfortunate that despite the rules stating that a country cannot pick and chosse umpires nor complain about the appointment of an umpire India can get away with bullying the ICC into this decision.
However I am with the australians on the how they play the game...they play to win, and if only England showed the same heart and passion for winning we would not have come back from Aus 5-0 losers! Everyone sledges in every country in every sport it is part of the game...had singh not resorted to a racial slur this we wouldn't even be talking about this!
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Please be advised that the Harbhajan Singh -- Andrew Symonds racial abuse issue is no longer a matter confined to the Media (Australian/Indian), the ICC, the BCCI and Cricket Australia. It is now a legal matter. The fact is that there is prima-facie evidence for match fixing by Ponting and Symonds. Match fixing is illegal, by ICC rules and by Indian law. After thinking about it carefully, I have come to the conclusion that the appropriate response is to ban the entire Australian cricket team for a period of one year. This is the best possible outcome for the long term health of the game of cricket. Once a tight legal case for the ban of the Australian cricket team has been made, then any one of the billion Indian citizens can file a petition called a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in an Indian law court, based on the arguments developed in the case. Towards this end, I have been working on establishing the arguments and gathering the evidence that constitute such a tight legal case. In fact, I have sent Cricinfo several written sections earlier (under the psudonym smale25). After establishing the guilt of the Australian cricket team in an Indian law court, the matter can be pursued in the law courts of other cricket playing countries. The BCCI and the Indian media should not think that they are at liberty to ignore the facts, and simply suppress the cricket fans. Please understand the seriousness of the situation. Please be responsible and forward my warning to the Australian cricket team and the Indian cricket team so that they are properly advised about what is coming. Thank you.
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Jonathan,
I honestly feel that cricket accors an unnecessary level of respect to umpires. It should always be about bat an ball. Every effort should be made to facilitate fair play. If that means get rid of all umpires, then so be it. As much as people contend that the technology is not perfect, don't you think that humans are far more imperfect. I agree that it is humans that play the game and the human element is imperative. But please let not a sportsman feel aggreived, when every indication is that they were not given a level playing field. The game should be about the players - I personally couldn't give a damn about umpires. And why should I? I watch the games for the batting, bowling and fielding - NEVER for the umpiring.
Regards,
Sathish
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I do not completely agree with Jonathan.
It is one thing to make umpiring mistakes and I think players have much better understanding of umpiring fallibility than the general public and they accept it gracefully.
I do not know whether Jonathan has watched this particular test or not but no team should have to endure so many blatantly erroneous decisions and almost all of them against one team; that is even against statistical probability.
In this day and age cricket should consider itself fortunate that match fixing suspicions are not back and ultimately ICC will have to take responsibiliy for the umpiring fiasco.
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Aggers,
Steve Bucknor should not have been dropped for the next test...it is unfortunate that despite the rules stating that a country cannot pick and chosse umpires nor complain about the appointment of an umpire India can get away with bullying the ICC into this decision.
However I am with the australians on the how they play the game...they play to win, and if only England showed the same heart and passion for winning we would not have come back from Aus 5-0 losers! Everyone sledges in every country in every sport it is part of the game...had singh not resorted to a racial slur this we wouldn't even be talking about this!
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Mr Agnew, You are correct in everything you have said. I live in Australia and i am disgusted with the way Australia plays the game. For so long now they have paraded the fact that they have a "In the spirit of the game" agreement amongst themselves that they rarely, if ever, follow. In fact the only time they will be sportsman like, is when they are winning and it suits them, as soon as the pressure is on they revert back to the win at all costs. Steve Waugh's team was a great team, but they were also honest. It must be said that not all the players are unsportsman like. Brett Lee has shown time and time again what a great bowler and nice man he is. The same goes for Adam Gilchrist. It seems to be the new generation under the leadership of Ricky Ponting that feel they must win at all costs. One final thing, The Australian players say they do not want technology to be used in decisions, yet their actions are pushing cricket closer and closer to that outcome. As the saying goes " It's just not cricket".
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I do not completely agree with Jonathan.
It is one thing to make umpiring mistakes and I think players have much better understanding of umpiring fallibility than the general public and they accept it gracefully.
I do not know whether Jonathan has watched this particular test or not but no team should have to endure so many blatantly erroneous decisions and almost all of them against one team; that is even against statistical probability.
In this day and age cricket should consider itself fortunate that match fixing suspicions are not back and ultimately ICC will have to take responsibiliy for the umpiring fiasco.
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Cracking article. Is this really the same Australian team whe were so gracious in defeat in England 2005?
Sledging of all sorts MUST be banned immediately; ditto the OTT appealing for wickets.
Its very "Un-cricket," but maybe its time to send players off to bring discipline & sportsmanship back to the fore.
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For once Aggers has produced a fine piece of print. He has found the real problem and it is with the game and the players. Poor decisions are a feature of the game. These have over the years been alleviated somewhat by technology but still happen. Such is cricket. On the other hand I can not wholeheartedly agree with his sentiments regarding the umpires. Just as it is right to drop a player who is not performing well enough to be selected - I refer to his recent article regarding Matt Prior - then the same applies to match umpires. Apparently a number of glaring and costly errors were made and as such you have to penalize the men making those decisions, ie. the umpires.
I would add that I do not think they should be dropped due to the pressure that is obviously being applied by the BCCI but solely on their collective performance on the field.
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I am not a huge fan of Jonathan Agnew
but he is absolutely correct. When the whole spirit and ethos of this great game is damaged. It is time to pack up, will somebody please turn off the lights
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Your absolutely right Aggers. How dare those Aussies not walk and instead wait for the umpires decision. And also whats with the appealing unless the know its definitely out? They should follow the example of every other team in the world who do follow those practices. Wait a minute...
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At a crossroad yes - if the ICC bend like this then perhaps it is time for a change.
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As someone who hasnt been too enamoured with Mr.Agnews commments in the past, may I say
BLOODY BRILLIANT ARTICLE!!!
Just hope someone from the ICC has the cahoonas to stand up and save the game, cos we are heading rapidly to a game divided by race and money - the ICC has killed the golden goose and is running out of eggs
Good luck to the game, boy it needs it
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Mr Agnew, You are correct in everything you have said. I live in Australia and i am disgusted with the way Australia plays the game. For so long now they have paraded the fact that they have a "In the spirit of the game" agreement amongst themselves that they rarely, if ever, follow. In fact the only time they will be sportsman like, is when they are winning and it suits them, as soon as the pressure is on they revert back to the win at all costs. Steve Waugh's team was a great team, but they were also honest. It must be said that not all the players are unsportsman like. Brett Lee has shown time and time again what a great bowler and nice man he is. The same goes for Adam Gilchrist. It seems to be the new generation under the leadership of Ricky Ponting that feel they must win at all costs. One final thing, The Australian players say they do not want technology to be used in decisions, yet their actions are pushing cricket closer and closer to that outcome. As the saying goes " It's just not cricket".
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For once Aggers has produced a fine piece of print. He has found the real problem and it is with the game and the players. Poor decisions are a feature of the game. These have over the years been alleviated somewhat by technology but still happen. Such is cricket. On the other hand I can not wholeheartedly agree with his sentiments regarding the umpires. Just as it is right to drop a player who is not performing well enough to be selected - I refer to his recent article regarding Matt Prior - then the same applies to match umpires. Apparently a number of glaring and costly errors were made and as such you have to penalize the men making those decisions, ie. the umpires.
I would add that I do not think they should be dropped due to the pressure that is obviously being applied by the BCCI but solely on their collective performance on the field.
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Oh dear, hasn't the green-eyed monster broken free of his shackles and gone on a rampage....
Let's see. The umpires made some bad decisions - hardly a new thing, but certainly a bad day at the office. An Indian player allegedly made a racist remark. The Indian team and Cricket Board then act like children, throwing their toys around the room until they get their way. And somehow Agnew devotes his column to the faults of the Australian team? It is all rather deliciously surreal, isn't it?
Let us remember a few things -
* The 'monkey' comment is not an off-hand remark with no history - Andrew Symonds was virtually assaulted by crowds in India due to previous use of the term against him. There is no doubt it is meant in a derogatory and racist way. Anyone who has watched the footage of the crowds when he came to the wicket in India can only be disgusted at what he went through. Considering that, and the fact that the ICC has made it clear the captain's must report racism - why should Ponting be copping heat for his actions here?
* Anybody who thinks that more than a decade ago there was no sledging, and every batsman walked, has a very nostalgic view of history. Take a look at some tests from the 1970s and see how that theory pans out for you.
* People seem to forget that it is Adam Gilchrist, perhaps alone among world batsmen, who walks. I do believe he is an Australian. The Australians have also shown over multiple tests that they will tell the umpire if a catch did not carry - something which Ponting did in this test, I might remind people.
* Yes, the Aussies sledge, and I wish they didn't (or at least, kept it saner). However, the current crisis has its root in the Indian Cricket Board feeling they can control the ICC. It is their cricket board who should be under fire here, not the Australians.
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Mr Agnew, You are correct in everything you have said. I live in Australia and i am disgusted with the way Australia plays the game. For so long now they have paraded the fact that they have a "In the spirit of the game" agreement amongst themselves that they rarely, if ever, follow. In fact the only time they will be sportsman like, is when they are winning and it suits them, as soon as the pressure is on they revert back to the win at all costs. Steve Waugh's team was a great team, but they were also honest. It must be said that not all the players are unsportsman like. Brett Lee has shown time and time again what a great bowler and nice man he is. The same goes for Adam Gilchrist. It seems to be the new generation under the leadership of Ricky Ponting that feel they must win at all costs. One final thing, The Australian players say they do not want technology to be used in decisions, yet their actions are pushing cricket closer and closer to that outcome. As the saying goes " It's just not cricket".
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I totally agree Aggers, but also think that umpires are not completely blameless. Perhaps both umpires and players should look to the behaviour of Rudi Koertzen and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara for and example on how to play in the 'spirit of the game'. Koertzen incorrectly gave Sangakkara out on his way to his 200 and effectively dashed Sri Lanka's hopes of winning the 2nd test. Koertzen realised his decision was wrong and apologised and Sangakkara went a shook Koertzen's hand after the match. After loosing Captain Mahela Jayawardene congratulated the Australian team and applauded their great cricket. No wonder Sri Lanka won the 'spirit of cricket award' last year.
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Jonathan,
I agree with your general point of view .I believe its marginally fine for certain amount of aggression to exist in the game but then again the Aussies need to take it if they dish it out.
All I have to say is that Cricket like any other sport will get competitive from time to time and players will have minor confrontations on the pitch.
I believe it is time that the phrase "spirit of the game" be defined and explained at length.
The Umpires are humans and they will always have a tendency to make mistakes thus it is incumbent upon the batsmen to leave when they know that they have knicked the ball.
Umpire Benson made the biggest blunder by taking the word of the australian player rather than the third umpire. But then again there was apparently a third umpire decision which was potentially faulty. So in the end its up to the players to be honest to themselves and thus raise the quality of the game. As far as Singh's comment I believe there is ignorance in the fact that the word "monkey" is racist from Singh . By this I mean that Singh probably and Hopefully didnt realise that in a certain context the word takes on a different meaning. For instance I myself was not aware that symond would qualify as a person for whom this word would be termed racist.
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I would just like to remind everyone of the 4th Ashes Test 2005 at Trent Bridge in the second innnings where Ponting was run out and the scorecard read:
R. Ponting run out Pratt
As the captain of this current Aussie side,which dont get me wrong is a very good side, I hope he feels like a prat as he should shoulder some of the responsibilty of allowing the game of cricket to be brought into turmoil. I am also a little disappointed in the rest of the Australian Team as they are big enough to be able to stand up and say this is not right. Going back to the 2005 Ashes remember the picture of Flintoff embracing Brett Lee after England won by 2 runs at Egbaston, and now Australia can hardly muster an applause for Sachin after scoring his Hundred. Good on the Aussie fans though, a standing ovation followed that truely great achievement. Perhaps the team should take a look at themselves and take a leaf out of their fans book and eat a bit of humble pie.
In terms of the Harbajan issue, I believe that if what is claimed is true then he should be punished, but I agree with aggers, the Aussie team are quick to dish it out whether on the field or off as part of their 'hard' approach but are very weak and soft at taking it. I just pray that someone will give them a good hiding and teach them some humility whilst they're at it and being English, I hope it hope it happens in the next Test and then again in 2009
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Of course people agree with the article it takes all sides - ie it is wrong for the Australians to a complaint to an umpire as this is not 'hard' but still racism 'has no defense". What is the author saying the Australians should do - report or not report the comment.
After the event in India with Symonds (and he was the only player called a monkey by crowds and Singh) it is no wonder this was referred. The only complaint I have about the Australians in the whole test is the lack of grace in the celebrations of a closely fought game. That being said the Indians do not have the bolwing attack to win a series.
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Jonathan,
I agree with your general point of view .I believe its marginally fine for certain amount of aggression to exist in the game but then again the Aussies need to take it if they dish it out.
All I have to say is that Cricket like any other sport will get competitive from time to time and players will have minor confrontations on the pitch.
I believe it is time that the phrase "spirit of the game" be defined and explained at length.
The Umpires are humans and they will always have a tendency to make mistakes thus it is incumbent upon the batsmen to leave when they know that they have knicked the ball.
Umpire Benson made the biggest blunder by taking the word of the australian player rather than the third umpire. But then again there was apparently a third umpire decision which was potentially faulty. So in the end its up to the players to be honest to themselves and thus raise the quality of the game. As far as Singh's comment I believe there is ignorance in the fact that the word "monkey" is racist from Singh . By this I mean that Singh probably and Hopefully didnt realise that in a certain context the word takes on a different meaning. For instance I myself was not aware that symond would qualify as a person for whom this word would be termed racist.
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Mr Agnew, You are correct in everything you have said. I live in Australia and i am disgusted with the way Australia plays the game. For so long now they have paraded the fact that they have a "In the spirit of the game" agreement amongst themselves that they rarely, if ever, follow. In fact the only time they will be sportsman like, is when they are winning and it suits them, as soon as the pressure is on they revert back to the win at all costs. Steve Waugh's team was a great team, but they were also honest. It must be said that not all the players are unsportsman like. Brett Lee has shown time and time again what a great bowler and nice man he is. The same goes for Adam Gilchrist. It seems to be the new generation under the leadership of Ricky Ponting that feel they must win at all costs. One final thing, The Australian players say they do not want technology to be used in decisions, yet their actions are pushing cricket closer and closer to that outcome. As the saying goes " It's just not cricket".
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I agree wholeheartedly with Jonathon.What is needed now is strong leadership by the ICC, what we will get is more back pedalling. Instead of giving the umpires authority to deal with incidents on the pitch, which is where they should be resolved, we now have a circus of match referees and hearings, appeals and bad blood. The notion of match referees is all wrong and has done nothing but create ill feeling over recent times, the list is growing of international incidents surrounding match referees, Proctor being the latest, now with two singles in the top ten! Lets give the umpires the authority to address the issues on the field, bad behaviour, petulance and basic attempts to "cheat" need immediate responses, perhaps similar to Rugby you could have yellow cards whereby players miss a session and the team is reduced to 10 men etc? What is patently obvious is that the current system does not work and encourages worsening standards of on-field behaviour which came to a head in Sydney but have been evident for many years.
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I totally agree Aggers, but also think that umpires are not completely blameless. Perhaps both umpires and players should look to the behaviour of Rudi Koertzen and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara for and example on how to play in the 'spirit of the game'. Koertzen incorrectly gave Sangakkara out on his way to his 200 and effectively dashed Sri Lanka's hopes of winning the 2nd test. Koertzen realised his decision was wrong and apologised and Sangakkara went a shook Koertzen's hand after the match. After loosing Captain Mahela Jayawardene congratulated the Australian team and applauded their great cricket. No wonder Sri Lanka won the 'spirit of cricket award' last year.
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It is thoughtful comment on the state of affairs in cricket today. There is too much money involved in cricket nowadays.
Since the behaviour of the cricketers can not change overnight, it is better to bring in technology to minimize the human error.
All field decisions can be challenged by any team for a fixed number of times in one innings. This will be reviewed by the third umpire and match referee on computer replays. If the team loses the challenge, they are penalized suitably.
Enquiries of misconduct are conducted by persons of legal background - not ex-players as is the case now. No person is punished unless proven conclusively guilty by hard evidence. Never by hearsay.
Since cricket has ceased to be a gentleman's game, radical measures are to be brought in to control the game.
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I think the crux of the article is a fair one.
However I'd question the criticism of Symonds, who was asked whether he was out. He answered honestly. And he expanded to say that he beleived over the course of time the good and bad decisions even out, hence his stance on the "walking" issue. As for the racism allegations, my guess is that he'd preferred to not have a big fuss made out of it and it was only teammates who reoprted it to their captain, who it turn told the umpires and match officials as he is required to do. I thought Australia were supposed to to flout and ignore the rules. What gives?
No, Australia's crime is to play by the rules whilst not adhereing to the rules of cricket etiquette that has been passed down over the years. We shouldn't be surprised though - all sports have been heading down this line for years. Even golf, the bastion of sportsmanship, shows signs of weakening. Sport is not sport anymore. It's a business. Take the money out of the game and I think you'd find it's slowly revert back to a more gentlemanly game.
Lastly, I can't help feel that there is a vast amount of witchhunting and "tall-poppy syndrome" as the Australians like to call it. While Australia are probably the most vocal team going around, all other teams like to have a crack. Where is the line? How much is too much?
I think Indian fans, who in one breath berate the Australians them claim that the indians play the game like gentlemen are either naive, forgetful or have a interesting definition of the word "gentleman". India (and they're not alone here) have been guilty of over-appealing, Sehwag being the first name that pops into my head. And the efforts of Sreesanth in the recent ODI's in India shouldn't be forgotten. It also is amusing that so many counties have scrambled to emulate Australia's success by hiring Australian coaches. Hypocrisy abounds.
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Unfortunately, it is my observation that we have now gone well past any crossroads. As an Australian living in the US, I depend on the inernet and social networks, such as this, to get all the news on cricket that I can. As an Australian I am extremely passionate about my home team.
But exposed as I am to everything that goes on across the US, for all sporting events I believe we are seeing something more consistent with the way the rest of the world views sporting events - winning is the only metric.
Not good, and just not cricket, I suspect - but I am not sure it will be all that easy to return to the behaviour of earlier decades. Let's face it - it's all about the money and about dominance. I don't care much for what I am reading, and I feel awkward defending some of the actions I have read about but again - what wre the options now? Are professional cricketers any different to other professional competitive sports? Are we really expecting too much if we think they should now modify their behavious and model it on former greats? For the most part, they don't even know who they are!
I firmly believe more electronics needs to be involved - each team needs to be able to go into any given innings knowing that they can call for an electronic review say two, or three, times during an innings. Maybe not as blatent as the red-flag throwing coaching staff we see along the sidelines in today's professional gridiron matches - but some mutually agreeable "challenge" options along these lines. Umpires and match referees should be able to communicate with other officials monitoring the TV feeds. Sure, it changes the game - but the technology exists.
We can't go back. We live in an MTV - Reality / Instapoll world where attitudes are evolving rapidly. Its a shame, but the "gig is up" as far as circket being a gentleman's passion is concerned. And today, it truly is a reflection on the direction our society has taken.
Richard B
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I have to agree with Jonathan. I am one of the new generation of cricket fans who somehow thought there was nothing wrong with sledging and having a bit of needle between the teams added to the viewing experience.
But as I watch test cricket more and more and understand its niceties, I have begun to appreciate how enjoyable it can be to watch a good test match. It won't be inaccurate to say that a test match can be perceived to be a microcosm of life and their is no other sport like it.
Although Aussies had always been a step ahead of their opponents in sledging, others teams are catching up fast -- Sangakkara and Sreesanth being prime examples. All this is doing though is tarnishing a darn good sport. Before it becomes a farce the authorities and players must do something to make the sport honorable again.
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Rakesh Patel have you forgotten about Dhoni claiming a "catch" against Pieterson? Australia is not the only team that supposedly cheats by claiming non-catches. India has form for this.
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Thanks Aggers for your well written piece - hit the spot. As a pommie living in Australia I watched the match last week and was quite amazed that once again these Australian schoolyard bullies were allowed to cheat and intimidate their way to another win. There is no doubt that they are a very fine team - the best in the world - without all of their intimidatory tactics. But those tactics more often than not seem to prevail and push opposing players and umpires into mistakes that I suspect would not happen otherwise, maybe the results would be different and more reflect the balance between the teams.
The racial incident seems to me to be a bit of a red herring, although I agree that if H Singh did say what was reported he should be punished, but one which was jumped on by Ponting as a perfect opportunity to put the Indian team off of their game. Until this incident it looked to me like India had got on top in the match and were making the Australian bowling look pretty ordinary. Contrast that with the second innings, which occurred after the accusations and in the most hostile atmosphere I have had the displeasure to watch in a test match. Add that to some poor umpiring decisions, which let's not forget were also made under extreme pressure in a very toxic atmosphere, and the result is no surprise.
There is one aspect that night have been overlooked in all of this, and that is the role and involvement of Cricket Australia. Australian cricket seems to be hell bent on winning at all costs and 'Cricket Australia' has the captain it wants if that is their objective. All I see and hear from Cricket Australia is blind support for Ponting and his approach, rather than upholding the spirit and traditions of sportsmanship and fair play, which should be part of their focus. It's about time Cricket Australia had a long hard look at the culture they have put in place while there's till time to reverse it.
There is one small silver lining though, and that is the reaction of many Australians in the days following the match. It seems that there is a groundswell of opinion that people are sick of the nasty and disrespectful approach taken by Ponting and the team and it's time to change. You never know - public opinion might in the end force a change. I won't hold my breath though....
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Absolutely right. Indians complaining as if they have the right to decide who umpires- they have been wronged (as has, i'm sure, Andrew Symonds), but this gives them no right to bully officials. Unfortunately, because India make more money for the sport (by far) than any other country, they also have (wrongly) the power to force officials to see things "their way".
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i took my sons to a beach cricket session yesterday.when i gave them out, they stood their ground and protested vigourously.they grounded a lot of catches but still claimed batsman out.when i asked them why they doing this, the reply was 'aussie players do it and get away with it so why cant we' ??? im a worried father now !!!!
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I have to disagree with almost everyone here. I watched the whole test match from days 1 to 5, and although there were some terrible decisions from both umpires I think both teams played in the right spirit of the game. I enjoyed harbajans celebration after taking pontings wicket, and watched transfixed as the aussies pushed for victory on the final day.
to say that other teams around the world would not have appealed as the aussies did for the bat-pad that Dravid (among other appeals) was out to is a lie. the catch that clarke took to dismiss ganguly was inconclusive after watching replays on TV, but i believe it was a fair catch.
as for the racism controversy the aussies use sledging to put doubt in the minds of the opposition. but i think they are careful to be on the right side of the line when it come to racist remarks. in the past when racist things have been said by an australian player they have been punished (Lehman in Sri Lanka). Harbajan knew that 'monkey' was an offence to say to Symmonds, the only black player on the team, after the debacle in India during the one day series last year.
Bad decisions from the umpires ( and I do bbelive that bucknor should retire as he was supposed to after the world cup)should not overlook the fact that racism should be condemned.
what I find more appalling (and I can understand that India players and public are upset) is the way they have tried to hold the game hostage by halting the rest of the tour unless harbajan is found not guilty. leave that to the courts to decide. and to then counter-claim that Brad Hogg has was a racist after he called one of the indians 'Bastd' which obviously has no racist connotaions.
I could go on and on....
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All competitive sports bring out the worst as well as the good in us. The Aussie attitude is reflective of our society's selfish and greedy values.
It is the win at all costs attitude of the press and others which turns decent sportsmen and some of their supporters into undesirable and offensive yobbos.
I regret to say it, but we are all guilty.
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Your all kidding yourselves. I can't believe the number of comments about Symonds not walking after nicking the ball. The English and Indian cricket teams are just as guilty as the Aussies in that regard. You talk about bad umpiring decisions, I cannot count how many bad decisions the Aussies received during the most recent Ashes series in England. The poor decisions cost Damien Martyn his career.
This is a perfect opportunity for the public from all cricket playing nations to start hammering the Aussies as they are unable to do it on the field. I would be sick of my nations team getting swept to love everytime we played the Aussies.
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I don't agree with Jonathan in that
1.
Now a days Cricket is purely played for money and controlled by business man.
It is not as bad as if Darrell Hair could have asked for $500,000 to quit during the controvery -
"This payment is to be the sum of US$500,000.00 details of which must be kept confidential by both parties," one letter read. "This sum to be paid directly into my account by 31st August 2006.
2.
Sreesanth wasn't involved in a racial row, Although it was more of childish/senseless behaviour. You can't take him as an example of an Indian cricket team.
I think it's all media coverage along with hi-tech re-plays. The World that Jonathan thinks has changed we live in a Gooogle-Gossip-media world.
Certainly cricket is not at cross roads it is the quality of umpiring
& cultural understanding?
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There is a big difference between umpire Darrell Hair's removal and umpire Steve Bucknor's removal.
Hair accused Pakistani team for ball tampering which means he was labeling them as "cheats" whereas there was no sufficient proof to back up the argument and finally Hair lost his case and his job and he is to be blamed for his own serendipities and stupidities.
Bucknor on the other hand was charged for incompetence which is not fair and he was removed because of the pressure tactics applied by the BCCI. I would say that the BCCI has not taken a straightforward course of action in getting Bucknor axed. They took a cover under the umbrella of Harbhajan Singh's ban and threatened to abandon the tour.
The ICC would not have bowed to their demand had there been no Harbhajan case. India wanted to kill two birds with one stone. They have succeeded in one and the other is far fetched. Because, the ICC is playing their cards very safe and accepted charges pressed by the Indians against the Australian bowler Brad Hogg.
It means, they have borrowed some time to weigh the pros and cons of the situation. Whether banning of Hogg will satisfy and pacify the Indians that players from both sides got punishment is fair and square? Or, they will see whether the Indians are serious about abandoning the tour? Right now the ICC is trapped between the devil and the deep sea.
India is also playing their cards safe, because they know that in case the tour is canceled they will have to pay penalties to the ICC and ACB approx. £1.17 million and the amount of money they will loose from the TV rights and advertising premiums must be ten times more than this amount. So, in my opinion their threat is more like caveat ēmptor. Only time will prove whether they are serious or they are playing bluff.
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Let me start by saying I am an Indian. I have great respect for the cricket playing abilities of the Australian team. They have great players with the bat, ball and in the field. However their sportsmanship is really lacking. They are the original sledgers. I think sledging has no part in any game, its digusting, its not playing hard, its just disgusting. The players are out there to play, a game that is, not to see who can emotionally damage the other team more. As for Harbajhan if he did say a racial comment, he should be punished. What the Indian fans are annoyed at is that the umpires never heard the supposed comment nor is there any proof. If Pointing or an Australian player is the one providing evidence saying the racial comment was said and the Indian witness Tendulkar says nothing happened, why is the Australian opinon given more recognition. This type of blind belief in the Australian players brings out the colonial anger in Indians who for centuries were subjected to this type of double standard.
As for the umpires, I recognize their job is not easy and mistakes do happen. However Bucknor does seem to make more mistakes when India is playing and 99% of the time the decisions go against India. I used to defend him with my Indian friends, saying mistakes happen, however now with this pattern of behaviour I have to agree with their view, the real racist here is Bucknor, he dislikes Indians.
The true loser here is the game of cricket, once a gentleman's game has been spoilt by foul mouthed players who are willing to do anything to win. India should return home, we are not British-India any more, if we are mistreated we will not stand for it.
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Some very pertinent comments Jonathan, Well done.
I would rather ICC change the rules to ban all sledging, war paints on the face and body as well as aggressive appealing. Also noballing all deliveries not generally directed at the stumps shall get rid of the intimidating bouncers and negative balling tricks and should improve the quality and make the contest between ball and bat really enjoyable.
Also very helpful shall be more use of technology , video replays , more use of referrals to third umpires and giving the teams right of say 5 appeals per innings to third umpire of review of percieved wrong umpiring decisions ( like in tennis where it happens without any hard feelings).If tennis can do it so can ICC in cricket to benefit of the game of cricket and all associated with it , the players, umpires as well as the genuine cricket lovers.
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Reasoned, articulate, and essentially correct observations by Aggers as ever. Much as I accept the necessity for cricket to keep pace with its sporting counterparts and thus tolerate commercialism in order to survive, this has led only to a dominance of the BCCI in world cricket. Would Umpires Hair or Bucknor have been treated as they have by the ICC had they not risked the wrath of the BCCI by inconveniancing Indian, and subcontinental, teams? I doubt it.
Australia had many poor calls go against them in the 2005 Ashes, England were essentially denied a victory against India at Lords this summer by a poor LBW decision by Umpire Bucknor, and yet neither reacted to these circumstances in the disproportionate manner that the BCCI have.
Where Harbhajan is concerned, as much as I can only deplore any racism in cricket, I applaud his response to systematic, ingrained and officially endorsed Australian gamesmanship. The treatment out to Graham Hick over a decade ago ought to have shamed the ICC into action; it seems to have done little more than set a model from which Australia then sledge their opponents. As difficult as a blanket ban on sledging would be to implement effectively, I would sooner see this, and perhaps lose a little character in the game, than endorse the likes of Hayden, Ponting, Symonds, Prior, Sreesanth, Smith and company.
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Rakesh Patel have you forgotten about Dhoni claiming a "catch" against Pieterson? Australia is not the only team that supposedly cheats by claiming non-catches. India has form for this.
Also Tendulkar didn't say that Harbhajan didn't call Symonds a monkey he said that he didn't hear what Harbhajan said. Not hearing what was said is quite different from hearing what was said and claiming it was different from the Australian version of events.
Finally Tendulkar was the catalyst behind this escalation of the crisis. He sent a text message to the BCCI wanting the tour to stop. The little master may be gracious on the field but his action off it have thrown the game into crisis.
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Remember Colin Cowdrey and the Spirit of Cricket? One reason I was attracted to the game as a youngster was that it was a fantastic challenge to one's character, self-discipline, teamwork skills, technique and ability as a player - yet, it was a game where one respected and admired one's opponents (and applauded their success) and where one understood that umpires also loved the game and would be mortified to make wrong decisions.
It is fine to play cricket with determination and passion, but it must - repeat, must- be done so in a way that encourages fairness, and genuine respect for one's fellow sportsmen and sportswomen. That is why I am pleased to help coach the game at school - because it can be a great educational experience. However, if cricket loses its true spirit - I see no value in it!
Perhaps then, it will be as well that it is set to become more of a minority sport in this country thanks to the ECB's shortsighted monopoly deals with Sky -but that is another story!
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I just wanted to make 350
i.e. Response number 350 to this article
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when a decision is made they do not like??
a decision?Maybe you need to watch the match again to see the 8 decisions that went against India...
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when a decision is made they do not like??
a decision?Maybe you need to watch the match again to see the 8 decisions that went against India...
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Well done Aggers. I love the game and played it myself. Nothing use to upset me more than a player who know's he is out and refuse to walk. As far as I understand it,the game of cricket is about a battle between bat and ball. Why then is the ICC so slack in asking Mr Symonds a few questions and not Mr Bucknor for bringing the game in disrepute.
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Yes jonathan,
But what about Harbhajan being punished without evidence??
Would this stand in a court of law where Pontings word is considered more important than the great master sachin??
Mike Proctor has accused the Indians of lying
Innocent until proven GUILTY with REAL evidence
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i agree with jonathan, but the fans of cricket expect a minimum basic standard fromm an international umpire, otherwise what is the use of paying them, every time u cannot excuse the umpires, in the case of lasast controversial test match steve bucknor,s decision was a turning point of the match, that is very serious, ithink its the time for icc to rely on technology rather than human umpires for having accurate decision and should also fix a retiremennt age of 50 for international umpires
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agree full stop with u aggers however I must state that it seems like India are being made innocent. India seem hard to work with and are bringing the game into disripute. Decisions don't go their all the time. get over it. Harbajhan is rasict. Chameleon man!!!!
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I am consistently amazed that Australia is frequently accused of the main offenders when it comes to the poor sportsmanship displayed in modern cricket - Most of the recent expamples have not been from the Australian side
- Pakistan walking off in a sulk
- An English player deliberatly throwing a ball into Hayden
- In the recent Sydney test - not just the racial abuse of Symonds
(a repat of the disgraceful abuse he recieved in India), but the pathetic time wasting tactic of the Indian no 10 in coming out with the wrong gloves
With respect to Symonds "gloating" - Jonathon - this was not gloating - this was honesty - an Australian trait that seems to be missing from your one sided Aussie bashing anaylsis
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I disagree. Jonathon, you ought to have mentioned Benson. While Steve Bucknor might have made genuine errors there was no excuse for Benson. He allowed Ponting to dictate that Ganguly was out - it is his sort of behavior that fuels allegations of double standards. He lost what an umpire is on the pitch for, and it was his authority, and he only must take the blame.
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Living in Australia I got to watch a great deal of the Sydney test and listen to the rest on the radio.
Both umpires had very bad games. It was shocking how many errors they made. However, most of them went against the Indians (pressure from the crowd/ Australian players?)
In AUstralias first innings alone, Ponting was given a life very early in his innings and was then wrongly given out 30 or 40 runs later (umpire compensating?). And Simmonds should have been out three times, according to the Australian commentators. That probably amounts to a 250-300 run gift to the Aussies. India would probably have won this game without that. There were also two bad decisions against India in their second innings. Kumble was batting comfortably and did not look like getting out until the umpire intervened and then with 11 balls to go another bad decision cost the penultimate wicket.
Overall the number of mistakes made by both umpires suggest that they should retire now (also suggested by Aussie commentators).
It seems to me that the standards of umpiring are dropping and that bad decisions are tending to favour the home teams (as In the recent England tour of Sri Lanka - but in that case England's performance and attitudes would have caused them to lose the series anyway)
It was also very predictable that the ICC would bow to pressure from India. England would not have been accommodated in the same way, nor would they have behaved (off the pitch) in this petulant way.
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I think the Indians carried themselves better than the Aussies in this match. And if the Indian captain - who impresses me as a man of character and integrity - claims that only one side was abiding by the spirit of cricket, then that is a serious matter. In short, I can take little satisfaction from the Aussies' record-equaling victory - and won't be able to take much satisfaction if we win the remaining matches, now that Ponting's nemesis Harbhajan has been suspended. I just feel so let down.
Reminds me of Shilpa Shetty vs Jade Goody issue.
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I am consistently amazed that Australia is frequently accused of the main offenders when it comes to the poor sportsmanship displayed in modern cricket - Most of the recent expamples have not been from the Australian side
- Pakistan walking off in a sulk
- An English player deliberatly throwing a ball into Hayden
- In the recent Sydney test - not just the racial abuse of Symonds
(a repat of the disgraceful abuse he recieved in India), but the pathetic time wasting tactic of the Indian no 10 in coming out with the wrong gloves
With respect to Symonds "gloating" - Jonathon - this was not gloating - this was honesty - an Australian trait that seems to be missing from your one sided Aussie bashing anaylsis
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In principle you are correct, it is not a good idea to remove umpires or other match officials at the behest of one team that looses a game. However if you had seen the Sydney test match then you would realize why the feeling is so strong against him and the other two as well. The standard of umpiring by all three (3rd umpire was probably the worst) was so appallingly bad that it was unbelievable. I am one who believes in respecting umpiring decisions and that overall they even themselves out. However, the Sydney test match was effectively won for Australia by the umpires.
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Aggers
I agree with the majority of your piece. As a sydneysider, I spent the 5 days at the Test Match and I comment as follows;
1) Both teams were playing hard, excessive appealing, slow over rates. Ponting in the Indian first innings confirmed he did not catch a edge in slips. Clarke confirmed the catch in the Indian second innings - Ponting took his players word.
2) Where is the commentary on India failing to bat out 70 overs to draw the match? They totally disintegrated under the pressure of the final day - Isn't this the purpose of a Test Match - to Test the individuals and teams playing?
3) Kumble stated that only one team was playing in the spirit of the game - well we have all moved on from quaint cambridge v oxford games in the 1900's. All I could see was when a decision was not to India's liking, they kicked the ground, refused to get back to the mark and start again and acting like petulant children.THe aussies just stood and waited for the umpire to make their decision, which as far as Iam concerned is the purpose of the umpire.
If there is anything that has come out of this is two things
1)that if the BCCI is not happy, they will hold the game to hostage due to the commercial clout they hold. The ICC is lame and needs a full over haul, as does the complaints review process. This should not be carried out by an umpire on the evening of the last day of a tight test.
2)An independant legal(groan) body as evident in nearly every other sport needs to review an incident if raised or reported by an on field umpire to clear all doubt and have force and effect.
Lets learn our lessons and move on. Change is necessary and will coontinue but lets manage it for the longterm benefit of the game.
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I agree that umpires can make mistakes but unintended mistakes tend to be random events. It is a statistical improbability that all most all adverse decisions are against one side, and all most all beneficial decisions are to the other side
I am also surprised (may be I should not be ) that there are very few comments about: (1) the bowler patting the umpire on his back at the end of an over in which Dravid was given out incorrectly, (2) referral of Yuvraj but not Ponting who was much more apparent showing his displeasure with his decision (although he was out at an earlier time), and (3) Australian players’ statements accepted with out any proof while Indian players statements not accepted (as in the case of Harbajan). I think there is some hypocrisy here.
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Well said Jonathan..as a Welsh born Aussie I love the cricket that's been played and is played by this country's fantastic players...I long for the spirit of the JPR William's great Welsh Rugby Era...it's there still, not far under the new era of Mega-Commerialised sport. The players are young and not always "the sharpest tool in the shed"-- from all countries I hasten to add. I've been through a full range of reactions to the "Monkey" incidents... do we want a totally silent environment on the field, bar discrete appeals..I don't think so ..but Maybe. Well done for Ricky's team's acheivements. Sorry India you sound duplictitous and insincere. We all remember the Umpire issues in across the subcontinent in the 60's to mid-90's..maybe forever. Let's get on with the Cricket. And other teams lift you act so we can have great contest between a range of nations AGAIN!.
That's it from me.
Ray Edwards Blue Mts NSW Au.
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Perhaps Ricky Ponting killed JFK as well? Those who claim the calling a black man a monkey is not a racist remark are on another planet. There were one or two regrettable incidents in that 2nd test but to label Ricky Ponting a "cheat" and a "poor excuse for a human being" belies belief for me. I was disappointed to see Michael Clark stand his ground after a massive edge to 1st slip but when the finger went up he walked. Immediately. Compare that with the Indians who stand and stare at the umpire for an age before finally walking. Ponting immediately told the umpire that a catch had not carried to him at what was a critical juncture in the match. Any credit for that? None. The Indian number 11 brought out 2 right handed gloves at the death and then spent 10 minutes getting it right. In the spirit of the game? Apparently. India don't like the umpiring (which was shocking). Their reaction? Threaten to go home. Good one. Now they will play on only if the ICC turn a blind eye to racism. Good one again. No evidence cry India. Do people truly believe that 5 Australian players blatantly lied about the incident to get rid of Harbajan because Ricky Ponting struggles against his bowling? Give me a break. I know it is very fashionable to portray Australia as the "Evil Empire" of cricket and there is always some justified criticism but there is very little balance in any of it.
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Now I can spot a band wagon when I see one. I'm at odds with many on a number of points.
Aussies (of which I'm one) are not bad losers they are bad winners. I think it is because we don't lose very often at cricket that we have forgotten how to respect others. In which case the current incident will have a positive result.
I have serious doubts that technology will actually improve matters. People complain that decisions should have been referred more often to the 3rd umpire yet when the Symonds stumping decision was referred and turned down they were still upset. On the 5th day when quite a bit of uneven bounce was occurring the Hawkeye replays were regularly giving an wrong prediction.
Symonds did not cheat or lie. When asked after if he was out he told the truth and said he was lucky and the umpires had made an error. He also pointed out that he had been out a number of times when not really out.
People forget that a catch by Ponting in the 1st innings that commentators said was good Ponting told the umpires it didn't carry. Clearly the act of an habitual cheat. Nobody seems to mention the errors that Bucknor made against the Aussies including the plumb LBW (according to Hawkeye) of Sachin in the 1st innings at about 30 before going onto make his beautiful century.
The Aussies over-cook it and I think this will redress it some what. Should be interesting in the 3rd test if the Indians get a bad call. A change of umpires for the 4th test maybe?
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What everyone seems to miss here is that surely 'abuse' cannot have differing levels of acceptability? Abuse is abuse and once it’s dished out, all gloves are taken off. As every boy has learnt the hard way in the playground, never start what you can’t finish, you will ultimately look very foolish.
I cannot understand how its OK to tell a man whilst he is batting that his wife is a whore and that she had sex with all the opposition batsmen the night before (I believe variations on this theme seem to particularly popular when Australian players 'sledge') but its NOT OK to call someone a monkey.
Errrrrrr …… POT. KETTLE. BLACK?!
The cat is out of the bag for Ponting and his side. They have become so deluded by self worth, they have totally lost the plot and in doing so been truly exposed for the nasty rotten people that they are.
Ricky Ponting, Shame on you.
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I think Bob Geldof should make an appeal so that mankind can come together and help return all of those toys to the Indian pram. Are the Aussie team wind-up merchants, smug and bullies? Certainly. Did the umpires make mistakes? Certainly. Have India a right to be miffed? Of course. Have they reacted in completely the wrong manner? YES, YES, AND YES.
As each day goes by I lose more respect for the Indian team. "Re-instate Harbhajan or else we're off wah wah wah". "The Aussies are cheats gripe gripe gripe" (didn't Ponting also tell the umpires after a previous catch that the ball had not carried?). "Monkey isn't an offensive term in India". Seeing as the Australians are so big, bad and mean why would dear, sweet, innocent Harbhajan need to praise Andrew Symonds?
Just take your ball and go home. At least you won't lose 4-0 in the proper manner then.
p.s. Australia, learn some respect for your opponents and the game while we're at it. If you really want to be all smug about not being given out when you should have been then share it with the wife when you get home, not the whole planet.
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Jon,
Nice to read your script. However, don’t you think that ICC should revise the Rule of UMPIRE ULTIMATUM on the field, loooong before? Have you seen any Indian player uproar against Taufel during England last summer? They did not. The simple fact is, it’s not two errors, in fact its 12 in total. Including Mark Benson two huge errors.
The fume started when Aussies requested, the decision appealed for TV umpire and when Indians requested it’s rejected there itself by both the umpires on several occasions.
The solution is:
ICC should have to change the rule whereby, if any error decision can be overturned by Match referee / 3 rd umpires even if on field umpire did not appeal, right from the next match. Then, you will see India or any other country wont request umpires to be sacked. Coz umpires are not GOD. They are humans and hence errors are plausible. Law and rules are there to stop errors.
Otherwise you can not stop this here!!!
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Can someone please tell me what the Australians did that was so unsporting? Ponting claimed a catch that I would have claimed. He looked as though he was in control when his hand hit the ground. They appealled for the dismissal of Dravid when he wasnt out - That happens 50 times an innings. Not one of the Australians has admitted appealing when they knew it wasnt out. If they were appealing excessively then then that is against the law and they should be charged - there has been no mention of that. Symmonds admitted that he was out - I didnt see it as gloating - he just was making the point that he is not a walker like everyone else in test cricket except Jonty Rhodes and Adam Gilchrist and justifying his right to not walk. Ponting telling the ump that clarke had claimed the catch (rightfully as shown in the replays)and therefore Ganguly should go - he was just upholding the prior agreement between the captains.I just dont get what all the fuss is about. I think the pressure applied by the BCCI re Bucknor, Singh and the rest of the tour to be appalling. That is far more damaging to the game and so unsporting - its crying home when things dont go your way.
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Gone are the days when England and Australia used to say the last word in the Cricket world.This so called Gamesmanship of the aussies, which is expressed only in abusive language, are no more tolerated by the asian teams and they are paid back in the same coin(Although anyone who is even a little aware of the Indian culture knows its a lie Harbhajan called Symonds a monkey,of which the Aussies and ICC have no proof).Now if that seems unacceptable to them, so be it.Umpires that make repeated mistakes specifically against one side, are not just incompetent, but dishonest too and have no place in the game, whether the ICC or the CA likes it or not.If the aussies want to win , they have to win by cricketing means.These 16 wins in a row actually is meaningless since many of such matches would have the opposite results (like the sydney test) had the umpires not favored the aussies.
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Many seem to have short memories about the West Indies onduct in the eighties.
If I recall, colin Croft hit an umpire, Michael holding kicked over stumps after decisions were given against him, Viv Richards threatened journalists and other players physically,and Clive Lloyd led his side in walk offs because he didn't like umpires decisions.
Not a gracious side at all.
Let's not look at the past through rose-coloured glasses.
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This has been said by many Asian Cricketers like Inzamam, Wasim Akram and Gavaskar that Aussies tend to play unfair and gets involved in sledging.
Match referee Mike Procter was quick to ban Pakistan's captain for unfair play in 2003, so shouldn't he do the same with Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting?
After the third Test in Multan, Latif was banned from one-day internationals for unfair play, having claimed a catch whereas he had actually grounded the ball and never completed the catch. Fair and square. Well done Mr Procter.
Would someone remind the same Mr. Procter today about the numerous unfair claims made by the Australian team in this week's second Test – the catch by Michael Clarke for which 'fourth umpire' Ricky Ponting proclaimed the decision. Or the catch which Ponting himself claimed after grounding the ball – before going on to have the audacity to proclaim himself as the flag-bearer of integrity in the press conference after the game.
My dear Mr Procter, ignoring a similar unfair act by a white player while having decreed against an Asian player is also racism. How many years of ban do you recommend for your own acts?
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This has been said by many Asian Cricketers like Inzamam, Wasim Akram and Gavaskar that Aussies tend to play unfair and gets involved in sledging.
Match referee Mike Procter was quick to ban Pakistan's captain for unfair play in 2003, so shouldn't he do the same with Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting?
After the third Test in Multan, Latif was banned from one-day internationals for unfair play, having claimed a catch whereas he had actually grounded the ball and never completed the catch. Fair and square. Well done Mr Procter.
Would someone remind the same Mr. Procter today about the numerous unfair claims made by the Australian team in this week's second Test – the catch by Michael Clarke for which 'fourth umpire' Ricky Ponting proclaimed the decision. Or the catch which Ponting himself claimed after grounding the ball – before going on to have the audacity to proclaim himself as the flag-bearer of integrity in the press conference after the game.
My dear Mr Procter, ignoring a similar unfair act by a white player while having decreed against an Asian player is also racism. How many years of ban do you recommend for your own acts?
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Many seem to have short memories about the West Indies onduct in the eighties.
If I recall, colin Croft hit an umpire, Michael holding kicked over stumps after decisions were given against him, Viv Richards threatened journalists and other players physically,and Clive Lloyd led his side in walk offs because he didn't like umpires decisions.
Not a gracious side at all.
Let's not look at the past through rose-coloured glasses.
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I think the Indians carried themselves better than the Aussies in this match (reminds me of Shilpa Shetty vs Jade Goody row). And if the Indian captain - who impresses me as a man of character and integrity - claims that only one side was abiding by the spirit of cricket, then that is a serious matter. In short, I can take little satisfaction from the Aussies' record-equaling victory - and won't be able to take much satisfaction if we win the remaining matches, now that Ponting's nemesis Harbhajan has been suspended. I just feel so let down.
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"Little wonder that, sometimes, a volatile character lashes out in what he would perceive as self-defence, and what does it say of these "hard" men that they then go and report him to the umpire?"
Aggers
Please get you facts straight. Ricky ponting was directed by the match referee to report all racist comments and the ICC have subsequently found HS guilty of making a racist comment. It is not case of "giving it but not being able to take it".
The only double standards being applied here are by the indian cricket board who denied that the indian crowds made monkey gestures to Symonds. At no time did I see the Aussies threaten to take their bat and ball and go home.
On the walking issue, answer me this -if Symonds had walked after the after umpire had given him not out would that not have equal effect on the umpire's confidence - it still has the effect of showing the umpire that he made the wrong decision.
In addition, I would be grateful if you point out all the other batsman who have said that they will walk (including any Englishmen). This is not purely an issue relating to Australian players so please don't make it one.
I would have expected are more balanced and informed article from someone of your standing. If you don't like the way Australia play cricket, don't watch.
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Whilst I believe Aggers makes a number of valid points, I also believe he is pandering to a large number of aggrieved people with family links in India who have been flooding the BBC debates on this subject. Many of these views are quite hysterical and smack of fanaticism. It is after all just a game. These views would not have been so full of vitriol if India had managed to draw the game instead of losing 3 wickets in the penultimate over. Australia also seems to be wearing the brunt of umpiring errors that favoured them. I believe that Australia's long term dominance of cricket has fuelled ill feeling towards it, as envy has a tendency to this.
Aggers talks about Ponting and Australia not playing within the spirit of the cricket, and trying to con the umpires. What is the "spirit of cricket"? Is this not something the ICC should govern and articulate in its code of conduct? If it is a question of walking when you know you're out, or only appealing when you truly believe an opposition player should be given out, how many players or countries actually play within the spirit of the game? Adam Gilchrist is the only prominent player I'm aware of as someone who always walks when he believes he is out. I don't know of any international teams who only appeal when they are convinced someone must be given out. If that is not the case, all players would make for terrible umpires if the opted for this as an alternative career within the sport. Much has been made of Australia's exuberant celebrations when they won the game, but perhaps this is understandable when you win unexpectedly at the 11th hour. It wasn't anymore over the top than Harbhajan's celebration after he dismissed Ponting in the second innings. How would India have celebrated if they had won? I won't even bother making comparison with accepted goal celebrations in football. I don't think celebrating victory is disrespectful to the opposition.
Aggers also makes the observation that Australia can give it, but can't take it. The word "monkey" was used in a racist context when referenced to Symonds. Its origins were in India late last year during the ODI series with Australia. The behaviour from some of the Indian players and spectators was quite disgraceful at this time and the word "monkey" was directed towards Symonds on a number of occasions. It has been reported that there was agreement between India and Australia that this not be repeated in Australia. Harbhajan breached that agreement. Both captains also have a responsibility to report racist incidences to the cricket authorities, which Ponting has done in the Harbhajan case. It goes against the Australian character to "dob someone in", but he was required to this once it was brought to his attention. Making racist remarks is different to sledging, so this is not about being able to give and take abuse. Whilst many Indians consider it is Symonds' word against Harbhajan's, surely they don't really think Symonds (and other Australian players) would make this up? Harbhajan hasn't exactly been a choir boy in the past and has been involved in many heated exchanges with opposition players.
I do agree that the sledging Australia engages in is both unreasonable and unnecessary. They aren't however the only ones to do so. Sledging has no place in any sport, and is usually outlawed because it tends to be abusive rather than good natured banter. Sporting laws tend to govern agaisnt the potential for unnecessary flare ups or conflict, which is why for instance Football laws require a yellow card for unsporting behaviour and a red card if a player uses offensive, insulting or abusive language or gestures. I therefore can't see any reason why cricket should allow or tolerate behaviour that is not acceptable in more combative sports. I (along with many other Australians) would love for the cricket laws or its code of conduct to change to eliminate this type of intimidation from the game, as it doesn't add to the entertainment value or skill level of the game, which I believe the ICC has a responsibility to promote and to protect.
I take exception with Aggers' view that Symonds gloated about not being given out when he edged behind. Rather than this being a miserable performance, he was simply being honest about what had occurred. He also reflected on this as a stroke of luck, which somewhat off-set many bad decisions he had received in the past.
I very much agree that cricket is at a crossroads and in danger of being held to ransom by economically powerful nations because the game is now run by business people. The removal of umpires because of pressure by countries who feel aggrieved by some of their decisions sets a dangerous precedent, as it will only encourage countries to push their luck with such demands in the future. In a similar vein, pressure predominately from the economically powerful (in cricket terms) Asian sub-continent countries, has already resulted in changes to the cricket laws to allow an increase in the permissible elbow bend of the bowling arm, which only serves to accommodate questionable bowling actions and deliveries (Doosra). I think over time the danger is that India will only be encouraged to increasingly bully the rest of the cricket world because of its economic cricket clout, so it is important that the ICC stands up to India sooner rather than later.
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Hope India drop both the 'suspects' Sachin (whose is now assumed to be lying) and Harbhajan (who is charged with making racist remark) If they do play, and then the charge sticks wouldn't it be silly ? I wish the Indian team management has the guts to do that. As for Ponting I bet he will score a century in the next test match !
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Paul,
Nice to read your script. However, don’t you think that ICC should revise the Rule of UMPIRE ULTIMATUM on the field, loooong before? Have you seen any Indian player uproar against Taufel during England last summer? They did not. The simple fact is, it’s not two errors, in fact its 12 in total. Including Mark Benson two huge errors.
The fume started when Aussies requested decision appealed for TV umpire and when Indians requested it’s rejected there itself by both the umpires on several occasions.
The solution is:
ICC should have to change the rule whereby, if any error decision can be overturned by Match referee / 3 rd umpires even if on field umpire did not appeal, right from the next match. Then, you will see India or any other country wont request umpires to be sacked. Coz umpires are not GOD. They are humans and hence errors are plausible. Law and rules are there to stop errors.
Otherwise you can not stop this here!!!
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I disagree. Jonathon, you ought to have mentioned Benson. While Steve Bucknor might have made genuine errors there was no such excuse for Benson. It is his behavior that fuels allegations of double standards - he allowed Ponting to dictate that Ganguly was out. Benson lost the authority, and ther is no excuse for that. That umpire was certainly a problem because I don't blame any player for that.
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Agree with the author that players' bad behavior is a problem which needs to be ruthlessly weeded out by banning players for a year or two instead of a few paltry matches.
But, do not agree with the author's view on the umpires, be it Hair or Bucknor. The latter consistently makes bad decisions and therefore is not competent to perform the job he is paid to do. Such an employee would be fired from any job and cricket umpiring should be no different.
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Its interesting that this racial slur occured when for the first time in the series the Aussies were being dominated. Its also interesting that no one heard what was said except the Australians. Maybe we shouldn't be questioning if Harbajan made this racist comment....but instead should be questioning if the Australian "win at all cost" attitude has resulted in them sinking so low that they would falsely accuse a member of the opposition team of racist abuse to attempt to change the momentum of a test match. I hope for the sake of cricket I'm wrong...but I wouldn't be surprised if I'm not.
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Hello Mr Agnew - you've totally nailed the problem of boorishness within cricket! As someone who is reliant upon the internet for up-to-date cricket news (I don't get satellite TV), I can't comment on the alleged behaviour directly, but I do agree that top-flight players must shoulder responsibility for their behaviour on (and off) the field of play as they are representing their respective countries and federations. I also believe that the ICC need to stand up for the GAME of CRICKET, not the moneymen. Making a scapegoat of the umpire - even if his skills are considered below par - smacks of cowardice in my humble opinion. The ICC need to show some resolve and integrity.
Final point - modern technology such as 'Snickometer' and 'Hawkeye' should serve the umpires, not the other way around. If the umpire's authority is further undermined, I fear for the future of the game that I love.
Thanks again for a brilliant article - remember those of us who don't have 'Sky' rely on you and your colleagues!!!
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As someone who actually watched all 5 days of the test match I think that there needs to be a bit of balance in the attack on the Australians. Firstly, you need to put all bad umpiring decisions aside. As for player transgressions, I think that each side was equally as bad (but not as bad as everyone who didn't see the entire game seems to think). If the Australians thought that Dravid was not out, then the Indians must have thought that Ponting's LBW was also not out. What was Symonds supposed to say when he was questioned about the caught behind? That he didn't hit it?! Being honest is not "gloating". And, if he was racially vilified then what was Ponting to do? Ignore it? Of course not. And India have now accused Hogg of similar comments. Fair enough. Did Australia celebrate a little too hard when they won? Yes, but it was an extraordinary win. Did Harbijan overdo his celebration when he took Ponting's wicket? Did he ever. Ponting also should be commended for refusing to accept a low down catch, but instead India bleat about a catch that everyone could see was fair. India have taken their bat and ball and threatened to go home like spoilt children. They don't like umpires, they don't like decisions, they don't like losing so they want to go home. The funny thing is that if the match ended in a draw, none of this would be an issue. I'm not saying either team is perfect, but they are not the demons that some people seem to think.
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What ever happened to sportsmanship?
The game of Cricket has indeed met a crossroads. But the umpires should shoulder part of the blame here. Some of the decisions were atrocious. The fact that everything is replayed on the big screen immediately afterwards does little to help their cause, when officiating blunders are so obviously laid bare.
The Australians should be ashamed of their role in this. They saw the umpires were rattled and they sought to take advantage of it. Everything including the allegations of racial abuse seem part of an orchestrated campaign. Victory at whatever the cost.
I only hope in years to come Ricky Ponting can look back upon what would have been an outstanding career on paper and feel proud that he captained a team at the highest level, using some of the lowest methods imaginable.
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Can someone please tell me what the Australians did that was so unsporting? Ponting claimed a catch that I would have claimed. He looked as though he was in control when his hand hit the ground. They appealled for the dismissal of Dravid when he wasnt out - That happens 50 times an innings. Not one of the Australians has admitted appealing when they knew it wasnt out. If they were appealing excessively then then that is against the law and they should be charged - there has been no mention of that. Symmonds admitted that he was out - I didnt see it as gloating - he just was making the point that he is not a walker like everyone else in test cricket except Jonty Rhodes and Adam Gilchrist and justifying his right to not walk. Ponting telling the ump that clarke had claimed the catch (rightfully as shown in the replays)and therefore Ganguly should go - he was just upholding the prior agreement between the captains.I just dont get what all the fuss is about. I think the pressure applied by the BCCI re Bucknor, Singh and the rest of the tour to be appalling. That is far more damaging to the game and so unsporting - its crying home when things dont go your way.
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I hope that the Australians completely change their method of appealing to"Lee runs in bowls on off stump which swings away late catches a thick outside edge of Tendulkas bat and is caught by Gilchrist"There is no appeal from anyone.Lee then asks "Adam do you think that he nicked that last ball?".Gilchrist to Lee "Yes Brett I think he did but refer it to Ricki to see if it is worth appealing".Lee to Ponting"Ricki do you think that I should Appeal?Ponting to Lee"No Brett as Sashin will probably SMS the BCCI Chairman and complain that you appealed and he may be given out or perhaps refer it to the eighth umpire to get a totally Indian decision which previous touring teams to India had to put up with for about a 100 years.OMG I hope that Tony,Ackers,Peter don't have their lip readers with them or I could be in more trouble.Look we are at the WACA with its bouncy wicket,just go back and let one fly to take his head off and then we don't have to appeal".Lee to Ponting"Not a good idea as the Indian management will claim that we have gone from mental disintergration to physical intimidation.I will finish the over and then let Gilly have a bowl but he must wear his pads so that he does not run in to fast".Ponting to Gilchrist"You're on at the other end when Brett finishes his over but if I think that you are trying to get wickets I will relieve you with Phil"
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Too kind to say they have been at it for at least 3 years. This arrogant and out of touch team has been at it for over 13 years. And they make me- and numerous of my countrymen- feel ashamed to be an Australian cricket supporter. Thanks for raising these issues Mr Agnew.
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With 360 comments before me, this must be a popular article! And well written Jon!!
While I agree about everything you have said, I beg to differ on one point. You seem to suggest that NOTHING should be done about umpires who clearly sway the result of a match just by raising (or not) a finger, no matter how incorrect it may be? What motivation would any player have, if he knows that he may be working real hard all day but may end up with nothing, because an umpire made 'mistakes'? How should a player take responsibility for what he didn't do?
Technology is here to reduce the pressure on the umpires. Why not use it?
And last but not the least, is it really a coincidence that every 'mistake' made by the umpire in this Test favored one team? It's any sober man's guess!!
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A lot of very important home truths. The fact that both Indian and Australian fans seem to find them objectionable seems to suggest that the balance is right!
Unfortunately, umpires are going to feel increasingly intimidated. Marginal decisions risk becoming influenced by umpires wondering if they dare risk making a mistake against certain sides. A white umpire becomes a racist with a track record of showing it on the field of play. A black umpire is simply incompetant, or selected for his docility and willingness to play along with unwritten instructions to stop certain sides winning at all costs.
However, I would disagree with the suggestion that the Daryll Hair was the detonator. What happened to him was simply a ratcheting-up of pressure that started when a match referee (Mike Denness) was refused admission to a Test because one side was unhappy with HIS decisions. In that case the ICC did take a firm stand, but the incident was allowed to pass, creating a dangerous precedent. Daryll Hare was simply the inevitable victim that was bound to crop up in the end as sides got bolder in their demands. It's also worth remembering that the countries that protest loudest are also the ones that had a reputation for partial umpiring in the past.
Right now there is an increasingly serious problem with the danger of sides dictating which officials they will permit and holding the ICC to ransom every time a decision goes against them.
That though does not mean that India do not have a genuine grievance on this occasion and that the behaviour of some of the Australian team has not served to fan the flames. However, with cricket increasingly mortgaged to commercial interests, it's hard to know what can be done to avoid things getting worse and worse, particularly now that the ICC has caved in and removed a second umpire.
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Here is more Agger, on the issue of Harbhajansingh
The question is, did he?
Australia trotted out some witnesses. Symonds himself, but he is the injured party - while he deserves to be listened to, his word alone has no evidentiary value. And if a lot of us feel that Australian players and even its media are not above concocting a story to gain an unfair advantage, well, sorry, but the team and the way it plays its cricket are to blame - when you resort to sharp practice, prepare to have your credibility dented.
Why Ponting should be banned
Another witness is Ricky Ponting - who had it from Symonds. Hearsay is not evidence; it is even less so coming from Ponting, who thanks to his own actions finds his credibility in the toilet.
The third was Adam Gilchrist, who was at the other end of the pitch, and could not have heard something the straight umpire did not. In passing, there is some doubt about Gilchrist's vision and hearing both - created when he vociferously claimed a catch against Dravid when he was perfectly placed to see that the bat was behind the pad, and to hear the sound it made coming off the top of the pad.
There was only one other person within earshot - and his name is Sachin Tendulkar. And guess what, Mike Proctor said he believe 'one party is saying the truth' and he infused the Ban on Indian spinner..
The bottomline is the officials standing in that game , who by their actions reduced the ICC's own showpiece event to a comical horror story.
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It is sad to see a world beater side play cricket in such unsportsmanlike manner bringing the game to disrepute.
Gone are the days when captains used to call back rival batsman after being given out by bad umpiring decision.
Ponting is representing Australia in the world stage and he should restrain his team members from intimidating rivals on the field. This behavior is not acceptable and he should be relieved of his duties if he is unable to handle the "wild dogs" as the world started calling them recently.
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Excellent article in all respects JA - would expect nothing less from your good self.I for one want a summer of good cricket to look forward to - not one where controversy will overshadow the game
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My only problem with this article is that it does not go far enough in its criticism of the Australians. This was not a small extension of sledging or simply a case of them pushing things too far...it was an unprecedented explosion of bare-faced cheating and naked aggression. Ponting is clearly the Australian equivalent of Jardine. Ponting's latest comment that "he had nothing personal to gain" from reporting Harbhajan is further evidence that he thinks he can pull the wool over the entire cricketing world's eyes. With Clarke and Symonds in his side there is no doubt that Australian cricket has not reached its low point yet; I am afraid this is the start and not the end of this lamentable chapter in cricket history. Things will get much worse now that he has gotten away with his antics in this Test, and there is no limit to how low he and this team will go in their desire to win.
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The self righteous carping that claims that batsmen must walk is complete rubbish. Grace didn't walk and neither did Bradman (or any of the current Indian team, even when Sharma hit it to first slip). Dhoni claimed a half volley last year (from Pietersen) and no one gave it a second thought.
I agree that the game cold do with some more graciousness (not least from the ICC who seem to cave into sub-continental teams at the first sign of tears welling in their eyes), but everyone needs to get over the fallacy that it's some fairy tale wonder land where everyone acts with complete honesty. They don't now (not any team,Indian included) and they never have.
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Did Symonds really gloat? Did Aggers see the press conference? Clearly not..... He has paraphrased from Roebuck who wrote a ridiculously sensationalist column.
Symonds was asked if he hit it and he responded that he did, but said that his attitude its not to walk as "decisions go both ways".
You can debate the rights and wrongs of this, but lets at least get our facts right Aggers.
Agree that the Aussies may go too far chasing a result, but there are separate incidents here and should be viewed as that. The "Monkey" slur should be dealt with as racism (if proven) as it also happened to Symonds when he was in India 2 months ago by the crowd and allegely by Singh on that occasion as well.
I suggest that people start looking at the facts and stop overreacting.
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Two wrongs don’t make a right.
The latest decision by ICC to ‘ban’ Mr. Stephen Anthony Bucknor from officiating in the Perth test just proves the flexing ‘pawar’ (read power) of BCCI. Under the guise of being ‘flexible’ and ‘preventing further aggravation’ the ICC has pandered to the whims of BCCI which in turn has used this situation to play to the masses as well as the players sentiments. I do not know Mr. Bucknor personally, however judging from the recent decline in his professional abilities on the cricket field, pursuing his avocation of refereeing football matches is something he ought to have considered longtime back. Nevertheless, is this peremptory sacking of Mr. Bucknor fair? And what are the repercussions of this seminal verdict?
1. Was Mr. Bucknor the worst performing umpire in the elite panel? Can the ICC make the umpire performance ratings public just as a player’s statistics are open for scrutiny? A two tier umpire pool is the need of hour with promotion of the top performers of the second tier to the elite panel and the relegation of the worst elite umpires to the second tier.
2. Mr. Bucknor’s sacking will set an unhealthy trend of questioning the umpires’ abilities every time a team (especially one funneling the coffers) finds itself slighted by a couple of wrong decisions. Darrell Hair-Pakistan fiasco and now Bucknor-Team India charade will make every cricket umpire think thrice before taking any bold unpopular decisions even if they are necessary or simply follow the cricket rule books. Or they may just turn a blind eye to many proceedings on the field instead of getting involved into any potential controversies.
3. The ICC is sending out wrong signals to its own employees, the umpires, by unceremoniously removing Mr. Bucknor from his scheduled duties. It is a radical decision that will stigmatize Mr. Bucknor’s career and life hereafter, whether he deserves it or not. More importantly, what the other umpires will read between the lines is as follows: a) they are entirely dispensable at anytime b) no one will stand up for them c) they do not have a strong lobby c) they have to be politically correct even if it compromises on their neutrality and decision making abilities.
4. Mr. Bucknor’s sacking is akin to performing amputation of the foot for treating a patient of head injury. Everyone knows the malaise; overworked, thinly resourced umpires panel officiating in high profile matches under emotionally charged and extreme pressure environment leading to inadvertent wrong decisions, especially if made in critical situations spells perfect recipe for disaster. However, the solution for this problem starts with diagnosing the right cause of the ailment and then providing the correct treatment. Does the ICC invest enough in umpire training? Does the ICC have any plans for expanding the pool of umpires? I would imagine that a considerable amount of time, money and efforts would have to be invested before any umpire can achieve competency to perform optimally at the international level.
5. Why is Mr. Bucknor singled out for his performance? The other officiating umpire, Mr. Mark Richard Benson was as guilty of making erroneous decisions on the field. I would make a tongue-in-cheek comment that censuring Mr. Bucknor to this extent and not even rapping Mr. Benson’s knuckles reeks more of racism than the alleged monkey business involving Mr. Harbhajan Singh and Mr. Andrew Symonds. If a team performs poorly in terms of over-rates, its captain has to forfeit a percentage of his match fees. A similar penalty, first in financial terms and later in number of matches assigned (less matches for poorly performing umpires) can be considered for poorly performing umpires. Mr. Bucknor could have been docked his match fees partly or in whole and this information could have been made public to provide an amicable solution to this episode. Furthermore, it should not be difficult to conjure performance based remuneration for umpires in this widely commercialized sport, if there isn’t one already in existence.
6. To wrap this up, I would like to mention that it was Mr. Stephen Anthony Bucknor who turned down quite a few lbw appeals, some legitimate, in India’s second innings to play a small but critical part in denying England a chance to go one up in the 2007 three test series. What cascading effect this undeserved draw had on the final outcome of the series is known to all.
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Thanks for the article Jonathan. I do however have one serious point of contention. I say that Bucknor's removal is an absolutely just decision.
There can be no doubt that the quality of umpiring in the test was atrocious. Yes umpire's do make mistakes, but a dozen is not acceptable even at school level. For those who claim this will set a precedent for teams to question umpire's, it can well be countered that wouldn't poor umpiring set a precedent for more poor umpiring to be let off. The Game has evolved, into high stakes, thus poor decisions cannot be considered a part and parcel the way they used to be. Further if in future a team is not happy with an umpire, and asks for another, what is the guarantee he'll do better? So the question will arise only if the umpire is in fact considered significantly inferior.
But my main point to counter question on whether India have a legitimate right to ask for an umpiring change is this:
If instead of 10, Bucknor made 50 mistakes in the match. But not a whimper of protest was seen either on the field or outside. Not a word was spoken or debated against it, and in all due respect everyone just carried on. WOULD THE ICC IN ALL ITS HOLY SENSE OF JUSTICE, HAVE REMOVED HIM ON ITS OWN ACCORD FOR INFERIOR LEVELS OF PROFFESSIONAL UMPIRING? That is the question!
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"Umpires will always make mistakes"
Cricket match will be a mere formality to cricket fans if this is the case.
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Well said Jonathan!Even accepting that the umpires had a match to forget with many wrong decisions,it is the players and in particular the Australian players who should accept responsibility for the shambles that unfolded in Sydney.As good as the Australian team is,they are bad sportsmen and its win at all costs with them even if it involves down right cheating.Andrew Symonds benefited hugely from a poor umpiring decision,but to go on national television and gloat about it is down right disgraceful.He is the one who should be punished along with his captain who time after time sanctions the appalling behaviour that is often witnessed of his team.
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In cricket, umpire is somebody who needs to have the trust from both the participating teams. The team which took the brunt of the bad umpiring decisions in this match (India), is not asking the result of the match to be changed, because of the bad umpiring decisions. It accepted all those bad decisions gracefully. However, it is politely saying that, we can't trust the judgement of these umpires anymore, who are consulting with the opposing team to make their decision. What is the point of playing a new match, if one of the teams completely lost its trust on the umpires? If you look at the whole issue in that light, it is a right decision to pull out these two umpires from the next match, as whatever decisions they make in the next match will not be trusted by the players as well as the larger cricket fans.
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Aggers, I agree with what has been said but the decisions were awful. Don’t you think it is time that technology played a part? In tennis a player is allowed 2 challenges per set why not something similar in cricket. The fielding side should be allowed 2 challenges per innings e.g. when India believed Symonds was out caught behind they should be allowed a challenge referred to the 3rd umpire, similarly a batsman who gets the inside edge and is given out LBW should be allowed 1 challenge during his innings. The use of technology has not diminished the respect for the umpires in tennis so why not try this in cricket. Look at other sports, England were denied a ‘try’ in the Rugby World Cup final thanks to technology, not matter how unpalatable the decision it was correct. Perhaps the use of such challenges would mean Andrew Symonds would follow Adam Gilchrist’s example and encourage him to walk.
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I can't help wondering if in the unlikely situation that England were world champions and played the game to win whether this article would not whole heartly support the England team's actions. Unlike England and India, Australia has a sporting mental toughness that is rewarded with trophies in almost every sport we play. Your article stinks of a man with an enormous chip on his shoulder. The only thing the Australian cricket world champions are guilty of is making the game exciting and incredibly entertaining to watch. Ricky Pointing - I salute you and am proud for you to be our national ambassador!
Proud Australian Winner.
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Does anyone remember the english celebrating an ashes victory when Kasporwitch (sorry about the spelling) was incorrectly given out to seal victory?
Umpiring effects all teams. Australians should celebrate 16 in a row and be proud of that, and to suggest that the victories are weak becuase of bad umpiring decisions is wrong and so short sighted.
As for the aussie attitude; yes it goes too far sometimes. But that does not mean that racism should be an acceptable reply.
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Is it possible to get a hearing or discussion for my observation? I note from other forums that there are many in my situation with the same comment - cricket lover, not Australian, resident in Australia, thereby witness to international matches here.
For about ten years, the average game here, irrespective of opponent, sees umpiring mistakes resulting in Australia having about twelve wickets, opponents about eight!
Proof is readily available merely by studying the video tapes.
This is one heck of a statistic to occur randomly, is it not?
I would not even suggest corruption as such BUT, how on earth could this be so?
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Well said Aggers. What distain the Australians treat the spirt of this great game. Cricket has a habit of sorting the good from the bad, I have the faith!
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It is time for those respomsible for this debacle to stand up and be counted:
(1) Mr Bucknor and Mr. Benson for a record number of umpiring mistakes, which swayed the game.
(2) ICC leadership for not monitoring the quality and competency of their umpires' pool and then pretending they have no control over the current state of affairs
(3) The Aussies team for trying to steal wickets. Ricky Ponting, should win an Oscar for the apparant catch at silly point
(4) Harbajan Singh for the boorish comment, if indeed he used the comment.
The world as changed, however, cricket and its leadership is slow to change. It is time the leadership of ICC reflected the realities on the ground. England and Australia do not control the sport any more, or the very least should not.
Dylan
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Aggers made some very valid points about the decline of sportsmanship which applies to most sports these days.
I have to say that I really cannot understand why calling someone a monkey is racially abusive.I have two monkeys at home,a boy aged twelve and a girl aged eight and I love them to pieces!
What is the world coming to?
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I find this discussion so much about Aussie bashing it is not funny. This is typical of knocking the tall poppy.
No mention is made of the poor show by India. yes India had the worst rub of the green by the umps but the team can not walk tall.
1) India never walked
2) Harbajan over the top celebration and pointing to the dressing room - did u see the Aussies do this (they have been fined in the past for it)
3) Excessive appealing just like the Aussies
4) accusations of cheating - dangerous precedent considering the players accused have a history of fair play on calls on contentious catches.
5) tit for tat accusations of abuse. This is school yard stuff.
6) Holding to ransom the cricketing world.
And theres more, so lets not paint the Indians as saints, they are so full of hyprocicy and arrogance that they have blown any moral standing.
I watched the game and it was wonderful that a team finally had the measure to compete but let themselves down in the wash up.
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I love cricket a great deal and I would like to say a few words on behalf of those I know who love the game as much.
Umpires will always make mistakes. The modern game probably demands something similar to what we see now in tennis. The team that feels aggrieved in the extreme by a decision should have a couple of opportunities to have a technical review per innings.
Harbhajan should be punished if either of the umpires heard, or were persuaded that there had occured, racial abuse. But I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling that, in this spat between Australia and India, its a bit like China pulling up Taiwan on human rights issues.
Moving on. I'm aware that some modern sportsman may like to quote that old classic that what they're playing could be compared to war without the bullets. Well I say to them this. Cricket is not a modern sport. Its had people throwing down bullets for quite some time. So to try and sell this new aggressive win-by-any-means attitude as part and parcel of the 'modern game' makes no sense. Yes, the players now make a living through it. Surely then the best way to show appreciation for that fact would be to do the great game justice.
At village level cricket, where you'd hope pumped the real heart of cricket, I wouldn't be surprised if we've all seen people get out of hand; taking things way too seriously and inadvertently (probably) going about trying to ruin the day for everyone. The reaction in the field seems to follow a pattern: maybe starting with a few embarrassed chuckles, then; shaking of heads; a strong word from one or maybe several; offender put at third man/deep long on and ignored. If he could bat, he'd be drastically dropped down the order - or in the case of a certain Len Hutton (no relation) who I played against in Kent some 15 years ago, simply asked to go home at the nearest opportunity.
Len's offence was umpire slating, and he was a useful opening bowler with admittedly a couple of decently founded grievances. But he wasn't playing cricket properly and to those who love the game, new fans or old, this is paramount to the game functioning and it is not in anyway constricting. If you don't like the laws, play something else. Cricket is bigger than any player and any team. Cricket is bigger, much bigger, than Ricky Ponting or Harbhajan Singh or Kevin Pieterson or Graham Smith or indeed both Len Huttons (maybe there were more..)
The ICC must be very strong and take a decision on how to banish the way teams like Australia will be influencing young players around the world. They must make a stand and defend crickets heart and soul, which is a model for decency and sportsmanship.
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The Indians have decided that they will continue with the tour today. This is great news because it means that cricket will continue. What's not so great is that they are still saying that if Harbhajan's suspension is not dismissed that they will still call off the tour.
Is this not the most blatant case of blackmail in the history of cricket? How dare the BCCI hold cricket to ransom in this way.
Harbhajan has been reported and has been suspended, and the natural course of justice has been followed to the letter of the law. His right of appeal still stands, but to threaten to pull out of the tour should it not be dismissed reaks of a far greater arrogance than what you are all accusing the Australians of displaying on the field.
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McGrath is approaching the batsmen on his run-up...
Behind the wicket, the keeper and slips fielders make a sexually offensive reference to the batsman's wife.
The batsman loses his concentration and...
Wicket! McGrath claims another scalp.
Considering the vehemence with which Australians (their PM included!) labelled Murali as a "chucker", one wonders how legitimate are McGrath's wickets.. or indeed many Australian records achieved under the cloud of offensive behaviour.
Thankfully, the McGrath debate is now unnecessary after Anil Kumble surpassed his Test wicket tally in 2007. Kumble didn't depend on sexual references to the batsman's wife for even a single scalp - And that must hurt McGrath in more places than the record books.
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yes Aggers, cricket has been at a crossroads for some time."winning isn't everything its the only thing" "cheating is OK if you can get away with it"....so seems to be the thinking. And the players at the top apparently feel that they are bigger than the game itself. While I agree that the players have to accept responsibility those in charge are the real culprits. If the ICC and the National Cricket Boards are not prepared to establish and enforce a much stricter code of conduct then matters will probably continue to deteriorate. The umpiring situation can be improved by using available technology...should be a no brainer!
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Re: Chris R......I don't know which game you were watching mate. But as far as the whole world knows, there were at least 10 decisions that went aginst the Indians, and only 1 if I can remember that went against the Aussies and that was of Ponting, and in fact he was cleanly out when he was on 17 or thereabouts, before he went on to make 55!! Also Bucknor has been well known to have given atrocious decisions against India in the past(Tendulkar is a well known one..LBW)....he is not incompetent....more like biased. It seems he just wanted Australia to win this game at all costs.....and we all saw what happened. I think it was a good decision to drop him, as he would have committed another dozen blunders in the game at Perth, and for sure, India would have been on the receiving end. And please note, I am an England supporter.
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yes Aggers, cricket has been at a crossroads for some time."winning isn't everything its the only thing" "cheating is OK if you can get away with it"....so seems to be the thinking. And the players at the top apparently feel that they are bigger than the game itself. While I agree that the players have to accept responsibility those in charge are the real culprits. If the ICC and the National Cricket Boards are not prepared to establish and enforce a much stricter code of conduct then matters will probably continue to deteriorate. The umpiring situation can be improved by using available technology...should be a no brainer!
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Errr - Symonds gloated? I don't think so. Watch the press conference again, he was asked if he hit it. Answer yes, he's a cheat for not walking, answer no, he's a liar since it was obvious he had. Nice loaded question asked by an esteemed member of the press, but Symonds answered it honestly. His body language and demeanor when he did answer certainly wasn't gloating.
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I note where I have read the following elsewhere:
"The issue of walking in cricket is as old as the game itself. There are no specific rules on whether a batsman should walk or stand their ground but the game's defining mantra is that the umpire's decision is final.
The vast majority of batsmen have mostly stood their ground, including some of the game's most respected figures, Don Bradman and WG Grace, believing that good and bad decisions will ultimately balance themselves out.
The practice of voluntary walking was virtually non-existent before World War I, but briefly became popular in the 1930s with the spread of professional cricket.
Walking virtually died soon after with generations of international cricketers from all around the world publicly acknowledging they were non-walkers.
It has long been an accepted part of cricket but the issue reared his head when Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist broke with protocol and walked after being given not out during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.
Gilchrist's decision to walk in a semi-final against Sri Lanka made headlines around the world but also divided the cricket community."
Everyone likes to throw an attack at the conduct of the Australians, but how many of us good Englishmen complained when Freddy got his share of poor decisions in the 2005 2nd Ashes Test?
In that Edgbaston test we had fallen to be 6/75 and then 7/101 - and yet Flintoff received a wrap on the pads that was so out that the look on his face said it all. If he had been caught any further back in front of his stumps he would have had a stump up his backside. Did he walk? No.
We got 182 all out, of which Flintoff got 73. Almost all of his runs came after he should have been out LBW.
Australia ought not to have been chasing 282 to win, but something closer to 210. For history sake, they did actually pass 210 with wickets in hand - and therefore should have won the test. Instead they lost the test when Kasprowicz was given out to a catch where he didn't hit the ball. Yet we appealled for the catch and gratefully accepted his wicket.
During that series Freddy celebrated taking wickets with displays on the pitch which made him look more like Freddy Mercury in the centre of a Queen performance.
We should have been down 2-0 after Edgbaston, and then the media would have kept on attacking the Vaugh-again-losers in the press. The third test would have been drawn, and the Australians would have retained the Ashes.
Did we act humble in victory? No there was national gloating, parades including dancing in fountains, and handing out of OBE's and MBE's.
After the Edgbaston Test, did Australia threaten to end it's tour in protest like the Indian's just threatened in Australia? No.
Don't place all the blame of failure for a batsman to walk, or national gloating on the Australians when our cricketers do it just as badly.
India should accept the umpires decision. Plain and simple. Just like the Australians did at Edgbaston - rightly or wrongly.
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This is the most outrageously stupid and blatantly 'English' thing I've ever read. A game is run by the umpires. If they're letting the players intimidate them then they're not doing their job and should be fired. You seem to take all responsibility away from them which is blatantly ridiculous.
The Australians appeal no more than any other side. Why are we not crowing on about India appealing for an lbw against Ricky Ponting when the ball had quite clearly come off the bat? Because it doesn't serve your tired purpose.
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The only point made here about the Aussies behaviour is Andrew Symonds admission that he was out and did not walk. Just to put another perspective to this, what about all the times a batsman is given out when he is actually not out. Many would argue that these things will even up over a career, and therefore why shouldnt a batsman have the odd escape to balance up the times when he is given out wrongly.
I am not saying walking is not an honourable thing to do, but lets be fair about it and concede that aside from Gilchrist, who has walked on a number of occasions in the International arena, very few batsmen from any nation have followed suit.
Players from all teams traditionally appeal hard in cricket, and Australia are no doubt up there in terms of excessively annoying appealing, and it would be a positive step if the governing body introduced some regulation to try and reduce or curb this annoying behaviour.
However, I believe the author is incorrect in his view that the players here were more to blame than the umpires. As video replays have become more and more able to show the public the true picture, we are now seeing that cricket umpires at the top level are making a lot of errors and these are affecting the outcome of matches and in turn entire series.
Umpires have always made lots of mistakes, but only now are we actually finding out how many, and how the technology is far superior to humans in terms of accuracy on a cricket field. I dont blame the umpires, because its a hard job, and its easy to be wise after the benefit of seeing something 10 times on a slow motion replay with snickometer, and every possible angle.
If we were using the technology to full advantage, this fiasco would have been avoided, with the key decisions of Symonds, Dravid and Gangully all correctly ajudged. This is what the cricket administrators need to take out of this sorry affair. Traditionalists will argue the point, but if you want to stay with the traditions of the game, then the alternative is to take away the video replays to the commentators and the public, and return to the days where everyone just guesses whether a decision was correct or not, its soon forgotten about and we move on with the game.
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I notice that you have forgotten the atmosphere that was created by the English team when they won the Ashes on home turf, or the atmosphere created by the two sub-continent powerhouses when teams play there. It seems that jumping on a winning team is what it's all about. Some balance might be fair.
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i agree umpires are human and can err! But so many guffaws on so many occasions and that too really basic ones!? just imagine the plight of players who get robbed off vital performances which may eventually affect their careers! Does ICC have any yardstick for measuring umpire performance? Is there any accountability? I agree teams should not be allowed to dictate umpire appointments. But unless ICC has any other mechanism, no country, not even australia , will keep taking costly umpiring mistakes lying down.
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Why is it that whenever another team over-appeals, over-celebrates a wicket or tries to physically intimidate Australia it is regarded as 'taking the game up to them' but when Australia win we are arrogant?
Grow up all of you.
In 2005 Ponting and the Australians took the loss with dignity and watched as the English held the Ashes up. They congratulated England. Any suggestions of poor umpiring were apparently 'sour grapes by boorish Aussie fans'
However, in 2006/7 Ashes it was all the umpire's fault that England lost 5-0. Huh?
Again, after taking 3 wickets in 5 balls to win what appeared to be heading for a tight draw the first thing we must do is rush to the opponent to shake his hand before being allowed a brief celebration (less than 2 minutes)?
Also, if you wish to look at a team that over appeals, look no further than India. Anil "I play the game honestly" Kumble appealed for LBW to a ball that brad Hogg drove through the covers, for 2 runs no less!
How about the time wasting tactics of putting in a Bat-pad for one delivery (including putting on shin pads) or coming to bat with two right handed gloves?
Any takers on Singh's soccer style celebration after taking the wicket of ponting? He nearly completed a full lap of the SCG.
Finally, how many of the contributors on this site actually watched the full final day's play as I did?
Not many I'm guessing.
See you in England.
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What terrible hypocrisy it is when the Australians seem to forget their own fan's racial abuse towards Monty Panesar, and yet have the cheek to complain to the whole world about what was probably an off-the-cuff remark that was only allegedly made by Harbhajan Singh.
Shame on you, Aussies.
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I don't agree with Jonathan Agnew. For me Cricket is a Gentleman's Game and i am totally against Sledging. Australian cricketers are expert in sledging and they always go beyond limits. Sledging has to end. I am an Indian but I would like to bring some honest points. I am not going to defend the Indians but Indian's generally don’t sledge but because of Australian team, they try to sledge but they are really bad in it and they often get emotional and behave weirdly like how Sreesanth does. In the Case of Harbajan, it's very clear that Symonds started it. Australians provoke other cricketers. India has set a good example and I hope Pointing and his Men would have learnt their Lesson. On the umpiring issue I pity Bucknor and Benson, they have not done a good job but umpires can have bad days too and this strongly points out that technology has a greater role to play in Cricket.
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Why is it that whenever another team over-appeals, over-celebrates a wicket or tries to physically intimidate Australia it is regarded as 'taking the game up to them' but when Australia win we are arrogant?
Grow up all of you.
In 2005 Ponting and the Australians took the loss with dignity and watched as the English held the Ashes up. They congratulated England. Any suggestions of poor umpiring were apparently 'sour grapes by boorish Aussie fans'
However, in 2006/7 Ashes it was all the umpire's fault that England lost 5-0. Huh?
Again, after taking 3 wickets in 5 balls to win what appeared to be heading for a tight draw the first thing we must do is rush to the opponent to shake his hand before being allowed a brief celebration (less than 2 minutes)?
Also, if you wish to look at a team that over appeals, look no further than India. Anil "I play the game honestly" Kumble appealed for LBW to a ball that brad Hogg drove through the covers, for 2 runs no less!
How about the time wasting tactics of putting in a Bat-pad for one delivery (including putting on shin pads) or coming to bat with two right handed gloves?
Any takers on Singh's soccer style celebration after taking the wicket of ponting? He nearly completed a full lap of the SCG.
How about the number of times in the last few years that English bowlers have thrown the ball at the batsman? Remember S Jones hitting Matthew hayden in '05? But that's ok because it is taking it up to him.
Finally, how many of the contributors on this site actually watched the full final day's play as I did?
Not many I'm guessing.
See you in England.
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As usual Agnew inflates his pro-English bias to score a few cheap points at Australia's expense. Calling their manner of play "ugly and offensive" is sour grapes of the worst kind. Especially when lame-duck Pommie sides get ribbed from the same source for lacking the "killer instinct" Australia displays.
And before you ask, no I'm not an Aussie. Indeed it pains me to rise to their defence... but it riles me more to see a champion side lambasted for excelling.
That said, I agree that Ponting's must-win attitude sometimes leads he and his team to unnecessary excess, introducing an unpalatable edge to proceedings. But there are flipsides: Gilchrist, for example, is a "walker", and others have also recently followed his example.
More to the point perhaps, how many modern outfits have not gone past the point of gentlemanliness? Pakistan ball-tampering and indulging drug-cheats. India and South Africa using racist terms, and being entwined in betting scandals. Sri Lanka employing a chucker.
Before you get hot about those statements, consider them in context of controversy. Then tell me what is different now.
Regardless of Singh's guilt, the real culprit here is the Indian administration, not the Australian players. Throwing its weight around from afar and undermining the neutrality of umpires is not a responsible and gentlemanly reaction.
It seems India expect special treatment, even though their team is not playing well enough to deserve it, whereas Australia expects none and is almost unbeatable. I suggest that puts this kerfuffle in perspective.
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I don't see why there should be any obligation for players to walk. Players are given out incorrectly all the time, so it's only fair that on the occasions they get away with one they stand their ground. If players want to walk however, i'm all for it. The suggestions by Indian fans and media that the Australian players are cheats because of the walking issue or for over-appealing is rubbish. Is Kumble a cheat for constantly appealing for LBW decisions with balls pitching outside leg stump?
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"While batting Ponting trusts Umpire's finger and while fielding Umpire trusts Ponting's finger" - ICC, are you listening????
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I don't see why there should be any obligation for players to walk. Players are given out incorrectly all the time, so it's only fair that on the occasions they get away with one they stand their ground. If players want to walk however, i'm all for it. The suggestions by Indian fans and media that the Australian players are cheats because of the walking issue or for over-appealing is rubbish. Is Kumble a cheat for constantly appealing for LBW decisions with balls pitching outside leg stump?
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The aussies can give but cant take it ... yeah right what a load of rubbish. They love copping it, its the only reason why they do it.
If only other teams had the mental capacity to sledge rather than saying the first thing that comes to their head I.e Monkey.
One more thing, when India beat Australia back in 2001. What did Ganguly do on their lap of honour? He gave the visiting supporters the finger. A mark of a true captain indeed.
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I think this should be left to the Indians and Australians to sort out
This article is indicative of England's excessive post imperial hangups wrt India and Australia
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I don't agree with Jonathan Agnew. For me Cricket is a Gentleman's Game and i am totally against Sledging. Australian cricketers are expert in sledging and they always go beyond limits. Sledging has to end. I am an Indian but I would like to bring some honest points. I am not going to defend the Indians but Indian's generally don’t sledge but because of Australian team, they try to sledge but they are really bad in it and they often get emotional and behave weirdly like how Sreesanth does. In the Case of Harbajan, it's very clear that Symonds started it. Australians provoke other cricketers. India has set a good example and I hope Pointing and his Men would have learnt their Lesson. On the umpiring issue I pity Bucknor and Benson, they have not done a good job but umpires can have bad days too and this strongly points out that technology has a greater role to play in Cricket.
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I don't see why there should be any obligation for players to walk. Players are given out incorrectly all the time, so it's only fair that on the occasions they get away with one they stand their ground. If players want to walk however, i'm all for it. The suggestions by Indian fans and media that the Australian players are cheats because of the walking issue or for over-appealing is rubbish. Is Kumble a cheat for constantly appealing for LBW decisions with balls pitching outside leg stump? Did all of the Indian players walk, even after being given out?
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I watched a 20/20 game a year or so ago, between Australia and England in which they had some of the players miced up. The commentators were able to communicate with the players.
What about having players wear one way microphones that enabled the media to listen in to what they were saying and broadcast it to the public. I believe this would stop sledging in an instant.
If an Australian player knows that whatever he says might be broadcast, in real time, to the entire nation, then I think he is going to be very, very careful about what he is saying.
Of course, there is a problem with keeping discussions on tactics confidential, but if we really want to stamp out sledging then let's try something really radical.
To deal with the tactic issue, there could be a sign used, where the fielding captain could indicate a tactical discussion was being held and the media would not be allowed to transmit anything during that time. The sledging clearly does not happen when the fielding side is discussing tactics, because they do not do these discussions in earshot of the batsmen.
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Well, well, well, let's jump on the Aussies shall we?
Do you recall England substituting their strike bowlers directly after long spells a few years back? Not only did this give the likes of Harmison and Flintoff a chance to recuperate a lot faster then their opposition would but they also brought on players with uncanny fielding ability, hardly fair and definitely not in the "spirit of the game".
Also, I haven't heard one comment about the fact that the last Indian batsman to go out stayed at his crease even though he nicked the ball at right angles to Matthew Hayden in slips.
From an Australians perspective it feels very much like we are being punished because we are too successful, I wonder what the opinion would have been if the roles were reversed and India had won the match (there were bad decisions on both sides), the quote "that's just cricket" comes to mind.
I'm disappointed in you Aggers, I quite enjoyed listening to you and Kerry O’Keefe on the radio last summer. I was shocked to see this rant from you, hopefully if you come out next tour, the Australian public wont react to you like you have to our national team.
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In all these situations I am always surprised that the advantage native speakers of English have is never mentioned.
The reason the Aussie position is so hypocritical is that the tone of the sledging from both sides is exactly the same, it is designed to provoke a negative response in the opponent.
The reality is that in order to provoke the necessary response, a non-native speaker is bound to resort to being more blunt as they don't have the ability to hide behind a veil of linguistic dexterity.
Pathetic. Like the playground bully who just got punched back.
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I feel the umpires should be united on this issue. They should support Bucknor and protest against his removal. The replacement umpire, Bowden should not have accepted. It could have or might happen to him also. Human errors happen.
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what sad times indeed. what has happened to the game that i have loved for forty years?
cricket now is a showpiece for schoolyard bullies, zenophobes and nasty small minded people who promote a culture where they feel it necessary to "target" the opposition star players in a way that has got nothing to do with cricket or the skills required to play the game at the highest level. Mr Ponting et al are you listening
are todays superstars so scared to go toe to toe with their opponents ( in the purest sporting form ) that they have to revert to the ways of nasty little schoolkids and reduce our beautiful game to something resembling a school playground complete with their very own version of telling tales to teacher
i fully agree that there is no place for racism in this world, (however the case against Singh is very weak ), however let's be clear......There is no place for sledging on a cricket field. Therefore i support those who call for an ICC ban immediately.
with respect to Steve Bucknor's performance....yes he had a bad match ( as if our sledging superstars never have a bad game????) , and yes he may be nearing the end, however when the players go on the pitch knowing that they will cheat and lie at every turn, pressure the umpire on every decision whilst at the same time making the atmosphere on the pitch resemble something akin to a street battle between rival gangs i am afraid that something has to give. it appears that on this occasion something did.
Therefore if our game is to survive the ICC needs to call a halt to all sledging, cheating and pressuring of our precious umps ( remember no umps, no game), call a halt to this thuggery and the spiteful atmosphere that surrounds our game and bring us back to an era when the pleasure is in the performance and not from winning at all costs
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What terrible hypocrisy it is when the Australians seem to conveniently forget how their own fans shouted racial abuse at Monty Panesar, and then have the cheek to complain to the whole world about what was probably an off-the-cuff remark allegedly made by Harbhajan Singh.
Shame on you, Aussies.
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I feel the umpires should be united on this issue. They should support Bucknor and protest against his removal. The replacement umpire, Bowden should not have accepted. It could have or might happen to him also. Human errors happen.
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this article is spot on. but one controversial point that no-one dares raise, is why a racist slur should be frowned upon anymore than all the other offensive forms of sledging.
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In all these situations I am always surprised that the advantage native speakers of English have is never mentioned.
The reason the Aussie position is so hypocritical is that the tone of the sledging from both sides is exactly the same, it is designed to provoke a negative response in the opponent.
The reality is that in order to provoke the necessary response, a non-native speaker is bound to resort to being more blunt as they don't have the ability to hide behind a veil of linguistic dexterity.
Pathetic. Like the playground bully who just got punched back.
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Gee some of you lot need to sit down and have a cup of HARDEN UP!! This has become a whinging board for everyone who doesn't like the hard, aggresive way Oz plays. It is professional sport fellas! I think the Australians push the boundries (just like all teams) but have to say they play within the rules. The players keep re-iterating that they play hard but FAIR. They would get absolutley no pleasure from winning by cheating. So it comes down to someones interpretation of what is FAIR. If the rules need to be changed or made clearer so there are no misunderstandings, maybe that needs to be done. They simply are not breaking any laws of the game!! If they appealed too much - that can be dealt with, if they claim a catch they shouldn't have - that can be dealt with. There are processes in place. How many times has this current crop been suspended?? Brad Hogg says something wrong - IT IS BEING DEALT WITH!! Cricketers learn from their first season that umpires decisions aren't always correct. The Oz team may not like some decisions and linger at the crease or chuck the bat on reaching the dressing room, but if it is deemed too much then THAT CAN BE DEALT WITH - and is. We would not threaten to can the tour because we didn't like the umpires (or match refferees) decision!
The majority of these grizzle guts posts are from people who don't seem to understand that Australia is playing within the rules of the game - and in the Australian spirit of HARD but FAIR. If it's too much for everyone to handle then lets all get a petition together to change to rules. If we were a crap team it just wouldn't be an issue. God, you have to wonder how some of you Brits managed to colonised half the world with this soft sack attitude. (In no way am I saying colonisation was a good thing - but the attitude - and cricket is a mere game that should be played right to the limits of the rules, we're not being overlord of someones life and country here!!!)
If it's not working change the bloody rules but while the rules stay as they are they should keep pushing to the limit.
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Test matches are tests of cricketing skills. Built into one five day match, let alone several, are tests of stamina and mental toughness. There is absolutely no need for sledging. If it were rooted out, many other objectionable behaviours would go with it.
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3 wrongs don't make a right;
Racial Sledging - Ponting was simply following the prescribed protocols for reporting any possible racial sledging. Calling a black man a monkey is very different to calling someone fatso.
Umpiring - Obvioulsy not a good game for the umps. Big deal, everyone has the odd bad day, look at Youvraj Singh's last few efforts with the bat. Go easy on Bucknor.
BCCI - Acting like spoilt little children. Trying to bully / blackmail the ICC into getting their way on the umpires and Harbajan. Disappointing to say the least.
Granted the Aussies need to show a bit more respoect for their opponents and for the general spirit of the game, nobody has acted outside the rules.
Lets just get on with Perth.
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Jonathan is absolutely right. There are many here in Australia, lifelong cricket fans, who have long been uneasy about the needless level of aggression of the Australian Cricket team. Once was the day when Australia's sports heroes were mega-talented and mega-humble with it. Just think of the likes of Rod Laver in tennis, Dawn Fraser in swimming and Herb Elliott on the track. Today there is much more of the Lleyton Hewitt "C'mon" stuff - unedifying, unfair and belligerent. For me the prime culprit at the SCG was the Australian Captain, Ponting. He claims to be an advocate of "leaving it on the field" but saw fit to dob in Harbhajan quite possibly out of base motives: the Indian spinner had made Ponting his bunny and Ponting was very upset about it. What a way to get rid of one's nemesis. Cricket is the loser. The Australians need a future captain more like Mark Taylor, a man with a sense of the game's tradition and history as was evident in his refusal to go past Bradman's record 334 when he could have attained momentary personal glory. Taylor was tough enough as a captain but genuinely fair and had the tact and diplomacy Ponting signally lacks.
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I was disappointed with Ricky Ponting throughout this test match. The throwing of his bat after his dismissal in the first innings was not the behaviour of an Australian cricket captain and his appeal for a clearly grounded catch was surprising. But for me the handling of the alleged racial slur lacked intelligence. I'm sure Mark Taylor, Allan Border and Steve Waugh would have kept it on the field of play, logged it in the memory bank and given Harbhajan plenty of aggressive bowling when he batted and gone after him when he bowled with the odd suggestive and non-defaming sledge. However, Peter Roebuck's (Sydney Morning Herald) call for Ponting's sacking is fanciful and hard to believe from a respected broadsheet journalist. The problem with Ponting is that he wants to break all records as a captain no matter how that's achieved. He was criticised by the Oz media after the Ashes loss in 2005 for being too soft but now he has gone too far the other way as he thinks that is what the Australian cricketing want to see. The team is perceived to be arrogant by many of their own supporters but so long as they keep winning they can put up with the attitude.
Myself, having played amateur cricket in England and Australia, can tell you that sledging, cheating and abuse of umpires is standard fare Down Under even in mid grade park cricket. That's not to say it doesn't happen in England but not as regularly as it does over here. Ian Chappell said yesterday that sledging has gone too far and is a catalyst for heated exchanges. Sounds like a double standard to me when he and his team were the main instigators of modern day sledging.
I agree with Jonathan Agnew that players of all countries need to be read the riot act and ensure that respect for the game and its traditions is adhered to.
The Indian officials have not aided this situation with their stance on postponing the tour. Fortunately, they have seen sense as this could have set an ugly precedent for future touring teams.
Even though they feel, quite rightly, hard done by they need to pick themselves up off the floor and go to Perth with renewed vigour and use their cricketing skills in an attempt to end Australia's winning run.
In regards to the umpiring I cannot recall another test match where so many glaring errors have been made. It was unbecoming of Bucknor and Benson but more in line with Koertzen and Harper. However, it's swings and roundabouts with umpiring decisions and over time it evens itself out. Umpires, referees and officials have to make split second decisions which can shape the way a game progresses but to publicly lambast them on and off the field is disgraceful and ungentlemanly and will only end in the good ones leaving the game and second raters taking over.
This wonderful game needs some strong administrators to lay down the law but it will not find any of those at the ICC with the woeful Malcolm Speed and co.
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Here is some food for thought on bias. The extract from an article below shows the quality of the match referee Mike Proctor.
"As captain a lot of responsibility falls of Rashid Latif 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 Pakistani captain shall be banned for five one-day internationals," Procter said. "Latif has the right to appeal against the verdict."
So he bans Latif but takes no action againts Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke who both claimes catches which were not taken cleanly, one of which was given out and probably led to Australia winning the match.
And what is the ICC who always show a holier than thou attitude doing about it.
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I was disappointed with Ricky Ponting throughout this test match. The throwing of his bat after his dismissal in the first innings was not the behaviour of an Australian cricket captain and his appeal for a clearly grounded catch was surprising. But for me the handling of the alleged racial slur lacked intelligence. I'm sure Mark Taylor, Allan Border and Steve Waugh would have kept it on the field of play, logged it in the memory bank and given Harbhajan plenty of aggressive bowling when he batted and gone after him when he bowled with the odd suggestive and non-defaming sledge. However, Peter Roebuck's (Sydney Morning Herald) call for Ponting's sacking is fanciful and hard to believe from a respected broadsheet journalist. The problem with Ponting is that he wants to break all records as a captain no matter how that's achieved. He was criticised by the Oz media after the Ashes loss in 2005 for being too soft but now he has gone too far the other way as he thinks that is what the Australian cricketing want to see. The team is perceived to be arrogant by many of their own supporters but so long as they keep winning they can put up with the attitude.
Myself, having played amateur cricket in England and Australia, can tell you that sledging, cheating and abuse of umpires is standard fare Down Under even in mid grade park cricket. That's not to say it doesn't happen in England but not as regularly as it does over here. Ian Chappell said yesterday that sledging has gone too far and is a catalyst for heated exchanges. Sounds like a double standard to me when he and his team were the main instigators of modern day sledging.
I agree with Jonathan Agnew that players of all countries need to be read the riot act and ensure that respect for the game and its traditions is adhered to.
The Indian officials have not aided this situation with their stance on postponing the tour. Fortunately, they have seen sense as this could have set an ugly precedent for future touring teams.
Even though they feel, quite rightly, hard done by they need to pick themselves up off the floor and go to Perth with renewed vigour and use their cricketing skills in an attempt to end Australia's winning run.
In regards to the umpiring I cannot recall another test match where so many glaring errors have been made. It was unbecoming of Bucknor and Benson but more in line with Koertzen and Harper. However, it's swings and roundabouts with umpiring decisions and over time it evens itself out. Umpires, referees and officials have to make split second decisions which can shape the way a game progresses but to publicly lambast them on and off the field is disgraceful and ungentlemanly and will only end in the good ones leaving the game and second raters taking over.
This wonderful game needs some strong administrators to lay down the law but it will not find any of those at the ICC with the woeful Malcolm Speed and co.
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I really have to disagree with you Mr.Agnew. I've never before seen such blatant and so many umpiring blunders in one test. What can you say when even the 3rd umpire with all the technology in the world available to him makes a serious blunder. The Sydney test had all the right ingredients for the perfect receipe untill the umpires decided to spoil it!!!
I really have to admit that the umpires have won the test for Australia. If Ponting & co are really what they say they are then they should themselves have the match annulled and go in for a rematch. I would applaud them if they win it the right royal way, only then they can claim that they have won 16 tests in a row(and may be more). Otherwise it'll always be n-1 !!!
Also want to add that, at the end of the test the losing captain came out as the winner and winning captain as a terrible loser!!!
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The rest of the cricketing world (especially people like Mr Agnew) have been waiting, licking their lips in anticipation for this moment to occur so they feel justified in blaming the Australian team for everything that is wrong with the game- Tall poppy syndrome it's called and there's nothing new here. To suggest such a dominant team needs the help of the umps to get them the wins is ridiculous and just proves my point....However, whilst I don't accept the way Symonds stood there after the dodgy call (even though he's hardly the first player to stand his ground after being given not out!)I'm curious as to why there's no mention of Ganguly's effort after being given out? Tell both sides of the story Aggers! If Australia weren't half as good as they are, this wouldn't be the drama it is, deep down you all know that. The real disgrace here is India's cry baby blackmail of the ICC following a disgusting racist comment from one of their players. Can you imagine if the roles were reversed? It would be more than mere effigies burnt in the streets of Mumbai dare I say (a disgusting act on it's own I might add, hardly helping the image of India's fanatical attitude towards cricket)Anyway, when all's said and done, let Harbijhan play and lets let the cricket do the talking: The Aussies are not going to need any help from the umps at the WACA!! Bring it on!
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Right way of putting things !!
I agree with you and i guess its time to take a stock of situation.. and make players and the admi bodies to play the game in true sprits.
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No doubt that the game of cricket has totally changed. The main reason behind this is "sledging". Many will argue that a little bit of sledging is ok for the game but that "little bit" has become a monster now. And all the cricketing nations have done that. Even it has a nice covert name as "mind game". But I would also like to point out that the Australlians are greatest exponent in this skill by what they call as "they play hard". Its high time that all the cricket playing nations give it a thought and ICC show some hard stance else in the future a game of cricket will not be won by ball and bat but rather by "war of words".
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Indeed cricket is at crossroads but its more due to the failure to adapt.Can test cricket in this day and age really afford to have 50% of decisions going wrong? What about the consumer who has sacrificed enormous amount of time and money? Its this failure and lack of respect that will cost it more in the long run.
It is crucial for ICC officials to understand the cultural nuances as it would not be fair for all other test nations to adapt australian warfare.
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What exactly have Australia done wrong??
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What I find unbelievable is that Andrew Symonds has been allegedly the victim of a racist taunt, yet is the Australians (who defended him) that are copping all the criticism. There is a lot of hysteria about poor sportmanship and sacking of captains, but I have not really seen is a point by point argument of what they have actually done wrong. So lets start and analyse these alleged acts of poor behaviour.
Reporting of Harbajhan
A rascist comment has been alleged to have been made to Symonds. I think we all agree that there is no place for rascism...anywhere. Upon the alleged remark being made, Ponting as the captain is obliged to and HAS BEEN INSTRUCTED to report the incident to the umpires and then to the officials. A hearing is then conducted by an independent match referee and a decsison made.
People are saying that the Australians dish out their fair share, and this is true...no one disputes this. But there is a line, and that line is racism. It was reported and it is then up to authorities to make a decison. What is the alternative for Ponting, not to report the incident and not defend his team mate??
Umpiring and not walking
India[ clearly got the wrong end of the umpiring decisons, but this has nothing to do with Australians. You could argue they should walk. One Australian does, but most players around the world, including Indians do not walk.
Michael Clarke standing his ground after edging to slip
To me this was the worst offence committed by an Australian. Clarke should be reprimanded by Cricket Australia for standing there when he nicked the ball to slip. I don't know what he was thinking, maybe in shock about getting out first ball. There is probably nothing the ICC can do as he didn't really commit offence, but he should have a stern talking to from his captain.
Michael Clarke catch off ganguly
There was an agreement between the captains to accept the players opinion if it were caught. Now Ponting had proved he was playing in that spirit by declining a catch off Dravid in the 1st innings which many think he had caught. Clearly Clarke thought he caught it, so did Ponting who was standing next to him. Replays showed it to be inconclusive and that the ball may have hit the ground. But this is exactly why they had the agreement in the first place, because the replays are so inconclusive. If you don't like it, then don't agree to it in the first place.
Ponting claimed catch off Dhoni
[Ponting proved in the 1st innings that if he doesn't think he had caught it then he will not claim the catch. The one off Dhoni in the 2nd innings seems to be more an argument in the laws of the game in what constitutes a catch rather than anything sinister or the alleged cheating.
Ponting explaining what happened
https://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-au&brand=optus&tab=s166
(click on Ricky Ponting Interview)
Glichrist claiming the catch off of Dravid's pad.
Gilchrist has stated that he will appeal when he is sure someone is out, or if he believes a batsman may be out. He will not appeal if he clearly believes a player did not hit the ball. If there is any doubt then he will appeal and let the umpire make the decision. In this particular instance all the Australians went up and obviosuly believed there may have been an edge.
Over appealing
There is provision for the umpires to report a player for over appealing and no reports were made for this in the test match. The appealing on the last day was strong and maybe a little aggresive but in no way was there any dissent shown. It was typical of what you expect on a close, tense final day.
Excessive celebrations after win and not acknowledging oponents
It is not surprising that they were so pumped up and carried away after such a thrilling test match and claiming victory when it seemed a draw would be almost certain. It is wrong of them not to shake Kumble's hand straight away, but do you really think it would have been a lot different had the shoe been on the other foot
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Indeed cricket is at crossroads but its more due to the failure to adapt.Can test cricket in this day and age really afford to have 50% of decisions going wrong? What about the consumer who has sacrificed enormous amount of time and money? Its this failure and lack of respect that will cost it more in the long run.
It is crucial for ICC officials to understand the cultural nuances as it would not be fair for all other test nations to adapt australian warfare.
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I totally agree with Jonathan.
If only Australian Cricketer's played with the right attitude Steve Bucknor would have survived.
Umpires can't be 100% right all the time and they need to be supported by Batsmen & Fielders alike in making the right decision.!
If only Andrew Simonds walked off when he knew he was out on 30, if only Australian Players didn't appeal the way they did for Dravid, things would be different now.
Even after Andrew Simonds affair in the first innings, the way Clarke stood after nicking to slip, simply & amply showed the Australian Cricket culture...ie: Winning at any cost.!
Come on Australia, you are the best team in the world and you don't need to behave like you have had in the last couple of years...! Change for better.
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You are forgetting that India (including Tendulkar and Ganguly) were fined not so many years ago for over appealing (amongst other things) against South Africa. Teams have been doing this for years when the game is on the line and they are pushing for a win. Why all of a sudden are Australia getting slated for this?? If there is a problem, then the match referee can fine them after the game, or the umpire can have a word during the game.
The Australians are not the most gracious winners by any means, but I would think that this would not be a problem had the Indians, with their brilliant batting line up managed to survive 2 sessions against the imposing Symonds and Michael Clarke. You would not see any different a situation in terms of appealing by any team if a game was going down to the wire like that.
The ICC should stand by their umpires, but they are far from guilt free in this whole situation. A few correct decisions and all of a sudden we have an amicable Test Match.
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Finally Aggers, someone willing to tell it like it is with a bit of straight talking (something our Aussie cousins certainly aren't afraid of). I'm English, living in Australia and I'm sorry to say though i don't think any of what you've said will make the blindest bit of difference to the average Australian.
It's not just cricket, it's every sport. We're talking about a young nation who's current contribution to the world stands at Neighbours, Crocodile Dundee and Kylie Minogue... Sport provides them with much sought after sense of national identity - more than anything else i'd say. Hence the blinkers come on and the insecure bully comes out - the arrogant, win at all costs, unlikeable attitude which is fast becoming how the sporting world actually does view them. Shame really.
I'm going to be at the Perth test next week and can't wait to don my honorary turban (hope that's not going to offend anyone).
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Silly article based on a false premise. Symonds did not "visibly gloat" that he got away with a catch behind, he admitted he got away with one and was probably naive to do so. There is little the Australians did wrong in this test match. They accepted the umpires decision on the field at all times and got lucky. They understand that over time they will get bad umpiring decisions and this will even out. India only accept the umprires decision if it is in their favour.
The Umpires made mistakes but the Indians reaction to those mistakes has been appalling.
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The players are NOT the problem, commentators who are living in a past imaginary world are the problem.
It would take a whining Englishman to complain about the toughness of the current Australian team; especially given that his own national side couldn't win a cricket match even if they were the only side playing!
AS IF most batsmen of the past have not walked but rather wait for the umpire to give his decision, when they know full well that they haved edged the ball. Symonds can't be blamed for poor umpiring. Nearly all batsmen try and get away with as much as they can.
As for the sissy, wussy little Indians! HAH! They have essentially threatened to take their bat and ball and go home because the bigger kids are being mean to them! Awwwwww!
GROW UP!
The Australian team are undoubtedly the best team at the art of 'sledging'. Good on them. This is afterall a 'mans' game.
BUT it is not the case that they can dish it out but can't take it.
It is just that they don't cross the line and racially abuse their opponents. There is a massive difference.
If the Indian team thinks that this will help their chances in the 3rd test they are sorely mistaken. This will only help to galvinise the Australian team and stir up the WACA crowd to give it to the Indians at every turn.
The other world cricket teams need to 'man up' and learn a thing or two from the Australian side. If they don't, we will quite happily keep thrashing them one after the other.
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Good Article!!!
But one thing you have not pointed out is the misjudgement of Match Referee. See following cut from Prem panicker's article
"Think back to September 2003, and the Pakistan-Bangladesh series. Then Pakistan captain Rashid Latif was docked for claiming a catch, when the ball had touched the ground. He was suspended for five games -- effectively missing the entire one day series between the two sides.
On that occasion, the match referee while handing out his sentence said: "As captain a lot of responsibility falls of Rashid Latif and he committed a serious offence by claiming that (unfair) catch which constitutes unfair play and a level-three offence of ICC [Images] code of conduct (offensive and penalties). Therefore, the Pakistani captain shall be banned for five one-day internationals."
The match referee was -- surprise, surprise -- Mike Procter no less; the same official currently in the hot seat in the India versus Australia series.
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Silly article based on a false premise. Symonds did not "visibly gloat" that he got away with a catch behind, he admitted he got away with one and was probably naive to do so. There is little the Australians did wrong in this test match. They accepted the umpires decision on the field at all times and got lucky. They understand that over time they will get bad umpiring decisions and this will even out. India only accept the umprires decision if it is in their favour.
The Umpires made mistakes but the Indians reaction to those mistakes has been appalling.
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What`s all the fuss about? Had India held on for a draw(which they know they should of) or actually won the game they wouldn`t be complaining about much.
It seems to me that people just cant handle the fact that the Aussies are so good in any situation regarding a cricket match, wether coming from behind and winning a test match as they have just done and have done before, or if they win a test in 3 and 1/2 days, either way people regard them as arrogant and aggresive.
All sounds like sour grapes to me and instead of complaining about it may be other national cricket sides should have a look in their own backyards and figure out why they can`t compete with the aussies and do something about it on the field and not in the media.
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Good Article!!!
But one thing you have not pointed out is the misjudgement of Match Referee. See following cut from Prem panicker's article
"Think back to September 2003, and the Pakistan-Bangladesh series. Then Pakistan captain Rashid Latif was docked for claiming a catch, when the ball had touched the ground. He was suspended for five games -- effectively missing the entire one day series between the two sides.
On that occasion, the match referee while handing out his sentence said: "As captain a lot of responsibility falls of Rashid Latif and he committed a serious offence by claiming that (unfair) catch which constitutes unfair play and a level-three offence of ICC [Images] code of conduct (offensive and penalties). Therefore, the Pakistani captain shall be banned for five one-day internationals."
The match referee was -- surprise, surprise -- Mike Procter no less; the same official currently in the hot seat in the India versus Australia series.
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Hi Everyone,
We are blaming players here but what about match referee Mike Procter the villain in the Bhaji affair. I cannot understand how he ignored the evidence of Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan and skipper Anil Kumble while believing the testimonies of Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden and Michael Clarke all these aussies found cheating live on match. Now what will you say about this Referee? Who is the same man banned Rashid latif former Pakistani captain for 5 matches for appealing on wrong catch but when Ricky ponting did the same two times when he took himself once and second time when clark took his catch he showed it’s out. Why Mr. Procter not banning him for 5-10 matches? Now decide who all are playing Cricket and who all are playing with Spirit of Cricket…
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Hi Everyone,
We are blaming players here but what about match referee Mike Procter the villain in the Bhaji affair. I cannot understand how he ignored the evidence of Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan and skipper Anil Kumble while believing the testimonies of Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden and Michael Clarke all these aussies found cheating live on match. Now what will you say about this Referee? Who is the same man banned Rashid latif former Pakistani captain for 5 matches for appealing on wrong catch but when Ricky ponting did the same two times when he took himself once and second time when clark took his catch he showed it’s out. Why Mr. Procter not banning him for 5-10 matches? Now decide who all are playing Cricket and who all are playing with Spirit of Cricket…
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Well, with all the recent happening, why can't the ICC ban the sledging itself? Playing 'hard' does not necessarily mean needling and calling the others 'names' racial or otherwise.
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Asia has become the power in international cricket becasue of decisions they cannot accept. This shows that htey think they are above the laws of the game. The ICC appoint umpires who tehy fll can do a fantasic job and umpiring in 120 can be fluke. What Darell Hair and Bily Doctrove did was correct because they created rules and they were adhearing to them. Wy create if they dont want them to be enforced.
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Bad umpiring decisions, outright bullying when a touring team is batting, absolute arrogance and bad sportsmanship have been happening for more than a decade in Australia. Why wasn't anything done before? Even the sycophantic Australian media at that time did not find anything wrong with this very bad behaviour by Australian cricketers. Is it highlighted now because of the economic power of Indian cricket. People should decide to never go and see a cricket match so they do not increase the earnings of these selfish punks. This is the only way they will learn a lesson if people Boycott them. This win at all costs is because of the earnings and glamour associated with it.
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Somewhat agree with what you wrote. But now the time has come that something should be done to stop sledging. Also i am not agree that umpires are making 10 mistakes in match and that again against a same team. If bucknor would have done some mistakes I don't think australians would have kept quite.
There is also a limit to take wrong decision that again against only one side. Now I am giving an example of a player like Sachin Tendulkar who walks his way whenver he is out without waiting for umpires decision and even though umpires gave a wrong decision.
Now the time has come that the Gentlemans game shoould bring back on his honest way. And also need to stop proffesionalism from getting at this level.
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Well.......very balanced article..and thanks for raising the voice of sportsmanship and spirit of the game.
Me an Indian too but believe that Bucknor has been made an scapegoat. But something Steave always have done which make him in to scanner aginst Indians.....and surely he doesn't have a good image among Indians.......But to me it seems that it is more the Australian's pressure under which mostly umpires succumb. I can remember the tour in which Bucknor gave Tendulkar out LBW even ball hit his head.....what was a decision that.
But it is the Australians which are responsible for such decisions.
Arrogant Ponting still not accepting the he did something spiritless. This episode was preplanned and was not as result of onfield environment. Ponting said to Kumbley that Captains and fielder's voice will be final in case of doubt. Innocent Kumbley didn't knew that this is trap in which he is being trapped.......this is the story of Ponting spirit. At saturday afternoon Australians were crying like babies and shouting after every ball......they were trying umpires on every ball........so new tagline of Cricket Australia should be......."Try everytime, be cunning"
Until the weight of CEO CA is behind over their captain for doing behaviour like this Australian will continue to do a mockry over sportsmanship and spirit of the game.
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So, the article states there is no 'defence' for racist abuse, then offers one. The alleged abuse is due to the abuser being 'cowed' by the belligerent sledging of the Australian team
How does Mr Agnew know this? Harbhajan was alleged to have made the monkey comment to Symonds last year in India as well, Is Harbhajan serially 'cowed' or does he serially allegedly abuse Symonds because of his black African ancestry
The fact is we don't know. All this article tells us is that Mr Agnew has conflated 2 issues - the alleged abuse and the belligerent sledging - and then tried to rationalise and defend cause and effect.
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Cricket will cease to be a sport if it becomes a completely adversarial system like the judiciary with the onus on the umpires to ferret out the truth while the two teams try desperately to obfuscate the facts with their antics.
Luckily sportsmanship is not completely dead(e.g. Yuvraj walking, Ponting calling back Dravid when he grassed the catch). To encourage such behaviour, the ICC should strictly enforce rules that prohibit attempts to deliberately deceive umpires. Hopefully this will ease some of the pressure on the umps and improve their decision making in situations where there is a legitimate factual dispute.
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I read the article and I agree 75% on the support to the umpires. I have watched most of the matches played in Australia regardless of who played against them.
90% of bad judgements by the umpires when cricket played in Australia, whoever be the oponent, goes in favour of Australia. Hiighest umpiring errors occurs when played in Australia. Well, congratulations Australia 13 vs 11 for winning the 16th test in a row by hook or crook.
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Remember Graham Poll - 3 yellow cards. One of the best referees.
So what is wrong with Benson&Bucknor retiring or being sacked. ICC should say sorry to the fans and admit that their umpires were stuffed big time and maybe refund the money.
Even perhaps investigate for any irregularities. Appoint an Independant Commission because your Guys would not even refer it to the 3rd Umpire, the whole match looks like being fixed.
Mr Speed real shambles and you should explain why so many mistakes and one sided too. The professional cricketers and journalist and fans are waiting to hear was it unfortunate mistake after mistake or foul play or what. Inquest please. Let us hear your explanation ..was it the bullet or the lever of the sun roof.
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I for one cannot agree with everything that has been put forward in these comments.
I feel that the real reason for the problems we are having in cricket lies totally with the media! (I am sure that Jonathan Agnew will not agree with my opinion)
.... In the 'old days' umpires decisions were made, and were seen as their best judgement, not always agreed with, but the umpires decision was final.
Nowadays, after the umpire has made his decision, the media then use every means to analyse his decision, the commentators and analysts try their best to find fault, slow motion film, snickeroo, infra-red, still frame etc etc.... and when a wrong or doubtful decision is proved, the media then over-publicise the mistake and denegrate the decision makers.
Cricket is a much happier game when seen in real time and the umpires decision is taken as correct, the best a human being can adjudge (with the naked eye and no electronic help).
All this extra scrutiny should be banned from TV coverage and you would see a marked drop in aggro' and ill feeling.
I will be surprised if this comment is posted.
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Disgraceful! You’d better believe it!
Why did India lose the second test in Sydney? Attitude!
Let me explain. India got some bad calls! True! But then Australia got some bad calls, some from Bucknor (who is at the heart of this storm) in 2005, which cost Australia the Ashes. Just ask Damien Martin! He got some howlers! Remember the giving out of Kaspowspich when the match was there to be won? The English newspapers certainly have forgotten these events. People in Australia haven’t. I didn’t hear the Australians threatening to go home then even though the Ashes are sacrosanct in Australia. They would have been given a kick in the backside and told to get on with the game.
Let me ask you this! Do you really believe Australia would have lost three wickets in one over from a part-time bowler when a game was there to be saved? So why did India? Simple! As I said earlier, it’s all about attitude. Indian batsmen bat and Indian bowlers bowl. Full stop! Further, India’s fielding skills are pedestrian because they don’t practise enough. And then they go to Australia and expect to beat the best. For all the hype associated with Indian cricket, India will never have a world beating cricket team until they find individuals that are prepared to put in the hard yards. Individuals who are willing to develop their overall skills and talents.
As for the “monkey”comments, HS is a volatile individual and is certainly no saint. He has a history! This time he stepped over the line and he’s paid for it. If the Indian cricket board believe that they can roughshod everyone by threatening to withdraw its team then so be it. Perhaps if India were to have more time on its hands its players could spend more time practising their overall skills so they can bat out a test match.
The fact of the matter is that India feel hard done by (indeed, it has been) but you have to get on with the game. Put it behind you and try and win anyway. For goodness sake, Australia was on the ropes but India couldn’t finish them off. What does that tell you! One decision alone will rarely lose or win a test match although the Kasporvitch decision was one exception.
As for calling the Australian team a bunch of cheats, this is unacceptable. There was an incident in the first innings where Ponting could have claimed a catch and didn’t. This seems to have been conveniently overlooked. It’s not Australia’s fault if the umpiring was sub-standard but to claim India lost because of poor umpiring and cheating by the Australians is just plain ridiculous. Nothing has been said about the real reason for this defeat. Capitulation by India’s lower order batsmen. They were not good enough on the day. Plain and simple. Neither has anyone mentioned that Tendulkar was plumb LBW in the first innings on thirty odd. Yet, he got away with it. Dravid got a bad one! Everyone agrees with that! But how many bad ones have we seen over the years and Australia wears as many as anyone else. Don’t let anyone tell you different.
Now, let’s look at that word, “sportsmanship”. When Australians lose, they don’t go around burning people’s homes down, burning effigies in the streets or for that matter setting fire to stadiums. Why should they? Cricket in Australia is a sport not a religion. Unfortunately, in India it is a religion, and we’ve seen just how much religious intolerance there is in that country. After the Pakistan debacle in England last year I would have thought people in that part of the world would have pulled their heads in. Just wishful thinking on my part, I’m afraid.
For goodness sake, get a life and treat cricket like any other game. It’s not the be all and end all. India’s cricketers certainly don’t think so or they would practise their overall skills. Someone once said, “Champions are made in training”. Why not do what they do. Work hard until you can beat them. Australia did this after being beaten by England in 2005 and it now has 16 on the trot. Certainly, India has the talent but talent alone will not make you the best.
As for the Indian Cricket Board, its obvious bias, lack of partiality and “holier than thou” attitude epitomises what is wrong with cricket in India. The class system is rife in India and their so-called values are blatantly transparent. Get some spine and the rest of us might start admiring you again. Having said that, Tendulkar and Kumble are a credit to your nation. Get back to playing the game and stop feeling sorry for yourselves.
One last thing. Don’t spit the dummy and go home when things don’t go your way. This attitude breeds losers, not winners. Giving your cricketers excuses for losing is not serving their best interests.
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Evenif Bucknor needs replacing, I beleive the ICC has done it at the wrong moment. At the end of the series was the tiem to review his performance. To appear to be giving in to anyone nation id the "beginning of the end" in any sport.
How many more umpires will be removed because one country does not like him? Surely it is time for umpires to fight back and to refuse to umpire until the ICC makes it clear that their tenure depends on overall performance not the whim of a particular country.
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When a close call for a boundary gets referred to the third umpire, what was Kumble thinking when he agreed with Ponting to take the word of the fielders for catches. Anil, you are playing with Ponting and Co. You need to be careful.
While there are some valid reasons for India's loss, allowing a team to get to 463 from 134/6 was perhaps sole reason why India lost. Yes, Symmonds did get lucky, still 300 runs !!!
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what a huge shame it is that one of the closest Test matches in years will only be remembered for all the wrong reasons. How was it possible that the Man of the Match award was awarded to a self-confessed cheat? The umpires must be provided with more technical support out in the middle. I see nothing wrong with an umpire calling for another look at a claimed caught behind or an lbw. He will still retain the decision making responsibility. Sure it will take a little longer but at least we would be spared from all the post match nonsense going on at the moment.
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I agree with Jonathan Agnew that it is not umpires who are problem. The problem lies with technical committee of ICC, which is out of sync with today's technology. The fact is that umpires will continue to commit human mistake.
In age of TV replays, it is important that each team gets chance to challange the decision in an inning till they are proven wrong. So it safegaurds that game is not slowed down with challanges. A bad umpiring game will not hurt the final outcome as the challange is still left, if umpire decision is wrong.
So the problem lies with ICC in running the game properly. Players and umpires have to perform.
As per Baba Ramadev, it is better to improve the system
than removing symptoms.
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The whole racism controversy can easily be settled by the ICC.It merely needs to have Proctor issue a statement showing on what evidence he based his decision;as a cricket loving Indian I feel I have the right to know on what evidence one of our cricketeers is being banned for 3 tests for a serious offence.The BCCI can then examine the evidence and decide if it wants to appeal.
But Proctor instead seems to be saying-I banned him coz I believe he racially abused Symonds.He can bring bring up his children based on his beliefs but to ban a cricketeer he needs evidence!
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Whilst I agree that the Aussies have taken the game to a more intense level of competition, if you look at the last day incidents with a neutral's eye the Australians cannot be vilified quite so much.
Dravid's one flicked the pad on the way through and Symonds heard it, hence the appeal. Any cricketer would have done the same in that situation so no blame for over-appealing or conning the umpire can be attached to Symonds in this instance. A shocking decision by umpire Bucknor nonetheless, in summary that was all down to the umpire getting it wrong.
The "catch" that Clarke claimed off of Ganguly is another of those funny ones that could have been avoided with a bit of umpiring common-sense. Replays suggest the ball touched the ground in the act of catching, but Clarke may have genuinely thought he caught it cleanly, in this instance he claimed the catch and left it up to the umpire to decide what to do as is his job. Umpire Benson then foolishly decided to ask Ricky Ponting if the catch had been made rather than the 3rd umpire, for me this is potentially the worst decision ever made by an umpire anywhere. Why bother with umpires at all? Lets just make the captain of the fielding side make all the decisions!
Given that those were the two key blunders by the umpires on the last day, it doesn't really point to Australian agression to me. Generally I agree with Aggers but I think he picked the wrong test to illustrate his point. The umpires were to blame for the fallout from Sydney, not the Aussies.
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I didn't see the game so I take my response at face value, but it seems Ponting is being needlessly taken to the cleaners on this occasion. The Australians do maintain a strong "what happens on the field.." attitude, but what he went to the umpire for was not because someone called his sister fat. One of his players was called a 'monkey' and in the eyes of the players, was a racist comment that needed to be reported. NEEDED to be reported. The ICC has gotten really tough on racism and Ponting was acting in his capacity as he was required to do.
I'm sure Ponting would have left all else on the field had Singh questioned Ponting's sisters' body size.
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India dont own the game, what is a worse crime, racial taunts or claiming a catch you honestly believe is out, and either way even technology cannot prove otherwise.
Racism v Catches Hmmmmmmmmm
David
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I agree to a level Jonathan has mentioned above. But would like to add a important ingrediant that Jonathan may not be aware. On what basis did Mike Procter slapped three match ban on Harbajan?? There is video or audio evidence or the onfield umpires heard to authenticate these allegations. As per ICC rules one of these three rules has to be there to slap a ban. But to dismay of the sportmanship of the cricket and to shock the gentlemens out there watching the proceedings closely, Mike procter slapped this ban on basis of evidence from the so called aussie brigade led by none other than ricky ponting the street fighter, Mathey Heyden the slayer, Mickel clark the liar, and Andrew Symonds so called gentle of gentlemens, leaving his initial antics. What about the indian word there led by The best sportperson the world admires Anil Kumble (in his span of 18 years, never he been to match referee and his onfield behaviour is an example to the generation next and is one of the worlds few who still thinks cricket is for gentlement), and Gem of a character like Sachin (This guy is admired not just for cricket abilities but more for his Persona, which after so much success and accepted across the world as the torch bearer for the millions as an example for there lives to lead)?? Mike Procter even if he remotely aware of these Persona's had not had decided to slap the ban. I only feel pity that ICC has these kind of administrators. ICC is filled with inefficient administrators who are running the game to abyss.... For Indians Cricket is more than a time pass thing, its there religion, its there life, its there ingredient for day today happieness. If on such people, any kind of bad comment will be a disgrace on the very own known ethics of the Game.
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I agree with Miraj Patel's comments 100% and not that much with Mr Agnew's. It calls for Bucknor's prosecution who started the mess from day one and went on and on against one team. He himself is not above the game.
I see here an opportunity to recommend visiting team to bring their two umpires (ex test players) and they report to the third umpire from host country. Lbw's and close- catching can be decided with the help of handheld replay devices. Of course all umpires are subjected to fine for bad calls. This way the visiting team can take some comfort from otherwise completely unfavorable environment.
Suddenly Sydney transpired the game of cricket. It was disgusting to watch players like Ponting, Clark, Hayden, Symonds deserting their games and chasing victory blindly.
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I guess what has happened at SCG was unfortunate, I think Australians didn't ask umpires to make the mistakes but of course Australians are good enough to put pressure on umpire to make mistakes (If you haven't seen the local league matches, go there on any Saturday, and see it yourself, the kids also put the umpires under a lot of pressure, and you should see them how they sledge each other). Being an umpire myself I know that this job is very difficult and on the last day of the test match it can be really stressful (not many umpires have that experience of going till the last day and seeing the result) and it can make people blind (as it happened with Steve Bucknor) or it can make them follow the strongest head on the ground (happened with Mark Benson, he went to Ricky Ponting to find the answer, and forgot he could have gone to square leg umpire or third umpire).
But I think asking to sack the umpire for next match, is an insult to the game. As per the rules stated for any cricket match, umpire is the one who is controlling the game, and if you ask to sack him is not what you should do. Probably its high time for ICC to set some KPAs (Key performance areas) for umpires for every match, and if they make more than 3 mistakes they should review his position, and I think BCCI is in good position to get that happen than asking to sack the umpires.
About the behaviour of Australians on the ground, and its impact on the kids (this what everybody is talking now), I think its already too late in Australia. If you see any local league matches, kids are already doing it, the bad language, the sledging, no respect for umpire is quite common. On the ground they are learning unofficially the best techniques to sledge your opponent, and let me tell you these guys forget the sledging once they are out of the ground, but we Indians don't, we take it too personally, as we are a bit more emotional, and this is what Indian team has done now. I don't think walking out of the tour is going to help. BCCI is at a good position to blackmail ACB or can even afford to bare the loss, but this is not going to solve the issue. If Kumble is suggesting he is playing with the full spirit, he must make his team play the remaining games.
Its time for him to renegotiate his pact with Ricky Ponting about the catches where they have agreed that if any doubts they will take the word from the fielder whether he has taken the catch or not. Graeme Smith had declined last time he was touring, he said he doesn't trust Aussies, and he was proved correct in this test match as Aussies were claiming all the doubtful catches, and how can you trust a person for such catches when he is not ready to leave the crease while batting when he knows he was out (both Ricky and Clarke were guilty of doing this, and both were claiming doubtful catches). And it only helps Australians as they try and grasp every chance, and they try to convert half chance into an opportunity. As Indians don't go for half chances, we would have a less chances of getting into such situation.
If Anil Kumble wants to go ahead with this pact, he must add 2 more points,
1. A batsman must walk back if he knows he is out and not given out (of course the fielding side is appealing for it, in my view its still an insult to an umpire as he has given him not out, and you must obey the ump, but ...) especially in the case of caught behind and bat/pad situation. Its tough for him to know if he was run out or stumped.
2. This one is more ambitious, as I think its very difficult to implement. If the batsman is suggesting he has not nicked it, take his word (on caught behind and bat/pad catches) and allow him to continue.
See if Australians agree to this, if Ricky Ponting is suggesting he has played this game in true spirit, he wouldn't mind agreeing to this, at least the point 1. If not then he doesn't want to play with the true spirit.
Then Ricky Ponting found out that yes "Monkey" business is the only way for him to get rid of Bhajji and score some runs. He has got the legacy from the Lilies, Merv Hughes, and Steve Waughs on such matters. I think India has lost a bit of a shine by counter filing a claim against Brad Hogg, suggesting he used abusive language against Kumble. Its seems like we are in grade 2 and making a complain to the teachers. I think its time Anil should sit with Ricky and work out a few things including renegotiating his pact and some behavioural standards, including excessive appealing. At the same time BCCI to sit with ACB and workout some standards, and force ICC to follow that. After all cricket is not always about winning (its not a war, at the end of the day, its still a game, and learn to lose it gracefully).
If Australia was not gracious at the win, let me tell you even Indians were not the good losers (as they still think they didn't lose, they were forced to lose, and I guess if India would have been in the place of Australia, Indians would have done all the excessive appealing and would have tried every bit to win the match including the dodgy catches). Emotions are on the high at the moment, I would suggest have some cold showers and think again before calling the tour off. I don't think Indians will be labelled as raciest just because of Harbhajan Singh.
On the funnier side of calling Symond as Monkey by some of Indian spectators, he has now become Hanuman and by Bhajji calling him Monkey again we have put fire on his tail and we all know what had happened when his tail was on fire last time.
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I agree what you said and i truely beleave that umpires were missleaded by Ponting and Co. If rashid Latif gets ban becuase of claiming the catch wrongly why not ponting and Clark? I am surprised no body raised this issue. Umpires are victim of this Aus team.
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If not walking is cheating then every test team cheats, because there are players of every side that dont walk, India included. Not only that, but some of the greats of the game including and going back to Grace are cheats, because he didnt walk either. I think some of the anti-Australia bashing on this topic needs a bit of perspective.
Now if Harbhajan said that (and the neutral officiating referee believes he did) then he deserves what he has got. If India use their political power or threats to cancel a tour to allow one of their players to get away with making racist comments on the field, then thats a travesty that far outweighs any umpiring decisions that went against them, and amounts to using their size to subvert the fair officiation of the sport.
Other than racist comment, i think any type of sledging is fine. Toughen up.
My dad always said to me "the umpiring is like the weather, sometimes its with ya, sometimes its against ya, and you cant control which, so complaining about it is the height of whinging and poor sportsmanship." You can imagine what he thinks about having the umpire removed. The Indians were raped by the umps, thats clear, but it could have just as easily gone the other way.
As for overappealing on the 5th day and overcelebrating after an amazing win, well you dont have to go back very far into the tapes to find the indians guilty of both, and many other test sides too.
Seems like the only thing Australia have actually done differently or worse than any other side is claim catches that they knew werent, and did they honestly know they werent catches? Ponting disclaimed one he knew wasnt a catch.
Seems to me that their petulant response to poor umpiring and Harbajhans suspension makes the Indians far worse sportsmen than the Australians at present.
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Why should ICC support incompetent umpires 100%. Symonds nick was heard in stands but not by Bucknor. I think he has hearing problems. I am not sure, ICC does any kind of hearing test.
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It is true that umpires are human, and they must not be pressurised needlessly. Unfortunately, Australia excels in doing precisely that. We saw it on the fifth day when the Australians appealed for everything, including calls that were blatantly not out. The ICC is a spineless organisation which seems to be only interested in making money. Best thing is ti get on with the game.
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Come on Brian R, don't pussyfoot like the Aussie cricketers when someone stands his ground and stares back at them. Can't you see Ponting's gesticulations, war cries in the forms of deceitful appeals, and those ridiculous victroy celebrations fraudulently earned! Why can't you have a reaction to Ponting's appeal for a catch off Dhoni which is as much a part of mother earth as grass? We never had a problem with Steve Waugh who played the game as hard but with a lot of dignity. This Ponting is an imposter, perhaps his real self which was open to the world's nightclubs at King's Croos to Kolkata has never changed. All the seafarers of the Moby Dick era must have been far more refined than Ricky Ponting. Anoint him if you want, it is not our problem.
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The current state is because of the domination of ICC by australians and English which us subcontinent guys wont standup and take anymore. We want equal rights if not more than you guys as we are the ones who are generating most of the revenue. The current imbroglio is also because australians manipulate everything from match refrees and umpires to get all the decisions in favor of them. while they abuse others racially and otherwise and getaway time and again, if a brown player from subcontinent responds he will be branded as racist and abuser of lowest level. English and South africans are not gutsy enough to stand against aussies as you guys admire them all the time. We firmly believe australians though a good team win atleast half of the games by manipulating decisions in their favor. It will only change if 40% domination of aussies in ICC will be reduced and subcontinent representation in ICC increased for we can standup against the whitemen. Until then this crusade will continue.
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Whilst I agree with ALMOST everying Jonathon has to say in this article, there is one point that needs to be brought to the fore and discussed at some length. It is my understanding that the players and especially the captain of the side are all appointed/selected by the ACB. If I am correct in that assumption, then it is the ACB who must assume the responsibility of admonishing and disciplining players for lapses in on and off field behaviour. It would appear to me that at present, the tail is wagging the dog. The behaviouor of the Australian team is coming across as seriously lacking in good, old-fashioned sportsmanship. i.e. simple, good manners.
As far as the disgraceful decision to get rid of Mr Bucknor for the upcoming test, I for one, was always taught that the referee/umpire is not always right but he is never wrong! It is a shame that the vast amounts of money within sport and the pressure on the players to win at all costs, means that every single questionable umpiring decision is seen as a national disaster by the team on the receiving end. If the Indian players made as few mistakes as Mr Bucknor during the game, they could still be out there batting now!
The ICC has a lot to answer for. Grow some balls Gentlemen!
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If not walking is cheating then every test team cheats, because there are players of every side that dont walk, India included. Not only that, but some of the greats of the game including and going back to Grace are cheats, because he didnt walk either. I think some of the anti-Australia bashing on this topic needs a bit of perspective.
Now if Harbhajan said that (and the neutral officiating referee believes he did) then he deserves what he has got. If India use their political power or threats to cancel a tour to allow one of their players to get away with making racist comments on the field, then thats a travesty that far outweighs any umpiring decisions that went against them, and amounts to using their size to subvert the fair officiation of the sport.
Other than racist comment, i think any type of sledging is fine. Toughen up.
My dad always said to me "the umpiring is like the weather, sometimes its with ya, sometimes its against ya, and you cant control which, so complaining about it is the height of whinging and poor sportsmanship." You can imagine what he thinks about having the umpire removed. The Indians were raped by the umps, thats clear, but it could have just as easily gone the other way.
As for overappealing on the 5th day and overcelebrating after an amazing win, well you dont have to go back very far into the tapes to find the indians guilty of both, and many other test sides too.
Seems like the only thing Australia have actually done differently or worse than any other side is claim catches that they knew werent, and did they honestly know they werent catches? Ponting disclaimed one he knew wasnt a catch.
Seems to me that their petulant response to poor umpiring and Harbajhans suspension makes the Indians far worse sportsmen than the Australians at present.
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Just a thought,but what exactly did a minor pat on the backside from Harbajan to Lee have to do with Symonds?
Standing up for a mate who didn't seem too fussed (probably not wanting to upset his Bollywood employers either)and not in anyway in danger of physical harm seems a rediculous excuse for any "hard but fair" minded sportsman to try to use
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Why should ICC support incompetent umpires 100%. Symonds nick was heard in stands but not by Bucknor. I think he has hearing problems. I am not sure, ICC does any kind of hearing test.
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A very good assessment of the situation.
The replacement of Steve Bucknor should not have been with a reason of diffusing tension between the 2 teams but on grounds of incompetence (though you cannot completely rule out his bias against the Indian team since he has a history of erroneous decisions against them with a few exceptions that some may like to point out).
The decision against Harbhajan does not seem justified since the event was not reported by the umpires and it was the word of one person (Symonds) against the other (Harbhajan). How was mike Proctor convinced in this case? Was it divine intervention that he was "convinced beyond reasonable doubt" that Harbhajan had made a racist comment directed against Symonds?
The real racist in this looks to be Mike Proctor himself. He has shown himseld to be incompetent as a match referee.
The Australian team have shown time and again that they are ready to dish out "mental disintegration" and "abuse" to visiting teams but the instant some team stands up to it, they are unable to digest it.
Hussey says that Australian players know how hard it is to earn the "baggy green" cap so they play hard all the time but says that they play fair and not against the rules. It is easy to say this when he has benefitted from decisions that clearly show him as a cheat.
I had respect for the skill and tenacity of the Australian team but over the last few years, their on field behaviour has really diminished that respect.
They will be remembered as a team that won but was never respected.
They will be remembered as a team with double standards when "spirit of the game" is mentioned.
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Its engrained in the Australian psyche.
Underarm bowling in New Zealand and didn't Lille bash one of the Indians some years ago with his aluminium bat.
regards
Steve
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It appears that everyone is hot and very disturb about the Australian team like how they played the game,show no quarter. Lets face it if they were your team you would not say anything negative but shower praises.
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Just a thought,but what exactly did a minor pat on the backside from Harbajan to Lee have to do with Symonds?
Standing up for a mate who didn't seem too fussed (probably not wanting to upset his Bollywood employers either)and not in anyway in danger of physical harm seems a rediculous excuse for any "hard but fair" minded sportsman to try to use
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An excellent analysis of the situation. In particular, I'm concerned by the treatment Steve Bucknor- Aggers is right to point out that the ICC is now seeing its treatment of Darrel Hair coming home to roost. The ICC has shown that if you disagree vociferously enough with the rulings of an official, you can get him removed. While Bucknor made some howlers during the Test, the ICC has now twice pulled an umpire for making what appear to be good faith decisions on the field.
It's a weirdly contradictory position that the ICC takes: we can't have umpires second guessed by technology on the field, but we can have them second guessed by committee after the match is over. Either make it possible for the right call to always be made on the field (through an option for appeal to the 3rd umpire by teams, or automatic review of close decisions), or back the best-effort calls that your umpires make on the field.
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After all the controversial decisions in Sydney and the fall out, Steve Bucknor would not be in the right frame of mind to officiate the next match for sure. he is now under a lot of pressure. Under this circumstance, it is only wise that Mr. Bucknor is not officiating the next match.
The right way should have been for Mr. Bucknor to send a letter to ICC mentioning that he would need a break from officiating the next 2 matches with the situation at hand, and ICC could have acted accordingly.
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I have to say it was the worst umpiring I have ever seen.Any country would have been up in arms with both umpires.The only sensible thing they did was covered their microphones during the racism drama because they knew the seriousness of it.Other than that some very strange decisions by both.
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Well done Aggers ! You've said what most of us have been thinking.
It is about time we have microphones out in the middle so that we can all hear what is being said by the Ozzies "in the spirit of the game" ! Then we can make our own minds up.
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A very balanced write up. It is well known that bullies do not like anyone standing up to them.
About umpiring: It was absolutely right to have called off Steve Bucknor because this is not the first instance or complaint by India about his umpiring. ICC has not bothered to look up its team reports after the end of the series and has brought the crisis upon its head by its own negligence in not reading those reports and atleast enquiring into them.
Secondly, umpires are indeed human, and most humans, working for a company retire by 60 or thereabouts. And, if an employee is found to be incompetent -- as Speed has publicly agreed in his televised statement that both umpires had a bad test - then I see nothing wrong in Steve Bucknor being given a memo or a suspension as would happen in any corporate atmosphere! And, he has not been kicked out only asked to step back for the next test in the interest of the game and himself, too.
And, the racism slur is something that is too huge for a ban to be imposed in such a slipshod way without proven evidence. This has turned out to be give a dog a bad name and hang it! Justice should not only be done but also appear to be done.
I am sure Aussies are capable of beating India fairly and squarely becaue Indian team's performance can be quite erratic, so why belittle their own efforts and talents through unfair practices?
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Seems like Jonathan Agnew been very biased. What happened in Sydney on Saturday has upset every cricket lover in the world, even those in Australia.
There was no evidence to suggest that Harbhajan Singh made any racist remarks to Symonds. If Mike Proctor has simply gone on taking word of mouth as evidence from Clarke & Hayden then why has the testimony of Sachin Tendulkar and the umpires been ignored.
Every cricket lover round the world know that Aussies lead the way when it comes to sledging and they have said some appalling things on pitch to a lot of players from various international teams which has been ignored by Match Referee’s and ICC as whole. When Australians do it it's called Mental disintegration, but when any other teams stand up to them and do it then it's racism. This is wrong and ICC needs to make it 'one law for all'.
Regarding the Steve Bucknor row, however I do feel He is one of the best umpires and to punish him for some incorrect decisions would be wrong. Sometimes decisions go your way sometimes they don't. This is the part and parcel of the game.
Overall on the whole I do believe Australia played better cricket than India in all areas of the game whether its Bowling, Batting and Fielding and they deserved to win.
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What a load of rubbish. Very disappointing from you. Its smacks of tall poppy syndrome. The England team did not carry on like the Indians during their series when things did not go their way. The Australian crowds have not abused the Indians like the Indian Crowds abused the Australians. The Indian players carried on the the recent series in India. Both the Pakistani and Indian Boards think they can run the game. They have racism down to a fine art. Their culture and political situation entrenches racism.
So lets get real about who is in the wrong here.
SEnd the Indians home never to play them again. Lets get the Asia v/s rest split happening.
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There is something wrong with G-d’s game when an umpire, a mere human is lampooned in the press for mistakes that are perceived as wrong. The game of cricket is different from all other human endevours; it is played by the spirit of the game.
The Australian team is not composed of angels but they do not challenge the right of an umpire to make up his mind.
In my mind racist language was used as a form of goading to put off a good player. This despicable behaviour was copied by an Indian crowd who used the same word to goad the same player.
Now imagine if that a member of the Indian team was racially abused. There would be a riot. What goes one way can easily come back the other way. Do not be such hypocrites.
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"they can dish it out, but can't take it"....I lived in Perth for 7 years and loved every minute of it and would still be there now if it wasn't for family reasons but I'm afraid that the above part of Aggers comment is absolutely true! Sad, really.
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This whole issue is ridiculous. Whilst the players are to blame for basically cheating, the issue could be resolved in one single swoop.
Get rid of umpires completely, and effectively employ a bodyguard on the pitch for security etc
ALL ISSUES should automatically be ruled via technology. That way there could be no arguments about decisions, and ultimately if players knew they were under the microscope to such an extent, the cheating would reduce eg appeals when the batsman obviously has not touched the ball.
It's only because of the subjectivity element that players know they can get away with pushing the boundaries into unsporting behaviour. Remove this, and there will be a fairer playing field.
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I completely agree with you that its the players who are the real threat for this game called Cricket.. we really should address the mistake of the players rather than pointing out the umpire's mistake. I was really disgusted when Andrew Symonds said i was out at 30 but was amazed to see to given not out...such a shame on his part that he batted till the last with out the game spirit.. if he was true sports man he should be walked out but he took the chance to victimise Bucknor showing his error in front of media and making him feel guilty. His statement clearly says that Bucknor gave him a life to bat again in the field.. then who is guilty? Bucknor or Symonds? who should be banned? Bucknor or Symonds? if Bucknor made a mistake with out conscience then what you call Symonds??..
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While I agree with most points made I also feel that in all sports officials are over protected from criticism. When players make continuous glaring errors they are dropped and have to work to regain their positions. I feel the same should be true of officials, there is so much riding on the outcome of these matches the best officials need to be in charge and if that means a similar competition for places amongst the elite umpires it must be good for the game.
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I am an Indian but not happy at the decision that Mr.Bucknor is taken off from the next match.If there was a problem there should've been investigation on both the matters .Matter or Harbhajan Singh & Mr.Bucknor.I don't agree with the decision of BCCI,ICC & Australians spirit of game.
All are mistaken & thats why there is a need of open investigation.I m sure Mr.Bucknor was not cheating.
I support him.I am an Indian & a patriot but i love cricket & want to keep its spirit alive.
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I think Aussies need to overhaul their system of selecting and training players. The cricket world should applaud India for standing up to them and to show them what they are...a bunch of bullies.
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J.A'S voice, like another past J.A's,(careful)is for old cricket lovers 'The Voice of Cricket '. His comments are correct at this moment intime.Unfortunately time rolls on and the word 'Sport' no longer means 'A Past Time'. Sport has now been taken over by Business. To be sucessful in business,administrators, employees,and manufacturers have to be up to date and pretty ruthless. Modern Day Electronics will be introduced and Umpires, like Railway Signalmen will be redundant. Sad! but these piffling arguments will eventually speed up this outcome.It will still be a great game of skill.
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I agree in part with Jonathan Agnews article, but I don't think "Cricket is truly at a crossroads". Perhaps international cricket, but what Jonathan should remember is that every summer weekend, throughout England, and indeed the world, cricket is still being played in the pure spirit of the game...rival villages/pubs/clubs where the comments can be just as cutting, but the 'feeling' of the game is maintained...there, away from the razmatazz/hype/ and advertising/sponsorship (how long before the bats have strips of advertising down them?) of international cricket, you can see the beauty of the game, from the hills and wooden huts of Somerset to an expanse of green amongst grey in the city...,
International cricket is the pinacle of competition, and can be breathtaking in its perfection of technique (re: Geoffrey Boycott lol) and sportsmanship...buts it was not the ultimate motivation for whoever first put bat to ball to create this most sublime of games, that is what remains at the heart of cricket when the money men have had their fill....anyway:
I seem to remember Dr. W.G. Grace singlehandedly caused this amount of contoversy in his glorious and lengthy heyday, to say nothing of Mr. Jardin...cricket goes on, and long may it do so!!
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I support Aggers comments entirely. I would add though that it is rediculous to use technology just to see if an umpire has got the right decision and not for getting the correct result. How many 'pundits' would have made the same wrong decisions in this last test had they not had the advantage of replays. If technology is not going to be used to obtain the correct decision then replays etc should be banned and all decisions left for the umpires to make without fear of being found at fault with their decision - as it used to be before replays were introduced.
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I agree pretty much with everything Aggers has said. The behaviour of both sets of players was truly disgusting. The best thing is to cancel the tour now.
The one person that I feel most sorry for is Steve Bucknor. He is a true gentleman, and a great umpire. So what if he made some mistakes. We all do.
The cricket authorities owe Steve one huge apology.
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cant agree more with aricle. congrats. author is able to put in words everybody knew for ages. others did not want to or could not put their views so siccintly. but assie attitude did not start with ricky. simpson and lawrry sid in sixties that cricket is played by them like war. winning has always been their end all. recall if any body remembers their padding play at calcutta in 66 lawry and Mallet to deny victory. aggressiveness is professionalism patended by tem and for them only! spirit was always there. some body else has taken notice of them now.
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hi agers
this just the perfect.
you are so right its the ball and the bat that should do the talking.
as a cricket lover like you immediate action has to be taken in the right manner to ensure the game of cricket is the winner and those who want to abuse the rules of cricket should be punished.
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In the days before conclusive video replays undermined the umpires' decisions, (umpires are no better or worse at their job today), cricketers had no choice but to go along with what happened on the pitch. Now that they have evidence to feed their grievances, and those of the fans who see their team lose matches because of blatant umpiring mistakes, it has become impossible for the game to continue without changing in response to the new situation.
Either we do away with action replays (unthinkable), or we use video replays for decisions such as LBW and edged catches, as well as run-outs etc. The umpire will become much less influential in deciding the outcome of a match, but it is the inevitable result of the video invasion and it is now folly to pretend otherwise.
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Well done Aggers for writing such a powerful piece, I agree that the great game of cricket that I played for some 35 years is at a major crossroads. My intense fear is that with so much money in the game today we are heading quickly to join the cynical ranks of modern day football.
All of us must do what we can to stop this downhill journey that will spoil cricket forever.
All power to you Aggers rally the fans and continue to tell it as it is.
Kind regards
Kenneth Pierce
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i agree with mr agnew too a point, it started alot earlier than umpire hair.i remember alan borders sides touring the sub continent, there were a heap of average rulings from india and pakistan. if it was up to me india would be on there way home. as for umpire bucknor just read what the great clive loyd has said, and if any body takes any notice of people like wasim akram well the mind boggles, he and a heap of subcontinal players were using the home tongue vilify any english speaking players. lastly malcom speed should quit in disgrace, as with the head of cricket australia james sutherland, they could'nt run a raffle.
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The mistake is mistake. The umpires and the team Astralia made a mistake they should accept it, if not then they are not worthy and living in dreams only.
We should always accept what is false and what is truth. The India, where only one man described the truth to the whole world and made followers all over the world which is probably no one has done in the past.
And if Australian are of the opinion that they are not wrong then I have sympathy for them.
Thanks.
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Agnew, for goodness sake wake up and smell the coffee. Your siting back and lambusting the Australians only serves to highlight your blatant misunderstanding of the modern game. I mean, honestly, which century do you live in?! People play to win, and if it means being 'aggressive' and 'intimidating' then so be it - it is a part of Australia's winning culture, and something that England could learn a lot from. Indeed, your petulant observations and outbursts (which are quite obviously an example of 'tall poppey' syndrome) only serves to take away from the appreciation we should all have of what is one of test crickets greatest ever teams. Maybe if Michael Vaughn stopped paying attention to outdated traditionalists like yourslef England wouldn't be languishing in.. 5th place on the world rankings is it??
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The mistake is mistake. The umpires and the team Astralia made a mistake they should accept it, if not then they are not worthy and living in dreams only.
We should always accept what is false and what is truth. The India, where only one man described the truth to the whole world and made followers all over the world which is probably no one has done in the past.
And if Australian are of the opinion that they are not wrong then I have sympathy for them.
Thanks.
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There has been a lot of support for Steve Bucknor. However the support has been misplaced. You cannot support a professional who is unfit for the job.If he is incompetent he has to be sacked without much ado.
Regarding the Indian players the captain and manager has to rein them in. They should play the game like gentlemen and not like the Aussies. Cricket is gentleman's game and should continue to be. Cricket cannot become soccer or other roughhouse games.
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As usual, riveting stuff and possibly a very honest assessment of the situation. However, i have one major grouse against it. At the beginning, what is the need to congratulate the Aussies? When the next lines of the article criticises the way they went about their business, surely congratulations is not merited? I thought getting something done but going about it the right way is the most important thing? Or does the end justify the means?
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I agree that players must be forced to behave. Sledging is one thing, racial abuse is entirely another matter.
If Singh is guilty he must receive a heavy penalty, if not Ponting should apologise.
Given previous scenes involving the Indian team and some of their supporters I am inclined to believe Andrew Symonds. The ICC must develop a backbone and tackle this matter head on. It is no good backing down to teams, particularly those from the sub-continent, every time they cry foul and throw the toys out because they have been found out. They command no respect for their attitude. We had it with Pakistan, now India. If they and others, including Australia and England, cannot behave they should be banned. The financial punishment will bring them all to their senses eventually.
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There has been a lot of support for Steve Bucknor. However the support has been misplaced. You cannot support a professional who is unfit for the job.If he is incompetent he has to be sacked without much ado.
Regarding the Indian players the captain and manager has to rein them in. They should play the game like gentlemen and not like the Aussies. Cricket is gentleman's game and should continue to be. Cricket cannot become soccer or other roughhouse games.
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Rocket, I really don't see what this arguement has to do with the British colonising half the world as you put it? It sounds like you have a very heavy chip on your shoulder!
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Well said Jonathan.Sledging has now filtered down into club cricket and is looked upon as part of the game.Its only the TCCB who can stamp it out by giving umpires the authority to stop it on the field of play.Send players off if they have to but it must at all costs be removed from the game before it degenerates into a farce.
As for Symonds, he is a two faced wimp.He can dish it out but can't take it.
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You cannot justify any team then. Because there were several faults from both parts. Bzt why you believe Austrian Team members only? Why don't you believe a great player like Sachin?
That means there is partiality..
If not why ICC giving both Symondy & Harbajan the same suspension?
Do it? Or try to do so..
Then You will see the difference.
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To some extend what Johnathan has said is true, BUT, I think we are forgetting the bigger picture which being is anyone that is not contributing to the "spirit" of the game the way its meant to be played has to be held accountable and not "punished".
Here ICC and the individual cricketing federations have to sit together and see how issues like the one faced in Sydney will be resolved in the future. The discussion will have to involve players behaviour on the field, the way both the teams play their cricket on the game day, the umpiring in the game, the comments passed by the players during the pre & post conferenaces, to name a few. All these have to thrashed out by the member countries with the ICC.
In the case of the after-math of the Sydney test, its a well known fact that the ICC caved in to the "financial clout" of the BCCI. This is quite obvious no matter the ICC or Mr. Malcom Speed says. Anyone with a bit of inteligence can see this. ICC should not have caved in to the BCCI's request, but could have made ammends to the umpiring issue by replacing Bucknor with Procter as umpire for the next test match and Bucknor reverting as the Thrid umpire.
Regarding "Bhaji's" so called comments, if he had said it, he has to be held accountable and no amount of pressure from BCCI should have detered the ICC. BUT to come out with such "bans" there has to be a solid evidence in terms of the umpire(s) having heard it or video or audio recordings substantiating such incidents rather than depend on the comments of the opposition team.
All in all, I wonder why the Indian team is adopting such a "sore" loser attitude when they havent seriously done enough to beat the Aussies. And thats a fact no one is highlighting. Having a team down on 100-odd runs for 4-5 wickets and cant still finish the tail but at the same time speculating that "we may have won the game" is just like the behavioural patterns of the so called "paper tigers".
When Symonds was on the receiving end of the tauts of the Indian fans on their last trip, the aussies dint threaten to "fly-off", rather they played, competed well & evetually won the one-days and they went back downunder.
If you want to be the best team in the world, you have to have the attitude, commitment, discipline, work ethics, etc of the best teams in history. The Indian team sadly doesnt have any, save for a few individual players (probably) but a few players dont make a "winning" team!!!
Sam
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Nice bit of sensationalism, almost as good as 'Tea and Biscuits' Roebuck. Aussies have behaved in an offensive manner on a cricket field since the 70's and 80's. Things really heated up in the early 90's. All Rickys done is continue a pretty ordinary tradition. Its much easier to lay it at Rickys feet than Waugh (mental disintegration man), Warne (Andrew Hudson anyone?) or McGrath (never saw him bowl a ball and not have something to say afterwards). Of course, Punter is an easier target, as he his bound by the ACB code of conduct of replying, the others are not. Simmo visibly gloating??? All I saw was a man amused at having to answer the same question 150 times from buffoons like you. "Give it but can't take it", your full of it. In one sentence you make this statement, then the next paragraph you suggest that Harbi should be brought to task if he made a racist comments. Duh, which way do you want it brighteyes. The Aussies don't make racist comments because they've been done before for something that was not said to anyone in particular. If an Aussie said something racist, it (and he) would be in front of the match referee quicker than you can say 'Harbi is a chucker'. So by logic, Aussies are not (verbally on a cricket field) racist! Finally cricket was (not is) at crossroads in 1977 with Packer, unfortunately it chose the wrong path, money.
p.s. Harbi as an Indian cricketer adored by billions with his every move for everyday of his life watched by media can't handle the pressure of a 6 hr Aussie verbal attack. This article is so factually incorrect, its laughable....
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Well said Mr. Jonathan, when the Aussies and the English are at receiving end, there is the question of "spirit of cricket" at stake- else its all about playing the game 'hard'. Firstly, how does one convict Harbhajan without any proof. On the basis of the version given by Ponting and Symonds-whose integrity was in display for everyone to see.Just try to recall from recent history how one player is punished and the other let off for the same kind of offence depending upon his nationality.
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As ever, Jonathan Agnew's observations are pretty much spot-on. I recall John Arlott's saying of the Australians that they are "not the greatest losers" when things are going against them. And that was in the 50s and 60s.
What price sportsmanship now?
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Mr. Agnew, I accept that umpires are human too and prone to make mistakes. But, what I cannot understand is how can an sane unpire make by mistake favorable decisions towards one team and unfavorable decisions towards the other. We are not blaming Simon Taufel / Asad Rauf eventhough they make mistakes. That's because both teams involved in a match get a fair share of unfair dismissals. Bucknor and Hair have always supported one side. The best example being when Sri Lanka toured India in 1997 Bucknow pretended that he is going to give the batsman out but he was taking something from his cap.
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I cannot believe the abuse being hurled at the Aussie cricket team, and more specifically, Ponting. The Aussies did nothing in this test that has not been done 100 times before, by every test playing nation. Aussies can't take sledging? Sure they can, they simply laugh it off, and tell the person doing it to back it up on the scoreboard. The only reason Ponting brought it to the attention of the referee is because he was told that Singh racially abused Symonds. In the hearing Ponting even admitted he hadn't heard it, but was duty bound to report it, as all captains had been advised to do.
The umpiring was indeed a joke, but that is hardly the Aussies fault. If walking is so common place in cricket (as everyone who is claiming Symonds is a cheat must believe) then why was Gilchrist walking in the world cup semifinal such breaking news? The truth is, almost no-one walks. And the Indians claiming that people should walk is ludicrous, considering all that has gone before.
The problem in this test was that all of these things happened at once, and in a closely fought test that India felt aggrieved to lose. It was a harsh way to lose a test, and the umpiring didn't help, but it's hardly worthy of the uproar that it has caused.
Just my two cents...
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On the basis of last test match, No one has right to question the dignity and integrity of Australian team.I think on one level ICC are also to blame for this issue, as ICC needs to continuously review the performance of international Level of umpires, so that they can bring some program like using them to umpire some Tour games other than Test matches and One day International. And on other side India are responsible to exaggerate this issue using their power on the media and using their financial power on ICC to alter their decision. I can say clearly that India showed their frustration for not being able to push for draw by questioning Australian integrity and on field Umpire's ethics. It is just nonsense from Indian media and other people. As their was no such issue raised when Anil Kumble took five wickets on wrong decision among 10 wickets which he took in the inning against Pakistan and not to forget those decision were given by Indian umpires. Also what about growing appeal for catch coming from pad in any spinner's bowling in Indian pitches? What about Harbhajan Singh accepting publicly in media that he abuses opponent player in punjabi when his ball go for fours and sixes? This was because this was done by India and Indian were there in winning side. So no question was raised on the integrity and ethics of Indian player.
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I have just one question, did ANYBODY hear Harbajan call Symonds a monkey, and if so WHO? When a player is banned for what the opposing captain said, then something is wrong.
As for Buckner, I think a bad precedent is being set here, he should not have been dropped and maybe Symonds should have been more diplomatic in his answer.
I was very down when India lost this test match, but they have not lost the series yet and I would love to see them give the Aussies a hiding in the last two.
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I have just one question, did ANYBODY hear Harbajan call Symonds a monkey, and if so WHO? When a player is banned for what the opposing captain said, then something is wrong.
As for Buckner, I think a bad precedent is being set here, he should not have been dropped and maybe Symonds should have been more diplomatic in his answer.
I was very down when India lost this test match, but they have not lost the series yet and I would love to see them give the Aussies a hiding in the last two.
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i am british of indian origin and support the winning team when england plays india ;)
a few points to make.
the problems with the umpiring is not so much the spate of bad decisions, but the inability/unwillingness to seek the third umpire's help. what galled indians was i think benson asking ponting(or whoever it was) whether the catch was taken. i think that was the straw.
you might argue that the indians should accept umpiring decisions, good or bad, and deal with it. yes they should. but i would also argue that the whole world and its dog knows that subcontinent teams are volatile and when umpiring matches where such teams play, it doesnt hurt to be cautious.
as to the ICC stepping down bucknor - why couldn't the icc have said bucknor will continue - but the 3rd umpire can overrule faulty decisions?that would have been dignity intact all round.
in fact i think the 3rd umpire SHOULD be allowed to overrule a ground umpire's decision.
and to the purists who shudder at this thought - the game has to change if it has become so competitive.
about harbhajan singh. if he has racially abused symonds and if there is proof, he should be punished.
if there is no proof, how will you deal with it? what is stopping the indians complaining against an aussie player? or for that matter any team against the other team? how will such complaints be dealt with, if all that is needed is one team's word against the other?
secondly, no one should put up with racism. but dont you think the aussies have opened pandora's box when they invented sledging and now are reaping what they sowed?
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THE GREAT APES
When Aussies are 'Kangaroos' or New Zealanders are 'Kiwis' or Ganguly is 'Bengal Tiger' or Kumble is ‘Jumbo’ or McGrath is ‘Pigeon’ or or .......... how are we hurting their sensibilities or questioning their parentage ???? When Symonds and all his team mates refer to Michael Clarke as 'Pup' are they in any way calling him a 'Dog'??? How is Mr. Clarke's parentage being questioned here ???? You Aussies (cry babies) need to grow up and come out of primary school because 'professionals' who oppress others don't squeal. All cricketers who are nicknamed or called 'whatever' names have a case here to say their 'sensibilities' are hurt!!! Dravid may claim that I am hurt because they are calling me ‘inanimate’ and bereft of sensitivities when they call me ‘The Wall’. Every name carries with it positive and negative virtues. ‘Hurt’ people catch only the negatives and blow the same out of proportion with the fuel from others. Unfortunately Symonds has exposed to the whole world that he reacts wrongly to the ‘M’ word which in turn has made himself a soft target in the cricket field possibly impacting his future performance !! Ask Inzy how he made himself a soft target when he reacted to the word ‘Potato’. A thorough professional on the world stage playing to the gallery takes both positives and negatives in his stride and are best diplomats with seldom reactions. Mr. Symonds, you are a professional in word. Please show the same in deeds. What is Mr. Procter and ICC going to do now ??? On this Harbhajan precedence ban all players and therefore finally ban cricket ??? All such 'petty' issues arising on the field should be sorted out on the field before the players reach the dressing room. To do so, the entire onus rests mainly with the two umpires and the two captains. The efforts of both the umpires and the then fielding captain Ponting is there for everybody to see. What about the role of Match referee ?? THEY HAVE HIJACKED THE GENTLEMAN'S GAME CALLED CRICKET !! Not to mention the poor umpiring decisions. Only on this man management failure count both the umpires and Ponting deserve a sack !! If you ban all talk on the cricket field you will be only watching a ‘Silent Movie’ and you miss the thrill of Yuvraj ‘s six sixers in an over if Freddie is gagged. And you will still complain that ‘THIS IS NOT CRICKET’. Get the point, Mate ?
The same Mr. Procter who was a match referee in a Pakistan/Bangladesh test banned the then Pakistan captain Rashid Latif for 5 test matches because Latif appealed on a grassed catch. Mr. Procter, shouldn’t Ponting the captain be banned forever for appealing on a grassed Dhoni catch and aiding Mark Benson to fraudulently give Ganguly out when Michael Clarke had clearly grassed the catch before completing the same ???? Why these double standards Mr. Procter ?? Sorry Mr. Procter you have got the definition of ‘racism’ totally wrong. You are penalizing Bhajji on alleged (without conclusive proofs) verbal ‘racism’ whereas you and like minded people have put racism into practice. This DIFFERENTIATION and DOUBLE STANDARDS is the real RACISM marring CRICKET. Anybody not seeing this is blind. Don’t get caught in words. Mend your deeds before it is too late, or else run the risk of the whole world calling you (cricketing fraternity) …. THE GREAT APES.
AUTHOR …. Sharad Bailur, Bahrain
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I do agree with most of what Jonathan has to say. I think a lot of people are missing this vital point. A precedent was set when Darrel Hair was hung out to dry and removed from the game. How do we now get the genie back in the box? What happens if the Australians feel hard done by in Perth with one of the new umpires? They will feel perfectly justified in demanding his removal and how can the ICC not agree? In other sports here AFL, Football of all codes, rugby, league and soccer if you criticise the referee you get fined or banned or both. In cricket apparantly it's not only ok to bag the umpire but you get him removed if you don't like him. I agree with Glen McGrath, it is ridiculous that it has come to a situation where if you have a bad game you're out. The ICC is a disgrace!
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Completely agree with everything that Aggers says. It's a shame this outstanding Australian team get tarnished by their sledging and unsporting behaviour.
However, we should not just restrict this criticism to the Australian team, even if they were the 'pioneers' of this behaviour. On occassions, England last summer didn't cover themselves in glory, and many other test nations have been guilty of this in recent years.
I think it's down to the ICC to sit all the test captains and coaches down, and clearly state what is expected of them (in terms of their approach to both opponents and umpires), outline the punishments that will be dealt if players step out of line, and then firmly stick to these punishments. Removing umpires is not the answer, although (like Bucknor) they should be held accountable for any incompetent performances. Individual cricket unions must also start to accept punishments where it is clear their players have done wrong, rather than take the 'it's my ball, I'm going home' approach. However, I'm not holding my breath on the spineless ICC doing any of this.
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yes all the talking are related to each other,like in T20 where austraila played against india when Murali Kartik was clearly out and umpire just didnot ruled him out ...and still commited that he was out ..then why can't austarlian player do the same . IN this sydney case,the umpies should take a blame because Dhoni stumpping had clearly got symmonds out then what else can u do if the umpire who is in the technology still gets it worng .ifind he technology should be changed and rubbish..and please ICC refer all these tight call to the happening technology.
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Thanks Aggers, I completely agree with everything you say. If umpires are to be dropped merely because one side or the other complains that they have made a mistake then the likely outcome is that the Video Umpire will be called on for every decision, at least in Test matches - as has increasingly become the norm in Rugby League and Union. The 'win
at all costs' approach of the Aussies is destroying cricket. The decision of the umpires should be seen as final, else the game - esoteric and incomprehensible as it is at times - will just descend into anarchy.
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May be this match was the best example of how cricket should not be played, especially if we want the spirit and the beauty of the game to survive.
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Agger's is completely right. The responsibility to uphold the spirit of the game is stands with the players themselves, regardless of their nationality, or for whom they play cricket. No nation is exempt from the criticism.
Cricket is fast turning down the same slip-stream as football, where referees are slated whilst the players spend most of the time trying to con them. The worst form of action is to remove an umpire, as it completely undermines the umpire himself and the respect players should have for umpires in general.
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This is not a post, but a question. I was just wondering what has happened to the quite lengthy comment I posted this morning (Oz time). As it was my first, I'm not clear on procedures or delays involved in these postings.
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I really hope people can see further than the umpiring problems. Bucknor made mistakes, but he was a while back
one of the best umpires we've had and deserves more respect... and should not have the whole fiasco dumped on his shoulders. Aggers is right in that player behaviour is the underlying problem and needs to be addressed.
The sledging has been out of hand for a few years now and whilst the Aussies are by no means the only culprits they seem to bring out the worst in everyone else. They try to bully opposition and umpires, and their behaviour would not be tolerated in any other off-field situation (there would be punch-ups galore around the country if it were repeated every saturday during the summer) and so it should not be tolerated in front of spectators and viewers who have paid to be entertained by sport. Also, by focussing on any racist element of abuse, the administrators tacitly condone any other personal abuse.... and by doing that they become impotent at reacting to the other forms of gamesmanship: persistent appealing, celebrating before a decision and rushing the umpire during an appeal are all illegal but commonplace in tight tests.
Yes, maybe Bucknor should have been replaced as a short-term measure... but the game has to get a grip on the other behaviour and that starts with backing your umpires to report and punish it. Referees must take a more active roll in this, even reviewing a match after it has finished an dishing out punishments then.
The whole match has left me disgusted. The Aussie behaviour (hypocritical and without honour at the very least), the Indian reaction to losing, the referees reaction without evidence, and the administrators spineless reaction to a crisis.
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In reply to Sharad Bailur, Bahrain
Do you think its ok for Brad Hogg to call Kumble a bastard?
Did you see the 'catch' that Dhoni claimed against England? Should Dhoni be also suspended for life?
Finally, you wrote:
'You are penalizing Bhajji on alleged (without conclusive proofs) verbal ‘racism’ whereas you and like minded people have put racism into practice.'
Huh!!?? Can you please explain to me the racism that was put into practice.
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As far as 'the spirit of cricket' is concerned - that particular genie disappeared out of the bottle back in the Lillie/Thomson era - replaced by, what we now euphemistically call, sledging. Come off it, call a spade a spade (so to speak!) - it's verbal abuse, racial or otherwise.
Doubtless, there is still good-natured humour in the game: the banter in the commentary box; some of the fancy-dress antics in the stands, but not a whole lot on the pitch. For the most part 'professionalism' has paved the way for the unedifying spectacles we are now witness to on and off the field.
The events at the SCG are just more proof that the 'yobs' currently prevail over the 'gentlemen'. If the ICC were truly in control and so determined, then a simple edict banning further such instances of abuse would be made to stick. The fact that they don't, or can't shows that the power-base behind cricket lies elsewhere. The umpires' decisions are final - except they're not, as in the case of Hare and now Bucknor/Proctor.
Don't get me wrong, I've been glued to the set for these first two Oz/India encounters and all the latest brouhaha serves as a PR dream - the only unsavoury aspect of cricket zeitgeist that'll be missing (lucky Perth) is a load of overweight English chavs chanting 'Barmy Army' all bloody day!
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The worlds greatest ever sailor, Paul Elvstrom once said "If in the process of winning, you have lost the respect of your competitors you have won nothing". Cricketers from around the world would be wise to remember that.
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I personally would love to hear comment from Adam Gilchrist on the walking issue. I was at the SCG test and, although Bucknor made a terrible error, the real issue is of fair play. It disgusted me to see Andrew Symonds standing there as if nothing had happened, when the only decent thing to do was walk. Gilchrist has the upmost respect of all involved with cricket for the honesty and integrity with which he plays the game. The rest of the cricketing world, especially Australia, would do well to follow his example.
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In reply to Sharad Bailur, Bahrain
Do you think then its ok for Brad Hogg to call Kumble a bastard, or for an Indian player to be called a curry muncher by a member of the crowd?
Did you see the 'catch' that Dhoni claimed against England? Should Dhoni be also suspended for life?
Finally, you wrote:
'You are penalizing Bhajji on alleged (without conclusive proofs) verbal ‘racism’ whereas you and like minded people have put racism into practice.'
Huh!!?? Can you please explain to me the racism that was put into practice.
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I personally would love to hear comment from Adam Gilchrist on the walking issue. I was at the SCG test and, although Bucknor made a terrible error, the real issue is of fair play. It disgusted me to see Andrew Symonds standing there as if nothing had happened, when the only decent thing to do was walk. Gilchrist has the upmost respect of all involved with cricket for the honesty and integrity with which he plays the game. The rest of the cricketing world, especially Australia, would do well to follow his example.
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well said Aggers! But i still believe that Ponting should be sacked. I read Buchannan say in a past interview Warne didnt get the captaincy as "the Australian captian should be almost squeaky clean".
Er....Ponting has been in pub brawls and had alcohol problems... Very clean!
That said the way his team now play and have done for a while is turning me off watching them... I have ended my subscription to sky tv and will only follow on the net what happens.
Ponting needs to go if the Bucknor has for what he did. Ponting deceived the umpires, cheated and doesnt lead his team in the spirit it should be. Gilchrist should be captain.. at least he walks! Strange how he is keepig quiet isnt it? You would think he would have a word with Punter considering the amount of time they spend in the slips!
Dr Asim Safdar, Luton, UK
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There are several things here that stick in my craw.
Of the key issues there should be no debate.
I see no problem with banning Harbhajan if he could be proved to be guilty. I also see no issue in the Aussies complaining about it. There is no place for that sort of sledging.
By 'sacking' Steve Bucknor, the ICC have shown just how cowardly they are. The very nature of umpiring and making decisions means there will always be borderline calls, that will create debate. The Indians should live with it like every other team has too in ALL levels of cricket.
The sledging issue is small beans. All teams do it & most have done for a long long time.
There's no doubt that the current Aussie side have an element of being able to give but not take, but so what? It's up to the other nations to take the fight to them and expose that weakeness.
This is top level cricket and its best players tend to be those who are mentally the toughest. It's always been this way. Nobody should be surprised that Peter Roebuck has called for Pontings head, he probably thinks he may get the call to lead the Aussies in the next test.
As for walking, well why should any batsman? Does a bowler bring them back when an umpire fails to sees an inside edge for an LBW? Swings & roundabouts. Quality will always out.
But Jonathan, what I really want to know is where was the media support for Darrell Hair last year? Your industry has more power than most to cut through this sort of thing and come to the 'right' answer.
The removal of Bucknor, just like the treatment of Hair, is nothing more than creating a convenient scapegoat out of respected figures in the international game. Just like revealling a private and confidential memo from Hair to the ICC to make him look like a mercenary & clear the way to whitewash the whole situation.
This, far more than hard fought aggresive cricket is the true danger. In both cases the ICC has been wrong in their final conclusions. How about putting some real pressure on them to look at themselves? But then again you all work for the media companies that provide the money that is more sacred than loyalty to the performers in the game.
At present I see Malcom Speed as a far greater threat to the spirit of cricket than Ricky Ponting will ever be. When will he go?
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Well..Sydney test..unlike what most Australians claim wasn't played within the true spirit of game....
The 2 incidents that tarnished the spirit of game was (a) Dhoni's catch claimed by Ponting (b) Sourav's catch by clarke...
I would criticize Bucknor for only one decision that he did not refer andrew symonds to the third umpire when he was stumped may be due to his bad presence of mind...It is neither Bucknor nor Benson who is the culprit..and the umpire issue became more burning due to the fact that the third umpire got it wrong..others could have been considered as mistakes..but from the third umpire it can never be a mistake...
As far as racism is concerned..in India there is nothing called as racism and Procter got it completely wrong when he alleged Harbhajan with that... I rather feel the whole incident now will get into Symonds and every where he travels ...rightly or wrongly even if he sees a poster of "monkey" will now start feeling that they are trying to abuse him racially... You got it wrong SYMMO... u have to bear this tag every time u get into the ground NOW !!!!
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I've been waiting to hear Johnathon Agnew's comments on this and his analysis is spot on. The question now surely is, what to do about it? Well the solution is very simple - make it an offence with harsh penalties for any player 'sledging' in any form inrespective of whether it's racist or 'merely' personally offensive.
This should apply across the board and be written into the game's rules and regulations. Anything less will see this problem and the ensuing rows, become far worse. Depressed.
Incidently, haven't India played some fantastic cricket in the past year, in all forms of the game?
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Very little to say only what a superb article - capturing the thoughts of many i am sure.
James
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I agree to most of what you have said. Except to compare this incident with pakistan incident. Here, the umpire proved incompetent. So he had to go. Simple as that. Accepted, people make mistakes.If a batsmen makes mistake, he is out of the game. Similarly, if an umpire makes so many mistakes, he has to be "rested". So why allow him another game where he becomes one of the major factor in deciding the outcome of the game ? One good outcome of this episode is the amount of support India is getting from Aussies. This itself proves that Ponting and their likes are exception in their own country. I wonder how Indians would have reacted if India were in such a situation as Australia is ? There would be very few people who would have stuck their head and criticized the Indian team then. I am sure about that.
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I remember another Aussie "Gloating" to the press about decisions he made on the pitch.
Gilly walking in the semi final of the world cup 2003. So where where all the Aussie bashers then? Gilly is renowed for walking when he knows he's out, before the finger is raised Lets face facts 99 percent of batsmen stand there ground.
Sports people try to influence the umpire/ref, footballers, cricketers. To create that element of doubt is what they are after and yes it can turn matches. The game has changed.
I can understand the Indian Cricket teams anguish over some of the decisions, they were poor, very poor. Was the Umpire influenced by the Aussies??? Does Indian team try to influence the Umpire? Don't all teams? When was the complaint put in about Brad Hogg's aledged racist remarks?
Bad sportsmanship or sour grapes
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I've been waiting to hear Johnathon Agnew's comments on this and his analysis is spot on. The question now surely is, what to do about it? Well the solution is very simple - make it an offence with harsh penalties for any player 'sledging' in any form inrespective of whether it's racist or 'merely' personally offensive.
This should apply across the board and be written into the game's rules and regulations. Anything less will see this problem and the ensuing rows, become far worse. Depressed.
Incidently, haven't India played some fantastic cricket in the past year, in all forms of the game?
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This is not a posting, but rather a question. I was just wondering what has happened to the quite lengthy comment I posted this morning (Oz time). As it was my first, I'm not clear on procedures or delays involved in these postings.
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Has everyone lost their common sense? Did Australia declare war on India and New Delhi decide to unload a nuclear bomb and I missed it?
For the love of sanity could all the sports lovers out there please intervene in this debate and introduce some much needed reasoned opinion and fact!
Australia play hard, obnoxious cricket- Fact. Australia are world champions and hold the World Cup and the number 1 Test nation status- fact. India are equally obnoxious, and as precious as the Australians when their sensibilities are affronted and when they dislike a decision, whether it be an umpires or match referee's- fact.
India hold nothing but a 20-20 trophy; the fast food of world cricket- fact.
India have bullied the ICC into changing their verdicts and basically debasing and emasculating the authority of the ICC and cricket in general rather than apealing through due process-fact.
By shutting up, playing solid cricket and maybe actually winning a game India would gain the undeniable respect, admiration and love of the cricket world (including some Australians)-fact.
Australia players learning that winning should not include verbal assaults, abrasive mannerisms and that showing repsect for an opponent is not weakness--a much needed fact.
All of you expending much time and blood pressure on this issue should stop waffling on about supposed injustices etc and let the 3rd test in Perth sort out the men from the boys.
P.S- and maybe if another nation can actually beat Australia in a Test match the whingeing from both sides may stop; the winners will be grinners and the Australians will be humbled until they can win again.!
Rant over..thanks
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Excellent article Aggers.
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Why don't cricket's administrators put processes in place to end this absurd practice of sledging. I cannot imagine the practice of sledging having any place in, for example, professional golf or tennis. In these high-exposure, big-money sports, quite unlike modern day cricket, players are free to demonstrate their skills without being distracted and abused by their opponents. Why are the modern professionals being allowed to drag cricket down into the realms of more aggressive, body contact sports such as football, rugby and ice hockey. Sledging seems a completely unnecessary part of the game, but one that particularly the Aussies are only too happy to indulge in. They should be confident enough in their own abilities with bat and ball, without needing to psychologically undermine and abuse just about every other cricketer they come into contact with. As for Symonds bragging about not being given out when he knew he was out, that just shows how dishonest the game of professional cricket has become.
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So no truth in the rumour that the Symonds jibe was down to confusing him with Justin Langa?
But is this really so new?
Indians reacting with wounded innocence at the suggestion that calling someone a 'monkey' has racist connotations is rather like Aussies twenty years ago professing to be unaware that the first two syllables of 'Pakistani' was offensive.
No wonder Trescothick opted out of the last tour given what they'd have mumbled behind his back.
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I too find it very worrying for the game of Cricket in general that following the Sydney test umpire Bucknor will now be asked not to stand in Perth! However i agree 100% with Mr Agnews overview of the whole situation. As an Englishmen i have followed the series with great interest as i love watching the skill of the Indian Batsmen and i have to admit that i was willing the Indians not only to draw the match but win it after the brilliant performances by Laxman/Tendulkar etc.Yes i must admit to see the aussies beaten would be great. Without doubt Symonds NOT walking in the 1st innings and Dravid being given out in the 2nd ruined the match for the Indians and in their position i would feel very aggrieved too.
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I agree that umpires should not be removed based on a particular match.
However, I would like to bring to attention the fact that Indian fans (and I presume the India Team) have long felt that Bucknor has a history of making 'mistakes' which in a substantial number of cases go against India. I tend to think of myself as a rational / sane observer, and I at one point believed that Bucknor was the best umpire in the world, However, I myself have stopped viewing Bucknor with any respect since around three years now.
In an ideal world, Bucknor should have continued with this series, and asked to retire with some grace, at the end of the series.
However, obviously, some action needed to be seen to taken, and while it is unfortunate that Bucknor had to go NOW after this test, that he had to go was not unfortunate in itself.
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Why don't cricket's administrators put processes in place to end this absurd practice of sledging. I cannot imagine the practice of sledging having any place in, for example, professional golf or tennis. In these high-exposure, big-money sports, quite unlike modern day cricket, players are free to demonstrate their skills without being distracted and abused by their opponents. Why are the modern professionals being allowed to drag cricket down into the realms of more aggressive, body contact sports such as football, rugby and ice hockey. Sledging seems a completely unnecessary part of the game, but one that particularly the Aussies are only too happy to indulge in. They should be confident enough in their own abilities with bat and ball, without needing to psychologically undermine and abuse just about every other cricketer they come into contact with. As for Symonds bragging about not being given out when he knew he was out, that just shows how dishonest the game of professional cricket has become.
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Well done Jonathan Agnew! You are perfectly correct. Players are at the root of all the unrest in the game - and NO country is exempt from this. I recently watched a profile of Frank Worrell and Richie Benaud's comments on the '61 W I tour of Australia. Captains are the key to what happens on the field, and the days of playing hard but honouring the game are receding. The Telegraph recently published a letter from a 14 year old who had experienced sledging 'throughout his career' and expected it for the remainder. Coaches who allow (never mind encourage) this argue it is preparation for the 'grown up' game . . . what a disaster!
Agnew is also right about the weak willed authorities - back the umpire who upholds the rules!
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And this coming from a soccer playing nation. Jonathon get real. You have the hide to complain about "conning" the umpire. I am yet to see a soccer match go by that has not been totally dominated by the "dive". The only difference is that cricket umpires are meant to have the knowledge and skill to understand what is out and what is not.
And let me put a few of you bleeding hearts strait. India being given a bum call by an umpire is not racism. Australia whipping your A is not racism. Ponting being given out from a bat pad is not racism. Symonds standing his ground and waiting for the umpire to make the call is called playing by the rules, oh and it is also not racism. The number 11 batsman coming out to the pitch with the wrong gloves in an attempt to delay the match long enough to ensure only another two overs, you guessed it, not racism. That was just poor sportsmanship. Oh sorry, I forgot, Australia is the only team that doesn’t play in the spirit of the game.
It seems that the Australians are the sporn of Satan because they dare play cricket to win, play it with courage and confidence and make no excuses for belting the hell out of any team that doesn't come to the field to play hard and make a game of it.
The Australian dominance is what most people struggle with. Their ability to create a new form of the game called "4 day tests" should be admired because of their drive to win every game, not hang in there to play 5 days in the hope of not losing.
My conclusion is the world is full of sore losers and India happens to have more than the average at this given time. Get over it.
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agreed aggers... But do you really think the ozzie team really cares.... or indeed the general ozzie public, who maybe vociferously decrying their teams actions , but underneath delighted at their teams mental strength & ability to be able to get under their oppositions skin... goes hand in hand with their tough upbringing, colonial heritage ete etc etc...
Also in buisness... if one puts in a poor performance, normally one is reprimanded, released or at the min questioned as to ones actions !! Why not a ref or an ump!
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Tottaly agree with all you have said.
However, cricket is not alone in encouraging player power. Just look at Football!! There is a lot that can be learnt from the gentlemen that play the game of rugby union!!
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Aggers for president of the ICC!
He is completely right and I hope those sitting at the top take note and do something about it.
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on yesterdays five live radio ,ex england test players quite happily stated that cheating is all part of the game and they appealed often knowing that the batsman had not hit the ball purely to put pressure on the umpire.The umpires are under constant pressure and whilst technology adds to it this can also be used to help alleviate it unless of course you use the same third umpire from the last test match.Tennis is now benefitting from allowing players a number of appeals to contest line calls why not a similar controlled system in cricket.I would go even further and introduce a penalty system against the fielding side by adding runs to the batting sides total for the ridiculous amount of stupid appeals that all teams are guilty of.Shane Warne must have been hoarse when he was leaving the field .I often hear the england players talk about their golf handicaps .Can you imagine how they got them, you would have to learn to play left and right handed so that you could watch them at all times if they play this with the same attitude they play cricket.RE 1st paragraph.
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Symonds out thrice before reaching fifty and gone to score 165not out. Ponting not given out on 17 and gone to score 55(even it was a wrong). second innings Hussey was caught on R P Singh before reaching 50 and gone to score unbeaten 145. All these umpiring errors help australia to score 463 otherwise it will be mere 200.
Contrary to that Dravid & Ganguly Partnership was a good one. it was broken by steve bucknor with his wrong decision and Ganguly also gone to the same way. Ultimately on crucial times Umpires help australia. otherwise India will square the series in Sydney. The Umpires have to think "How depressed the Indian team will be. They played like champions and loss the match the poor side by all means. Can we suspect the umpires fixed the match for australia?.
If most people think so, can't blame them.
Only thing can solve this issue is bring the new system to challenge umpires decision as in Tennis. Give each team to challenge in each innings atleast 3chances to challenge the decision even they batting or fielding. If the team challenge the decision and gone wrong and they will have balance number of challenges remain.
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yeah...cricket is truly at cross-roads...not because of the ugly turn of events...but because of the fact that asian teams are finally making their ground.....
how hypocritical that the team that has been the most racist(remember Murli's case...)should complain now when things were not going their way.....and how shameful that any white team passing any racist or personal remark is termed as'part of the game'...and an Asian passes those remarks is considered a racist.....
please......
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We could see from the replays that 61-year-old Bucknor's umpiring was atrocious in this game. In my view it affected the result. If an umpire doesn't perform at the required level he should be dropped, just the same as a batsman who gets four ducks in a row.
As for "sledging" anyone doing it should be immediately fined the match fee. Then it would stop.
As for "monkey" being a racist slur, some say white people are descended from monkeys! I grew up in the North of England where mothers often called their children cheeky monkeys.
Finally, anyone playing Test cricket needs a thick skin.
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The Australians are bad winners and worse losers. The best thing,in any sport,is for England to beat the Australians.
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What a load of sensationalist rubbish.
When England came to Australia to get flogged 5-0 this was all due to the Aussies being bullies too was it?? Cmon.
I thought the last two ashes series were played in excellent spirit by both teams...
Yes Australia do have an arrogance about them and your team would to if it hhad the skills to win 95 percent of the time and have stats like 16 tests in a row!
Andrew Symmonds was not boasting about the fact he knicked the ball he was just being honest, would you rather he said nah i didnt realise and lie?
Sure the umpires made some boo boos but hey thats cricket.
India need to stop sooking and get over it.
END OF STORY.
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Empires are human and make mistakes,i accept but is there any limit for the mistakes.you cannot back the empires in the horrible game which entirely changed the game.After 10 years from now no one will see what the empire has done and just the result only.I pity for STEVE to be the scapegoat instead of All the empires in the match to be fined or taken action against.
Moreover i donot accept the point"How dare the game be held to ransom in this way".You people (NON INDIANS) think of only money and are money minded,But for Indian's there are some more important things like "PRIDE,HONOUR,SELF RESPECT".An Indian can accept loss of money but never negotiates when his "PRIDE,HONOUR,SELF RESPECT" are questioned.
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I agree with what Jonathan has to say but few things to be taken into consideration. I belong to India.
1. If the umpire was not sure of Clark taking the catch of Ganguly he should have talked to leg-umpire and then the third umpire. But what he did he asked Ponting who did not walk off when he knicked Ganguly while batting.
2. Racial Abuse - Again the referee asked Symonds and confirmed from Ponting although Sachin said nothing like that happened. How can someone trust symonds and Ponting not Sachin. If Harbhajan proved guilty legitimately then I woulf like ICC to ban him for rest of his life. Without compelte evidence if this happens, the anyone can accuse anone tomorrow for racially abusing him.
3. Bad Umpiring - I know its a part & parcel of the game and I agree India should not have held ICC in ransom for this.
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I agree with Jonathan's views. I am distressed about the sportsmeanship of Australian players. Ponting had in away pressurised the umpire by raising his finger when the whole world saw that the catch was clearly missed. We have Hayden and Clarke who supported Symmods when they did not even hear if Harbhajan made a racist comment. I also agree that some Indian players like Sresanth are reallly pathetic in what they do on field. In a way it would be theoratically right to give players on field i.e bowler or the batsman to question the umpire's verdict on field. ICC should not single out Harbhajan but should discipline Ponting,Hayden,Clarke and Hogg for bringing the game in disrepute and ofcourse ban Harbhajan if what he has been charged to have done is proved.
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Empires are human and make mistakes,i accept but is there any limit for the mistakes.you cannot back the empires in the horrible game which entirely changed the game.After 10 years from now no one will see what the empire has done and just the result only.I pity for STEVE to be the scapegoat instead of All the empires in the match to be fined or taken action against.
Moreover i donot accept the point"How dare the game be held to ransom in this way".You people (NON INDIANS) think of only money and are money minded,But for Indian's there are some more important things like "PRIDE,HONOUR,SELF RESPECT".An Indian can accept loss of money but never negotiates when his "PRIDE,HONOUR,SELF RESPECT" are questioned.
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I think the ICC should call the BCCI's bluff & let them cancel the remaining tour games. I'd like to see them fork out the $4milliion aud fine + reimburse the TV rights for the next 2 month's games televised in India.
Can anyone else see a pattern here? I could go on but not sure how much space I've got to....
1. ODI # 1391
Carlton & United Series, 1998-99, 8th Match
England v Sri Lanka
Adelaide Oval (day/night)
23 January 1999 (50-over match)
M Muralitharan was called for throwing at 17.4 overs by umpire RA Emerson at square leg. Sri Lankan captain A Ranatunga then confronted the umpire and a heated argument followed. Ranatunga then summoned the Sri Lankan players to leave the field. Team manager Ranjith Fernando and match referee Peter van der Merwe were summoned and discussions and phonecalls to the Sri Lankan Cricket Board were conducted on the boundary line before play resumed. 14 minutes were lost.
2. Pakistan to refuse to play under Darrell Hair
Email Print Normal font Large font August 21, 2006 - 8:08PM
The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Shaharyar Khan, said today the board would not accept Australian umpire Darrell Hair for any matches.
"We are going to make it clear to the International Cricket Council that we are not going to play under the supervision of Hair in any future matches," Khan told Reuters by telephone from London.
Pakistan cricket captain Inzamam-ul-Haq kept his team off the field against England in the fourth Test in London - which prompted the first forfeiture in Test history - because his country's pride had been hurt.
Inzamam joined a long list of critics of Australian umpire Darrell Hair, who penalised Pakistan for ball tampering in the final Test at The Oval, and whose decision sparked the visitors' protest and ultimately its forfeit.
"The pride of the nation has been hurt, we have been unfairly labelled as cheats," Inzamam told private Pakistan television GEO.
3.India ups ante in cricket row
By South Asia correspondent Peter Lloyd
The Indian team has been told to stay put in Sydney until further instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
BCCI vice president Rajiv Shukla told AM there are two demands that must be met before the tour resumes.
"The options are very simple. We want this decision of the referees on Harbhajan Singh not to be implemented. Secondly, the umpire for India-centric matches should be changed," he said.
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I am in my mid 30's.
When I was growing up and at school, Cricket was a byword for fair play not just on the field but also for life in general.
The phrase "it's not cricket" with reference to any injustice no longer holds, its sad to see.
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Symonds out thrice before reaching fifty and gone to score 165not out. Ponting not given out on 17 and gone to score 55(even it was a wrong). second innings Hussey was caught on R P Singh before reaching 50 and gone to score unbeaten 145. All these umpiring errors help australia to score 463 otherwise it will be mere 200.
Contrary to that Dravid & Ganguly Partnership was a good one. it was broken by steve bucknor with his wrong decision and Ganguly also gone to the same way. Ultimately on crucial times Umpires help australia. otherwise India will square the series in Sydney. The Umpires have to think "How depressed the Indian team will be. They played like champions and loss the match the poor side by all means. Can we suspect the umpires fixed the match for australia?.
If most people think so, can't blame them.
Only thing can solve this issue is bring the new system to challenge umpires decision as in Tennis. Give each team to challenge in each innings atleast 3chances to challenge the decision even they batting or fielding. If the team challenge the decision and gone wrong and they will have balance number of challenges remain.
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I agree with everything Aggers says. It is a real shame that this outstanding Australian team gets tarnished by their sledging and unsporting behaviour.
However, although Australia are the 'pioneers' of this type of behaviour, they are by no means the only team guilty of this. Many other test nations have done this in recent years. England, for example, didn't cover themselves in glory last summer.
Replacing the umpires is not the complete answer, although I do think they should be held accountable for incompetent displays, like Bucknor in the last test.
In my opinion, the ICC should sit down all test captains, and the cricket boards, and detail clearly what is expected of all players (in terms of attitudes to opponents and umpires), what the punishments are, and then firmly uphold any punishments (where the players are found guilty). It is also down to the individual cricket boards to accept any punishments, without taking the 'it's my ball, I'm going home' mentality. However, I'm not holding my breath on the spineless ICC doing anything about it!!!
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Regarding batsmen walking, I disagree that they should walk, for the simple reason that they will be given out as many times lbw and caught when they shouldn't be, so things even themselves up.
The rules of a sport are designed to produce an even contest, and in giving the batsman the benefit of the doubt I believe the rules acknowledge this. I don't class this as conning by the batsman, because the bowler has asked the umpire a question, all the batsman is doing is minding his own business. If the umpire were then to ask the batsman, that would be another story - but obviously it isn't the case.
When the bowler appeals, both sides should then wait for the umpire's decision, and accept it. By not applying pressure or seeking to con the umpire both sides will find the standard of umpiring decisions will rise.
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Great article , from an australian view everything you have said is right on the money, Harbhajan took the challange , even before the match by calling Ponting his bunny , and then went on to prove it, on top of that he helped Tendulkar go past our first innings total, What does he get? not a "well played mate" but he's baited by Symonds and may have shot a few back , and the reaction from the aussies is to run to the umpires and report him,. Thats a bad bad look to me, and I've been an australian cricket fan for over 30 years ..
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There are certain issues whhic need to be addressed .... ok i agreee that umpires are after alll human beings they can commit such errors ocasionaly ...... but i thing australian players are not goood sportsmen in field most of the time and there atttitude is rude ok i believe there was some emotional overdoing from rival aswelll... but historically theese refrees are give australian team more edge ,favour and benifit of dought s as compare to other teams..
There are undoughtly the the best team since years but that doesnt mean they are above the law infact they have responsiblity to act like true professional even the lose but they are not...
I have lot of respect for steve he did goood for so many years but at the same time he made some crucial and vital mistakes and a very vital time in multiple ocasions......
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At what point does Andrew Symonds' admission and gloating at knowing he was out but not walking bring the game into disrepute. The ICC should charge him with such an offence, it's one thing not to walk, and I have been known to do it myself, but feeling bad about doing it you keep it to yourself and don't discuss it. Just how arrogant and frankly stupid do you have to be to gloat about it to the World's press. This really does show such a flagrant disregard of the ethics of the game and blatent disrespect for Umpires. I have no doubt in my mind that Symonds should be the one facing a discipliary hearing and being banned from playing. He should also be required to issue an apology to the Umpires for cheating them as well. I think this proves that it is time to use all technology available, and if the players don't like it then they have brought it upon themselves through there unsporting behaviour and dishonesty.
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Well written Mr Agnew, but im not sure I agree.
I do not see how blatant incompetence on the part of Mr Bucknor has anything to do with player behaviour. Steve Bucknor (or indeed any umpire- but especially Mr Bucknor given his experience) should be able to rise above the intimidating atmosphere and make his decisions with a clear mind- he is unable and the decision to axe him as a consequence is a right one. And it wasnt A bad decision that wentr against India- it was a few very significant ones.
'Umpires will always make mistakes' that much is true- but no defence. Theres making mistakes and then there what happened at Sydney which was farcical.
The terrrible player behaviour which you have rightfully slammed is a separate issue,
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ICC messed it up.
On the one hand, there were poor umpiring decisions (with conclusive evidence), and on the other hand the row over Harbhajan have racially abused Symonds.
As if Team India didn't have enough, ICC messed it further by imposing a ban on Harbhajan without any evidence. Did anyone else besides Symonds hear Harbhajan call him a monkey? So Mr Procter it was Harbhajan's word against Symonds and why did you favour Symonds without any evidence?
Team India did not ask for a rematch of the 2nd test, they accepted their so called "defeat" gracefully, I think Mr Ponting ought to learn something from this. Its good to be aggressive but not to the extent that you tarnish your own reputation (ask the Australians if you looked surprised).
Sacking Bucknor is just a move that ICC hopes will clear off some of the muck that they got into, that having said Bucknor ought to retire, because if he can make 7 crucial mistakes against one team in one test match, that speaks about his umpiring efficiency. Forget about the erring third umpire and ridiculous erring decision by Mark Benson who chose rather to believe Mr Ponting than ask his compatriot Bucknor or the 3rd umpire. These can easily be forgiven.
Why can't ICC mandate, that any decisions given by the 2 umpires on the field, be immediately reviewed and amended if needed by a panel of 3rd umpires, will this not improve the standard of the game.
Can we expect some fair play and sensible umpiring in the 3rd test?, else we already know what the outcome of the test would be, why waste 5 days?
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Aggers' article hits exactly the issues, but its not just Test cricket.I play league cricket in Devon and am Chairman of my local club-established over 100 years ago.We have had an issue with players being abusive to opponents on the pitch and using unacceptable language on and off it-een amongst themselves in the clubhouse where vsitors and their families are present. There is a general lowering of standards of behaviour everywhere and it's spread into cricket, from top to bottom. The whole character of the sport- and a major part of it's being so enjoyable- is being put at risk. We are at my club constantly having to remind players of what's acceptable and what's not. We drum it into our u-11s, u13s and Colts every net and every match and they're learning fast.Sadly some of our adults need it far more! It's sad and its very wearing, but it needs this sort of unremitting effort by everyone from club level up, to preserve all that's best in the sport we all love. Sorry- here ends the lesson!
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No team is allowed to compete fairly in Australia against Australia. The Australians are masters of using unfair tactics to put off the opposition. They have done this to England many times, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and now with India.
You don't have to be a genius to spot the reasoning behind it, winning is everything against threatening opposition.
They of course would not behave like this against minnows of world cricket.
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Aggers
Great article and one that should (but probably won't) be heeded by the powers that be.
I would add the following comments:
Umpiring
I have had concerns for some time about the standards of umpiring in international cricket.
Firstly, the so called "elite panel" has too few umpires on it (there are only 9 since the "removal" of Darrell Hair).
Secondly many of them do not consistently meet the required standard.
SimonTaufel and Aleem Dar are outstanding umpires.
Of course, they make the occasional mistake (that is part of the game and should be accepted by all involved both playing and spectating)
I also think that Billy Bowden probably meets the required standard despite the fact that he is as much a "circus act" as he is an umpire.
However, these three umpires do get most decisions right and, I believe, have the respect of the players.
The same cannot be said of some of the other panel members.
Billy Doctrove is, in my opinion, distinctly "average", while the "jury is out" on Asad Rauf who had a very poor series in Sri Lanka last year.
Mark Benson currently looks out of his depth while Rudi Koertzen and Steve Bucknor should, in my opinion, be retired immediately.
Both are prone to make quite astoundingly bad decisions.
In Bucknor's case I (and many in the game such as Bob Willis) feel that he should have retired 5 years ago.
I don't believe that he actually "hears" nicks to the keeper (the Symonds decision was simply inexplicable, it was a big edge not a "feather.")
However, by far the worst of this bunch is "Deadly" Daryl Harper.
He is, quite simply, not a Test umpire.
As we used to say in club cricket, he appears to umpire "by numbers"
His reluctance to "refer" certain appeals to the third umpire (a trait shared by others on the panel, particularly Bucknor and Koertzen, although Benson's handling of the Ganguly dismissal at Sydney was equally appalling) is particularly irritating.
This brings me on to technology.
There seems to be a view that the use of technology undermines the umpires.
I would argue that it, in fact, could be used to truly support them and improve their standing.
The need to address the no ball situation is long overdue.
I have done some umpiring and it is difficult to always shift one's focus from the bowling crease to the wicket as a ball (particularly from a fast bowler) is delivered.
If the responsibility of monitoring the front foot no ball was taken away from the standing umpires (either by the third umpire watching each delivery on TV from the fixed cameras on the bowling crease or by technology such as the "Cyclops" system used in tennis for line decisions) they could focus on the "business end" of the game (i.e. where the ball pitches, is the batsman outside the line, did he edge it etc.)
We would see two immediate advantages of this.
Firstly, nobody would get away with bowling no balls and we would not see wickets fall to them.
Secondly, the standing umpires would have more time to concentrate on getting their decisions right without the distraction of having to look up from the bowling crease.
The third umpire could also count the deliveries for each over.
With regards to the broader use of technology, I was brought up to accept the umpire's decision and I believe that "to err is human" is an essential ingredient of our great game.
I would, therefore, not wish to see "blanket technology" introduced so that the umpires were reduced to "holding the sweaters."
However, the introduction of a "appeal/referral" system would seem logical and would help to eradicate the real umpiring "howlers" that littered both the Sri Lanka - England and the current Australia - India series. (I believe that had this system been in place we would have seen a very different result in Sydney.)
It should be noted, however, that when used in the Friends Provident competition in England last summer few referrals were made and no decisions were overturned.
It was almost as if the "umpires' union" was at work.
Of course, many of the issues mentioned above would not arise if we had more integrity and honesty from the players which brings me on to my second point:
Sportsmanship and the spirit of the game
I have been very saddened by the rapid demise in playing the game in the right spirit and the code of conduct of the players.
The current Australia - India series has done much to highlight many of the damaging aspects of international cricket.
Sadly, the best team (by far) in the world, Australia, has also done much to tarnish the game's reputation.
Let me first make clear that Australia are an outstanding side and have been for many years from the sides of Allan Border to Mark Taylor to Steve Waugh to Ricky Ponting.
However, with a few honourable exceptions such as Adam Gilchrist, Australia, in my opinion, far too frequently cross the line that divides hard competitive cricket from gamesmanship and sharp practice.
I admit that I was a "walker" in my league cricketing career.
It was the way I was taught and it was then part of the spirit of the game.
If I knew I had nicked the ball I felt I was being dishonest if I did not walk.
However, if I was not sure then I would stay put and wait for the umpire's decision.
I, and others of my era, gained a reputation for sportsmanship and the respect of team-mates and opponents.
Similarly, I, and pretty much anybody I knew in the game, would never claim a catch that we knew had hit the ground and if we were not sure we would indicate so to the umpire.
(I only ever came across a few players in my local leagues who were "suspect" in this area and they were universally disliked and largely ostracised)
I would also add that because of this spirit of sportsmanship, batsmen would largely accept the word of the fielder that it was a clean catch and walk off.
I do realise that the days when a Colin Cowdrey, Neil Harvey or Gary Sobers would "do the right thing" are long gone.
(Perhaps golf is the last bastion of true sportsmanship)
I also respect the viewpoint that says "let the umpire make the decision."
However, I take great exception to those who want it both ways.
The immensely talented but equally petulant Ricky Ponting is one of the worst offenders in my opinion.
He brazenly stands his ground after clearly edging the ball to the keeper only to be given not out.
Fair enough, let the umpire make the decision.
However, he then stares in disbelief at the umpire when he is given out to a clearly incorrect lbw decision, stands at the crease as if expecting the decision to be reversed and then trudges off the field shaking his head and muttering a few choice phrases that can clearly be "lip-read" on TV.
So what happened to "let the umpire make the decision" in this scenario, Ricky?
Symonds "proud" admission that he had "hit the cover off the ball" when he was given not out in his first innings at Sydney similarly does little credit to him and to the game.
Finally, the overly aggressive approach of the Australians in the field in the last innings at Sydney, snarling and cursing every appeal that was turned down was very distasteful.
It was highlighted by the Ganguly dismissal (given by the hapless umpire Benson)
I have seen the replays and I do not know how the catcher (Clarke) could be certain he had caught it cleanly but what on Earth was Ponting doing getting involved and "giving the batsman out?"
I don't want to appear to single out the Australians but I do view them as perhaps the worst offenders. (remember some of the Glenn McGrath incidents?)
Each country appears to have its "spoilers" and "sledgers."
Powell and Bravo from the West Indies, Pietersen and Prior (thank goodness he has now gone) from England, Dilshan from Sri Lanka are no angels whilst we are all aware of incidents involving the Pakistan and South African sides (any side led by Graeme Smith will have no shortage of "edge" whilst Andre Nel should surely be told to tone down his histrionics?)
The flip side of the coin of those who behave on the field with dignity and sportsmanship (e.g. Sachin Tendulkar and Adam Gilchrist) seems very sparsely populated in comparison.
Overall, the Sydney game left a very sour taste in my mouth and, I'm sure I speak for many cricket purists.
Above all, the players and authorities must make every effort to bring back the spirit of the game: play hard, play to win but do not damage the game. Those who do should be severely sanctioned.
Sadly, I have little faith that much of the above will happen given the "politics" and incompetence of the ICC.
However, that subject would require another and even longer e-mail.
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As an Australian I agree with Aggers piece. It is much the same being written at home. However it is a storm in a tea cup and the businessmen running cricket are loving the exposure. Everyone will tune in for test three to see if there is a fight!
Also this is not a new phenomenon. Many of the English commentators here forget a little unsportsmanlike event called bodyline.
Unfortunately Australian cricketers have been arrogant for years and like other countries only certain areas of Australia are chosen for selection. Most outsiders do not realise how much harder it is for a Victorian to get in the national side than a New South Welshman. Nepotism, arrogance and stupidity have been part of the Australian team for years since money became the main goal. This will not stop and it would be nice to imagine they would play nicely but WHAT sport does this occur in nowadays in our cynical dollar driven world?
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If enough was done by the official including Mike Proctor and Umpires we would not be in this situation where Cricket is being given a bad name.
Aussies you play hard and fair cricket. Good on you for playing hard cricket. Let's be hones fair cricket ?? Aussies your dominition is coming to an end. India would have beaten you fairly in the Sydney match, if you had played honest cricket.
The Ashes loss in 05 is still hurting them. Any opportunity they get they want to nullify the serious competition. Aussies would have lost the Sydney Test match, instead they win it by not walking when the players were out - Symonds, Ponting and Hussey. The world class team has turned into world class cheaters and ICC is sitting and doing nothing. They are not playing gentlemen's game. If the integrity of the Aussies is in question how can we accept their version of accusations againt Harbhajan. I am an Indian supporter. I love cricket played by all nations. I like the best team to win. Racism has no place in cricket. If Harbhajan made racist remarks, he should be banned for a year and financialy penalised, so that he thinks twice before he does anything similar again and others will think twice before doing such a thing.
Mike Proctor has a lot to answer for. How can he ban Rashi Latif for 5 games for a grassed catch and do nothing against Ponting, Symonds and Hussey and the Umpires for their atrocious judgements?
If I was not performing well at my job, I will be warned and eventually sacked for not improving. Steve Bucknor has had bad games for a long time. Most of them against India. If ICC cannot intervene, how long should the Indian team tolerate loosing matches?
Aggers, along with some players, ICC need to take the blame and responsibilty for their role played in this saga.
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We want cricketers to act like real men - not surly adolescents.
What a tragedy it would be if cricket descends to the level of football where we have the pathetic and ludicrous spectacle of players diving or writhing around in fake agony to get opposing players booked.
In one sense cricket has already descended to the level of football where we have the even more pathetic spectacle of allegedly mature, experienced men (if you can call football managers that) blaming referees when they lose a game.
It takes a real man to play the game hard yet still respect your opponents and accept the twists of fate that occur through official's decisions.
The culture of cheating in professional sports runs deep - it will also take some real men in administrative positions to face up to it.
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Spot on Aggers, best piece I think you have ever written. Reasoned, balanced and insightful.
Taking a wider picture beyond just the spats in the current series, I am really worried about the future of international cricket. Replacing Bucknor is just the latest exampleof when the ICC have bottled it. Where next?
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As far as I'm concerned not walking when you are out, as happens more and more now, is cheating. Now, if someone tests positive in a dope test they are banned for up to two years for cheating. In the case of cricket, taking steroids might not influence a game even slightly, but not walking can have a massive influence on the outcome of a match, especially if the majority of the team is doing the same thing.
It is funny that some sports are seen as a joke (cycling, athletics) because "they are all on drugs", but sports like cricket and football have people blatantly cheating in front of you, yet they are allowed to get away with it.
How about this - get an edge but don't walk - given an automatic duck in your next two innings. Claim a catch that wasn't one - same again.
Something has to be done now to stop the current trend in sports like cricket and football. All these atheletes do it diminish their own achievements and tarnish the sport they are trying to make a living from.
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I have sat and read all of these articles and have been surprised at the narrow vision taken by most people at the crisis that cricket has now found itself in. A major factor was the Daryll Hare incedent where a respected umpire was trampled on by a sub continent cricket board and assisted by the ICC, thus the erosion
of the control of the men in the middle began, and let us not forget there were two umpires on the field that day. The upshot of this is that the power base that umpires work from was seriously eroded that day and their control in the middle was seriously undermined.
My point is that had the icc stood up for Daryl Hare and allowed him to control what goes on on the field of play Umpires would have the strength to control the game without fear of retribution from the icc. We now have a situation where umpires are afraid to take control on the field and as a result the players are running amok. As i understand it umpires are allowed to give warnings etc if they think players are appealing unnecessarily and if they think there is a problem with sledging they are close to the action and should be able to nip it in the bud. However after the lack of support from the icc most umpires are afraid to rock the boat and the situation has arrived again where the indian cricket board think that as with the Pakistanis they can bend the ICC to there way of thinking.
Lets look now at the "spirit" of the game, the decline began with the win at all costs attitude of the bodyline series and has been slowly eroded since then i can recall incedents of players deliberately grinding there boots into the wicket to give there spinners an advantage and getting caught to boot! I have read a lot about Andrew Symonds gloating at his not out decision, he seemed to answer the question honestly and followed up with a statement that in cricket you get some good calls and some bad calls and they probably even themselves out over a period of time, he certainly did not appear to be gloating!
The screams for him to have walked are laughable, all cricketers are taught that the umpires decision is final and only then does a batsman walk, as far as i am aware the only cricketer that walks is Adam Gilchrist and this is his own personal decision.I Certainly cannot recall to many cricketers from other nations walking when they knicked one.
The Indian team arrived in Australia with much hype and were very confident that they stood a very good chance of winning the series The expectation back home was very high and subsequently after being blown away in the first test and losing the second test from a virtualy unloseable position the press and public back home would have gone to town on the team! The Indian team have very cleverly erected a smokescreen to divert the flack.
Let us not forget the racial slurs that Andrew Symonds suffered in the recent tour to india with monkey noises following him all around the ground, he shouldnt expect to suffer this form of abuse from the crowd let alone off the indian players on the field. Lets now get to the question of did he or didnt he say it he says he didnt several Australian players claim he did, give him a lie detector test and if he fails double his ban.
My final point is that to heap all of crickets problems on the Australian team is wrong, what is happening today is the result of a number of things that have happened over a number of years with contributions from many cricketing nations and has all come to a head in this match.
The ICC must take back control of cricket they must back there umpires in the middle and let them take back control with a series of measures to pull teams back into line. It is blatantly obvious that cricket teams themselves are unable to do this
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Sharad - interesting point you raise here. While I am in now way condoning racial abuse in any form, it does seem a bit rich that the kings of sledging elected to complain after what Harbadjhan said.
Strangely enough, when he first burst onto the scene, Harbadjhan was given the nickname "The Turbanator". Now, if he were hyper-sensitive, he could have taken this to be abusive. But instead, he thrived on it, speaking about his joy at being given a nickname which he thought characterised him well.
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If enough was done by the official including Mike Proctor and Umpires we would not be in this situation where Cricket is being given a bad name.
Aussies you play hard and fair cricket. Good on you for playing hard cricket. Playing fair cricket, I am not sure about that. The whole world saw your performance. Aussies your domination is coming to an end. India would have beaten you fairly in the Sydney match, if you had played honest cricket.
The Ashes loss in 05 is still hurting them. Any opportunity they get they want to nullify the serious competition. Aussies would have lost the Sydney Test match, instead they win it by not walking when the players were out - Symonds, Ponting and Hussey. The world class team has turned into world class cheaters and ICC is sitting and doing nothing. They are not playing gentlemen's game. If the integrity of the Aussies is in question how can we accept their version of accusations against Harbhajan.
I am an Indian supporter. I love cricket played by all nations. I like the best team to win. Racism has no place in cricket. If Harbhajan made racist remarks, he should be banned for a year and financially penalised.
Mike Proctor has a lot to answer for. How can he ban Rashid Latif for 5 games for a grassed catch and do nothing against Ponting, Symonds and Hussey and the Umpires for their atrocious judgements?
If I was not performing well at my job, I will be warned and eventually sacked for not improving. Steve Bucknor has had bad games for a long time; most of them against India. If ICC cannot intervene, how long should the Indian team tolerate loosing matches?
Aggers, along with some Aussie players, ICC need to take the blame and responsibility for their role played in this saga.
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I agree with everything Aggers says. It is a real shame that this outstanding Australian team gets tarnished by their sledging and unsporting behaviour.
However, although Australia are the 'pioneers' of this type of behaviour, they are by no means the only team guilty of this. Many other test nations have done this in recent years. England, for example, didn't cover themselves in glory last summer.
Replacing the umpires is not the complete answer, although I do think they should be held accountable for incompetent displays, like Bucknor in the last test.
In my opinion, the ICC should sit down all test captains, and the cricket boards, and detail clearly what is expected of all players (in terms of attitudes to opponents and umpires), what the punishments are, and then firmly uphold any punishments (where the players are found guilty). It is also down to the individual cricket boards to accept any punishments, without taking the 'it's my ball, I'm going home' mentality. However, I'm not holding my breath on the spineless ICC doing anything about it!!!
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How right you are messrs Agnew and Roebuck. I am so upset by what I have witnessed on cricket grounds around the world I am now following DARTS! Go The Viking!!!
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We want cricketers to act like real men - not surly adolescents.
What a tragedy it would be if cricket descends to the level of football where we have the pathetic and ludicrous spectacle of players diving or writhing around in fake agony to get opposing players booked.
In one sense cricket has already descended to the level of football where we have the even more pathetic spectacle of allegedly mature, experienced men (if you can call football managers that) blaming referees when they lose a game.
It takes a real man to play the game hard yet still respect your opponents and accept the twists of fate that occur through official's decisions.
The culture of cheating in professional sports runs deep - it will also take some real men in administrative positions to face up to it.
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After much reflection (and speculation) I have come to the conclusion that it would not have been in character for a Punjabi like Harbajan to vitriolically utter, as alleged, the 'M' word to Symonds. He may well have sworn and said something similar - a choice of punjabi insults starting with 'Ma ki .....' (which, as you can see, is phonetically similar to the 'M' word!!! - refer it to any punjabi in your vicinity and wait for his reaction).
So all Symonds probably heard and 'understood' was the reported M word but not the rest of the insult. The english equivalents of these insults are used regularly by Aussies and other english speaking sledgers.
Has Harbhajan been unfairly branded as a racist at the initial hearing presided by Proctor and attended by a majority who probably had no knowledge of the punjabi vernacular?
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Hi
I work in a Bank wih many asian colleagues.
The so called racist taunt in Idia against Symonds was - according to my sources - nothing to do with colour or race - it was to do with the so called lip balm he plasters all around his mouth (I believe he is sponsored to do this)- so apparently making him look like a monkey. Lets face it many Asians are darker skinned that Symonds, why would they be racist on colour? The whole racism thing is blown out of proportion. My asian friends concur.
As for Aussies - this team are brash and arrogant - you can tell by their body language. Success has helped develop this.
The issue would not get to this state if the teams socialised after each day and developed an understanding and a friendship built on respect. The captains should have talked and dealt with it man to man - not running off and telling teacher!
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In my humble opinion sledging should be banned from the game at all levels.
What is the point of it? if only to wind up your opponent and cause them offence, in an attempt to unfocus them from batting or bowling or whatever they are doing.
Is this behaviour in the spirit of such a great game? Of course not. Do you see players in sports like Tennis slagging each other off at the change of ends or before a serve comes down at 130mph.. of course not..why not? well its called respect.
The moment sledging was permitted, respect for opponents and the game vanished. I can see no reason with 2 umpires in the middle, why the whole sledging thing cannot be removed from the game virtually immediately, especially at test level where microphones are all around the wicket. If someone is directly offensive or attempting to intimidate an opponent through verbal abuse they should be banned..
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Yesterday I wrote to the aussie cricket board to tell them direct what I thought. They will not be reading this site but they will read their own.
Like many contributors to this site I believe the aussies have trashed their own reputation. their record is tarnished by their unsporting behaviour.
They are not willing to maintain the standards of cricket themselves but want everyone else to maintain those standards. Simply they want to cheat and be allowed to get away with it because it allows them to win.
Write to www.cricket.com.au and let them know in their contact column what you think.
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Mr. Agnew, I am tired of hearing that umpires are human and they make mistakes. They are paid to do a job and like everybody else, they must do it properly. If most people did half the mistakes those umpires made, they would have been kicked out of their jobs in no time. May be as a journalist you have no sense of a real job. After all, even an idiot can express opinions - so, how would one find fault. But in most other jobs, people are held accountable! So, stop repeating this moronic claim that umpires are allowed to make mistakes, just like the players. They are not JUST LIKE THE PLAYERS. Players PAY for their mistakes by being dismissed, or hit for a six, or even being banned.
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Umpires can have an allowance to make mistakes. But I don't think it can be as many as were made in this case. That is most certainly a case of incompetence. And if 90% of the mistakes are against one team, then there is a strong reason to suspect there is bias. If that is not the case, only other explanation is that the umpire is intimidated by the other team.
All the above mean that the umpire is unsuitable to do the duty. BTW, it is not the first time Steve Bucknor has been accused of showing bias against India.
Jonathan Agnew ignores facts conviniently while making his case. I am surprised to see so many people jumping in to appreciate his one sided views.
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well that's interesting that Proctor banned Rashid Latif for appealing a grassed catch. As is clear often the fielder himself can't tell for sure if it's grassed.
It seems that the BCCI threat to withdraw has not only brought about a huige debate about all the issues. Perhaps it will have a very constructive effect.
It is welcome that not at all Australians are 'must win junkies' as their team and many spectators seem to be as Aggers says. See the Sydney Morning Herald on various links here.
The abuse of 'due process' is one very serious issue. If natural justice fairly and openly applied is abused too something is seriously wrong. The BCCI is right to act as they did if their team is the one that is denied this due process.
The 2 major instances of course are the umpires accepting Ponting's word for the probably grassed catch, not going to the 3rd umpire.Or giving the batsman the benefit of the doubt as the laws state they should in doubtful situations.
And second there is the issue of whether Singh did racially abuse or not. There appears to be lack of fairnes and openness in Proctor's decision..did he simply regard the Australians as honest witnesses and the Indians as not? If so why? Everybody is saying 'IF' and there is a general doubt about the 'due process' Why? If Proctor cannot be trusted then he should go too.
And then there is the dreadful umpiring. It is very very sad that it is Steve Bucknor who gave all these wrong decisions. He has been a great and fair minded 'servant of the game'.The mistakes were mostly one sided against the Indians. It does seem that the intimidatory atmosphere from Oz players and spectators caused this. As someone said tho., it is the umpires job not to be intimidated. And to take action if this is happening.
And it all feels very different from the Hair episode which left a very much more unpleasant aftertaste(compounded by the fact that Hair let it be known that money was a proper redress for himself).
As another blogger on the Guardian site said..a combined meeting and resolution by both captains and one or two senior players and match officials should occur..to hold the next test with no sledging at all; with apologies all round; with resolutions to pull back from the aggression that is ruining the game; and a substantial donation perhaps of all the match fees to Steve Waugh's fund to try to relieve some destitution in India. And I would add with a complete new set of the 3 umpires.
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The umpires role is to adjudicate disputes between the two sides, hence why you have to appeal. It is not part of the game to pull the wool over the umpires eyes. All teams are guilty of it to some extent - to appeal when you KNOW that the batsman is not out is cheating. Similarly, not walking when you know you've hit the ball is also cheating in my opinion.
Umpires jobs are made all the more difficult by the fact that every decision is seen by the television audience over and over again, from multiple angle's, and even in infrared (hotspot) and with missile tracking technology! (Hawkeye).
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I am agree with you Jonathan, but not entirely. I am agree that umpire make mistakes but how many times, it been 10 times or more in India Vs Australia test at Sydney. I can simple say that Bucknor is gone a bit old and as every one knows that when you get old you do not remian much active. Also why didn't they used thired umpire when Dhoni asked for stumping? there is technology to use not to just show on TV. If remember when Dravid was not out on bump catch, umpire did refered to third umpire. why this partiality is exist?
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This was a wonderfull and balanced article with all possible perspectives taken. While agreeing Aussies are a great team and are a Bully one also needs to pay a look at he administrators.
If say they had called Ponting for disgracing the game while appealing a blatantly floored catch ( Dhoni, 2nd Innings) in incidents like this before, they would have learnt not to push the envelope too much.
When a bully knows there is punishment and reprimand waiting around the corner, firmly and not passionately they have to settle down. Then Aussies would play hard and fair but know the limits.
I guess thats what Anil Kumble did, told the Aussies, guys enough we are not taking it any more.
I would love to see an article from a English or a Aussie jounalist comparing incidents where Asian teams have been penalised while the caucasian teams let off for similar offences. When you do get around to writing it please do mail me.
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I have to say that aggers sounds like the stereotypical whingeing pom.
Also his support for Bucknor, who made a series of blunders, is ridiculous.
Surely professional sportsmen have a right to expect the correct decisions match from officials.
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I think the media and needs to be blamed the most, for all this fiasco, who make it seem that the players, the umpires, the people directly involved in the game, have the same recourse to replays angles, slow mos, again and again from 20 different angles,that the commmentators and the viewers do.
Why not replay for the benefit of the people to whom it would really make it difference, then would they be making these same mistakes?
When people see the mistake they are naturally more aggrieved because they feel hard done by.
In the past everything happened in the wink of an eye, and decisions were accepted, and no one went on about it across the world, causing such unnecessary disputes. remove replays or make them available to the people to whom it really matters!
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well said aggers. all teams are guilty though the aussies definitely seem to go beyond the boundaries re sledging. i agree racist coments are wrong but aggers is right, the aussies push and push with personal comments in your face and then suddenly go crying to mummy when somebody cant take any more.
solution - ban all sledging to batsmen (and bowlers). umpires to control with big fines for those who try it on.
there were some terrible decisions though and Bucknor was hopeless albeit doing a difficult job. bearing in mind the money involved in the game i think an extension of technology in decisions is necessary. edges are definitely one area. so if umpires gives out lbw batsman can appeal but only on basis he edged in to pad, not on basis of ball would have missed the stumps or pitched outside line etc. would have prevented sidebottom being out in sri lanka test and numerous mistakes in ashes 05 as i remember. fielders and batsmen could also appeal catches where either they say did or didnt edge it. decision would only be changed if it was obvious on tv replay, if not umpires decision stands. it is probably not ideal but if this doesnt happen i fear for the game. too much rests on umpires decisions with money and national pride involved. the game could split.
it would of course be better if all teams got together and agreed to walk when edging catches. could this happen? look at golf and snooker where players behaviour is integral to the game - not team sports of course!
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True, I agree that cricket is at crossroads. So what is the root cause of it? Well, at least this tour/incident will bring to notice and hopefully new rules and laws established in cricket so that teams don't ever sledge in the first place. And hopefully the ICC will make amends to treat all teams alike be it Australia or not. If this way of hard-playing-cricket (so called) then let the Australians start playing cricket like the rest of the world does, or else they will have to be left out as was South Africa in the days of apartheid. Australia is the only country that sledges and has a long history to that. And till today the rest of the world does not believe in sledging to be an important tool as the Aussies think and employee. I say this because sledging is the root-cause of the problem and not racism in the first place. Let the Australians change the way they play their cricket, or else be left out. I am sure there are serious ramifications as an outcome of this tour.
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Absolutely right Aggers. Cricket mirrors soccer in so many ways these days.
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After much reflection (and speculation) I have come to the conclusion that it would not have been in character for a Punjabi like Harbajan to vitriolically utter, as alleged, the 'M' word to Symonds. He may well have sworn and said something similar - a choice of punjabi insults starting with 'Ma ki .....' (which, as you can see, is phonetically similar to the 'M' word!!! - refer it to any punjabi in your vicinity and wait for his reaction).
So all Symonds probably heard and 'understood' was the reported M word but not the rest of the insult. The english equivalents of these insults are used regularly by Aussies and other english speaking sledgers.
Has Harbhajan been unfairly branded as a racist at the initial hearing presided by Proctor and attended by a majority who probably had no knowledge of the punjabi vernacular?
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Thank you for a thoughtful and well reasoned presentation of your position; i entirely agree with all that you say.
One observation i would like to add is this. When Australia and England played for the Ashes in England it was one of the most sportingly conducted series that i can remember. However, Australia lost. Whilst England used the positive spirit of the contest as motivation to play fantastic cricket, it seems the Australians` analysis concluded that it made them weak; ultimately contributing to their defeat.
They were wrong to reach this conclusion; however, it was Ponting who lost his composure in the face of defeat then, when he was run out by a substitute fielder. Subsequently, after his team`s demeanour during this test, i suggest that his influence on the team`s behaviour should be thoroughly scrutinised by the Australian board now. It is the captains and the on-field umpires who must dictate that the game is played in the right spirit.
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Aggers-Thanks for the best article in the last 1 week of cricketing turmoil.
Certainly players are to be blamed (particularly the "Arrogant Aussies")- Aussies are not only intimidating/bullying the opponent players but also the umpires by appealing aggressively for catches, not walking for the obvious catches,sledging when they are under pressure,etc.
Afterall someone should remind Aussies that "Cricket is a Gentlemen's game".
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Some of the revised ICC rules for International Cricket in Australia
(1) Ricky Ponting – (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 - "THE UNDISPUTED CRICKETER WITH INTEGTIRY IN THE GAME OF CRICKET" 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.
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the article is good.
But aggers has forgotten one thing, which is the double standards applied by the icc match referees. As the previous comment has mentioned if mr mike procter with his immense powers and sense of fairness could suspend rashid latif who was the pakistan captain and he has conveniently turned a blind eye to the act of mr ponting.
I would like to get your comment on this issue. If mr. mike procter now feels what he had done earlier in 2003 was wrong then he should atleast give a public apology to mr. rashid latif.
It is such incidents that question the credibility and integrity of the powers that be in the icc and makes any decision taken against subcontinental players suspect.
i think mr agnew should be bold enough to address this thought of i think millions of people who follow world cricket
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Well, after reading the article by Mr. Sharad Bailur I am left speechless, what an article the best article on the current scenario of how cricket is played nowadays. Mr.Sharad surely got it right that Mr. Proctor has got a wrong definition of racism in his mind. I think ponting should apologise in public and should atleast be banned for 5 tests (as same was done to rashid latif). I think austrialians are biggest hypocrites in the world of cricket, they want to make life hard for other teams on the field but when it's their turn they become crying babies.
Finally, I would like to thank Mr. Sharad Bailur for writing a brilliant article.
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Spot on Aggers, except we are already way past the crossroads! I recall Boucher running someone out (at Lords?) I think in his first tour here having collected a bounced throw from the outfield. After, the umpre gave out the batsman he let the ball slip to the ground from his armpit where it had lodged. I thought at the time, this had gone too far. Indeed things have got worse since then. Test players from virtually every country have been eroding the spirit of the game for a long time time now, appealing for anything, refusing to walk, sledging the opposition and then blaming umpires when a decision goes against them and, as you say, this is now what modern youngsters think the game is all about! And to excuse it all, as one correspondent has, by saying life moves on is just the classic, modern British cop-out for accepting yobbish behaviour.
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Aggers-Thanks for the best article in the last 1 week of cricketing turmoil.
Certainly players are to be blamed, particularly the "Arrogant Aussies", Aussies are not only intimidating and bullying the opponent players but also the umpires by appealing aggressively for catches, not walking for the obvious catches,sledging when they are under pressure,etc.
Afterall someone should remind Aussies that "Cricket is a Gentlemen's game".
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Well said Aggers. As an Australian fan I feel that Australia, are a great team but have badly let themselves down with some of their behaviour. However they are not alone in this. India are upset about losing the game and some dodgy decisions. However, they have benefited from such decisions in the past.
The ICC should do something to stop the sledging which is becoming more and more prevalent and ruining the game. Cricket players behaviour is becoming just like footballers, prepared to argue and disagree with the referee over almost every decision.
The decision by the ICC to stand down Steve Bucknor and suspend the ban on Harbajhan after being found guilty was a disgrace. O.K. Steve had a bad game but he is a good umpire. Their decision to bow to pressure from India will come back to haunt them. Imagine the outcry if the Football League were to bow to pressure from top teams to refuse to play if certain referees are in charge or if previous red cards are not overturned.
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I quite agree with J.Agnew.
The future of the game is in the hands of the players.If batsmen walk when out and the fielding side stop appealing for lbw or catches which are patently not out.Umpires and players all love the game and should not do anything to diminish it it.
Rick Harrison
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most of the points i agree with. however the claim that india is showing off its economic muscle over ICC is not proper. we can list several instances over last many years when indian crickets have faced injustice and icc took no action. the complaint against bucknor is not only due to his error in judgement but the way he capitulated to ponting and his team. an umpire has to show his mettle and CONTROL the players, in which bucknor has failed. add to this his various decisions in recent past, particularly against sachin tendulkar, which at best can be called dubious.
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Your dead right Aggers,most cricket fans are fed up with the aussies.
When I and maybe you played the game, if you nicked the ball you knew you'd hit it and you walked ! You don't see much off that these days.
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After much reflection (and speculation) I have come to the conclusion that it would not have been in character for a Punjabi like Harbajan to vitriolically utter, as alleged, the 'M' word to Symonds. He may well have sworn and said something similar - a choice of punjabi insults starting with 'Ma ki .....' (which, as you can see, is phonetically similar to the 'M' word!!! - refer it to any punjabi in your vicinity and wait for his reaction.
So all Symonds probably heard and 'understood' was the reported M word but not the rest of the insult. The english equivalents of these insults are used regularly by Aussies and other english speaking sledgers.
Has Harbhajan been unfairly branded as a racist at the initial hearing presided by Proctor and attended by a majority who probably had no knowledge of the punjabi vernacular?
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The most unbiased and objective article on the controversies of last week. Thanks Jonathan. And Sharad Bailur's comments are so much based on facts.
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Uncharacteristically bitter piece from Aggers there. Visibly jaundiced in fact.
The truth is, international cricketers from all continents and all countries have, for some years,bent the rules more and more in the name of 'competitive cricket'.
Every one of us could mention examples of dreadful umpiring decisions. You may say that this has always been part of the game but the culture of conning referees has become more noticeable, it's just that we turn a blind eye when our own team wins as a result.
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Agree with most of what Aggers says,
but most of these problems would be sorted out by stronger leadership from all the so called leaders in the game.
Not all the Aussie team are the same as far I know Gilchrist has always walked and Brett Lee has always been sporting.Unfortunately the same cant be said for Ricky Ponting who since their defeat by England in the ashes has adopted a win by any means necessary attitude. I would like to say most Aussie fans dont like the way their team has gone about winning their games but I would be lying.
The captains should be getting all their players together and reminding them they are representing their countries and are role models for the next generation of cricketers The Umpires could sort a lot of what goes off i.e. warning players for aggressive over appealing,sledging e.t.c.
The ICC definitely need to be tougher with the different cricket boards.How can it be acceptable to get an umpire taken off a test.There are a lot of comparisons to the behaviour with football teams but I cant remember a ref being taken out of a match due to a country team objecting to him officiating a game.Also If Harbajhan is guilty of racism he should be sent home there is no place for it in our game.
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I do not agree with the views of Mr Agnew on two counts:
1. Hysteria and stereotyping: Firstly, all teams in world cricket sledge and are aggressive on the field at times. To make out that this is just Australia is incorrect and unfair. I am not saying that this is the way cricket should be played, but it is all over the world not just Australia that does this. Further, Australia has partaken recently in tours that enhance the spirit of cricket. Take for example the Ashes series in the UK, and Australia for that matter. This was played in a great spirit between players and fans. The only part that was not is the spirit of the game was when England used substitute fielders.
Maybe, Australia is at the sharp end of the sledging front, and maybe that has to be slightly brought under control. BUT.. it is a matter of degree. Surely, there is some boffin out there that can try to quantify the amount of sledging, and other elements that are not within the spirit of the game that all teams around the world are involved in.. Maybe we could start with the ball tampering events of the current English capital, back a few year. Let’s try to measure it to stop this hysteria and stereotyping against Australia.
2. My second point revolves around racism. I think Mr Agnew is on shaky ground on this front from his column. Because it is all about racism. Nothing more nothing less. The Australian Captain is bound by the rules of cricket to report racism, which is all that he was doing. Mr Agnew, are you suggesting that this should have not been reported?? If you are, then you condone racism in the game. If not, and if it should have been reported by Ricky Pointing, then more than half your article is an unfair attack on the Australian team. I also think there is a back story to this. I am sure UTube has a video of the crowds’ behaviour towards Symonds in Mumbai a few months ago. Have a look at that and tell me was Ricky Pointing right to say something about possible racism in the game...
In conclusion, I would like to see Australia, take the lead to reduce the sledging in the game and uphold the spirit of the game, I am not sure that is going to happen. But, Australia is just one team that does, and I think the way they have been represented in your column is slightly unjust.
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I must say i have watched Indian news channel, no doubt i am an INDIA, and seeing Australian media stance on the same, THIS WAS THE BEST EVER ARTICLE I HAVE READ TILL NOW. Its the players who want to win at any cost, and not able to hold their aggression on the field.
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Me again,
i am not writing in relation to aggers (i thoroughly respect your knowledge), but rather debate what many readers have commented....
Firstly I am Irish born, Ozzie raised, thats out of the way.
In relation to this debacle:
The Ozzies deserved that win and as an Irishman I am mortified how quickly many homeland Ozzie journalists have backed the Indian case... Support your bloody players you numpties!
They play hard so that Ozzie can always feel proud of itself, yet they lose one game or have a debacle over something and the whole world attacks em from every angle! It's ridiculous, the Indians have shown their power in the cricketing world by getting what they want. I fully believe England would get the same justice, but not even Oz or little places like Ireland would ever have a chance in hell... because no-one likes us and our larrikan attitudes!!!!! the cricketing world is so bias... those silly shirts you see at lords say it all: "I go for england and any team playing australia"
the ozzies are the victims, not india... all their hard work is being spat on by all the journos world wide because they actually played well within the rules... it was the umpires' poor ability to ENFORCE these rules that things got out of hand!
now everyone knows the ozzies sledge... i cop it all the time in my district team as an opening batsman with an irish accent. apparently i call 'yes' like a kettle whistling..... "yissssssss". but i just laugh it off. i think the ozzies are quite stupid sometimes actually with the things they say... they make no sense?lol
anyway as a person that plays actual-everyday australians weekly in competitive cricket i can truly say they don't cheat! Seriously how does anyone propose the ozzies cheated? by appealing to much? are you for real... apealing is allowed... an umpire cannot give a batsman out unless a player appeals for the wicket! seriously what a witch hunt this is? everyone is trying desperately to destroy ozzie cricket because everyone is so jealous and craves the ozzies world status....
i love australia for all its given me, as a nation there is no way in hell it is racist... its about 10,000 times more multi-cultural than all of europe! australians are raised to be good people and obide by the laws of society. i don't care what anyone says about australia... i know the real australia and its people, and i would fight in an empty room to defend its honour! i might be irish by birth and sound like a bearded mitt, but i classify myself as an irish-ozzie and truly relish at the chance to say all you guys are what they call a 'wanker' in OZ.....
so can everyone stop crying a river...you'd think all the cricketing nations would be use to being the ozzies little blow-up doll by now!
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I agree with most of what you have said Aggers but the one thing I don't understand is what is it that the Australian cricketers can't take ie "They can give it but they can't take it". My understanding is the only thing the Australians complained about was something that was said they considered to be racist. Are you suggesting Ponting should ignore this if he heard it or it was bought to his attention? I could imagine the headlines in Australia if it was revealed later that a player had reported racial abuse to Ponting and he did nothing about it.
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The umpiring was at its worst no doubt about that. But, India are really turning out to be sore losers.
When Symonds was being racially abused from the crowd in India, Australia did not threaten to pack their bags. Instead, they played and won the series.
So, I think India should stop making lame excuses and if they are that great player, just fight back and level the series as they have already removed their obstacle Bucknor from their path. Stop complaining and saying that If Symonds was given out on 30 and If Dravid was given not out on 4th innings we would have won the series or drawn the series. Nobody knows how the play would have turned out.
ICC needs to frame policy and state that if player have nicked and do not walk they should be fined or punished with the help of third umpire. Nobody is going to walk out especially Australians except Gilchrist. ICC needs to keep some rigid stance so as to make sure that cricket remains a fair game and be free of the pressure of national boards.
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I would just like to point out that the whole Australian team cannot be tarnished with the brush. Adam Gilchrist is one of the few players who has made a point of walking, whether an appeal is made or not, if he is out, and he has still been able to average 50 throughout his test career. He should be used as an example for the rest of this immoral Aussie outfit and the rest of world cricket that sucess can still be achieved within the spirit of cricket. For the only reason teams resort to these tactics is to gain "the psycological edge." It is just presumed that you cant win without playing "hard" cricket.
Also the media is not blameless in all of this, often claiming teams aren't showing passion or look flat if they aren't tearing into the batsmen or whizzing the ball past his head on its inevitable return to the keeper every ball. The amount of times people such as Bob Willis have called teams spineless or not up for it because they are not right in the batsmens face. The media has created this monster and now it is there job along with the governing bodies to make it unacceptable again.
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On-field umpires are bound to be fallible - the answer is to give the unfettered power of intervention to the third umpire to change any decision if, based on the TV replays, the on-field umpires get it wrong.
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Mr Hooser, wood and trees come to mind reading that drivel!
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well done for standing up for the game you love and which has made you the wonderful man you are! Still, how did Bucknor not give Symonds out?! - think how much trouble would have been avoided if he had!
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good point, well made, Aggers.
I believe sledging should only be allowed if it's a bowler/fielder criticising a batsman's ability, either as a joke or a serious comment. I don't believe any comments should be about the batsman's personal life or anything racial.
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I agree with everything Aggers says. It is a real shame that this outstanding Australian team gets tarnished by their sledging and unsporting behaviour.
However, although Australia are the 'pioneers' of this type of behaviour, they are by no means the only team guilty of this. Many other test nations have done this in recent years. England, for example, didn't cover themselves in glory last summer.
Replacing the umpires is not the complete answer, although I do think they should be held accountable for incompetent displays, like Bucknor in the last test.
In my opinion, the ICC should sit down all test captains, and the cricket boards, and detail clearly what is expected of all players (in terms of attitudes to opponents and umpires), what the punishments are, and then firmly uphold any punishments (where the players are found guilty). It is also down to the individual cricket boards to accept any punishments, without taking the 'it's my ball, I'm going home' mentality. However, I'm not holding my breath on the spineless ICC doing anything about it!!!
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Well said Aggers at last a common sense analysis of what is sadly becoming a circus to the game of cricket. Where has the spirit of cricket gone in the modern age
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Jeaousy is a curse and it seems as though its the tall poppy syndrome all over again. The fact is the Australian cricket team is the best and most successfull team in the world and have been so for a long time. Nowdays we have umpires and 3rd umpires and match officials and tv replays and stump microphones which all monitor player behaviour. If the Australian team has been so bad for so long then why hasnt anything been done about it??
Is funny how the Indians are throwing mountains of money at the supposed 'Australian cheating thugs'to play in their breakaway leagues this year...hmmmmm funny that.
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I thought the BBC had a reputation for balance and fairness. With Aggers it seems they must be at a "crossroads". To accuse only one team of such a litany of failings is ludicrous, even in the context of the Sydney test. But I guess its easy to overlook that when you endevour to bring the best cricket team in the world down the only way you can, with a poison pen.
For all it's spiritual failings, Sydney was a gripping and entertaining test.
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Like so many others, I agree with Aggers. And I would go further: when you steal an advantage over your opponent by playing to your own set of rules, you cheat. It is as simple as that. Symonds cheated; Ponting cheated. Cricket is a game, not war, and the broadcast version is being ruined by cheats.
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To sum it up....after 600 comments...Ponting has simply ruined the legacy of Steven Waugh and Alan Border. Now cant wait to see, just for a few Tests though, batsmen walking before the umpire gives him out.
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The decision to remove Bucknor is appalling. I am all for evaluating an umpires performance over time and determining whether he should remain on the elite panel. However to remove an umpire fromhis next test match because he made a couple of "high profile" mistakes, and to "defuse" a potential cancellation of the Indian tour of Australia, sends all the wrong signals tot he umpires, the player, the various cricket boards and the cricket loving public.
And where are the other umpires in this? Why don't THEY take a stand and threaten to boycott all test matches if the ICC will not stand by them? Where would that leave the ICC and this tour?
Bad decisions are part of the game, and will continue to be until ALL decisions are referred to TV replays...and even then you get bad decisions... after all, the apllication of the technology, the interpretation of the images, and the final decision still all reside in human sides...and we are not infallible.
Grow up guys! ALL of you! After all you're supposed to be professional cricketers!
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What a lot of nonsense. This whole "spirit of the game" crap was thankfully thrown out of cricket in the days of World Series Cricket.
Test Cricket is a multi-million dollar business and the winners get the spoils.
Of course it must be win at all costs, that's what's wrong with the rest of the Worlds cricket that they haven't yet come to grips with the fact that this is the new reality.
Of course the umpiring in Sydney was atrocious, but the Umpire has a job to do and the players should let him do it. As a fast bowler, even at Outer Suburban level I always took the view that anything that was within the law of the game was OK, the spirit of the game and a buck fifty'll buy you a cup of coffee.
As for humility, humility is for the weak and inept which is probably why the English are so damn good at it.
Congratulations to Punter and his team, I just hope this media inspired nonsense doesn't get in the way of your continued domination of the game.
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Heya,
looks like i have finally come to terms with everything. Aggers this is a very good page, i thik your opinion should be admired for it's attempt to be as minutely biased as possible. as a fellow person who strives for perfection I understand your desire to analyze all these issues in attempt to answer these annoying questions.
in relation to all the aussie bashers out there, honestly what a joke, everyone just hates australia because 10 times out of 10 you can rely on them to get the job done (in any sport) and same goes for the battlefield... don't believe me, then look it up! why else did the english put them in the front lines, not because they sounded nice.... not becuase they are sportsmanlike and sure as hell not because they like to lose!
no point me saying what i do for a living because no one will believe me anyway. i've seen first hand what REAL fighting is all about! and there are only a few nations i would HAPPILY fight beside. one's NZSAS and the other is the Brits (SAS or SBS). As for those cheatin bollies... mate an indian calling an australian a cheat is like saying that he's a priest. anyone that's been posted on a tour of duty in pakistan or india will know exactly what i am talking about. i wouldn't trust em as far as i could through them. they have too much money, and are what me and the lads classify as 'dodgy'. always brace for the day those bastards declare war..... but brace for the second day.... when the SASR blows em all to hell!
'nough said
"Who Dares Wins"
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I write like many to simply say I don't always agree with Aggers but do on this. To me the people who love the game are using this incident as a conduit to sort out a bigger feeling of general dissatisfaction with how the game has changed. I wonder if anything will change? probably not!!! Be good if some players were to read this blog and examine their consciences though.
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Although I agree with large tracts of what Jonathon has said, I’m afraid that he is guilty (as are a plethora of other media commentators) of trying to make excuses for Harbhajan racially abusing an opponent by wittering on about ‘the hostile, nasty and intimidating environment created by the Australians’.
I am fairly certain that if we were talking about a South African or English opponent that had called Andrew Symonds a monkey, such considerations would not be tolerated as any kind of mitigating factors – and quite rightly so.
Whatever your views on sledging or how far it should be allowed to go, the game of cricket currently acknowledges it as part of the game. If anyone wishes to change that, then fine – go ahead and make your case.
However, the game of cricket is very specific about its non-tolerance of racism and has set out a very specific set of instructions as to how it should be reported and what should happen to guilty parties. Whatever else he did in this test, Ricky Ponting followed these guidelines precisely – now it is up to the ICC to do the same when it comes to punishing Harbhajan.
The game has already tried to cover up the racial abuse suffered by Andrew Symonds at the hands of the Indian spectators during the India / Australia one-day series last year. It cannot afford to try and sweep this latest affair under the carpet too.
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It's a bit rich for us (the English) to criticise the Aussie "win at all costs" approach to cricket. Who invented bodyline?
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This is a very good article.
It seems to me that the romance of not just cricket, but in all mainline sports, is dying. Sport is no longer about playing with honour, it is about winning but really it is about money / power / control.
England have the opportunity to take up the mantle and hold ourselves out as the being the epitome of what the spirit of cricket should be about.
The Aussies dont need to employ these hard man tactics to win - they have an incredible side at the moment - especially the batting lineup which frankly looks frighteningly good. In my opinion they still waste a lot of energy and I think they can get even better than they are.
Re walking or not - anyone who likes to bat will realise that the umpires make bad decisions all the time; some go in your favour, some against you.
I would walk in a friendly but not in a competitive situation with a proper umpire.
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Aggers, if you don't fancy being ICC President, how about UK Prime Minister?
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I wholeheartedly agree with Aggers. That the bully boys of cricket, masters in the art of sledging, should go running to the match referee over this, portraying themselves as victims sticks in the throat.
That said, the game's administrators must get a grip on sledging and stamp it out - who is to say where sledging ends and abuse begins. The only way to preserve the spirit of the game is to come down hard on all offenders and make it clear that sledging will not be tolerated. Until this is done a distasteful pall will continue to hang over the game and young kids will continue to behave in the same way as their cricketing 'role models' do - this endangers the whole future of the game. Administrators - get a grip.
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Congratulations 'Aggers'...all that is missing from such a well-written and objective article is a cartoon of Symmo the giant, hairy ape-like Hun with a Kaiser helmet menacing the poor, hysterical Indians in their virginal white blouses.
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READ YOU ARTICLE & FOUND IT TO BE ABSOLUTELY BIASED.IN EACH AND EVERY MATCH THE PLAYERS OF THE TEAMS OF AUSTRALIA,,SOUTH AFRICA&TO SOME EXTENT U.K HAVE ALWAYS SLEDGED &NEVER GOT PUNISHED. THE REASONS ARE AS WELL KNOWN AS IT WAS WHEN THE PLAYERS OF SUBCONTINENT WERE TREATED DURING THE 60'S & 70'S.BUT ,NOW WHEN YOU ARE BEING TREATED WITH THE MEDICINES THAT YOU ONCE USED, YOU ARE NOT BEING ABLE TO DIGEST. AN EMPIRE CAN BE WRONG ONCE TWICE,THRICE.BUT CANNOT DO IT EVERY TIME AND SHOULD BE LEFT SCOT FREE IN THE NAME OF SPIRIT OF THE GAME.YOU CAN DO A MISTAKE FOR BOTH THE TEAMS. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO INDIA, THERE WERE MISTAKES & DURING AUSSIES SESSION YOU GIVE PERFECT DECISIONS IN FAVOR OF THEM.THE WHOLE WORLD WAS WATCHING,AS TO HOW THEY HAVE MADE A MOCKERY OF CRICKET AND THE GAME.IF EMPIRE BUCCONER KEEPS ON DOING MISTAKES & WE KEEP ON PLAYING THE GAME IN THE NAME OF GAME. THEN IT WILL BE BETTER TO ALLOW THE AUSSIES TO WIN WITHOUT ANY RESISTANCE.IF WE ARE HAVING MONEY NOW AND ARE ESTABLISHING OUR JUST RIGHTS, THEN THE WORLDS SHOULD NOT GET JEALOUS.THAT PROVES THAT WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THE GAME AND WE SPENT HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO ENJOY THE GAME.
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Hard to say whether ICC is wrong or right, This is a reality and ICC must accept it that they are no more a powerful body in the game. Had they been still as powerful as they were they might have upheld the BAN on harbhajan and very easily could have denied the appleal against the BAN just unilaterly. Only casualty is and was proper Justice, now also it seems pretty obvious that ICC is trying to save Ponting and team, CA, Match Refree and Umpires but as they are not strong currently they are unable to do that. But still they are trying to do their best under the given situation. BCCI is only replying in the language they taken from ICC for a long period. I am sure ICC will manage to protect Benson and Proctor and specially Proctor who is in his Judgement more racial then Harbhajan. And how can ICC allow that, just because they think they can manage it. But I think ICC cant manage it all the time and by allowing this they are actually putting more pressure on themself. I hope ICC takes some learning from the issue and focuses more on the quality of the game and peoples interest in Test Cricket.
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Fascinating insights from someone who is a very long way from the action!
Some good points, some unfair comments.
But the one thing I totally agree with - and I can't believe it was not the entire focus of Aggers' article rather than the last seven paragraphs - is how dispicable it is that India held the game to ransom to get their way... that is a million times worse than "not walking" or comments on field in the heat of battle.
It is a considered and political blackmailing of the game's authorities, and it is this which has brought the game into disrepute.
Aussie-bashing is all well and good and I realise people from other countries struggle to fathom the ultra-competeive spirit of those from Down Under... but it seems that all the key decisions here have been made by independent umpires and referees, and India have been unable to accept them (perhaps made harder to swallow by their inflated egos after winning the 20/20 slogathon and beating Pakistan in the Tests).
Just get on with the series, accept the umpire's decisions and in the unlikely case that a swathe of Australians have told bare-faced likes to Mike Proctor's hearing (do we really think that!?) then I imagine Harbijhan can pursue justice via normal appeals processes.
Yes, a few bad decisions may have cost India a Test Match (or maybe not, they certainly got walloped in the First Test and let's not forget the Indians didn't bowl out the Aussies in the second innings, so a draw may have been more likely)... and those decisions may have influenced by the pressure of the game being in Australia (the opposite would be the case in India)... but threatening to stop playing is just crazy!
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Excellent post by Sharad Bailur...where is the star button...Have a star anyway.
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I agree Agers cricket is at a crossroads and the blame lies as much with ICC as the players! In recent years there is virtually no precedent of the ICC standing by an umpire. When Sri Lanka threatened to leave Australia after Mularitharan was, in my opinion correctly no balled they won nor did they stand by Daryl Hair nor now with Steve Bucknor. OK he made some bad decsions but does anyone believe any of these umpires, so vilified, were cheats? Not me ! Are the players cheats? Generally yes I think so! So fine Symons HEAVILY for bringing the game into disrepute, tell India "OK go home but until you pay the fine you won't be playing anymore test cricket."
I won't get on to Ponting it would take too long!
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When I agree with what Aggers is saying, there is another dimension to this. The cricketing authorities are too weak allowing the players, teams and individual cricket boards to get away with what they do. Bucknor should not have been removed he made a couple of mistakes but that is and always has been part of cricket. The officials need to be protected from the politics of the game there is no way a complaint from a side or countries controling body should be allowed to influence selection of officials
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When they caved in to Pakistan's howling protestations 18 months ago I hung my head. How could the ICC be so shortsighted?
The seal was broken. Once impartiality of the umpires is no longer considered implicit by those playing, cricket becomes a game not a sport. Soon we will see batsmen diving in the penalty box and writhing in mock agony!
People blame money for spoiling sport but it needn't be so. This doesn't happen in Rugby. Did the England Rugby team or their fans burn video-referees in effigy after the World Cup final? (Sadly not a try by the way.)
So what if India provide 75% of world cricket income, they should be reminded that cricket provides 100% of thiers and told to stop behaving like children. As for the Assies, they should take a long hard look in mirror - the only way to truely win is to deserve to.
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Some excellent comments in this lengthy debate, following an interesting article.
There are a number of issues here that are getting muddled, although I admit that some do cross-over:
1. Racial abuse must not be tolerated, under any circumstances.
There are so many comments that I cannot now see the sensible point made by someone that ANY abuse must not be tolerated.
2. Umpiring
Steve Bucknor should not be made a scapegoat. I believe technology should be used more extensively, but once a decision is made a television replay MUST NOT be shown within the ground. The umpire's decision is final.
I also think that the umpires need to be given more powers, not fewer, and this goes in particular for sledging and over the top appealing. They should be well within their rights to take the captain to one side and say when it is becoming unacceptable. I forget who the batsman was, but the Aussies appealed for an LBW (not out, struck outside the line whilst playing a shot). Fair enough appeal, but after the not out decision, Ponting was clearly shown on tv, standing at silly mid-off where he couldn't have been certain, mouthing "For f***'s sake". Completely unacceptable, and he should have been fined. Nice example to set, Ricky.
3. General conduct of the Aussies
Overall, I think they have gone too far, but they certainly aren't alone. I doubt there is a team in the world that isn't going too far these days, and this has been going on for some time. Andre Nel is a good example. As was Dale Steyn at times agains the West Indies. Some England players are just as bad.
The difference with the Aussies, and the reason the focus always ends on them, is that they win. It's always going to be harder to sledge someone that's better than you! Take Collingwood and Warne in the ashes. Seriously, there was only ever going to be one winner.
I think the ICC need to issue a strict code of conduct to be signed up to by all test-playing nations, with harsh punishments for those players and countries who do not abide by it.
Most of the issues that arise should be resolved on the field, not in the press. For this to happen they players need to regain respect for the umpires. For the umpires to gain this respect, replays cannot be shown in the grounds.
Enough finger pointing. All players, countries and the governing bodies need to hold their hands up and say they've been neglecting the game as a whole, but that it would be put right.
Final point - to walk or not to walk?
Up to the individual player. I couldn't care less. Umpires decision is final and MUST be accepted. If asked afterwards, the player should not say whether or not he hit it, just point to the decision. The decisions will balance over time.
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Whilst endorcing Mr. Agnew's essential message that the players should blame themselves for the present situation, I'd like to pose a question. If a player had performed so badly in a test match, he would be dropped. No one is suggesting that he doesn't have the opportunity to win his place back. Why shouldn't an umpire be subject to the same considerations? In this case, resting Steve Bucknor has the additional virtue of taking some of the heat out of the immediate situation. I would regard that as a sensible move, whether or not it's perceived as giving in to pressure from the Indian side.
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Having watched a few test matches spoiled by bad decisions recently by very bad appeals by Aussies (does a shoulder sound like a bat?) - I am for Ricky Ponting moving on to another phase in his life (and any other Aussie cricketers like him).
There needs to be a new rule in cricket from this day forward (because big money is in the game from team membership and from advertising following on from this - cheat and you face a DISCIPLINARY TRIBUNAL.
The technology is there and can be improved - as are speed and red light cameras.
Aussie Steve Martin
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Why is there no law to punish player who cheat? I know batsmen now generally don’t walk when they know they are out to balance out the times they were given out when they were not, however please not boast about it. The point I am making is that we should also be talking about banning Andrew Simons for cheating. The Indian Captain should also be able to report a player for cheating and the match referee hear the case at the end of the match and ban if required.
Another point, why not make it impossible for the keeper to catch someone out down the leg side as these decision are very hard for the umpire to judge.
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Well done Aggers
One question that is bugging me
What was said ??
All we hear is Monkey
Did he say You are a monkey
Or
Are there any monkeys in Australia as we have a monkey god ?
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Please Sir get down from your high horse. Sledging is a part of the modern game. However, there are clear and distinguished borders that can not be crossed when exercising the privilege. The Australians have not complained about every piece of antagonism that is metted out to their players by the Indians. I have not seen any admission by India that they refrained from indulging in any banter with the Australian batsmen in an attempt to put them off their game. What the Australians have taken exception to is the use of racial abuse in that attempt to undermine their batsmen's confidence. You seem to suggest that the Australians' sledging excuses the Indians' breach of those paramount rules against racist remarks. If anything, the Indians' disgraceful act and their reaction to the penalty only serves to highlight the dominance of the Australians over their much less worthy opponents, not only in the technical aspects of the game but in the peripheral/psychological side of the contest. If any player or team needs to resort to cheap and weak tactics, which are outside the graces granted to the players, then they have no place in stepping onto the field. Leniancy granted to such offenders of the modern game emphasizes the ricketty state of the governing body rather than any misguided perception of the amoral attitude of the players. Wake up and look to the future, Mr Agnew. Your current views suggest that you should take a leaf out of Former Umpire "Dicky" Bird and assess whether you are beyond your time and should hand in your cap.
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Throughout all of this post-SCG debate, the one thing I have yet to read about is any note of comprehension or penitence from the Australian team.
Despite the fact that the entire cricketing world is up in arms about this Test match and the way the Australians played, not one note of contrition has emerged from the Aussie camp.
I find it incredible to think that Ricky Ponting and Co. can be so entrenched in their blinkered perspective on life as to they think they are "in the right" and have no need to offer even the merest hint at humility. And now Cricket Australia sadly seems to be missing it also.
Ironically I believe a lot of this global revulsion to the Aussie style would have been avoided if "lucky" Michael Clarke hadn't actually taken those last three wickets. At least with a draw there would have been a sense of at least some justice being done. The Australians not equalling the record consecutive victories and the series still being live would perhaps have allowed the horrors of the previous five days to fade away.
Sadly that was not to be and we were subjected to the images of gloating, sneering Australians whooping with glee at their ill-deserved victory, impervious to the injustice of it and happy to trample all over the unfortunate victims. Victims not of Australian cricketing prowess but of umpiring deficiencies and something far darker from the Aussie players.
Cultural differences may be to blame but while Ricky Ponting behaves like a petulant, stubborn child and fails to provide us with a more mature approach to this situation then Australian cricket will have no respect in the rest of the world.
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Very true Aggers. Australia overstep the mark when it comes to sledging. What frustrates me is how other nations allow them to dictate and seem to get drawn into the same antics when ever they play them. It also frustrates me when people lack the intelegence to comment objectively and use it as an opportunity to slate every nation exept for their own. All teams are to blame for how standards are dropping and the ICC need a change of leadership to ensure that no Cricket board of any nation will be allowed to stoop so low as to hold them to ransom because of decisions going against them in a game. I have never come across anything so pathetic in any international sporting arena as a team saying we are not playing anymore because decisions go against them. Maybe in the playground but not the international stage. Are umpires now going to enter games with the thought in the back of their minds that they should give more decisions in the favour of certain nations to prevent them from demanding their removal from the series? An umpire is employed to do a job. I would imagine that they rely on their wage as anyone does to pay the bills. Are they now more likely to give decisions in favour of the team that are most likely to complain if they are wrong so to protect their livelyhood? A very bad situation to create and the ICC should be embarrased by the fact they have created it because of their own weakness.
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Sure Johnathon, good to see an English journalist with three tests under his belt (and 2/51)take the moral tut-tut high ground, nothing like the gift of the gab. How exactly should the winning team display their emotions in real time? - To somehow manage their image? Perhaps we can take stock and recall the truely lamentable, pathetic, give up-at -all -costs Melbourne test where I took 10 year old son to watch the best of the best play themselves into moral oblivion by basically giving up.
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OTT Aggers and a specious argument. The 'at-all-costs' mentality is born out of the professional era - it is these players' jobs and livelihoods to win - so you can not seriously suggest that people will start walking or giving themselves out (after all, they might be wrong).
And if you dislike the results of the professional era I suggest you don't watch Tendulkar, Ponting, Kallis etc bat, as the level of skill these players have reached go far beyond what would have been possible in amateur days. Forget the drama of the Ashes in 2005 - if winning and losing is unimportant it would have been no spectacle whatsoever!
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Nobody seems to notice that all this started with Symonds 'complaining' to media, during their recent tour to India, that he/they did not like the way India celebrated it Twenty20 win. Why? because they were defeated by India? There was no need for such a comment since the Indian team's celebration insulted nobody.
It is naive to expect young India players to keep taking nonsense from others and not give back anything. The fact is that Australia don't like when other teams do better than them.
Simple solution is to stop all kinds of sledging - because nobody can define when it is within limnits and when it is not. Saying 'bastard' to an Indian is an extreme insult but may not be so for Australians. So there are cultural issues. I would suggest that the mic be turned on and everything said should be heard by viewers. This is the only way to find out who is playing the game in right spirit.
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what a great debate about the Aussies misdemeanours !!
and it must be convenient to the BCCI to take the attention away from their usurping of the game . it has tried to deny any racist behaviour by indian crowds and now one of their own players. it has successfully removed an umpire who hasnt given their team the "right" decisions. it has undermined the authority of the match umpire by negotiating to have a player found guilty of racist behaviour to take part in the next couple of tests. it has threatened to not continue a tour in another country because it doesnt agree with the neutral umpires/referees decisions. or was it because of something the hosts had done or said ?
where to from here ? shall we all delight in Aussie or Ponting bashing and in the meantime nobody takes an interest as the BCCI anoints itself as the BCC ?
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Generally well written article from aggers pretty much sums it up as it stands now but how did we get to the current situation, who started the 'hostile, nasty, intimidating' enviroment he talks about ? and why has it got out of control. Well just have a look at all major sports and the same thing has happened gradually as the money gets higher and business people take over the 'spirit' goes out of the window, it's suddenly win at all costs and anything goes just like Maggies stock brokers of the 80's and the more macho you are the better.
So the solution is simple take all the money out of cricket and the spirit will return but no ! it's not as simple as that because things have now changed forever because part of making your way in amateur cricket now is, as anyone knows however young you are sledging and general abuse of the opposistion is compulsory and if you don't want to play the 'game' then you have no chance because you don't have the mental toughness.
So I'm afraid the damage is done so well done Mr Waugh and Mr Ponting the whole cricketing world is indebted to you .
ps I wonder how full of himself Andrew symonds would have been if he had received a 5 test ban for not following the spirit of the game and not walking ? come on ICC you seem so keen to use video to help get decisions right why not use it to punish the conmen ? how quickly we would see everyone convert to the right way of doing things then when it hits them in the pocket the one currency they understand 'loadsamoney'
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I think that the ICC have behaved in a disgraceful manner by undermining Steve Bucknor and the message that this send to his colleagues is that their employer will not support them. If I were employed by the ICC I would suggest strike action and I would urge my colleagues to also.
The ICC's actions reflect, as Aggers said, the total lack of understanding in the game as accountants take over the sport. The umpires need the respect of all and that starts with the ICC.
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I think Agers has git it spot on. The Aussie can give it but they can't take it. Great description about 'Hard' men and then running to the umpire. Very muchakin to pubecent teenagers.
Spot on Aggers. These Aussies can dish it out but can't take it, but if any other team did this to them the endless whinging would be heard for years
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Well done Aggers, honed straight in on the real issues behind this debacle.
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I think that the ICC have behaved in a disgraceful manner by undermining Steve Bucknor and the message that this send to his colleagues is that their employer will not support them. If I were employed by the ICC I would suggest strike action and I would urge my colleagues to also.
The ICC's actions reflect, as Aggers said, the total lack of understanding in the game as accountants take over the sport. The umpires need the respect of all and that starts with the ICC.
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I thought we lived in an environment upon where it is stated that you are innocent till proven guilty and it must be proven beyond reasonable doubt to show you are guilty. If not, am I missing something?
Harbajan Singh's alleged comment is not proven. If it is proven then he should be dealt with accordingly. I am surprised that to date there has been no video shown (to lip read) or no voices picked up on the numerous mics dotted around the ground, which could pick up these comments. The way I have read it, was that Mr Ponting's word was more credible. This from someone, via video evidence of the match, who showed his sportsmanship is less than credible! What if players from all over started to make allegations of each other? Where would we be going?
At this point I would like to ask a question and someone please correct me if I am wrong. Was it not Channel 9 in Australia back in the 80's/90's (including Richie Benaud) who, during promotions of the World Cricket Series use to refer to the Pakistan team as "P...s". I think this is construed as a racist remark or is it just a cultural thing?
No one, I recall, involved in cricket at the time made a comment or reference to it. WHY?
With regards to umpiring, sure we all make mistakes, but to do it persistantly and constantly smacks of incompetance. If I made as many mistakes at work, I'd be out of a job now! There has to be some form of performance assessment, as with FIFA and the FA (for Premiership matches).
Finally, there are many allegations that one can make, all of which would be unfounded, as they cannot be proven. Eg. Was the match fixed? Were the officals paid off? All of which may be considered plausible by some and this list would be endless.
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The expectation that players walk when they nick the ball is outdated. All professional cricketers know most players don't, so they don't. If they did always walk they would badly disadvantage their team.
This has never been resolved because any player who makes the point risks being called unsporting and a cheat and the cricket establishment has a romantic notion about the honesty of players.
The rules should be clarified here to stop vilifying players when they fail to walk. This should not be viewed as undermining the umpire but simply as the right of the batsman to accept the decision of the umpire, be it right or wrong, in all circumstances.
Whether a catch is cleanly taken should also be purely the umpires decision and so on.
I think by clarfying these rules a lot of ill feeling between players, teams and umpires could be avoided.
Matt, Bristol
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Football used to be a gentleman’s game, like cricket is still seen as today, and yes stats and figures are what drives both of these sports. An Australian friend of mine said in relation to Agnew's blog: "Cricket is a numbers game. Averages, runs scored and wickets taken are the currency of players these days. VERY LITTLE is talked of Courtney Walshs on field demeanour or how Alan Border PLAYED IN THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME - all that is referred to is the their averages and for a short period of time their world records in wickets taken and runs scored." To him I would say, does the word ‘Bodyline’ ring any bells??
The Bodyline series was played in 1932-33 and yet over 60 years on there rarely goes a summer on any continent when it isn’t mentioned. And why…because like the tactics adopted by many sportsmen and teams, the Bodyline series embodies the ‘win at any cost’ mentality. It is exactly this mentality which has seen the downfall of so many sports into accusations of cheating and deceit.
This brings me back to my first point that 'football used to be a gentleman’s game'. Nowadays you merely have to watch ONE Premiership Football match to see players diving to win penalties, always sticking their hand up when the ball goes out of play (despite them clearly the last to touching the ball), surrounding the referee to protest in order to sway his decision, or rolling around for ages on the floor after a tackle waiting for a the ref to book the player who committed the challenge and then getting to his feet and playing on as if nothing happened. These latter two points are essentially what the Australians have done…they protested and whined (surrounded the ref and rolled around on the floor) until a decision was given in their favour.
Therefore I say to my Australian friend who I quoted above, if you are one of these people who get irritated when football players try to cheat by diving et al then you should be just as irritated at your own national side for acting up as badly as Ronaldo does week in, week out and I suggest you re-read Agnew’s blog. If you are not one of these people that gets irritated in which the manor football is played these days then I pity you for your attitude towards sport, an attitude which will only earn you disrespect, primarily on the field of play.
If cricket does not stop pandering to the footballers mentality of ‘win at all costs’ then I am afraid cricket youngsters will go the same way as football youngsters, with cheating inbuilt into their game plan, and cricket too will join the ranks of pathetic, unwatchable sports, leaving only rugby to carry the gentleman’s mantle.
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Jonathan's comments are valid but sadly outdated. Australian cricketers are not alone in vociferous appealing, sledging, or refusing to walk when they get a "nick". These tactics are now standard among most cricketing nations (including England). Until ALL cricketers (which is a faint hope) adopt a true spirit of sportmanship, why should the Australians be singled out. The record books will only show their brilliant achievement - well done to them!
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What's the problem? This is what TV wants surely? The bigger the hype or controversy is all grist to the mill of TV and their sponsors. Cricket sold out long ago to business and it's no use crying about it now. The only pity is that it feeds down to the amateur game - what there is left of it.
Just look at professional football in similar circumstances - players cheat all the time.
Australia like the rest (only they are better at it than everyone else)play hard and they cheat - it's now part of the professional game - read Alec Stewart's or Michael Atherton's biography - it's what you can get away with to put you one up on the oppo that count's these days and if the players don't do it they would probably get a rocket from their coaches.
There are also doubts about certain bowlers' actions - the people who legislate have allowed things to degenerate into a free for all that I doubt if anyone can get Pandora back in her box.
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Well said!
We need to return to the days of fair and honest cricket. There was a time when people walked if they new they had nicked the ball. I played club cricket for 49 years and along with everybody else whose has spent any amount of time at the crease, I knew if I had touched the ball. However slight the touch, if it has touched your bat, you know!
I am afraid that, even at club cricket club level, people these days do not walk unless the umpire puts his finger up. Which is disgraceful. And why? Because bad behaviour at senior level on television taints the game lower down, whatever the sport.... football, diving?
Symonds behaviour, openly admitting that he knew he had touched the ball, takes cheating to a whole new level. Cheating is bad. Bragging about cheating and getting away with it needs action from the selectors!
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I can only echo everything that Jonathan has said. The Australians have been brilliant cricketers for years and years, and they deserve credit for that. Regrettably, they have also conducted themsevles, broadly speaking, quite appallingly and thoroughly against the spirit of the game. Cricket is indeed at a crossroads.
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There's something disturbing about the way many in the India press have leapt to this claim that monkey is not a racial slur in India. It's quite true that monkey can be used in a playful non racist way in India - friends and loved ones call each other cheeky or silly monkeys in many cultures and with some affection. It is also true, however, that in India, as elsewhere, the monkey term can be used as a racial insult. India’s indigenous Adivasi communities (the tribal communities who suffer discrimination and even violence on a daily basis in India through a mixture of racial and caste based prejudice) are notable as an Indian community who commonly suffer the monkey taunt on the subcontinent. Historically the association of the Adivasi with monkeys can be found in the Vanara, the ape like people of the Hindu epic Ramayana in which the monkey king/god, Hanuman, becomes the loyal devotee of Lord Rama. The Vanara epitomize the manner in which the monkey-aboriginal association is articulated as both an act of doting affection on an infantile figure of mischief as well as a means of relegating that figure to backwardness and sub-human derision. The widespread association of India’s tribals with monkeys in this way may not have occurred to many Indians but it may well have to those who jeered Symonds in this way on the recent Indian tour. The manner in which the implications of the monkey association can be resented by India’s tribal, and also by untouchable (or Dalit), communities is apparent in political acts of resistance like the song “We Are Not Your Monkeys”, written by the Dalit poet Daya Pawar (and for whom associations of colour and caste would seem to have been a significant concern).
Racism is a problem in both Australia and India. It behooves both countries to do all that they can to stamp it out. I'm not a Ricky Ponting fan but in this case I think he has acted very properly if, indeed, the monkey term was used. For it is not for Andrew Symonds, as an afro-Caribbean Australian, to shoulder slurs of this kind as recompense for the racism that south Asian cricketers have suffered at the hands of white cricketers during previous series. It is also proper for Harbhajan to deny his accusers if he did not use this term. What is most improper is the manner in which many respondents have sought to hide from accusations of racism, accusations that go back to previous episodes of crowd behavior, through the highly suspect claim that the whole affair is a misunderstanding born of cultural difference. The monkey metaphor is, no doubt, associated with different meanings in different cultures, but in India and in the west these meanings have both affectionate and a malicious turns of symbolism. To deny this commonality is ignorance or denial at best and, at worst, base hypocrisy.
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It's very well the BBC producing headlines that Bucknor has support from Justin Langer or Glenn McGrath. They are after all Aussies and by virtue a discredited lot who are bound to support their former colleagues. What about producing headlines which agrees with the decision to axe Bucknor from former Indian players. Presumably their comments are not palatable for the BBC to reproduce as headlines. Why is BBC not quoting comments from Peter Roebuck.
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Jonathan,
Why were you not so against the policy when Shakoor Rana was on the radar??? Was it because he was from the Sub-continent?
If players are to be held accountable then so are the custodians of the game - no questions on that one.
We understand Aussies playing 'hard' - what bugs me is that the high & mighty Gilchrist didn't think it prudent enough to counsel his own team mates vis-a-vis 'walking'!!!
The Aussies are a bunch of hypocrites just like the rest of the teams - thats all.
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what is happenig to the great game of cricket?playing hard is very diffrent from playing fair.i dont know how batsmen like adam gilcrist,yunis khan and the rest who walk when they nick the ball feel about all this.cricket has always been about being a gentleman.that is why its played in whites,you are allowed only one bouncer in an over,and its the only game in the world where you are given a runner.aside from playing hard and playing fair,i think crickters in general should learn to respect the game,and may be if its not too late they will learn to respect each other.
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I think that the spirit of the game has been abused for some time. Is it not about time that the ICC introduced a law of "behaviour against the spirit of the game" so that people like Symonds and his gloating acknowledgement of not being out when he knows he was are called to account.
The overwhelming issue here is one of money. Cricket is no longer a fun game but a business and with all businesses success is crucial, at any cost. We judge by an ideal long since consigned to the dustbin of sporting history. Aggers is right, Australia are a great team but by applying the business ethic to win at any cost and hidding behind a play on the word "hard" to justify their behaviour they are what they are: cricketing bullies, with a barrack-room lawyers use of words. Such a shame.
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Well, first of all, If Harbhajan really called Symonds monkey, Indians shouldn't support him and Bhajji should be punished. But the question is whether he said or not. It's a shame that referee believed Clarke and not Tendulkar.
Second thing is, Indians are not happy with Steve Bucknor for a long time, whenever India played under Bucknor, there always have been controversy, once Sourav Ganguly gave him 0/10 in his captain's report. So it's an old story and it's not fair that someone should be allowed to continue his prejudice when we all want neutral umpiring. I believe, Mark Benson was a victim of Ponting and his team who constantly tried to deceive him...but Benson was not at his best either. However, I also believe, Bucknor has some issues with Indians and he deliberately favoured the Aussies and he will continue to do so if he's allowed.
Aussies played wonderfully, there is no doubt but...Symonds was out at least 3 times (2 stamping and one caught behind). If Ponting and Symonds were given out first time, I think Indians might not have to bat again in the 2nd innings. Umpires do make mistakes and it's impossible to be 100% correct all the time. But there is a limit of making mistakes. However, believe me, Steve Bucknor was a different issue.
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If a caught behind is challenged by a player in a televised match - go to the third umpire.
Isn't it time we explained in detail what the meaning of is when they say, "In The Spirit Of The Play".
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I agree with what you say Aggers. I feel bad for Bucknor. I don't think there is malice in him he is a genuine man who like every other human being has had his share of bad days. The Australians put on such a display of Bucknor not being able to stand upto the pressure that they put on him that it just cannot be ignored.
I see it in the light of the fact that Ponting, Symonds and Bucknor all knew that Australia had benefitted atleast by 130 odd runs by the decision that had gone in the favor of the Aussies in the first innings.
Knowing that, it might have been appropriate for Ponting and Symonds to tone down their appealing in the second innings. But they didn't. It wasn't India who got Bucknor into hot waters, if they were not to do anything about this they would be inviting more of the same in the reamining two tests.
If you carefully look at it, it is exactly as you said, Ricky Ponting didn't give a damn about how he went about achieving it and in the process set up Bucknor.
It is not about just being hard on the playing field, he refused to shake hands and accept an apology from the captain of the opposing team. Even with India losing the match Kumble offered him that and it was a close game by any measure. Why play the game at all with India if you have such little respect for them Might be the Australian cricket team should just declare themselves to be too competent to play against the Indians.
If Ricky Ponting is half the man that he claims to be he should apologise to the Austrlian fans, Kumble and HB. This whole thing is Ponting's doing and all he needs to say is I messed up,and he will discover that the cricket world is just as forgiving.
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Well said, both on cricket - and professional sportsmen in general -and on the Aussies who, as you rightly observe, can give it but cannot take it.
If anyone can think of a cricketing equivalent to the extra 10 metres by which a rugby ref marches forward for backchat, then let's hear it. In the meantime, no more snide references to "whingeing poms." In the long run, Australia is doing itself more harm than good.
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Excellent observations, Aggers. It's time the adminstrators got a grip, stopped forcing the players onto some kind of horrendous treadmill of permanent international cricket and supported the umpires in enforcing the laws before our game ends up like the Premier League. They seem to manage perfectly well in Rugby Union. Perhaps the Australian behaviour is the upshot of being captained by a man who, not that long ago, was suspended for drunken brawling in a bar.
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Evryone including Clive Lloyd say that umpires make mistakes and so should be pardoned, but no one has pointed why they make glaring mistakes, as it happened at Sydney. The answer is simple they are overworked. My suggestion is to dispense with the leg umpire who has no role to play now as stumpings and run outs are always referred to the third umpire. There can still be two umpires officiating in alternate sessions
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Irrespective of whether the actual comment was said or not, the other thing that strikes me is that a 3 game ban for using racially offensive language in this day and age is ridiculous. In any other form of employment using racially abusive language would result in instant dismissal, whereas in cricket (and to be fair in other sports) it results in nothing but a token smack on the wrist. I wander how committed sporting governing bodies actually are to combatting racism given the amount of publicity they seek around it.
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When will the organisations responsible for various National sports wake up to the fact that without umpires and referee's we would not have the often spectacular sporting treats to watch.
Umpires and referee's make mistakes. Fact. All human's do. It is often difficult to get a decisive answer from video replays. Fact. Players often perform woefully. Fact.
Why then is the referee or umpire the focus of all decisions that are deemed to be controversial. Why are players allowed to deflect responsibility for poor performance to the extent that an official was responsibile for an adverse result.
Personally I am totally fed up with decisions being put under the spotlight time and again, from various angles and by various people. It is time the FA and the ICC, to name but two organisations, got on with supporting their officials and telling their participants; players and managers, to get on with their job - playing the game.
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Throughout all of this post-SCG debate, the one thing I have yet to read about is any note of comprehension or penitence from the Australian team.
Despite the fact that the entire cricketing world is up in arms about this Test match and the way the Australians played, not one note of contrition has emerged from the Aussie camp.
I find it incredible to think that Ricky Ponting and Co. can be so entrenched in their blinkered perspective on life as to think they are "in the right" and have no need to offer even the merest hint at humility. And now Cricket Australia sadly seems to be missing it also.
Ironically I believe a lot of this global revulsion to the Aussie style would have been avoided if "lucky" Michael Clarke hadn't actually taken those last three wickets. At least with a draw there would have been a sense of at least some justice being done. The Australians not equalling the record consecutive victories and the series still being live would perhaps have allowed the horrors of the previous five days to fade away.
Sadly that was not to be and we were subjected to the images of gloating, sneering Australians whooping with glee at their ill-deserved victory, impervious to the injustice of it and happy to trample all over the unfortunate victims. Victims not of Australian cricketing prowess but of umpiring deficiencies and something far darker from the Aussie players.
Cultural differences may be to blame but while Ricky Ponting behaves like a petulant, stubborn child and fails to provide us with a more mature approach to this situation then Australian cricket will have no respect in the rest of the world.
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Not all the Aussies are the same, much as I have to admit it. Adam Gilchrist is one who retains the spirit of the game in the face of all the pressure of being from a country where winning is everything. He is renowned as fair and will always walk if necessary. At the end of his career he alone will be able to hold his head up and say "Nothing to be ashamed of. I played the game honestly".
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Hi, first up great article which i believe is well balanced on what is clearly a sensitive issue which is very emotional to some people.
Personally this is my take on the affair.
IF the rascist remarks are true then he should be punished (two wrongs dont make a right).
Australia need to learn how to take the stick they give.
Cricket is an honest game which is rapidly being corrupted by the deceit that is all to visible in many of its sporting counterparts, i.e. football.
I think if players are out, it would be nice for them to have the common decency to walk.
BUT out of curiosity, is there not a case for Symonds being fined/cautioned/reprimanded for bringing the game into disripute with his disgusting antics in the press??
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Rocket & Jason,
Having previosly lived in Australia for a couple of years I feel justified in making the observation that you simply have some evolutionary catching-up to do before you will understand the point here.
Children (generally between the ages of two and up to early teens) push the boundaries in order to see what they will be allowed to get away with before leaning & understanding the co-operative way in which the world operates. It is true also that some people never quite grow out of this behaviour but they generally end up in prison (in a different age sent to distant, remote islands).
Which brings me to the subject of colonisation; this barbaric behaviour was carried out at a time before modern society developed and thankfully most of us have since learned a more collaborative way of cohabiting.
The current Aussie team is so good it simply doesn't have to behave in the childish (you say 'hard') manner it chooses to, the gentleman Adam Gichrist excepted. In a very similar vein to the bygone antics of genius motor racing driver Michael Schumacher - why tarnish such talent?
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I will just like to ask the question to the public and analysts - "the ICC is supposed to punish players who bring the game to disrepute right"
How much more disrepute does the game get into when a Batsman like Andrew Symonds claims that he stood at his crease knowing that he was out. Well there is one thing to do it (which is very bad by itself) but to gloat over it in front of media?
we are having the punishments given to Harbhajan/Hogg based on what others say they might have said, but no one wants to talk abt the ounishment for self proclaimed wrong in the game!!
Obviously people will loose patience. And can someone tell the same to the Australian Cricket authrities that playing hard does not involve staying on crease when you are out. if not the ICC atleast they should act on Andrew symonds if they want to show atleast some sense of sportsmanship
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Agnew is to broadcasting what Bradman was to batting.
Unfortunately to bowling, he was merely what John Selwyn Gummer was to parliamentary democracy.
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POST TWO,
WELL WHAT A TODO, BIT OF A RESPONSE ON THIS SUBJECT THEN, I HAVE RUN A QUICK EYE ON THE REPLYS AND I AM PLEASED TO SEE THAT A GOOD 75%ISH HAS COME OUT ON THE SIDE OF AGGERS ON WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE A BALLANCED ARTICLE ON THE SAD DEBACLE.
SO WELL DONE TO ALL YOU CRICKET LOVERS, THERE STILL IS HOPE THAT THE AMATEURS WHO MAKE UP 95% OF THE WORLDS PLAYERS CAN STILL CONDUCT OURSELVES WITH HONESTY AND ACCEPT THE UMPIRES DECISIONS. AS TINY TIM SAID GOD BLESS US ONE AND ALL
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No matter how much you dislike the Aussie disrespect towards their opponents as I do, the bottom line is that if the umpiring had been up to Test standard they would've been no flashpoints and no controversies - Symonds would've been out caught behind, Australia would've been 130 for seven and India would possibly have won the test if they'd racked up the 500-plus they eventually did. Bucknor WAS the best umpire of his time but is now 61! How many umpires, referees etc do you have of that age in football, rugby, tennis etc? Umpires should have a mandatory retirement age of, say, 55, which would mirror football. Remember how David Shepherd went? I can't recall any Test played under an evil cloud that had been umpired well. And as for Mark Benson, he just looked plain terrified.
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Firstly, good article Jonathan.
Secondly - I am staggered by the naivety of many of do not understand the origins of the racial slur of calling someone of black origins a monkey. The racist background behind such a comment comes from the idea that as all humans descended from Apes/Monkeys we have similar traits and genes. Historically used against black people by white people the taunt of "monkey", implies that the person is still in the same gene pool as the Apes and Monkeys and has not developed to the level of the rest of the human species. Therefore they are purported to be a lesser person in character, intelligence and behaviour.
As an Australian (white) I do not always condone the methods employed by the Australian team, however I certainly do not condone racism. Many Indians have argued that "monkey" is not racist but hopefully with a little background you may now understand its origins. The fact this was pointed out 3 months ago in the one day tour as a racist remark, means that the Indian team, supporters, knew that it shouldn't be used. (That is if it indeed was used!)
Thanks
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I think the ICC did the right thing by dropping Steve Bucknor. He is plain incompetent. And there is no place for nonperformers in international cricket. The match referee is also guilty and he should have stepped in when these wrong decisions were being made.
Regarding Harbhajan both the captain and manager and coach should rein him in. India should play cricket like the English plays it and not like the Aussies. There is no place for boorishness in test cricket.
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When will the organisations responsible for various National sports wake up to the fact that without umpires and referee's we would not have the often spectacular sporting treats to watch.
Umpires and referee's make mistakes. Fact. All human's do. It is often difficult to get a decisive answer from video replays. Fact. Players often perform woefully. Fact.
Why then is the referee or umpire the focus of all decisions that are deemed to be controversial. Why are players allowed to deflect responsibility for poor performance to the extent that an official was responsibile for an adverse result.
Personally I am totally fed up with decisions being put under the spotlight time and again, from various angles and by various people. It is time the FA and the ICC, to name but two organisations, got on with supporting their officials and telling their participants; players and managers, to get on with their job - playing the game.
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Aggers ,
Leaving aside the rights & wrongs of sledging , racist abuse etc. , once again the ICC have shown their true colours in bowing to demands made by players . Threats made by players should be treated with the contempt that they deserve . If an umpires' decision making is found to be wanting , then he should be informed privately & not through the media & certainly not at the request of any cricket board ! What next . . . a 13 man team sheet . . . 12 players & a "tame" umpire ??
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I totally disagree with the article.
I am also suprised of how many people actaully agree with it...what world are you people living in??
I am an Australian living in London, i also played a very high level of cricket both in Australia and the UK over the past 6-7 years and totally agree with Ricky Ponting and team.
Yes we Australians play our cricket 'hard' compared to other countries particulary the very 'conservative English'. So what....that is the way we are brought up..'work hard play hard'. And we are also taught to win....not to come in 2nd place like many other PC coutries!
I agree there is fine line between playing hard and not playing within the spirit of the game, but Ponting's team in my opinion have done nothing out or the ordinary. The meadia have once again blown this completley out of proportion!
But now all of a sudden because of a few Umpiring errors ( by the No 1 umpire in the world)and an apparent racist remark the Australians are not playing cricket fairly....comon give us a break...for once admire a cricket team who are ruthless against their opponents and 'play to win not to draw'.
Maybe if other countries played with the same attitude and approach they would actually start acheiving their abilities......
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Aggers has pretty much all of this right on the button. Most cricket observers would accept that the Australians desire to win has, for some time now, led to them treating the game of cricket in a rather tawdry manner. In their win at all costs approach they ride roughshod over the traditions of the game as if they are not there. Nobody is perfect, we all know that, and some of the England team have not covered themselves in glory in the sledging department recently, nor have some of the Indian players for that matter. But the fact is players take their lead from their peers - if the australians sledge the oppostion then of course it encourages all others to follow suit. So they shouldn't go crying to the umpire when they don't like something that's said to them. I seem to recall Darren lehmann offering up a racist slur against the sri lankans some years back which drew a "these things happen in cricket" response from the ACB. Whatever happened to the 'what goes on the pitch, stays on the pitch' rule?
Anyway, the whole things is very sad for the game and could have been prevented if the captains had discussed it after the game, got things off their chest and agreed to move forward rather than airing their dirty laundry in public. The fact that the ICC has had to get involved has resulted in the inevitable mess which goes hand in hand with anything the ICC do. Anybody who was at last year's world cup in the caribbean will vouch for that.
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Great Article Aggers! I totally agree with you and I think the ICC is totally wrong on this by dropping the most experienced and senior umpire Mr.Bucknor.This is not the way to deal with the growing problem of disputed decisions on the field because this is not something new. Cricketing countries over the years didn't like some of the decisions made by the umpires but players didn't make such a big noise about it as its done now, because so much money is involved in cricket now. What has happened to the good old noble Cricket! I remember just recently the great Brian Lara walked off when he knew he had nicked the ball and the umpire didn't see it and did't raise his finger. Thats real cricket sportsmanship.Why can't the players play with honesty and not hijack the game of cricket and umpires!!
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agree with most of your comments except that sri has not racially abused anyone just sleged them as every aussie player does and sri is not even in auz.also other than the blatently cheating auz team being believed by prookter no evidence bhajji said anything. remember all that prookter stayed on to play his cricket in racist south africa when most others left eg tony greig. when he, prookter says he knows about racism, he surely does, he WAS racist himself as evidenced by him staying on in south africa and thus has no right in believing a white persons word over a non whites. and by the way when non whites are called coloured, is white NOT a colour?????????????????????
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Jonathan Agnew's comments are fair and impartial I think. Let's hope that this proves to be a watershed and the authorities allow the umpires sufficient power to remove the stain of sledging from the game. Sledging must be regarded as cheating and gamesmanship, and should be dealt with in the same manner as the laws covering other such unfair practices.
I want to see batsman bowled out and caught out, not humiliated out and intimidated out.
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Nobody has mentioned the role of the ICC in all this. If they'd stop procrastinating and get on with the job of allowing technology to be used in more decisions then India would have no right to be aggreived (and the outcome of this test may have been different).
Yes, technology is not perfect but - as has been shown all too clearly in this case - neither are umpires. At least if technology is used *everybody* has a chance to take their time and see exactly what happened, instead of having to trust the split-second judgement of one man. I feel sure there would be fewer wrong decisions, and certainly fewer disputed decisions, if technology was allowed to take a fuller role in the game.
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Over appealing, and not walking is easy to remove from the game.
Every time a bowling side appeals, and the batsman is given not out, give the batting side an additional 10 runs.
If someone is given out without walking, remove 20 runs.
Problem over...
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Jonathan seems to be biased in his comments. He has rightly accused Aussie players for their poor conduct but never praised Indian captain Kumble and players like Dravid and Saurav for their excellent conduct.
On the issue of Bucknor, lets take football or tennis or any other game. Can we condone poor umpiring when teams play hard to win? Will Jonathan as Owner of Manchester United take a defeat in his stride and say 'well refrees do falter?' Come on, it is time ICC woke up and set stringent medical standards for the umpires and tested their sight and hearing.The umpires also need to be demoted if they perform below standard.
Umpire Benson also needs to be warned because if Symonds admitted on the first day that he was out but decided to continue playing, what does it speak about the integrity of Aussie players? How then could he accept Ricky Ponting's nod and not consult Bucknor or the third umpire to know what had actually happened when Saurav was given out? What integrity Aussies carry Mr Ponting? Why should Benson not be punished or warned for such poor umpiring?
The 'gentleman' has long gone out of the game but let us not throw 'fairness' out of the game and kill the spirit of the game!!!!
Let ICC take measures to plug the loopholes by reviewing each series and taking steps so that the game is played fairly!!!
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Isn't it amazing how people love to people bash whenever anything slightly controversial happens in sport!
Deciding to lay the blame at one particular country (Australia - this time) or group (the umpires) seems, to me, to be completely missing the point.
Do people not remember that for a long time now, cricketers do not walk when they edge a ball and every player appeals at anything even remotely close to a chance! This is not just Australia but England, India, South Africa and most other test playing nations.
I was particularly impressed by the comment made by "Neal" (entry 9). Sledging has got a little out of hand for a while now and we should not focus on just racist abuse, for any banter that enters the territory of being personal, is just wrong! And unfortunately its not just players but supporters at some grounds too. If the culture is to ignore it or at the very least pay lipservice to it, then the behaviour will continue.
Umpires have bad games, of course they do as they are only human, but when they have particularly bad games they should put their hands up and say they have made serious mistakes. I think this open honesty can only enhance the image and respect for umpires.
Invariably I think it is up to the ICC and the governing bodies of all the national teams to remember the spirit and code of the lovely game and to come together to harshly penalise both individuals or countries that bring that spirit into disrepute.
Chris
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Why did India protest Harbhajan's ban so furiously? Well, consider these two facts:
1. There was no evidence in terms of recording, either by stump microphone or lip reading of video footage to substantiate use of the word, 'monkey'.
2. Two Australian players said they did hear the racist word and two Inidans said that they didn't hear the racist word.
This means that Harbhajan was banned because the word of two Australian players was supposedly of greater value in the Referees eyes than two Indians' word. Surely this is wrong?
Secondly, there needs to be clarity in terms of the standards to be upheld by Umpires, so another country doesn't demand that an Umpire is banned. In football, a referee who performs badly may not preside over future games. If teams know this, they will follow procedures, rather than making demands, as India did. Furthermore, Umpires may think twice before giving out.
Finally, there seems to be little clarity in terms of punishments handed to players for their conduct. For example, Rashid Latiff was banned for 5 games when he claimed a grassed catch... the twist in the tale is that the person who passed this sentence was a certain Mr Proctor... Who didn't ban Ponting fo a similar offence, as well as his part in persuading the Umpire to give Ganguly out when he clearly was not!
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Why should batsmen walk? Assuming umpires are not biased, then over time the errors they make will favour both batsman and bowler equally. If batsmen walk when the umpire gets it wrong in their favour, the game becomes statistically biased in favour of bowlers.
Symonds was under no obligation to walk - indeed, leaving all decisions to the umpire is fairest, but he should have accepted his good fortune on this occasion with more grace, and do so again when the decision goes against him.
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Well done Aggers, how Brian Johnstone, John Arlott, the Alderman and other great commentators of the past would agree. All of us who love the game fully support your article and I really cannot see a way forward unless administrators make a concerted effort to bring back the spirit of cricket. I worry when I see county players getting hot under the collar and the influence it has on the youngsters watching so how much more is it a worry when test matches are played in this awful way.
Jilly
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I am a young man soon to be married and a great lover of the game. I always thought that if I ever have a son I would want him to learn the game and love it and if he becomes a professional great, but if not, the great game will teach him valuable lessons in life. The same cannot be said of soccer or some other sports but cricket does teach you a lot about life and helps you be a good person.
Unfortunately, if this is the way international champion sides are going to play the game, I am afraid, I would rather my son played golf.
By the way, when I was a kid and used to play gully cricket in India, we used to walk when we nicked the ball.
But if the role models whom the kids want to emulate do what they did in Sydney, I am afraid, it is not a good sign for the sport or its future as a gentlemans game.
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Let's make 2008 the "Year of the Walk".
It's a strong word, but players CHEAT. How can someone blatantly edge a ball then stand their ground waiting for the umpires decision? In the current Australian team, Adam Gilchrist is the only one i respect as he's the only one who walks. I've played cricket for over 30 years and was taught to be honest and always walked if i've nicked it. These things always filter down to the amateur game. Just look at football with the diving, two-footed tackles and arguing with refs. Maybe the ICC can highlight these individuals on some sort of "Rogues Gallery"!
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What a shame that the great game of cricket is being brought into disrepute by all the protagonists in this argument. It is unclear whether Harbhajan made the comment to Symonds but it appears that Proctor has taken one man's word against another. However, just like premiership football, when 'win at all costs' becomes the norm, sportsmanship goes out of the window. If players do not clean up their act cricket will go the same way as football and the Adam Gilchrist's of the world will become fewer and further between. The Australians are the best side in the world currently but one of the worst regarding attitude to authority, playing just inside the rules. Cricket is now mirroring attitudes in society and the umpires and administrators are finding it increasingly difficult to manage the players and their antics. Kevin Pietersen is just as culpable as Hayden and co!!
The ICC have replaced Bucknor with Bowden for the next Test because of a fear that India would withdraw from the tour as the BCCI has the most financial clout in world cricket at the moment. If Harbajhan is not cleared on appeal I think it may go further - the Australians' unwillingness to keep this incident away from the umpires has opened up a can of worms.
Jonathan Agnew's article is generally very good but no doubt will be seen by Australians as having a go at them - perhaps that is necessary as they do come across as arrogant although their ability is unquestioned.
It is a great pity that they don't use that ability to win games fairly without questioning their opponents' parenthood or morals!
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The last paragraph summing up the current situation of big business controlling cricket is well written. The motivation for any player to do well for the pride of one's country is no more valid since national boundaries and personal commitments have become somewhat murky. The major force seems to be the big money paid to the players and it will not be naive to suggest that ICC has caved in to Indian pressure in the recent incidents, since Indian public are the big money spinners. This is evidenced by the drop in interest in last World Cup when India lost in the preliminary rounds.
It is high time that cricket and all other sports are freed from the clutches of corporations with financial interests. The compensation for the players should also be kept at levels compatible with other professions.
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If the right decision has been made re. the name calling, I can live with that, but I will never come to terms with the increasingly gutless ICC and their 'decision' making.
Why on earth have they chosen the umpires for the series, and then because one side don't like how they have been treated by the umpires, and object, one umpire is stood down. Surely it would have been more diplomatic to change them both, as they are a team, and neither of them 'blameless'. That way no one individual would have been pilloried.
My own feeling is that the Indians, and anyone other team that cares to complain about umpires in the future should be told to get on with it, and if they threaten withdrawal from the series, let them go home, then follow it up with a lengthy ban from world cricket.
As much as I would hate to see the likes of India and Pakistan out of cricket for any length of time, it would at least show these people that the dog wags the tail, and not the other way round. However I feel it will be a cold day in hell before the ICC show the necessary guts.
Barry Raw
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I do not agree with the views of Mr Agnew on two counts:
1. Hysteria and stereotyping: Firstly, all teams in world cricket sledge and are aggressive on the field at times. To make out that this is just Australia is incorrect and unfair. I am not saying that this is the way cricket should be played, but it is all over the world not just Australia that does this. Further, Australia has partaken recently in tours that enhance the spirit of cricket. Take for example the Ashes series in the UK, and Australia for that matter. This was played in a great spirit between players and fans. The only part that was not is the spirit of the game was when England used substitute fielders.
Maybe, Australia is at the sharp end of the sledging front, and maybe that has to be slightly brought under control. BUT.. it is a matter of degree. Surely, there is some boffin out there that can try to quantify the amount of sledging, and other elements that are not within the spirit of the game that all teams around the world are involved in.. Maybe we could start with the ball tampering events of the current English captain, back a few year. Let’s try to measure it to stop this hysteria and stereotyping against Australia.
2. My second point revolves around racism. I think Mr Agnew is on shaky ground on this front from his column. Because it is all about racism. Nothing more nothing less. The Australian Captain is bound by the rules of cricket to report racism, which is all that he was doing. Mr Agnew, are you suggesting that this should have not been reported?? If you are, then you condone racism in the game. If not, and if it should have been reported by Ricky Pointing, then more than half your article is an unfair attack on the Australian team. I also think there is a back story to this. I am sure UTube has a video of the crowds’ behaviour towards Symonds in Mumbai a few months ago. Have a look at that and tell me was Ricky Pointing right to say something about possible racism in the game...
In conclusion, I would like to see Australia, take the lead to reduce the sledging in the game and uphold the spirit of the game, I am not sure that is going to happen. But, Australia is just one team that does, and I think the way they have been represented in your column is slightly unjust.
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Very interesting Aggers but if you look at the Australian teams during the period of Ricky Ponting's tenure as captain in the same way as you would any successful business what is happening to our sport is not entirely surprising. Furthermore the way that the success of one business affects its competitors is not at all dissimilar to what we see happening throughout cricket.
Our society is rife with this self righteous justification that Ricky Ponting has applied; he was given a clear choice and he deliberately took the route most likely to negatively affect the competition and so to improve his team's chances in the next test. I would suggest that this was a calculated and strategic business move. In business terms why shouldn't he have acted in this way? Cricket is professional so why do the gentlemanly thing? These are only techniques; they may be akin with diving in football to gain a free-kick or using a specific game plan to take out an opposing player in rugby but they are only techniques. Other teams see the success, aspire to it and try to emulate the methods used to achieve it.
My feeling is that the Australian Captain's approach is unnecessary particularly when handed such a wealth of talent: Most people find that in a well run business laws are there for guidance until absolutely necessary and that there is always time for common decency. A truly successful businessman relies on his skills and those of his staff to achieve his industrial advantage and not every other weapon at his disposal to legally achieve it.
By chasing success and records this Australian team will be more likely to be remembered for Ricky Pontings tantrums and his downright bad-tempered, intransigent an unsportsman-like approach to the game instead of for their really outstanding achievements. I would really like to have known whether these players could have achieved everything that they have and been pleasant about it along the way!
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G'day, I find it topical with the upcoming tour of England to New Zealand to compare the offerings of respected scribes from each of these countries re the recent behaviour of both Australia and India at Test level.
The English sample and responses above, you have already consumed/exhumed.
I commend the NZHeralds' Chris Rattues' article:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/4/story.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10485833
Aggers, You may find that this article covers similar ground as yours but, in a style a little less judgemental.
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This is a far cry from the vision as set out by Sir Frank Worrell on that famous tour to Australia by the West Indies. History will show that the current Australian team will never surpass the mighty West Indies of the Clive Lloyd era because even though you were badly beaten you still loved them!! They played cricket as if it were fun and we all loved them because they brought a happiness to game. Not so the Australians. My message to them is this if you live in glass houses dont throw stones!! You cannot expect to keep up the constant sledging and not have a player eventually react to it. You want to sledge? Then accept the consequencies!!
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The umpiring was the effect of the problem. The root cause of the problem is that Symonds and the rest of the Australian's team are a bunch of cheat.
Is cricket still a gentleman's game?
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Mr.Agnew - I can't argue with any of that.
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I don't think the Indian team took exception to the racism allegation as much as they did to the fact that the conviction was made on the basis of a player's word and no other evidence. I recall in 1992, when India toured South Africa, Kapil Dev was hit by Kepler Wessels with a bat but couldn't complain because the incident wasn't caught on camera. Did the incident then really occur as has been suggested? No one knows. We only have Kapil's and Kepler's words to go by. Same as in this case.
I also agree that the Aussies should be taken to task for bringing undue pressure on the umpires.
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Well said Johnners. These glory grabbing managers of the game are a spineless lot, do they run their own buisness' with the same tepid and insipid attitude. Come on chaps if you can't take the heat.......
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Well said Aggers - Every professional cricketer should be forced to read your article and every comment posted with it. Here's my tuppence worth :
Play to win, play hard, play fair and realise its possible to enjoy a game and lose it.
Good natured banter between teams and officials is great and enrichens the game - offensive behaviour has no place.
Cheating is rife - fielders who know they didn't take a catch cleanly, wicket keepers who appeal when they know there was no edge, batsmen who stand their ground when they know they did get an edge ...... and so it goes on. Anyone who cheats must be banned for a LONG LONG time.
There are good umpires and bad ones. We can only hope that the bad ones get better and that they are equally good or bad to both sides.
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Nice one Aggers.
One of the best and most balanced articles I have read about this entire debacle that is seeming to further envelop cricket under the darkest of clouds it has been under since the Hair incident (if we are honest it probably stretches back before this).
Malcolm Speed strikes me as a cowardly sort who will bend to the wills of any ''powerful'' country.
Of course he is hamstrung as the ICC is pretty toothless and more and more gutless.
If Harbajhan racially sledged him then he should serve his ban - if the evidence is inconclusive (he said, she said) then he should not have been banned.
Anyway cricket is going to the dogs and I love the game - please bringback some sanity.
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I agree what Jonathan wrote and ICC should not change Steve Bucknor at this time. and Mr.Ponting and Australians stop their arrogant behaviour in the field , I have seen Mr.ponting kicking the ground when he did not get his way, who is he???????????????
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can some one please explain to me how on earth can you convict a player for racism when there is 1)no video or audio evidence 2)the umpires haven't heard anything 3)the 2 batsmen in the middle one of whom is the great tendulkar hasn't heard the comment and finally when 3 out of 5 Aussie players say they did not hear the word monkey.except Matthew Hayden and Michel Clark no one seems to have heard the comment.
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I wonder what the fuss is about calling someone a monkey? In India monkey represents one of our deities is Hanuman (a Monkey).We call our children a monkey, and I wonder if they start suing me for being racial. Well if four letter "F" words and talking of carnal pleasures with players female relatives is not a part of our national ethos but has to be accepted since it is "Australian hard way of playing cricket" is it time people made it acceptable to "Indian hard way" even if it is offensive to them. But most certainly Gentlemen of cricket being a "Monkey" is not racial.
Cricket is at crossroads. It now has to make a call whether out of form umpires need to be "dropped" just like out of form players or to persist with them, letting the game of cricket down; and with it a billion crazy fans in India itself.
I have a better suggestion for the Aussies if they wish to win at Cricket. Let them play with our womens team which is quite good. Maybe our mens team is learning to beat them in their own backyard.
What is abominable is the behaviour of Captains of Australia,present and future. In this match both were downright corruptible with favourable decisions and they did not win fair.
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Good One Aggers.
Certainly the players are making the umpires job tough by not walking away for catches or by over appealing.
Everyone says it is because of India's pressure Bucknor was sacked but if you take a moment and think it is the Australian players made Bucknor's job very difficult, particularly dishonest Symonds, Michael Clarke,Gilchrist & Ponting.
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I wonder what the fuss is about calling someone a monkey? In India monkey represents one of our deities Lord Hanuman (a Monkey).We call our children a monkey, and I wonder if they will start suing me for being "racial". Well if four letter "F" words and talking of carnal pleasures with players female relatives is not a part of our national ethos but has to be accepted since it is "Australian hard way of playing cricket" it is time people made it acceptable to "Indian hard way" even if it is offensive to them. But most certainly Gentlemen, being called a "Monkey" is not racial.
Cricket is at crossroads. It now has to make a call whether out of form umpires need to be "dropped" just like out of form players or to persist with them, letting the game of cricket down; and with it a billion crazy fans in India itself.
I have a better suggestion for the Aussies if they wish to win at Cricket. Let them play with our womens team which is quite good. Maybe our mens team is learning to beat them in their own backyard.
What is abominable is the behaviour of Captains of Australia,present and future. In this match both were downright corruptible with favourable decisions and they did not win fair.
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Hello all,
Re Steve Bucknor, the point is, he is close to blindness and deafness. He is biased against India ever since Ganguly filed his report against him back in 04. He is past his shelf date. He should be retired if he doens't go on his own. Why aren't umpires graded as well? How can they keep making mistakes and not get penalized for it.
Aussies are cry babies (so is England to a certain extent) because they can give it but can't take it. They are poor losers and except, Gilchrist, they are all "M....ys"
Why doens't anybody ask what Symonds told Bajji to begin with that prompted Bajji to say what he "allegedly" said. Word is he called Bajji a "f....ng homo". How is that forgotten in all this.
Let the Aussies come to India in October for their series. Indian public is going to harrass them wherever they go with monkey chants, donkey brays, etc.
Com'on you aussie monkeys...we will show you.
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JA's articles does not offer constructive solutions - same old theme of umpires are omnipresent - he should focus on
1. all 'outs' to be forwarded to 3rd umpire
2. umpires focus more on no-balls(which they seem to miss out), wides and player misbhaviour in the filed - Ponting, Vaughan, KP, Prior etc to eliminate sledging, jelly bean incidents etc.
3. all players in the field to have microphonesso that what they say are checked and penalised.
If these are carried out Aussies will never be the top team.
with so much money at stake, the need for change is crucial and JA should write more constructive articles than backing the same old system.
Also if M Speed has any guts, he should institute the changes than blaming the payers.
V S Mani
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A test match that is a classic example of how cricket should not be played, especially if we want the spirit and the beauty of the game to survive.
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There is a simple solution to all these problems. Take following steps:
1. Wire each player and record their comments. It has been done in 20/20 matches where they are onfield commentators.
2. Let the fielding team captain and the two batsmen in the middle have a right to refer the decision to 3rd umpire overriding the umpires on field.
Why trust the human that can be biased when machines can do a better job? Case in point, line calls at tennis games.
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A wonderful article aggers. A correct assessment, and the removal of Mr Bucknor as umpire is yet again pandering to the nations, as opposed to the benefit of the game.
Although Malcolm Speed would tell you otherwise!
The players are to blame. At the highest level, all persons, either in sport or any other walk of life are role models to others.
The saddest element is that, for arguments sake, players rarely walk, a habit which now comes to the fore in the club game.
Standards start at the top, be it walking if edged or racially abused, the players have the "spirit of cricket" to uphold as the pre-amble to the laws outline.
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usual unbalanced article purporting to be balanced and diplomatic.
1. powerful bodies dictating and forcing own way: so what has changed since the darkies became more powerful?
2. NO PROOF against Mr. Singh - interesting decision by the referee. I have noted before Mr. Proctor (and those of his ilk) have been lenient with "White" exuberism (often due to youth!!) but come down hard against similar Asian will to win.
3. Mr. Bucknor has been antipathetic to India in the past and his decisions here were simply absurd. It was the final straw.
4. Darrell Hair's treatment was not opening a pandora's box but ensuring such bias can be tackled in future.
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well done Aggers....especially brave of you to highlight the cheating, whining nature of the modern whingeing aussie that Ponting appears so keen to act as role model for. cricket is further tarnished by these events..
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well done Aggers....especially brave of you to highlight the cheating, whining nature of the modern whingeing aussie that Ponting appears so keen to act as role model for. cricket is further tarnished by these events..
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How do you compare this to the Hair incident?
These were bad decisions about cricket by the umpires, whereas in Hair's instance it wasn't just about cricket but the way it was being played. Worse off, Hair had consistently denied Pakistan before (you may play the tapes again, what ridiculous decisions consistently and one-sidedly gone against them over a course of long time). So, you can understand why the players got upset then.
By your logic of abiding by authority Gandhi wouldn't be known today and Pakistan wouldn't be playing. There is a line that Hair had crossed.
The issue of India is a totally seperate one, of an outside edge given and not given.
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The decision to replace Steve Bucknor in the middle of a series is a quite wrong. He has been adjudged a competent umpire - otherwise he would not be on the panel - and his replacement in mid-series could only be justified if there were a suggestion of bias. I assume no one would support that view. I'm also sorry that Billy Bowden accepted the job in these circumstances.
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Why should umpires be allowed to do mistakes repeatedly? If in tennis players can appeal against umpires decision then why can't be in cricket? One wrong decision is good enough to change the match? I understand umpires are human and they can make mistakes. But why not use the technology and make the game fair? If it shouldn't be used then wht use in runouts?
shareef
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Well said and well written and certainly an article that the whole Aussie team should read and refect upon, especially their arrogant captain! At least the Aussie press also seem to think their team has gone too far so hopefully we will see a more sporting attitude in future, and be able to appreciate the talent from this team. But they do not deserve to be in a position to beat their own record of winning test matches, and if Harbajan's ban is upheld and the Aussies win the next test match, once again they will have won unfairly. I hope for one that Ponting, Hayden, Symmonds and co.will enjoy the tainted legacy they are leaving to younger cricketers. Either way, they do not compare with the world beating Windies teams of the 80s and 90s, and deserve to be remembered in the cricketing hall of shame! Lets hope they have read the press storm they have created since their tarnished win and learn something from it!
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What terrible hypocrisy it is when the Australians conveniently forget how their fans racially abused Monty Panesar and then have the cheek to complain wildly about what was probably an off-the-cuff remark alledgedly made by Harbhajan Singh.
Shame on you, Aussies.
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If there were racial comments made - ban the player. Unacceptable.
It was wrong of Symonds to gloat over his non-dismissal - but no one walks, not even in village cricket.
Steve Bucknor had a very poor game. Perhaps he is under too much pressure, perhaps he is too old to maintain the exceedingly demanding levels of concentration needed to officiate in these types of games. We all live with poor umpiring. Again, look at poor levels at village level!! We all moan.
My gripe is not with the Australians - good on them. They got under the skin of the Indians and good luck to them in getting to it work. Sledging is nothing new and all teams do it. It adds to the game and increases the pressure on players.
The Indians are moaning and they are the bullies by their refusal to play unless certain conditions are met. The problem for me lies with the Indians, not the Australians.
Cricket is a global sport, it needs money through TV and sponsoship and advertising. It cannot survive if it doesn't get involved in this. Aggers is exaggerating and using emotive language to put across his view. I wouldn't want to go to cricket games if it was the slow dull scoring rate of tests just a few years ago. People now want to see naked aggresion on the pitch. . Cricket has moved on and this is all part of a natural progession. Aggers - do you want cucumber sandwiches and a cup of tea?
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That was an unbelievably poor attempt at dealing with a complex issue.
Furthermore, it reeked of bias and stank of a chance to cut down the tall poppy. I completely agree that sportsmanship and honesty within the game has disintegrated, but the blame appeared to be slanted against the Australians. The Australian side is not alone in its crimes against the game.
The Aussie team is not alone in trampling on the sportsmanship that once defined this great game. Every team sledges, several teams have been guilty (or found guilty) at some stage of a racist slur, many teams have been guilty of tampering with the ball, fixing matches, drugs, over-appealing, bringing the game into disrepute, the list goes on. The game is not what it used to be, unfortunately, this is the way it is going and I agree that many of the money focused board members have failed to deal with it. I don’t think we can blame the Australians, every team is guilty.
Nearly every batsmen in professional cricket does not walk, the notable exception being an Australian, Adam Gilchrist. Andrew Symonds’ only problem was that he was stupid enough to publicly rejoice about what everyone else knew. Failing to walk stopped many years ago and most batters would have stayed put.
Secondly, I know Aggers gets to a few more games than me, but I don’t think the Australian team has particularly changed in its intensity or so called ‘hardness’ over the last 30-40 years (Kim Hughes leadership being the obvious exception). This is not a new thing that has happen. Ponting over the last 3 years is no worse or better than his predecessors with Ian Chappell arguably the worst protagonist during this time.
With regards to the spirit of the game and the Australian side, I’m not entirely clear what Aggers has a problem with, he has not stated anything about what they do wrong, just whinged about ‘hardness and intimidation’. I cannot see on the screen, what they do differently to other teams, other than win that is. I’m still not sure what was ‘ugly and offensive’ about their last match. I agree that it is not easy to warm to them like the West Indies team of the 80’s, but this like-ability factor does not constitute revolution.
As far as ‘dobbing in’ Harbhajan, I think racist remarks are something that should be fair game for the snitch and I don’t think that this particular snitch (Ponting) is a liar either. I’m also pretty sure that Ponting ‘can take it’ too. What Aggers failed to mention was what this ‘monkey’ phrase was used in the context of previous slurs by his countrymen 2 months ago. For the team to then start using it is an outrage.
Finally, I do agree with you Aggers that the treatment of umpires in this situation is an absolute injustice. Getting rid of Steve Bucknor for the next match is a poor move and sets a bad precedent.
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I completely agree with what Jonathan has to say about umpires and their decisions. But at the same time, I would also like to ask, what sort of accountability is there for the ICC Elite panel of umpires? Anybody who has such a bad day at the job has to be accountable. What makes an elite panel umpire so different that he is not answerable to anybody? It is said that the ICC reviews every decision an umpire makes on the field after every match. But what comes out of it? Do they get docked on pay? Do they have to go take some refresher courses? What happens after the review? Where is the accountability. I am in no way supporting the Indian team & BCCI in what they did. But you have got to agree, when you are 61 years old you are not at your prime. The ICC brought this upon themselves by letting people carry on umpiring so long. They should have people move on to other roles like TV umpire, consultants, trainers etc once they go past 50. And for crickets' sake, get more people into the elite panel. You can't make do with 8-10 guys forever.
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It is true that india generates 70% revenue of cricket, but most of the indian fans watches cricket because it is the only sports india excels in. So most of the fans watch it with a patriotic frenzy not witnessed anywhere else in the world. This is the reason they only follow international cricket. There is no interest in the game domestically or at local level. I think a large majority of the fans can't even name the side of the local/regional team. Most of the fans dont even know who their next best 10-20 players are outside the national team. BCCI understands this and they know even if india generates 70% of revenue, that revenue will go to zero, if they do not play international cricket. At the same time if they are seen as doing nothing about what every indian now see as a grave insult (unjust racist tag on harbhajan as marketed by a sensetionalist media), fan fury will increase exponentially. So what BCCI will do is, they will make enough noise/protest with ICC until the dust settles down. After that its back to business again for BCCI and ICC. My point is - quitting the tour - just wont happen. Too much money will be lost if that happens. The real losers in all this - real cricket lovers.
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your article well written. The Aus. vs India test highlighted all that is wrong with the sport today. The nature of the game is to have mutual respect among players, tolerance and appreciation for diferences and respect for cricketing officials.
Aus. craved competition and were given the opportunity, but made a mess of it. Both teams lacked professionalism on the field. I hope the experience can help to move the game forward. World cricket is supposed to unite by an appreciation for a common sport, not to divide countries.
As a kids growing up in Guyana, we were taught that cricket is what gave Guyana its west indian identity. A sport that united the islands/countries.
Its a beautiful game...hounor its legacy...
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Imagine this? A meeting between both captains, both players involved, and both coaches behind closed doors at the scg the night of the alleged incident of racism. An apology from the accused admitting guilt, and an exceptance from victim. But then accused later tells the media he said nothing to the victim on the field. Just imagine if came out!
Anyone who believes cricket is a gentlemans game hasnt played the game at anywhere near a descent level for many years. Arm chair experts like Agnew (who makes his living in australia on abc radio. Agnew do you look ponting in the eye after your comments? id imagine not, but unlike ponting i guess your 'just' doing your job.) and some of the responders from his collumn are out of touch with the sport, because they either havent played at a decent level or are seeing it through rose covered glsses that its a gentlemans game. Like it or not sledging is one of the parts of the game that will not disappear, humans play it, not robots. Sadly at times it reflects the culture we live in. Its an aspect of the game that test your mental strength and concentration, 11 against 1.
India knew this was there big chance to beat australia and blew it, and are trying all they can to deflect the issue at hand. They have lost the series and face a whitewash. Indias problem is there all millionaires who think they deserve respect and all the airs and graces of a royal, and if someone verbally confronts them melt like butter.
As for the umpire issue, the icc are scared of getting subcontinent nations off side because thats were all there big dollars come from though sponsorship and broadcasting rights. Buchner shuold have gone halfway though the 05 ashes series, but unfortunatley no sub continent teams in that one. The icc needs to bring in younger umpires, recent retired international players. Former australian paul rieffel is a perfect example.
Wake up Agnew!
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As many here have said and Mr Bucknor said in his defence "To err is human" and he is human so he will make mistakes. Fair enough but we smell something fishy only when we see a patern in these mistakes. when majority of these wrong decisions are directed towards a perticular country you cant call it a mistake or error. Its a result of some bias that person has for that country. And Mr Bucknor I am sorry to say that your past records against India reveals your hidden identity.
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This Test and it's fallout have very similar overtones to THAT Test at the Oval when Darryl Hare was made the scapegoat. Is it mere coincidence that the Match Referee on that occasion was also Mike Proctor?. I recall thinking at the time that stronger (any) intervention from him at the time could have had a major influence on the outcome and I cannot help thinking that timely refereeing from him could have helped to difuse the situation here. The umpires have been placed in a difficult situation and need much more backing from the authoriries. That does not condone poor umpiring nor does it condone racism. Over to you ICC to show strong leadership and support - not bowing to pressure as you are accusing Steve Bucknor Of doing
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Jonathan,
As an Indian fan, I was really upset at the way a test match that we could have won went south.
I'm reading a lot of comments supporting Buckor, and I agree cricket has always been played with umpiring errors in mind.
What was sad to see is how stubborn Bucknor is, with a known history of refusing to use technology to his advantage! What I don't understand is why umpires cannot be dropped if their performance is below par when the players can. ICC should consider creating an umpiring test administered annually, and only those who pass the test should be allowed to stand on the pitch. One of the Australian comentators said "this is test match cricket, the real deal, not kindergarden!". No umpire should be allowed to stand at the highest level of cricket without being sure of his abilities, even if he's got 120 test matches behind him. Age does catch up to everybody. Like Ravi Shastri said "Bucknors days are over. No doubt he's been a good umpire". None other than the legendary Dickie Bird one my favorite umpires seems to agree.
India does have it's fair share of dramatic actors such as Sreesanth, who in my opinion is an ordinary bowler not suitable to be brought back to the Indian team. I was also very excited to see Sharma bowling with what the Australian commentators called "brisk" speed! Even though he had a bad match and was robbed of Symonds' wicket, I think he's India's future.
I doubt if I can call cricket a gentlemen's game anymorwe after what I saw the Australians doing. That reminds me of a title of a book, one that aptly describes Australia: "They stoop to conquer"!
A sad day for cricket indeed!
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This was a brilliant article. It really emphasised the point that the Australians cricket are hypocrites. They claim to play "hard," but as soon as they receive any banter in response, they'll go crying to the match referee!!
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I absolutely agree with Jonathan Agnew. Aussies don’t play Cricket for goodwill (like the English) or for any other reason; they play to win even if that means playing a dirty form of the game. But rest assured, nothing will change especially when pundits of the game like Richie Benaud back their behaviour.
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I endorse Mr Agnews comments to a very large extent. BUT the stand taken from India is in two respects. First: "Harbhajan has been accused of uttering the racist word 'monkey' without a reasonable doubt and that the comment was meant to offend" on the say so of about 5 Australian players but no one has bothered to take the word of Sachin Tendulkar or Anil Kumblay. I am not saying that HS DID NOT utter those words but the acceptance of only one point of view was definetely one sided. Second: Mr Buckner and the other umpire collectively gave at least 8 wrong decisions and India were naturally aggrieved. What is wrong with that? If the Indian argument was put in the strongest possible way, how can this be termed using the ''ECONOMIC CLOUT" All I can say that the western nations have been used to having their points of view accepted in the past but possibly ( perhaps wrongly) the boot is on the other foot. Would the media have been so ferocious had the point (by India) not upheld? Please let the matter rest.
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Why on earth are people attacking Andrew Symonds in relation to the racism issue with Harbhajan??? On one hand you say he looked 'foolish' when it was happening (why???). Then on the other you say he shouldn't be staying silent about it as if it implies something evil. First of all the ACA GAGGED Symonds immediately after it happened so of course he said nothing, despite everyone else and their dog having their 2 cents worth. Secondly, the last thing he would want to do is discuss it with the media and if he's eventually forced to (which is likely) it will be at a personal cost. His reluctance to talk about India's racism was clear months ago. It's not something he wants to make a big circus of. He just wants it to stop happening.
If you understood anything about the effect racism and other forms of abuse can have on people, and in particular how devastated Andrew Symonds was when he returned from India after facing days and days of mass racism from Indian fans and racist abuse from Indian players, you wouldn't be asking why is that Roy is remaining silent. The poor guy doesn't want to discuss it or drag it around the media or put his emotions on display to satisfy the seething hordes. He already feels shamed and belittled by the abuse as it is. He just wants India to stop it.
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Your conclusion is just irrational. While you admit that there are "bad players" AND "bad umpires", you want umpires excluded from reprimand. It is such selective indifference that breeds incompetence and resentment. Mr. Bucknor should have been fired a long time ago, and yes, along with clowns like Sreesanth and Ponting.
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I think the only definitive outcome from all of this is yet another example of how toothless the ICC is. What a diabolical situation with regards to Steve Bucknor. The ICC makes FIFA look efficient but still trails the FA in levels of ineptitude!!
For me it was Andrew Symonds gloating to the media after he knicked it and survived, then Michael Clarke edging to 1st slip and waiting for the decision that are at the root of the problem.
Sledging's a part of the game. Racism has no place in any level of scoiety. It's a matter of seperating the two.
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what a load of "bilge". i played cricket at domestic level for years. believe me, there is plenty of sledging, its been around for years. i was certainly used to striding to the wicket with my ears ringing from various comments from the opposition, imagine the opening bowlers mood when the first ball of the innings has disappeared over his head for six. that would set the tone for the next 30 minutes or so and always without fail, hands would be shaken and a pint or so would be enjoyed afterwards no matter what the result was.
yes, rascism is unnaceptable and should be dealt with in the harshest manner but come on ! sledging without personal abuse makes the game keener.
the bowler lets a pearler go, totally beating the batsman all ends up. "you need a bell in it" says the bowler.
next ball gets hammered into the surrounding chicken pens.
bowler well into his run up, batsman steps back, "whats up snarls the bowler"
"please could you wipe the chicken droppings off the ball as i dont want to dirty my bat" says the batsman!
i have been a player not a viewer all my sporting life EXCEPT WHEN THE AUSSIES ARE PLAYING.
so come on, lets stop moaning that your grandma has been called a camel and just admire the total BRILLIANCE of a fantastic cricketing nation.
this is a mans game and if you cant stand the heat....stay out of the kitchen.
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Your conclusion is just irrational. While you admit that there are "bad players" AND "bad umpires", you want umpires excluded from reprimand. It is such selective indifference that breeds incompetence and resentment. Mr. Bucknor should have been fired a long time ago, and yes, along with clowns like Sreesanth and Ponting.
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From Trickyseampicker.
As we sow, so shall we reap. Every other adjudicated professional sport has turned to computer science and technology to help them make fair and unbiased play decisions and it is clear to see that not just their participants, but the watching throngs have reaped the benefits. But the ICC, even with the evidence of ten years of referred 'run out' decisions, will not commit to removing the pressure of instantaneous decision-making from umpires who have to stand still and concetrate on every element of every delivery for hours on end, often in unbearable heat.
Try this sometime. Choose a very hot day, then stand in your garden or the local park with two jumpers tied around your waist and three hats on your head and stare hard at a plant twenty-odd yards away for three minutes, then blink a few times, adjust your stance and stare again for three minutes.
After six repeats (not seven, not five), move over to the plant and stare back at where you had been standing earlier for three minutes times six.
Continue without any relaxation of concentration for two hours, then go indoors. Sit down, have a cup of tea, then go outside again and repeat for another two hours. Then go through a third session, changing nothing. Then go home. Unlike the modern day umpire, there won't be any photographers or journalists waiting for you, so you can relax.
However, you are still four identical days short of understanding what it's like to umpire a test match in which both teams are constantly trying to pressure you into favouring them.
We have all seen 'not out' given out by television replay and 'out LBW' being similarly undermined. In Heaven's name, when there is so much at stake in the modern game, why, why, why can we not let the umpire refer ALL important decisions to the video adjudicator?
Furthermore, it is nonsensical to use 'undermining family atmosphere' as an excuse for turning the pitch microphones off. You only have to stand in a cricket crowd after lunch to discover that all vestige of family atmosphere has been obliterated by the boorish drunks.
So, with stump and umpire microphones were left ON, with volume turned up high, if players are stupid enough to continue sledging, we will have irrefutible evidence of it and the authorities can come up with any number of ways to make punishment effective. They all earn enough money to make fines completely ineffectual, but to be IMMEDIATELY docked say 100 runs, or three wickets..? I'm sure Messrs Duckworth/ Lewis could come up with an infallable scale.
Come on, before the bully boys, not just on the pitch but in the boardroom with the moneybags, completely destroy the game we all love. LET'S DO SOMETHING RADICAL NOW!
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In rugby union, if a referee is struggling to come to a decision - or he just plain doesn't know - he can refer to the TV ref who can help him come to a decision. With a vast number of cameras pointing at the action from a vast number of angles an informed decision can be made - and even then it can be borderline, witness Mark Cueto's disallowed try at last year's World Cup final.
I can't help thinking that Steve Bucknor is a 'poor' umpire simply because he is being judged with hindsight - in the form of countless TV replays, snikco's and Hawkeyes. What chance does a mere mortal have when faced against that lot - not to mention partisan fans and commentator's all giving their two'pennies worth as well. Throw in a Modern Day Cricketer's mindset of getting away with as much as he can (call it cheating, against the spirit of the game etc) and any umpire is in a 'difficult position' to say the least.
If players and fans are not going to accept the umpire's decision and get on with it - then we're going to have to look at technology as a way of settling things on the field. Let's face it - pretty much everything which happens during a match is replayed and analysed within seconds anyway.
If the umpire isn't sure - or just needs confirmation from the third umpire - then why not let them consult each other? Maybe it will help to diffuse bitterness and resentment between the teams - and in turn lead to less heated exchanges between players out in the middle.
In the meantime the players need to take a look at themselves and decide what price they are willing to pay for success. Andrew Symonds is a talented player - but he knows that he should have walked when he wasn't given out. What has he won exactly? Well, as far as I'm concerned he has won a reputation for being untrustworthy and a cheat - and that will stick in my mind far longer than the runs he scored afterwards to get to his ton - however magnificently they were struck.
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Your conclusion is just irrational. While you admit that there are "bad players" AND "bad umpires", you want umpires excluded from reprimand. It is such selective indifference that breeds incompetence and resentment. Mr. Bucknor should have been fired a long time ago, and yes, along with clowns like Sreesanth and Ponting.
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Marvellous article but why the need to congratulate the Aussies on such a hollow and tainted victory. Ideally, the match should be replayed. On a separate point, 'monkey' is not the worst thing a man can be called in this world - believe me! We are all monkeys at heart.
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Truly said...Cricket has to be the winner!
Coming to the present context as a Viewer more than as an Indian, I was always a fan of Australian cricket, sometimes even supporting Australia even when they were playing against my own country India....just used to love their professionalism, commitment and passion towards the game and for the baggy green cap.
But in recent times, all that has changed...right in front of my eyes, i could see these guys fall down and all the perception crumble...I am a good cricketer myself and treat the opposite side as enemies and play with fierce competitiveness and give my best on the filed....I try to bowl my best, field my best and Bat to my best ability and gun for a win which i enjoy and if I lose, sulk till the next game....this goes on.
It is pretty simple....playing HARD cricket is not sledging and unsettling the opponent by it. It is rather unsettling him with your fastest ball or the number of times you beat him in the air or the number of times he just can't score of you, or the number of good balls I smash away to a boundary or a six...the way i frustrate the opposition with my field placings and tightening the screws...I have always enjoyed playing a hard fought game against tough opponents irrespective of whether I won or lost more than playing against a weak opponent and smashing them..every viewer of the game I guess would think the same and enjoy the game the same way...
I WOULD SAY MEN WITH BALLS don't need to fall back on sledging and claim grassed catches or appeal for every ball that hits the pad....REAL MEN PLAY STRAIGHT AND ALWAYS COME OUT WINNERS WHETHER THEY LOSE OR WIN THE GAME MATE!!!
Hope australian players(only a few of them) get the message fast as I don't want this STRANGE hostile feeling that has started in me to creep over so much so as that I would think twice before asking for a FOSTERS next time I am at a bar or avoid DVDs' of mel Gibson, Nicole kidman, Savage Garden(were one of my fav bands)....PLEASE DON'T TAKE AWAY SOME OF THE GOOD THINGS OF LIFE FROM ME:-)
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Great article Aggers; I agree with every word.
The Aussies don't play the game to win, they set out systematically to destroy the opposition. Things were a little different 70 odd years ago when Douglas Jardine played the game to win at all costs. The Australians were the first to squeal and cry 'Foul play' in what they dubbed the 'Bodyline' series.
It seems to me that like many so-called hard-men they can't take it when it's dished up to them.
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I completely agree with your comments Mr Agnew. I am in Indian supporter and what happened in the Sydney test was a joke. Agreed, the umpiring was sub standard (by both umpires, not just bucknor) but the problem is with the ICC and not the umpires themselves. Umpires will make mistakes and the ICC has to have a process to weed out the bad umpires out of the game. They also need to have continuous review of an umpire's performance and physicial condition. Do they perform yearly vision and hearing tests on Umpires? If ICC had such a process, no one would be demanding removal of umpires instead the process itself would take care of this.
India have been foolish in asking for Bucknor's removal. It not only sets a bad preceedent but does not solve anything. I would instead have demanded action against Benson and not Bucknor. Most of the mistakes Bucknor made were "human" errors except not refering Dhoni's close stumping call of Symonds to the third umpire. However Benson clearly violated standard law when he failed to refer the Clarke catch to the third umpire. What kind of umpire asks the oppossing captain to confirm a catch if he is unsure? For this Benson has to be reprimanded and some action taken so he does not repeat it again.
With respect to Australian team behaviour, I have no issue with sledging , name calling etc. No one can stop that. But don't claim incorrect catches - but again Umpires are at fault here.
With respect to Harbhajan issue - if no one can provide independent evidence he must be innocent unless proven guilty. If proved guilty beyond resoanable doubt - then he must server his sentence and learn from this.
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This is a very balanced article. We are ignoring an important aspect. Did Harbhajan go to Symonds to abuse hin , racially or otherwise? Isnt it correct that Symonds went to Harbhajan?what was his motive for going to HArbhajan? The sequence of events only shows that Symonds went to him...to set him up so that his Captain can score some runs in remaining matches.Taking this broader pictues only indicates that possibility of harbhajan calling Symonds a monjey appears to be remote(there being no independent witnesses other than their own versions).By the way can any one educate me as to how the term "monkey" becomes racial this.I am sure none of the players on field was a monkey & were very much human....even as per ICC's definition of racial abuse calling someone a monkey would have qualified as racial only if that person belonged to that race...ie."monkey".If we take a long term view of theory of evolution perhaps all players , including speactators & millions of viewers like me belong to that race of monkeys so why should one of the players feel so offended by it.
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Great article Aggers.
Even IF Harbajan did make the comment about a monkey, perhaps he was only referring to a match between the MCC and Maharashtra in Poona 1951, when a small pet monkey kept spoiling the match by refusing to leave the wicket, remaining for many overs and continually annoying the umpires and other players.
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Hair not umpiring today brought good spirit to cricket. Yes or No?
He has done so many good things in the past and equally bad things too (calling no-balls to the world's greatest spinner Muthaih Muralitharan)
So Pakistan have done their part (even though it is ugly) by bringing Hair down. Similarly if no one opposes these things wont happen, So I say whatever comes out of this situation we take it in good spirit and move on.
If India had taken things lightly and move on to Perth, would these things ever happen? I dont think so.
If pakistan captain Rashid Latiff could be banned by same Procter for a catch he claimed against Bangladesh for 5 test matches. So why Ponting not be banned for 5 tests? So is it Ok if the rules are one way to Aussies and other way to the rest of the world? I simply say, Aussies brought disgrace to themselves and to the sport itself, and Indians added more to that.
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Well said Jonathan Agnew - you have summed up my feelings exactly. Another disturbing aspect is the loose-mouthed way Indian representatives have equated losing a Test match with an attack on their national pride. They should be ashamed of doing that. Steve Bucknor, an excellent umpire, had his effigy burned in the streets of India! Ridiculous but also scary.
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One of the Most honest Comments in the otherwise muddled affair only points that i differ
a. Agreed umpires are human beings and we all make mistakes but the decisions dished out by Mr Bucknor & his partner were consitstantly below the level one expects in Compitative cricket when all these went in against Indians , there is something wrong , dont want to speculate but it needs to be corrected , while close decisions could have been refered to Third Umpier which was not done . Mr Ponting was consulted on two occasions , decisions were based on his opinion well this does not sound good in cricket abenifit of doubt goes to Batsmen not the fielders .
b. If ICC is serious to take back Cricket to what it used to be they need to reign in these behavior , If Harbhajan is wrong Ban him for not Three but 5 Test matches its an diplorable act but at same time make sure Ponting & his goons get the correct treatment under Code of Conduct & the sledging is stoped completly, i recon that is also an art& form of racial discrimination of worst kind because things said at these may not be plesentaries but one that are to get the opponents worked up & throw his wicket .
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can an indian person not be racist?
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I agree with Aggers too.
Do you guys think Ponting was trying not only to break the Tendulkar-Bhajji partnership with the mind games but used his trump card-Symmonds (the only black guy in the Aussie team- who unfortunately has suffered racist taunts in India recently)to provoke Bhajji into retaliating badly enough to Symmond's taunts to be reported and banned, so that Ponting could play freely again.
I wish they had not sacked Steve Bucknor, instead had him sent on holiday for stress relief. He is such a good guy...unfortunately most of his mistakes were against the losing team at the most crucial points.
Lastly, the Indian crowd sweat hard to obtain tickets for the matches and their culture is to throw missiles at the opposition fielders to distract them...
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Ricky Pointing should be the umpire for the third test because he certainly did a good job on the second test by making his own decision on a dissmisal which clearly proved he was not out.
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Steve Bucknor has always been a good umpire, you do not serve as long in internation cricket without being a good umpire, he was not biased or deliberately incompetetent he just had a bad game. I have never seen him have a really bad game while umpiring england. If we are going to go for a trend where countries can get rid of umpires they don't like where will it end?
Some of the comments by the indian management after the match were scandalous, Imagine if the head umpire called one of the indian players incompetent - totally unacceptable.
And what does the ICC do when its most senior umpire is abused, remove him. Gutless Cowards.
As for the Aussies, if they want to see the game played hard they should enjoy 2010 when Freddy and Harmy will give them chin music.
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ICC and others keep saying Bucknor had a bad day. Well what do we do with players who have bad days and dont perform - we drop them and replace them. This man gave so many wrong decisions and all against India. That raises questions about his integrity and honesty. Lots of bets being placed on cricket results - in fact in millions of dollars. The possibility that BUCKNOR was being PAID OFF should be investigated. Many players from various countries have been paid off in past.
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I largely agree with Aggers but Bucknor should never have been placed in the position he found himself in - umpiring a Test match. He has been a poor, sub-standard umpire for a long time now.
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I do not hold out any hope for change in attitude from to Australian when the CEO of Cricket Australia comes out and fully supports the on field behaviour of Australias elite cricketers. This is the real problem, this attitude has infested cricket in Australia from the top down and can now be seen acting out every weekend at all levels. The attitude of cricket lovers is bitterly divided as can be seen by the support for the Indians from the Australian public. However all the admistrators are concerned about is the almighty dollar bugger the standards or the spirit of the game.
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While it is true that umpires do make mistakes...ICC does need to maintain a certain level of umpiring otherwise matches will become a joke like the last one. many of bucknor's decision were reflective of his poor judgement. not to mention poor eyesight.
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All competitive sports bring out the worst as well as the good in us. The Aussie attitude is reflective of our society's selfish and greedy values.
It is the win at all costs attitude of the press and others which turns decent sportsmen and some of their supporters into undesirable and offensive yobbos.
I regret to say it, but we are all guilty.
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I agree that the problem is players. When one talks about "umpires making mistakes" and that they should be accepted, then this idea is based on the old grace of the game, where some of the greatest batsmen would not even look at the umpire for the decision. If the catch was taken they would start walking back. Obviously players like Symonds dont do that and actually flaunt their disgraceful attitude. In such a scenario, there should be NO ROOM for an error. Get cameras and as many asyou need, becasue you cannot trust the players whether they are batsmen making a nick or fielders grounding a catch. There is no honesty and decency left in the game. ITS OK, just that we need to change the rules of the game to evolve as humans have. Fool proof the system and have cameras etc to make the decision.
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Human Error ? One side getting out for notout and the other side getting not out for outs?
And one umpire consults the fielder to give out.
And the other one does not go to the third umpire? And even when he did the 3rd umpire gives not out for a out....
What's up?
This is not the first time Mr Bucknor did mistakes. Time and again Tendulkar has been on the wrong side.
Ishant Sharma, Clarke should have been penalized for dissent. Zip.
Total failure i say.
Also people, Lloyd have short memories. What about the World Cup final farce? Who were the umpires?
Enuf said. Mr. Bucknor could be a nice bloke but i am sorry he had lost it long time ago.
And Mr. Benson was really lucky.
Mr. Procter has been horrendous too. Edgabaston test, the infamous one, he did not take control.
In the first test match Procter did not penalize Yuvraj.
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Players are not the only problem ! Bad umpiring is still bad, bad playing is still bad and a bad win is still a shameful win so now we must go ahead and consider these Points for reflection:
How long will we discuss the skirting issues before someone comes up with the accusation of 'Match Fixing' in its newest form? Has anyone made an estimate of the billions that changed hands all over the world, mostly by clandestine gamblers who influence even small matches in different sports all over the world in second tier countries and small cities?
Why cannot we have the system of on the spot appeals allowed ( like 3 in Tennis)with all the technology available as the players and umpires too can see the slow motion on screen? If the appeal is legitimate, the quota of appeals remain valid for the rest of the matches. If invalid the number of remaining appeals allowed diminishes. However in this case, with 8 bad decisions this too would have been futile, but players like Dravid & Ganguly could have continued if such a system was in place. Umpires can consult each other and the third umpire also, so why shall we condone such lapses and say umpiring was not at fault ? Everyone seems to forget that another nine minutes and it would have been a draw!
Sport now is dominated by money and the spirit has been relegated to a secondary level, so we will have to live with the unfortunate emerging system, so checks and balances Must be placed by using the technology available and used if we want sanity restored into a sport that is ‘governed by Passions’
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Not walking is no different from diving in football. Divers are derided and so should those that don't walk. That includes Athers when he clearly didn't walk to Alan Donald years ago, and we wrongly drew the test match. However, bowlers who appeal when it's clearly not out are no less cheats.
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At long last someone in the broadcasting media who has a voice which can be heard and is respected in many circles is prepared to come out and say what needs to be said. I agree wholeheartedly with Jonathan Agnew's article and comments.
In my opinion, Australia do not have any regard to the spirit of the game or its traditions and have become little more than a pack of cheats, putting unfair pressure on the umpires and conning them into making decisions which they may not otherwise have made. It was evident from the second Test with India that at least two catches were not made as claimed and the players in question well knew it. The Andrew Symonds later reaction to his 'catch' was just outrageous.
I used to respect the Australians' dedication and application to the game of cricket but I have since come to despise them by their disgraceful behaviour and I'm delighted that the Australian public have also turned against them and the manner in which they conduct themselves.
It was the Australians who started 'sledging' but, like so many bullies, as soon as something happens to them they run away squealing and tell tales. My instinct tells me that Harbhajan was misheard and I hope he is successful with his appeal. Mike Proctor is a weak and inefficent referee - just look at the diastrous way he mishandled the 'Pakistan Affair' at the Oval in 2005. The ICC itself is an ineffectual body also but that's another story...
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I believe ICC should implement the following changes for cricket officials, particularly umpires:
- Have them undergo annual physical evaluations, including eye exams. This will ensure that the officials are in good health, do not have a pysch disorder or any other stresses and have good eyesight. Officials not undergoing these evaluations or not doing well in the evaluations should be suspended from officiating for up to 6 months or whatever the physician deems appropriate
- Increase the number of umpires in the elite panel from 8 to 15. With test matches going on concurrently in newzeland, australia, and s. africa, plus the arrival of Twenty20 and numerous ODIs, you need more than just 8 umpires to travel across the globe for multiple games
- Limit the number of Tests, ODIs, and Twenty20s and official can umpire or referee in a year
- Have captains and coaches of each side submit a report on officials after the end of every Test series. The reports should be discussed with the officials involved and an overall evaluation score should be used to evaluate each official. If the official's score goes below a certain score then he should be placed on probation for the next series and if the official's score and performance continues to deteriorate, they should be suspended from the elite panel for up to 6 months
- Have a mandatory retirement age of 58 or 60 years for umpires. This could be also reviewed on a case-by-case basis where if a certain official is consistently getting good evaluation scores and is performing well then a provision can be put in place to have their retirement age increased by another 2 years
Some other additional changes that can be implemented:
- Give each team 2 decisions in each innings which they can refer to the third umpire for review. The third umpire can overrule the ruling on the pitch if the evidence suggests. Only captains and coaches can ask for the review and it would need to be done before the next ball is delivered
- Penalize players for not walking when they know that they are out and later gloat about it, for example A. Symonds in the recent Test indicated that he knew he was out but did not walk
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I agree with Agger's comment on the whole episode. It seems that the incident has made a 'monkey' of the sport.
There is no problem with Australia playing cricket hard and fair. But there is a problem when Australia plays cricket hard and fair to bend the rules. How can one forget Ponting's churlish behavior when he was run out by Platt? How can one condone the fact that Ponting snicked to the keeper but was not given out and then when he got an inside edge, he behaved so arrogantly? One can go on and on about Australia's on-field antics to which the world will testify as everyone got a measure of it one day or the other. What has come out of this whole thing is that the Aussies are cry-babies, they run to Mamma when they feel intimidated. Most of the current members of the team played under Steve Waugh and they were admired for their hard and fair spirit because they were not dishonest. Ponting is like a vagabond and his team-mates are becoming one with him. And what's shocking is that the Chief Executive of Cricket Australia has come out in blatant support of the team when the majority of the world is condemning it.
ICC should not have treated Bucknor the way he was treated. I think Bucknor is well past his sell-by date and should have retired with his integrity intact. Now it is too late for him to do that.
I think for cricket to be a real winner here, the test should be voided because of the innumerable decisions that went against India.
Are we still right to call this a Gentleman's game? I don't think so.
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Human Error ? One side getting out for notout and the other side getting not out for outs?
And one umpire consults the fielder to give out.
And the other one does not go to the third umpire? And even when he did the 3rd umpire gives not out for a out....
What's up?
This is not the first time Mr Bucknor did mistakes. Time and again Tendulkar has been on the wrong side.
Ishant Sharma, Clarke should have been penalized for dissent. Zip.
Total failure i say.
Also people, Lloyd have short memories. What about the World Cup final farce? Who were the umpires?
Enuf said. Mr. Bucknor could be a nice bloke but i am sorry he had lost it long time ago.
And Mr. Benson was really lucky(consulted Ponting to give Ganguly out).
Mr. Procter has been horrendous too. Edgabaston test, the infamous one, he did not take control.
In the first test match Procter did not penalize Yuvraj.
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Not walking is no different from diving in football. Divers are derided and so should those that don't walk. That includes Athers when he clearly didn't walk to Alan Donald years ago, and we wrongly drew the test match. However, bowlers who appeal when it's clearly not out are no less cheats.
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AGNEW!! Voice of reason.
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Very good article from Aggers. I played cricket to minor county level when back in the UK and was a walker.Not that has any bearing on things. I live in Sydney and the test here was one of the best in recent history - but has been overshadowed by all the furour surrounding the match.
There are two things that have annoyed me the first being the fact that Andrew Symonds, once deciding not to walk (which I dont have a problem with) then openly admitted that he hit the ball. Nobody has asked the question of the ICC why they haven't brought him up on a disrepute charge for admitting to cheating. Surely if they want to have control over the game, the ICC would send a huge message to the rest of the players by fining Symonds.
Secondly, Ponting would be more of a man if he had gone to Kumble after the match and sorted out the "monkey" issue behind closed doors. Symonds is a big guy, who doesn't look like he needs looking after. If he had been upset by anything, I'm pretty sure he would have let Harbijan know!!
Ponting just made himself looklike the playground bully who had just been hit back and then went crying to the teacher!
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It is disheartening to note that English press and other Cricket affiliations slamming ICC for sacking Steve Buckner.
I can fill my commets quoting numerous occasions where Mr. Buckner umpiring standards were below par, Sachin Tendulkar and Indians being his top victims. With such records against the Indians, forgetting the past, Mr. Buckner was given another opportunity to stand in the prestigious Gavaskar Border trophy. Mr. Buckner instead of using the occasion to redeem his so called umpiring experience and pride, continued to be a pathetic exhibit, and ruined the great game of TEST cricket in Sydney for the player and fans.
What guarantee does ICC offer for a cricket fan ensuring a fair game?
I am a cricket fan sitting in a country where the term “Cricket” is more popular for an insect than a sport. I am a patron of this game right from 1970s. Today, I am paying a lot of money and more over sacrificing my sleep and health to watch a great game of cricket. But what do I get in return? Once again! What is the guarantee that I have from ICC or BCCI or CA for a fair game? Why time and time again fans have to cope up with umpiring/official incompetence?
Did British or any other media thought about this for a second?
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in regards to all the aussie bashing ( i am an aussie)for poor sportsmanship/playing to win at all costs etc.
I do not disagree in regards that the australian cricket team are playing beyond the spirit of the game! - at times it is not nice to watch.
In australia like the rest of the cricket world,questions are being asked in regards to the way the australians play their cricket!
For my part although cricket is a game,it is also a world wide major business.
cricket like most sports in australia are treated like a business - we have state and federally funded institutions of sport in every corner of the country to cater for every sport!
Cricket inparticular!even at a state level is played at an extremely competitive level!
So to get into a state team or indeed the national team!requires a natually talented,hardnosed,competitive individual!
Australia have dominated world cricket for almost two decades,to stay on top they have become more fierce competitors than they once were and i belive the rest of the cricket playing nations are also playing more increasing aggressive cricket!
So agree that the aussie's play cricket beyond the spirit of the game,i believe this to be the nature of modem sport!its all about the money!
as a footnote - i thought the worst culprit of all was shane warne! although a great player - he pushed the games codes beyond limits and not to mention his disgratful personel behaviour ! yet he appears (by press reports anyway)to be far more fondly remended in the U.K than he is in his own country!
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Barring a few things I agree with most of what has been written in the article.
I think it was necessary to remove Steve Bucknor from officiating in the next test match not only to "alleviate the tension",as Malcolm Speed stated,but also for Bucknors sake.
Imagine the pressure which he would be in while umpiring.Despite his experience I think it would probably affect him one way or the other.
I do agree completely however with the second last paragraph.
Seeing the game played just for money,money and more money is so disappointing and upsetting.During this process neither the health and fitness of the players nor the strenuous affect in can have on their personal lives is considered.
Its time the game is run by people who truly love the game and feel the passion which was felt in the good old days when cricket was a gentleman's sport.
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While I agree on principle with what is said in the article there are some things overlooked by Mr. Agnew. First thing to be looked at is why did this altercation between Symonds and Harbhajan happen in the first place. As per Symonds words in press he said he was reacting to Harbhajan who alledgedly pushed Lee (bowler) while taking a run. If the push was so offensive why didn't Lee say anything and why did Symonds walk over to Harbhajan and talk to him at the end of the over? Another thing overlooked is what Symonds said to Harbhajan there is no mention of this in the press. Why should we allow a player to just walk up to a batsman say anything that comes to his mind? And are the players now needed to be trained to handle provocative words from opposition? when did this become a necessary skill to play cricket? This incident brings forth the blatant sledging Aussies have been doing for years and whatever the outcome of this hopefully it will make Aussies think twice before talking to the opposition players on the feild. It would have been great if Symonds was also reprimanded for talking to Harbhajan when there was no need for it.
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I agree that the players are to blame, but the suggestion that the Aussies are the only culprits is ludicrous. There are countless examples of players of all teams over-appealing, claiming close catches etc. I seem to remember Kumble appealing for a bunch of LBW decisions in the 2nd test where the ball pitched way outside leg. Does that make him a cheat? From some of the comments i've seen regarding the Australian team he must be.
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How about this for a suggested solution . The Australians come out openly and admit the things they said to Singh while he was batting . Singh admits what he said to Symonds . The full text is presented to Mike Proctor and published so that the public can judge who was right ,what was the provocation and the reaction . At the minute we only know part of the story --the full story needs to be heard and we need to know what exactly this "sledging "consists of in cricket . If it involves swearing at players and using derogatory terms about them or their families , it needs to be stamped out completely
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Jonathan, I agree with your view. Players were more at fault in the India V Australia sydney test. Steve Bucknor unfortunately was victimized in this uproar. BCCI played with a heavy hand. Being from India, I am a huge fan of Indian team and at the same time I am a big fan brilliant cricketers from around the globe (my favorites list includes Gilchrist, Lee, Flintoff, Gayle, McCullum, Sangakkara etc to name just a few). I just enjoy quality cricket as is and not worry about the skin color of the cricketer. It was painful and disgusting to see quite a few nationalistic and racistic comments from all quarters about this test match. Prejudice is every where and every team makes mistakes. If we are to deem ourselves to be an evolved species, we need to be cognizant of where it happens and make an attempt to take the moral ground. Racism is wrong regardless of the nationality of perpetrator. I think sledging was perhaps a root cause also in the Sydney test. If only cricket is played with just bat and ball and not involve mouth, followers such as myself would be thankful to the players for their cricketing skills. There is exciting young talent coming up not just in Australia or India but everywhere. We spectators are in for a treat as the game evolves day by day and the sheer quality increases due to the increasing intensity of the competition. Ultimately every one needs to remember the matches are games played for entertainment purposes and not battles between warring nations.
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The article is spot on , however I think a new process should be introduced , either sledging should be banned in its entirety or if one team can dish it out , they should be able to take it back as well , sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander
however it will be nice to see it going back to be being palyed as a gentelemans game , my belief is a batsman who knows he is obviously out , specially a caught behing should walk
match referee should be also accountable for the deplorable state taht prevailed, he should have been an intermediary and got the 2 captains talking and finding a mutual settlement
this test in my opinion showed an ugly side that certainly would not serve as a role model for sportsmanship for youngsters.
In my opinion , both teams are to blame , but Pontings behavior and aggression will certainly not be sporting and is a very poor ambassador to cricket
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This is by far the most sensible, and reasonable article I have read regarding this subject. I would like to point out a few things however:
I would consider it a pretty lame excuse to say that umpires would always make mistakes. That should be considered fair, when alternate means of making sure decisions are not available. The fact that there are a dozen different technologies available to assist and indeed make corrections to wrong decisions should make the sport independent of such errors and thus take away the complaint of bias completely. If the ICC does not enforce usage of such technology, questions are going to be raised.
Secondly, vetting of umpires should be given higher importance. The question raised was not one mistake or two mistakes - but repeated mistakes. If the best of a nation are playing the game, it is only fair that the best of judges are available to judge. Hiding behind -"umpires make mistakes" only lends credence to incompetence in this regard. I would say, that we would not have seen this happen, if due diligence was done to examine the competence of Bucknor by ICC. Not once in a lifetime, but on a regular basis such critical exams should be performed. It is not enough to declare someone a member of an elite panel.
Thirdly and finally, the underlying question of Singh's removal - should punishment be awarded on heresay or should it be based on evidence? Given the extreme competition in the game nowadays (the gentleman's game has simply evaporated), I would stick by the latter. By the same token, any allegation against any player can result in undue punishment. Besides, if an allegation was brought forth (quite justified, given the amount of betting money that changes hands) - the umpires and players' complicity involving money in both the rash of repeated mistakes and a pre-medidated tactic to the suspension of H. Singh, would you go by mere heresay, or would you like to see hard evidence?
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Tall Poppy Syndrome...Cant beat the mighty australians so you try to cut them down, hows about the Poms get better and beat them on the field instead of writers for the BBC putting out articles claiming they are bad for the sport? Sad Sad Sad...
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No one likes to lose.
No one likes to banned for racism.
But the Indian response has been ridiculous.
The fact is INDIA lost the game, and Harbarjan used a racial insult in response to Australian sledging. (Which obviously works succesfully as so many teams and players are unsettled by it). Anyone who calls Australia hypocrites or cry babies for reporting a racial insult is ignorant and pathetic. There is no place for racism in any sport. If a English or South African player did the same, would their Boards call the accusation obnoxious or suspend their tour? No.
Australia is the best team in the world and plays hard to win. But
there is a difference between competitve sledging and racism.
The events cannot be attributed to the umpires or Australia's "spirit". Umpries are human and make mistakes in every game. You take the good and the bad and get on with it. You cannot complain only when it suits your team.
India's team and administrators need to grow up and stop using threats and hissy fits to influence the ICC and its decisions.
Play the game, and maybe put on a better show in Perth.
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While I agree with the main thrust of the article, there is a big point we miss here. Everybody is accountable, no body should be above appraisal. While removing an elite panel umpire for a test is an extreme (and unfortunate) step, it is also a result of not taking the right steps months and years before. Steve B was a very good umpire for a long while and after that he has been on the decline for several years. Like any other profession, everybody has a sell by date. Players, coaches, ICC executives and also umpires. The current appraisal system for top umpires is a joke. Otherwise, an aging Bucknor making bigger and bigger gaffes (remember World cup final, remember giving tendulkar "helmet before wicket"), should have been asked by ICC to move into third umpire/match referee and/or mentoring roles. By being imbecile, and not ensuring that the umpires are at the top of their game, ICC created the current mess. And anybody who thinks Bucknor is (as of today) fit to stand in an international match, needs to have his head examined (unless he is an Aussie ex-cricketer, and he loves Aus making hay due to the ddecisions costing the opposition - so much for integrity of Aussie cricketers)!
Cricket is for the players, and above all, cricket is for the fans. Not for umpires, not for officials, not for commentators and critics, and executives alike. We must not lose sight of that.
Finally, because of the furore over Bucknor, hardly any mention is being made of Benson, who in my view, was worse than Bucknor since he could not claim aging faculties having an influence on his bloopers. The guy does not know simple rules !! He does not know he must consult his square leg colleague when in doubt, and then maybe even refer to the third umpire. Even when Bucknor showed him the examples! And that Aussie 3rd umpire was a disgrace if ever there was miscarriage of justice!
ICC must increase use of technology to help umpires on and off the field as advised by David Shepherd - one of the best umpires of all time. There is no harm in using technology to call no-balls (ala line calls in tennis) freeing the umpire from a difficult task of doing justice at both ends of the pitch, referring to see if there was a knick to invalidate lbw decisions, and whether the ball carried. Not leveraging such possibilties, can result in total mockery of a game where both teams are striving hard to win by their performance. We need progress in this aspect along with calling for player behavior reform and zero tolerance for abuse and gamesmanship
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Steve Bucknor and his partner made too many mistakes that turned the match upside down. These were sheer incompetencies over a period of five days(not a bad day in office. When Symonds got Rahul Dravid's lbw verdict in his favor, he was seen even thanking Steve Bucnor by patting his shoulder because that was a huge favor to Australia. There is no dobut that Australia is at the top deservingly by their cricket alone and they really do not need any help from the umpires but they would do them a favor by playing cricket in right spirit and not indulging into pressure tactics on the umpires
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What a load.
Let us examine what actually happened:
Harbhajan made a racist comment.
India moaned about bad umpiring.
Harbhajan was charged and punished.
India threatened to cancel a tour in response to Harbhajan's word not being treated as gospel.
India slandered Bucknor to such an extent he was removed from the series.
And possible Australian players sledged Indian players.
And your column is about Australia's professional cricketing culture being responsible for all of this, how is that a) realistic, b) fair and c)consistent with concern for the game of cricket.
To think the Australians are the only ones playing 'hard' (or outside the spirit of the game if you believe there is such a thing) has been proven to be false by comments of many CURRENT cricketers.
You totally ignore the BCCI's attempted blackmail of the ICC. This is perhaps the most serious development out of this episode.
All this complaining about Australia smacks of sore losing. Lets face it, you would not be complaining if they were losing. The answer to Australia's sledging is for someone to actually beat them by either playing 'fair' or 'hard' it does not matter.
Australia wins because it has the most professional team who are not drawn exclusively from one socio-economic or regional group - unlike certain other countries. This is because cricket has a broad appeal here and quality coaching exists all over the place. Because they are not all private school boys manners are not high on their 'to do list'.
Harbhajan is quite clearly as aggressive as any Australian player. There is no excuse for racism whatsoever. You provide an excuse for him that he somehow 'cracked' as a result of sledging. If that is the case he needs to see a psychologist because his psychological state is obviously very fragile.
I do not particularly like sledging, but it is part of any professional sport. To think cricket is different is seriously naive, to think it should be different is being unrealistically nostalgic.
The BCCI and Indian team have behaved disgracefully and if I were the ACB I would cancel the series and send them home.
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Steve Bucknor and his partner made too many mistakes that turned the match upside down. These were sheer incompetencies over a period of five days(not a bad day in office. When Symonds got Rahul Dravid's lbw verdict in his favor, he was seen even thanking Steve Bucnor by patting his shoulder because that was a huge favor to Australia. There is no dobut that Australia is at the top deservingly by their cricket alone and they really do not need any help from the umpires but they would do them a favor by playing cricket in right spirit and not indulging into pressure tactics on the umpires
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I don't agree with the idea of accepting mistakes made by umpires. There is so much technology available to umpires that when in doubt, they should be asking to use this technology rather then ask the Australian team captain Mr. "sly", "cunning" Ponting.
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First of all, if Harbarjan did call Symonds a monkey, he has to pay the price - but as observed by cricket writer, Ashish Ray, there is a problem with the way the decision has been reached. Let's hope the appeal will resolve what definitely happened.
However, it's a mini-tragedy that all the various controversies have undermined the fact that this was one of the great test matches. Top quality throughout, four brilliant hundreds, ebbs and flows and a dramatic finale, thanks largely to Ponting's inspired hunch that part-time spinner, Clarke would be the man to take three wickets in the penultimate over when all seemed lost (or drawn). The rows also draw attention away from the fact that since their extraordinary fightback in the 2nd Test at home in 2001, India have been the only test side to CONSISTENTLY put it up to Australia in a number of hard-fought series. (England's 2005 success, however heroic, seems to have been a blip). I have followed Australia's games along those of many other test sides on TV over the last two and half years - and they haven't been 'trampling all over the spirit of cricket' (only England). They've their been usual determined, highly professional selves, playing hard - but above all, playing the game alarmingly well. They score quickly, bowl tightly and are masters of digging themselves out of trouble (with or without the help of the umpire!) For the record, Symonds didn't 'gloat' about not being given out, at the press conference. He just admitted his luck. The idea that not walking, sledging and over-appealing is a particular trait of the Aussies is just laughable. Did Atherton walk when he gloved one off Donald? Was Agnew not watching when both England and Sri Lanka appealed for just about everything before Christmas? Have you not heard Boucher, Nel and their South African mates sledging? The fact is winners always kop the flak. People forget how - back in the 80's, Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards and their legion of hostile West Indian quicks were villified for 'intimidatory bowling' and how that was 'ruining cricket'. Had they not gone fifteen years unbeaten, dominating the game, few would have cared about all those bouncers.
As regards the very substandard umpiring in Sydney, whilst most of the bad decisions went against India, the Aussies suffered some shockers too. As well as Ponting's LB where he clearly hit it, when Tendulkar was 30-odd not out in the 1st inns, Clarke had him plum LBW (the technology showing it would have hit middle and leg). That changed the game as much as anything.
Meanwhile, in one ridiculous comment on 5 Live yesterday - either Agnew or Angus Fraser criticised the Aussies for their massive celebrations at the end - I mean, they'd only won the game with seven balls to spare to equal the record for consecutive test wins. Can you imagine any other team in the World getting the same criticism for celebrating an historic win!
So let's congratulate both sides for a truly great match - and congratulate India for being the only team on the World who look as though they belong on the same cricket field as Ricky Ponting's excellent side.
I'll leave the last word to Ashish Ray who commented on TV at the end of the game that this was a triumph for the Australians' resilience as, just as in Adelaide 2006 against England, they had been hit for well over 500 on first innings and yet still come out on top.
Nice to hear a cricket writer who has the class and intelligence to rise above the predictable practice of Aussie-bashing.
I wonder if England can get their act together by 2009......
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I am pretty sure 85-90% of the people writing in this blog have not watched the game.
I am summarized the umpiring errors...
Human Error ? One side getting out for notout and the other side getting not out for outs?
And one umpire consults the fielder to give out.
And the other one does not go to the third umpire? And even when he did the 3rd umpire gives not out for a out....
What's up?
This is not the first time Mr Bucknor did mistakes. Time and again Tendulkar has been on the wrong side.
Ishant Sharma, Clarke should have been penalized for dissent. Zip.
Total failure i say.
Also people, Lloyd have short memories. What about the World Cup final farce? Who were the umpires?
Enuf said. Mr. Bucknor could be a nice bloke but i am sorry he had lost it long time ago.
And Mr. Benson was really lucky(he consulted Ponting and not Mr. Bucknor to give out- ponting had a raised finger to ganguly - what is this about).
Mr. Procter has been horrendous too. Edgabaston test, the infamous one, he did not take control.
In the first test match Procter did not penalize Yuvraj.
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Dear Aggers ,
I respect you as one of cricket's foremost commentaters but I'm affraid that this article somewhat contradicts the recent interview you gave on the BBC Radio 5 Live morning show, where you stated that Umpire Bucknor was "well past his sell-by date " and also stating that Bucknor should have been removed from the Test match Umpiring Panel " at least 2 years ago ".
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I DO NOT agree with JA's statement of 'umpires will always make mistakes'!!. They are trained professionals and should not make mistakes! They should be able to overcome the appeal and not getting intimidated by it!! India should ve won this match comfortably.
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As an Australian I can say that I am fairly disappointed with the lack of sportsmanship shown by the side after they had taken the final wicket last Sunday. But to shift the focus away from the fact that Symonds was racially abused by Singh because the Australians play uncompromising cricket is wrong in every way. I agree there have been times that most Australians have overstepped the mark but as quite a few have already pointed out it's not just Australians, it's all teams. It astonishes me to think that a team from the subcontinent is taking the high moral ground when it comes to the issue of over appealing! Surely no-one can take this point seriously when we have all witnessed the extremes during various tours of India and Pakistan over the last 25 years. Now we have a situation where the BCCI insists that unless the independent adjudicator brought in to arbitrate the Symonds/Singh affair effectively says that the 5 Australian witnesses who confirmed Singh DID racially abuse Symonds are officially called liars, and the charges are dropped they will take their bat and ball and go home. If that is their attitude I think you will find most Australians will give them a lift to the airport and wish them well. This should have been sorted out by the captains on the field before it ever got this far. One final point, if the ICC gives in to the BCCI on this issue, we may as well rename the ICC the Indian Cricket Council. They have begun to flex their financial muscles and won't stop until they get everything their way.
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I believe the Indians have got caught in a trap where this "racial slur" is concerned. From the time I have been watching cricket for the last 30 years Symonds is the first cricketer of a little colour representing the Australian team unlike any other test playing nation(who include many coloured players). I do not think he considers himself any different to other Austalians which is how it should be.The Australians who are notorious for mind games and claiming the high moral ground have exploited this situation to their own benefit.
These are the same people who exploited the racist, jingoistic tendencies of spectators to get more people who are not real cricket lovers to watch the games. Everyone who has watched a cricket match in the last few years know how racist some sections of the crowd can be.
It is also amazing how every single test playing country who have black players have never complained of racial abuse by Indian players in the past.
I think the solution to the way Cricket Australia exploits people just to make more money is to BOYCOTT matches, BOYCOTT products endorsed by players/media and encourage the youngsters to watch and play other games which are much more fun, played in the correct spirit and not a great waste of time.
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https://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=344170
Short memories and glasshouses 'round here!
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It's curious. More than any other incident, this one has got to me. It's made me wonder whether I want to continue taking an interest in a game I've played and followed and loved since "my landmark day," the day I was at The Oval to see Eric Hollies claim Don Bradman's wicket for a duck. I can see it now. The way the Don was clapped all the way to the wicket, Norman Yardley calling for three cheers, Hollies' first ball to him - and then the silence as his second claimed the most prized wicket in Test Cricket.
I was present at a couple of other landmark occasions: eg. the day Denis Compton turned Morris (or was it Hasset?) round the corner to claim the Ashes for the first time since WW2.
And now? ...... Lord knows I've had pleasure from Indian teams... Vijay Hazare, Polly Umrigar.... and jumping in time.. Mohamed Azharuddin and Sachin Tendulkar..
Aussie teams too.. from the day Keith Miller took a bunch of us to Lord's to watch the Aussies practise.... to that unforgettable look of astonishment on Mike Gatting's face, when Shane Warne bowled him round his legs.
So what is this?.... The uncurbed rambling of an old man? Maybe so. But now a chastened and saddened old man, who cannot look foreigners in the face and tell them that cricket is the fairest, squarest, most complex, most intricate contest between two elevens that was ever thought of.
My own cricket triumphs are both few and un-noteworthy. They include being congratulated by the most austere headmaster of all for hitting a six into the school duck-pond, getting a Spanish student with absolutely no cricket experience onto the edge of his chair at the sheer drama of it all. Or introducing the game into a remote corner of Zambia.
It is, surely, the game that is the glory. Whoever thought it up, whoever developed its rules, whoever called it a game for 'gentlemen' did persuade many a working class lad (like me) to aspire, not to being a 'gentleman' - far from that old saw..... but to a sense of fair play.. to a sense of what's right .... to a sense that the fiercest battles could be fought by the mildest of everyday temperaments.
I hate what this game is becoming. Time perhaps to quit the fantastic, beautiful waters and leave them to the sharks. Jaws all! - A pity!
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This is by far the most sensible, and reasonable article I have read regarding this subject. I would like to point out a few things however:
I would consider it a pretty lame excuse to say that umpires would always make mistakes. That should be considered fair, when alternate means of making sure decisions are not available. The fact that there are a dozen different technologies available to assist and indeed make corrections to wrong decisions should make the sport independent of such errors and thus take away the complaint of bias completely. If the ICC does not enforce usage of such technology, questions are going to be raised.
Secondly, vetting of umpires should be given higher importance. The question raised was not one mistake or two mistakes - but repeated mistakes. If the best of a nation are playing the game, it is only fair that the best of judges are available to judge. Hiding behind -"umpires make mistakes" only lends credence to incompetence in this regard. I would say, that we would not have seen this happen, if due diligence was done to examine the competence of Bucknor by ICC. Not once in a lifetime, but on a regular basis such critical exams should be performed. It is not enough to declare someone a member of an elite panel.
Thirdly and finally, the underlying question of Singh's removal - should punishment be awarded on heresay or should it be based on evidence? Given the extreme competition in the game nowadays (the gentleman's game has simply evaporated), I would stick by the latter. By the same token, any allegation against any player can result in undue punishment. Besides, if an allegation was brought forth (quite justified, given the amount of betting money that changes hands) - the umpires and players' complicity involving money in both the rash of repeated mistakes and a pre-medidated tactic to the suspension of H. Singh, would you go by mere heresay, or would you like to see hard evidence?
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Well said. Always the good point of views is not well received by Media prior to any incidents. Following are my comments.
I would like some one tell me, any match where so many bad decisions are made. Mostly gone against one team at crucial times/player specially on making a record. This is not mistake. India is not third world they now have the guts to speak out. Talk to McEnroe.
Why the incident that started all this such as Habijan and Lee, not highlighted in the media. If the original incident is serious enough why Lee did not do anything about it. Why Symon not Lee?.
There is a big difference between Crowd behavior and Player behavior. ICC must bring some rules to control this. That also created by Symon's comments about the Indian victory following 20 twenty. If that is not a big deal why did you play? Why am I hearing Symond again. Media never high lighted this in Australia, why?
Yes a Player should not have used the word Monkey. But he did deny saying that. If there is no prove, it is more offensive to call all India Players liars. If we are talking about a particular player go for lie detector.
Don't forget it is sledging not Cricket or anything else. Purpose is to get the wicket not to offend. Do you believe Habijan will call an African a Monkey outside cricket. Knowing how much respect Mr Mandela has in India. Did you know India is one major supporter of South Africa during apathies. Gandhi started every thing in South Africa. Media should know better.
Sreesanth did really behave like a Monkey. He was really an insult to India not Australia. It did not help any one. But it was obvious for every one to see. I do not know why India did not stop it. It was a display of an Indian trying his best to developed his sledging skill. I thing he will never succeed.
Symon You started this in India against spectators. I hope you have finished this in Australia. I know you are a good cricketer and not any better than Lee in sledging. Next time leave it to Lee.
ICC if you can't maintain the standard of umpiring get some help from McEnroe. Considering all what happened at that match, as a spectator I like to see a good cricket. ICC should have been proactive and reviewed the Umpires prior to the request from India.
I beleive sport give a glorification to the Nation and its people. It gives simmilar satisfaction to that after defeating an enemy but yet no one is heart. Keep it up that way so eveyone can live as a Global Family in this plannet and live happily with some excitment from sports not war.
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lets get this right Australians did nothing wrong go and see ninemsn.com looking in the sports secton and repaly what on the screen India started all this Pointing just play the game soar grapes on India and blackmail with thier ulgy side cause a person remarks will be tested this is bollyline at is worse go home my answer take you bat and ball .
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After a few days of sitting back and taking all the abuse, I think its time for some much-needed perspective in this debate. As an Australian cricket fan, I'd also like to see the Aussies roll back the sledging a bit and hoped one of them would quickly shake hands with Kumble after his batting stand on that last day. However, all this hoo-haa about cheating and unsportsmanslike behaviour is completely devoid of rationality and reality.
All teams sledge. All teams over-appeal. And all teams have some history of claiming catches and the like. For instance, Dhoni claiming a catch against Peterson last year that bounced a good few cm in front of him. The English throwing jellybeans at Zaheer Kahn in that same series. And let's remember the whole reason that neutral umpires had to be brought in - blatant home-town decisions in the subcontinent over the 80's and early 90's.
The Indians are no angels when it comes to gamemanship either. They tried everything to slow down the over rate on that last day of the test and then Sharma walks out with two left gloves to waste time and make sure no more overs were going to be bowled. All my sympathies were with India after the dodgy decisions but that sympathy was quickly washed away by the threat to take their bat and ball and go home. That was blatant blackmailing of both the ICC and Cricket Australia which brings the game into disrepute 10 times more than some overcelebrating by the Aussies. And talking of overcelebrating, how about when Harbajhan got Ponting in the first innings and spent a couple of minutes running around like a goose followed by some tumbleturns.
Some of these rants and ravings are shameful and written with so little objectiveness it is embarrassing. And then the quotes of internet polls to try and justify stances when those internet polls were available to over 1 billion one-eyed Indian fans. Very lazy journalism and every blogger from Manchester to Mumbai has eaten it up.
The reality is that both sides fought very strongly for a Test match that included some wonderful cricket and both sides overstepped the mark in some instances. But to lay claims of cheating at one team just because neutral umpires made some dodgy decisions is complete rubbish and alludes to a poor understanding of the nature of sport.
Now thats been said, lets get back to the actual cricket and enjoy what I'm sure will be another great test in Perth next week.
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I believe the Indians have got caught in a trap where this "racial slur" is concerned. From the time I have been watching cricket for the last 30 years Symonds is the first cricketer of a little colour representing the Australian team unlike any other test playing nation(who include many coloured players). I do not think he considers himself any different to other Austalians which is how it should be.The Australians who are notorious for mind games and claiming the high moral ground have exploited this situation to their own benefit.
These are the same people who exploited the racist, jingoistic tendencies of spectators to get more people who are not real cricket lovers to watch the games. Everyone who has watched a cricket match in the last few years know how racist some sections of the crowd can be.
It is also amazing how every single test playing country who have black players have never complained of racial abuse by Indian players in the past.
I think the solution to the way Cricket Australia exploits people just to make more money is to BOYCOTT matches, BOYCOTT products endorsed by players/media and encourage the youngsters to watch and play other games which are much more fun, played in the correct spirit and not a great waste of time.
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Over a 1000 responses. What a fantastic silver lining to come from this fiasco. The passion for the game to save it from what it has become and from all nationalities is wonderful. Fleetjackhobbs (1046) was refreshing. It seems that the seeds for the change from playing the game with respect for all interested parties and the game itself was undermined during the Ian Chappell captaincy in the 70's. The abrasiveness, exclusionist policies toward his own players and abuse of opposition players was used to counter a lack of leadership and skill. Unfortunately later Captains with significantly more skill such as Steve Waugh carried on the tradition albeit without the vitriol that was seen earlier and since. This is a deep seated problem that requires rooting out rather than just applying cream.
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Well said. Always the good point of views is not well received by Media prior to any incidents. Following are my comments.
I would like some one tell me, any match where so many bad decisions are made. Mostly gone against one team at crucial times/player specially on making a record. This is not mistake. India is not third world they now have the guts to speak out. Talk to McEnroe.
Why the incident that started with Habijan and Lee, not highlighted in the media. If the original incident is serious enough why Lee did not do anything about it. Why Symon and not Lee?.
Symon You started this in India against spectators. I hope you have finished this in Australia. I know you are a good cricketer and not any better than Lee in sledging. Next time leave it to Lee.
I beleive sport give a glorification to the Nation and its people. It gives simmilar satisfaction to that after defeating an enymy but yet no one is heart. Keep it up that way so eveyone can live as a Global Family in this plannet and live happily with some excitment from sports not war.
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I agree with Jon's opening comment, and it can be applied to football also, "There is nothing wrong with the sport, other than the behaviour of the players."
Lack of honesty by the players harms both games, and it's very sad to see. The umpiring mistakes in the last test match were unfortunate, and they did change the course of the game, but they were mistakes and you have to live with them. The attitude of the players was lacking in honesty, and that's something we shouldn't have to tolerate.
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It is intersting to see that the majority of controversies in the Cricketing world take place when Teams visit Australia - right from the time the feared West Indian team with Charlie Griffith, till now.
While I agree that racial abuse should never be tolerated what about verbal taunts about wives, parentage etc. which are commomnly used by the Aussies - should they be tolerated as well ? Can we forget Glenn Mcgrath's reaction when the opposing player replied to his taunt - clearly showing that while they can dish it out, the Aussies sure can't take it. There was no doubt in my mind that the Aussies would rattle the Indians after the boorish behaviour of guys like Sreesanth in India; but this has gone too far and the loser is cricket.
Winning at any cost is the motto today and hence we see so many "heroes" with feet of clay. But then I guess all this is an apt reflection of the times we live in.
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There can't be any other team sport whereby there is no proper system for disciplining bad behaviour/rule infringements whilst on the field of play. The game needs effective referees on field, not a pair of umpires who either have limited powers to deal with problems on the field or don't use the powers they do have. What about yellow cards, red cards, sin bins? If a fielding side gets reduced to nine or ten men often enough maybe they'll learn to behave properly. Similarly, if a batsman is the offender, no team is going to want the batsman sent off!
It's also ridiculous that the technology exists to rectify patently wrong umpiring decisions but is not used. Of course the fielding team is going to get angry if a batsman is obviously out but gets away with it.
About time maybe that cricket moved into the 21st century!
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An Australian or white anglo saxan can do anything and get away with it but not anyone else. That's what happening here. There is no evidence that Harbhajan
said something to Symonds. It's Sachin's and Harbhajan word against the Aussies. And to take the attention away from maligned victory the aussie racked up
the issue and with help of their white brother Mike Proctor they banned Harbhajan. Give the evidence mate. This means any player can accuse other player of
saying something and getting him banned. What's this non-sense. People like Glen Mcgrath got away with calling Jayasuriya black monkey.
I have been hearing for the last couple of days from Mcgrath, Ponting and James Sutherland that Australia play their cricket hard and aggressive but fair.
KINDLY EXPLAIN HARD AND AGGRESSIVE? Is it scoring more than 4 runs an over in test cricket and taking wickets by balling straight and fast at the opposing
batsmen. If this is it than I or for that matter the whole world doesn't have problem. But if this is abusing the opponents by calling them bastards and
other abusive language and chirping when the other side is batting than it's not done. This is the art of mental disintegration as famously coined by Steve
Waugh. Now who decides what's fair and what's not? Of course it's the white man? what if bastard is taken as an offence or abuse of the highest nature by
other, it may mean that their mother is characterless. No it doesn't matter because we think it's alright.
And last but not the least Steve Waugh says that Australians bring the same aggressive and hard attitude that they play with in their backyards
to the cricket field. Let me enlighten you Mr. Waugh the way the cricket is played in rough streets of India and Pakistan is far
more aggressive and hard than you can imagine in your safe backyards.
Though the language is different but the abuses and emotions are far more raw and aggresive. So should they also bring this to the field?
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What I am about to say is the route of all the problems in Cricket today, as we all say at one time or other, god the umpire got it wrong and causes the most of the trouble in a Cricket match today because of bad decisions. Yes Umpires can make mistakes when a ball is close to the bat or pads, but when a batsman does nick the ball and it is so obvious to EVERYONE watching the game whether on TV or at the ground and he does not give it out on more than one occasion you must ask why he did not. Here are the reasons, either he his hearing or eyesight is not up to standard or he is bias or worse thing of all he has been brought. What I saw of the game both Bucknor and Benson should both have medical tests for eyesight and hearing. All the bad decisions in the Sydney test came at crucial times, which suited the Aussies. Perhaps when an umpire makes mistakes like these two Umpires have, a fine equalling what they get paid might stop all these biased decisions. What I would like to see is Medicals based on hearing and eye site be taken for every Umpire, and if they do not pass 100% they do not stand in the middle, and they are carefully watched to make sure they are not biased towards anyone Team. I believe this will stop a lot of trouble in the game of cricket, as far as the sledging etc, all I know is that if I was a player and some one said the statement about my Mother that person would have been in hospital for a very long time, whether it meant I got banned for life, because he would have never played cricket again either. No I am not from India I am an Englishman living in Australia.
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what a load of rubbish.
how short the english cricket fan's memory is.
in 2005 when you outplayed us and deservedbly won the ashes the trait of the team you guys most admired was the fact that you "stuck it to the aussies" and "beat us at our own game". you didn't play within the spirit of cricket (flying the best fieldsman in the country up and down the land to come on as 12th man) bu we appluaded you for it and respect your victory. don't blame us because you couldn't sustain it. Aggers you were one of the ones at the front of the marching band banging on about how hard english cricket was that northern summmer. Now because the status quo has been restored we are all of a sudden to hard and cross the boundries. grow up.
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One crucial aspect thats missing is the background of the players
In India calling anybody Bandar(monkey)
is probably the most polite form of bad mouthing, only more polite bad word that I
can think of is perhaps is "Buddhu"(ingenuous). In fact "monkey"(bandar)
is so polite abuse that even high society
mothers wont stop their 4yr olds from calling
each other monkey.
So even if Harbhajan might have called Symonds monkey he might not have ment it
to be racially abusive.
Like Hogg saying calling "bastard" is a matey thing in Oz, "Bastard" is one of the most foul
abuses in India.
So even if Harbhajan used "monkey" word
what makes the incident worse is wiliness
of Australians in reporting it. They should
have taken Harbhajan's word whether he meant it to be racially abusive. Thats one of the things Kumble meant
when he said one team was not playing with spirit.
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First of all, if Harbarjan did call Symonds a monkey, he has to pay the price - but as observed by cricket writer, Ashish Ray, there is a problem with the way the decision has been reached. Let's hope the appeal will resolve what definitely happened.
However, it's a mini-tragedy that all the various controversies have undermined the fact that this was one of the great test matches. Top quality throughout, four brilliant hundreds, ebbs and flows and a dramatic finale, thanks largely to Ponting's inspired hunch that part-time spinner, Clarke would be the man to take three wickets in the penultimate over when all seemed lost (or drawn). The rows also draw attention away from the fact that since their extraordinary fightback in the 2nd Test at home in 2001, India have been the only test side to CONSISTENTLY put it up to Australia in a number of hard-fought series. (England's 2005 success, however heroic, seems to have been a blip). I have followed Australia's games along those of many other test sides on TV over the last two and half years - and they haven't been 'trampling all over the spirit of cricket' (only England). They've their been usual determined, highly professional selves, playing hard - but above all, playing the game alarmingly well. They score quickly, bowl tightly and are masters of digging themselves out of trouble (with or without the help of the umpire!) For the record, Symonds didn't 'gloat' about not being given out, at the press conference. He just admitted his luck. The idea that not walking, sledging and over-appealing is a particular trait of the Aussies is just laughable. Did Atherton walk when he gloved one off Donald? Was Agnew not watching when both England and Sri Lanka appealed for just about everything before Christmas? Have you not heard Boucher, Nel and their South African mates sledging? The fact is winners always kop the flak. People forget how - back in the 80's, Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards and their legion of hostile West Indian quicks were villified for 'intimidatory bowling' and how that was 'ruining cricket'. Had they not gone fifteen years unbeaten, dominating the game, few would have cared about all those bouncers.
As regards the very substandard umpiring in Sydney, whilst most of the bad decisions went against India, the Aussies suffered some shockers too. As well as Ponting's LB where he clearly hit it, when Tendulkar was 30-odd not out in the 1st inns, Clarke had him plum LBW (the technology showing it would have hit middle and leg). That changed the game as much as anything.
Meanwhile, in one ridiculous comment on 5 Live yesterday - either Agnew or Angus Fraser criticised the Aussies for their massive celebrations at the end - I mean, they'd only won the game with seven balls to spare to equal the record for consecutive test wins. Can you imagine any other team in the World getting the same criticism for celebrating an historic win!
So let's congratulate both sides for a truly great match - and congratulate India for being the only team on the World who look as though they belong on the same cricket field as Ricky Ponting's excellent side.
I'll leave the last word to Ashish Ray who commented on TV at the end of the game that this was a triumph for the Australians' resilience as, just as in Adelaide 2006 against England, they had been hit for well over 500 on first innings and yet still come out on top.
Nice to hear a cricket writer who has the class and intelligence to rise above the predictable practice of Aussie-bashing.
I wonder if England can get their act together by 2009......
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Jonathan Agnew makes some valid points but I detect the usual "bash the unbeatables" tone reserved for the dominant teams that has been their bane over the ages. Australia is being subjected to the same comments that followed Mongtreal Canadiens, Boston Celtic, LA Lakers, Manchester United etc. Even Roger Federer is not immune from such comments now. But there is another aspect of Mr. Agnew's column that I would like to comment on - that of glorifying cricket as some "noble game" played in the "glorious past" in some alleged "gentlemanly spitit". Truth be told, cricket has been rife with cheating, dishonesty, discrimination, racism - and a lot of it at the official level (read MCC and the "gentlemen" who treated "Players" as inferiors). There are several excellent books on this but I will only refer to one - "Anyone but England" by Mike Marqusee. Cricket is just a game, and a money spinner. It always was - a forum for betting no less in its early inception. Get off the "Holier than Thou" attitude, Mr. Agnew - and the rest of us!
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So calling someone a monkey in India is a sign of affection and mateship, and after all the Indians apparently worship and idolise the Monkey. Well what to make of the recent situation where fans in India this week have been seen wearing racist T-shirts that depicted Andrew Symonds as a monkey. Surely the Indian people would not treat their monkey god in such a disrespectful and frivilous way. Surely trivialising the image of the monkey in such a manner is tantamount to sacrilege. Shame shame shame.
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Aggers
Short memory indeed. Poor article, jumping on the band wagon - you provided no evidence of how Australia intimidates.
Have a look at this and associated clips - it is a shame the teams playing India didn't suspend their tours for this behaviour. Model indeed.
Please quit targetting the tall poppies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3Ms37yt3lg
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Aggers, I think it is unfair to bring the Darrell Hair Affair into this argument. Mr Hair (an aussie I should point out) made accusations against a team - not just one player, without any evidence, he was the architect of his own downfall. After making his allegations, pulling up the stumps to effectively prematurely end the test match, and then having the nerve to request (or blackmail) the ICC to give him a "seeing off" payment, and finally after being proven wrong in the hearing and not being able to accept his errors he had the nerve to attempt to sue the ICC and the Pakistan Cricket Board for what? yes you guessed it "racial discrimination" - "the pot calling the kettle black" phrase immediately springs to mind. Hence I think Darrell Hair was "seeing himself off" rather than the Pakistan Cricket Board seeing him off.
In conclusion to relate it to the current saga - if an official or player makes an accusation which is unproven then surely he should be punished like Mr Hair was. This will deter anyone from making false or sometimes petty allegations. On the same note heavy punishments should be given to anyone found guilty of racist remarks - and yes "monkey" can be a racist remark. Lastly I should like to state the current events highlight the Aussie biased and arrogance towards in particular Indian Sub continent countries - India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the BCCI quite rightly should not stand for any of it.
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What will be interesting is the next time Australia tour the UK (or anywhere else for that matter) and elements of the crowd get dressed up in their usual fancy dress oufits - will any complaints be made about those dressed in monkey/gorilla suits ? Will they even be allowed into the ground ?
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Great bit of journalism Aggers, I get fed of the Australian sporting attitude of doing it tough but only for them to act anything but tough when the situation is turned 180 degrees. I also can't believe Bucknor has been replaced, the asian cricket teams now have a dangerous precedent set for them when they are not happy with decisions!
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Totally agree with Jonathan. The Australian team are not sportsman, and are not worth paying money to watch.
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Steve Bucknor is a good, honest umpire and it is bad luck that he took some erroneous decisions that went against India in the Sydney test.
Australia has the best cricket team by far and Australian players need not resort to unfair tactics as they often do. At least that is the perception.
The rules need to be changed. One suggestion: penalise the fielding side one run for palpably false appeals for catches.
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As always, Aggers gets it exactly right. If only he and more like him were administering the game at its highest level. Cricket, one of the most wonderful things on this planet, must not allow itself to sink any further into the mire that is created by money, business and greed.
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Sadly Aggers, much as I agree with many of your points, I hardly think that it's just an "Australian disease". I'm glad you mentioned Sreesanth, and what about Andre Nel? There isn't much spirit within international cricket nowadays. And as for Andrew Symonds admitting that he'd been caugh fair and square, there isn't one English player - and probably very few worldwide - who would have "walked" under the same circumstances. He wasn't gloating about the issue in my opinion, he was stating the fact that he had got lucky. It's too easy to knock Australia when no other test team can come close to their cricketing standards. I think all teams play the game with the same intensity, they just don't get the same results.
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cricket is indeed in a parlous state.
It is probably unfiar to focus on one particular country or group,of playesrs but that is life.
It is essential that any batsman who knows that he is out walks. The umpires have a hard enough job anyway. The Australian way of playing hard ignores some of the basic rules of decent behaviour and their success is tainted as is that of any side who plays in the same way.
Steve Bucknor has given distinguished service as an umpire but there probably ought to be a retirement age of 60 for all umpires or even less. The brain is not up to the rapid decision making required at the age of 60.
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You dont need a third umpire to adjudicate on Jonathan's synopsis.
Accurate to the nth degree
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Aggers, I do agree what you said about umpires, but I don’t understand what the whole controversy around Harbhajan Singh is. There was no evidence to suggest he said those words. This was confirmed by the umpires and Sachin Tendulkar. ICC banned Harbhajan just on word of mouth from Symonds, Hayden and Clarke. So why was Sachin's and umpires words not taken into account? You cannot convict someone without proof, 'Not guilty until proven guilty'.
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Off the mark Aggers
To blame the players for what happened is false and ignoring the blatant use of financially derived power by a controling body.
Australia does play hard. They put the oposition under a lot of pressure. They play to win. And in their team they have those who walk and those who don't. They have those who claim dubious catches and those who don't. They have bowlers who are outwardly aggressive and those who are not. They have those who appeal vociferously, and those who don't. These individual traits are as much as part of the game as is ball and bat, certainly since the Body Line series. Any different to India, England, South Africa or Pakistan? The outstanding difference is they are more succesful than others at it, and have been so consistently over the last decade or so. Essentially mental toughness and the ability to play within that environment is as much part of the game as is talent, and has been for some time.
In this current series in the second test India were on the receiving end of more bad decisions than Australia, but that has always been a fundamental part/risk of the game. Deal with It. As for the Aussies 'conning the umpire', until now the integrity of the word of the umpire has not been called into question.
Whatever the outcome of this series the one unreplaceable loss to cricket is the integrity of the umpires call and the backbone of the ICC. Responsibility of this I do not believe lies at the feet of any team or player competing, rather with the relevant authorities with respect to cricket in the future.
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You dont need the third umpire to adjudicate on Jonathan's synopsis.
Accurate to the nth degree
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I for once think everyones to blame for this complete shambolic test match. I actully think the umpires more i watched the highlights yesterday so i could make my view and was just astonished at how bad the umpiring mistakes were. I think Mark Benson was worse partically with the Ganguly 2nd Innings dismissal. Taking Ricky Ponting's word for it when he himself wasn't honest enough to walk when he nicked one when he was batting.
I had a lot of respect for Steve Bucknor i don't have as much now.
Dreadful umpiring!
I back the ICC and India's stance.
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I AGREE WITH AGGERS THAT THE SIUATION REGARDING THE ICC'S TREATMENT OF UMPIRES IS UNFAIR.
YES, THEY WILL MAKE MISTAKES, BUT THAT IS BECAUSE THEY ARE ONLY HUMAN & HUMANS DO MAKE MISTAKES.
STEVE BUCKNOR IS AN EXCEPTIONAL UMPIRE AND REPLACING HIM SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE TO YOUNGER UMPIRES AND THE CRICKETING WORLD IN GENERAL.
WHAT WORRIES ME MORE IS THE WAY THE ICC CONTINUALLY CAVE IN TO THE SUB-CONTINENT TEAMS ON ISSUES THAT THEY WOULD DISMISS OUT OF HAND WERE IT ENGLAND, NEW ZEALAND OR ANY OF THE OTHER TEAMS COMPLAINING.
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I FULLY AGREE WITGH J.A
THE MAJOR ISSUE NOW IS THAT PRECEDENT HAS BEEN SET. EVERY TIME A TEAM FEELS THEY'VE BEEN BADLY DONE TO THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO GET THAT UMPIRE BARRED FROM OFFICIATING IN THE REMAINDER OF THE SERIES.
MORE WORRYING IS THE FACT THAT EVERY TIME THIS HAPPENS TO ENGLAND, AUSTRALIA, THE WINDIES, NEW ZEALAND OR S. AFRICA, CAPTAINS WHINGE BUT NOTHING HAPPENS. IT SEEMS WHEN A SUB-CONTINENT TEAM MOANS THE ICC PANIC AND DO WHATEVER THESE TEAMS DEMAND OF THEM NO MATTER HOW THAT IMPACTS ON THE GAME AS A WHOLE.
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Since many Indians have been talking about how "monkey" is actually not a racist term, but an "honor" because of the monkey god, I would like to suggest something. Why don't you go and call your dad a monkey when you talk to him next? That should make him feel very honored, right?
Secondly, many Indians would not see it as a racist term, but in international cricket, every team as well as the cricket administration should be aware of the perceived meanings of words spoken on the field. This goes for the Australians too. In short, how would you define a racist term exactly?
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It's sad when grown ups want to be treated like kids .
Harbhajan erred least to say , he has to conduct himself within the allowed parameters which clearly do not accept racial abuse / comments in cricket .
He must have said something unless Andy has a problem with him.
I was not surprised at all ! Those who followed the ODI series in India can testify what happened , it was not pleasent at all . Tactics win matches but not racial tactics !
Those who watched the Chandigar ODI knowvery well what happened to Ricky .He was taken out when in fact the ball was true miles away from the bat than these guys are saying .
The Indian team claims to be one of the best sides around , they should stand uto that claim! If they behave like this what will the likes of Bangla and Zim do?
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Sir,
An interesting article. The Australians play tough cricket but there is always a limit. All Aussie sides have played to the limit. We in England understand about this Aussie sledging well during the time gone by. The problem is the umpires are too relaxed. Why cannot we have umpires resting after each session of play - so have four umpires. Why cannot we have two Aussies and two Indian umpires officiating in the series and they rest after each session. This will mean a better fitter focused umpires during play time. Players are and will always behaving injured in every way. They must be removed from the officiating equation and on the basis that the game is supreme. Mr Bucknor is unlucky, as Mr Benson has sadly gone home. yet - there were terrible decisions out there and one side suffered the most on balance. Bad umpiring cannot not go on. It will destroy a game like it did in Sydney. So show good respect let us have two umpires from the teams playing and let them officiate and no counts of cheating charges on these umpires of the two test playing teams in any series. When they are on TV they have to be honest or their days are up. Here is the pressure and at the same time it is a liberating experience for the umpires. Mistakes made due to error is fine but if they happen often in a day is imcompetence. Long live good cricket. The Aussies and Indians are behaving like cry babies and Symonds is just a big softie - haha. Gosh what a hero he has become now - champion cry baby. VJ
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I actully think that both players and umpires are to blame in this shambolic mess of a "test match".
The players constant pressing of the umpires doesn't help.
But I think Mark Benson caved in on day 5. When Ganguly edged to Micheal Clarke he is unsure what to do, and then to my amazment takes Ricky Ponting's word that his fielder had taken the catch. When Ponting himself is wasn't honest when he got a unbelievbly obvious nick to one the other day.
How can that be right, Ganguly was given out by Ponting!
Steve Bucknor had no idea what he was doing with some of his decisions. I respect the fact that there job is hard but the decisions made in the test match were a joke and a disgrace to the game and i'm not even mentioning the racism claims.
I back the ICC's decision to drop Bucknor 100% and Mark Benson simply is not a good enough umpire to umpire in big pressure test matchs!
Andrew Symonds getting away with the decisions he got in his favour was a complete joke.
I fully back what the ICC have done and i don't blame India for leaving the tour if they do.
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Andrew Symonds gloated about not being given out? You must have listened to a different interview? He said that he got lucky with that decision, and he could tell you about all the times he's been unlucky, but he won't. I.e., swings and roundabouts.
As for the way Australia plays the game, all I recall hearing from you during the last Ashes series was admiration for the ruthlessness of the Australian attack. This article seems somewhat capricious in its assessment of the Australian team.
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1234 comments in and I've still failed to see a single post from an Indian fan recognising that sledging and racism are 2 very distinct things.
Sledging is currently deemed as acceptable, no matter how personal and vitriolic it gets - I've NEVER heard of an Australian complaining to the authorities about anything said to them which could be construed as even the most brutal sledging.
Racism is very different and importantly to this debate, is seen as such by the game of cricket. It is deemed as unacceptable.
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No comment to make about Aggers article it was pitched at the right level to create the resulting reactions
No my beef is still with using Steve Bucknor as the scapegoat. Umpires are hard to come by - good umpires are worth the weight in gold.
Steve has been a world class umpire and possibly still is.. but how many world class umpires are there and how many will want to stand if this is the reward?
Please someone exonerate him before its too late whatever he has done he does not deserve this dont let his career falter because of player petulance/power
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I agree with Jan's comments. The Australians - and their fans -have been for years insulting people on a far more personal, cruel and hurtful way than any generalised slur on race. Remember the 'Botham/Eddie' pig released onto the field in 1982? Or the insulting banner to Gladstone Small at Sydney in 1986? Or Glenn McGrath asking Eddo Brandes, 'Why are you so fat?'
I think that players using ANY kind of insulting remark should be banned (I wouldn't go as far as the PC fanatics and call for criminal proceedings)
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I disagree with Jonathan Agnew. Umpires have often made mistakes and that is to be expected. They are after all human. But rarely have these mistakes been so numerous as to clearly influence the outcome of a game. That was the case in the 2nd test between Austrlai and India. This is not the first time Umpire Bucknor has made bad decisions. The fact that he continued inspite of his incompetence points to a basic problem with the ICC's system of selecting umpires. If Bucknor had been a cricket player and shown this kind of incompetence, he would have been dropped.
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Douglous Jardine is a legend of English cricket for thwarting the brilliance of the greatest batsman of all time, yet even to this day the Aussies still hide under their blankets and cry foul for the unsporting behaviour and tactics deployed at the time.. Let us not sink to their level and do the same!As history may judge Ponting in much the same way..
Nevertheless, I agree we should be worried with the future direction of cricket, if intense sledging by the players and intense commercialism by the ICC prevail. Yet I do hope the childish schoolboy element in cricket will always remain, incuding srisanth's dance, gower's tiger moth, Fred's peddeloe and even the jellybeans.. for the two sides of childish eccentricity and a game steeped in nobility and honour make cricket what it is.
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I am pretty sure 85-90% of the people writing in this blog have not watched the game. I doubt if Aggers even watched it completely.
I am summarized the umpiring errors...
Human Error ? One side getting out for notout and the other side getting not out for outs?
And one umpire consults the fielder to give out ie Benson.
And the other one does not go to the third umpire? And even when he did the 3rd umpire gives not out for a out....
What's up?
This is not the first time Mr Bucknor did mistakes. Time and again Tendulkar has been on the wrong side.
Ishant Sharma, Clarke should have been penalized for dissent. Zip.
Total failure i say.
Also people, Lloyd have short memories. What about the World Cup final farce? Who were the umpires?
Enuf said. Mr. Bucknor could be a nice bloke but i am sorry he had lost it long time ago.
And Mr. Benson was really lucky(he consulted Ponting and not Mr. Bucknor to give out- ponting had a raised finger to ganguly - what is this about).
Mr. Procter has been horrendous too. Edgabaston test, the infamous one, he did not take control.
Mind you In the first test match Procter did not penalize Yuvraj.
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The decision taken by the umpires to ban Harbajan is justified if he did actually call Symonds a "monkey".
However the fact that Hogg was allegedly to have been racist to two Indian players, over which the Indian team did not complain as ludicrously clearly shows that the Australians are playing the game like babies and in an attempt to mask their inherent ignorance
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I do not believe that Bucknor was incompetent. There was a clear bias. If he was incompetent he would have made bad calls against both teams not just India. BCCI was correct in having him removed and ICC needs to get its act together when it comes to umpiring. Team captains should have the right to refer the matter to the third umpire. The use of technologies should be mandatory. Australians cannot tolerate it when someone gives them a taste of their own medicine. When they sledge it is playing hard when someone does it to them they run to complain. What a bunch of losers!
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I'm also slightly disturbed by the number of Indian fans who seem to have a hard time recognising that to call Symonds a monkey is racist. The rubbish about the monkey being a sacred animal in india and therefore it is not an insult to be likened to one is laughable.
As for Harbajan lets also not forget that he has previous history with Symonds who he previously abused in a test in Mombia.
Indian supporters, the players and the BCCI do themselves a gross disservice by trying to cover up this incident.
As I've said before and as someone else mentioned, the biggest shame about all of this is that a truly great test match with some wonderful performances has been overlooked. The knocks by hayden and yes Symonds too were brilliant. And the return to form of the elegant stroke playing batman Laxman was a joy to behold. But toping them all, was Tendulkar playing the best innings I've ever seen him play.
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As an Australian I winced when reading about Symonds "gloating" about not being out. However the truth is he did not gloat at all. I still believe if he knew he was out he should have walked, but the laws of the game give ALL players the right to wait until the umpire gives a decision.
The big problem I have with the whole controversy is the way that the Indian Cricet Board is holding the ICC to ransom over the standing down of Bucknor and the repeated statement that the tour will only go ahead if Harbhajan is cleared. How can the appeal be conducted fairly.
The other issue through many posts is about Australia being aggressive in cricket and all sport in general. This for me explains why the UK and England consistently fail to impress in any sports as evidenced through the football and cricket teams. Perhaps if sports people here were more hard nosed and disciplined like the Australian cricket team we could perform much better at international level sport. By the way I always support the UK and England.
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hats off 2 jonathan andrew for this analysis!!! i m agreed on word by word and wanna add only few words...
BAN SLEDGING as this is the root cause which spoiling the gentlemen game....win the game with better performance instead of using illogical tricks...
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thanks jonathan andrew for this analysis!!! i m agreed on word by word and wanna add only few words
ban sledging as this is the root cause which spoiling the gentlemen game....win the game with better performance instead of using illogical tricks
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Sledging in any form is abuse and ALL abuse is wrong. How can anyone say that racial abuse is any worse than abusing someone because his/her abilities are worse than your own. If this happening in any other job environment then the abuser would be sacked - why should cricketers be any different. If you cant win by skills alone why should any sledging of any kind be acceptable?
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Dear Aggers,
WG Grace did not walk!
Jack Hobbs did not walk!
Don Bradman did not walk!
Do we need to list all the English captains who did not walk. Where was the indignation of India when Dhoni claimed a bump-ball catch against England? Was this in the spirit of cricket? The Indian team has a very short memory when it comes to sportmanship. Arrogance is the claim against the Australians. Having dominated world cricket for the last decade, opposing teams easily confuse self-confidence for arrogance. They would do better to employ fielding and bowling coaches to ensure they compete on an even playing field, otherwise it is always the team that loses that claims the winners were arrogant.
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It is hypocritical of the press to bitch and moan about poor umpiring when it comes to Australia winning, yet in the 2004 Ashes series be absolutely silent when poor umpiring means England winning.
If umpiring truly was that bad, it wouldn't matter which teams were playing. But no, lets just all pick on the tall poppy instead.
Look at the difference between how the Australian team reacted in the 2004 Ashes to how India is acting now, and you'll see who really is acting in the spirit of the game.
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Ever since that thug Ian Chappell captained Australia this country has been on a downward spiral which the Australian Cricket Board have done nothing about.
In Australia the end justifies the means and satisfies a public that demands consistant success - so who cares about a silly matter of principle?
In 2006 the Sydney Morning Herald actually produced an Editorial praising sledging as being quintescentially Australian and this was followed by an article by Australian author Thomas Keneally sneering at what he alled "gentlemanly
objections".
What has happened here recently was unavoidable - it was merely an event waiting to occur - in Australia.
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Symmonds is a self confessed cheat and should be banned
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Well Said. It is indeed the fault of the players. Agreed that the umpires had a bad day. At the end of the day everything would've been hunky dory
ONLY IF
1. Ponting walked after he nicked a ball in 1st innings.
2. Clarke walked after deflecting the ball
3. Symonds walked after nicking the ball.
4. Hussey walked after he nicked a ball
5. Symonds and Gilly didn't appeal for a catch when the ball came off Dravid's pads
6. Clarke had declared Ganguly's catch as grassed.
7. Ponting had not appealed for Dhoni's catch that he grassed.
Blame it all on the players and only the Aussie Players. They cheated. Playing hard is one thing Cheating is another thing. They are confusing playing hard with Cheating.
Honesty isn't just declaring a catch a catch its also walking when you know you are out.
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The Australian cricket team has in recent times carried itself in a very arrogant manner.
Having said this,it is quite amusing that no-one has mentioned Harb. Singh's celebration on dismissing Ponting in the Syd Test.If an Aus bowler had carried on like that the media would have been all over it !
In addition there has hardly been a mention of the fact that Ponting "took" a catch in the test which he immediately said was not-out as he was unsure if he had taken it cleanly.
There appears to be many people taking these recent events as an opportunity to jump on the Aussies from a great height which is interesting.
Does the world suddenly forget tours of India by all countries where their spinners appeal after every ball for absolutely anything !
Hello !!
Does smack of being very hypocritical !
It is obviously time to use TV technology as often as possible to get decisions CORRECT and the ICC to actually take full control of cricket worldwide.
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You have got to be kidding me. What a bunch of double standards I am reading on these posts. I could name hundreds of times that non Australian players have not walked after hitting the ball. Most players wait until the umpire raises his finger. I could also site many times that non Australian players have claimed catches when the replay clearly shows the ball went to ground first. Its not always easy to know if you took a catch. The umpiring in the second test in sydney was bad, no one can argue with that and the australians were on the bad end of decisions to. People need to look at things in perspective. To label the aussies as cheats is stupid. If they were not the best team in the world they probably wouldn`t be getting the current blasting. Contrary to poular belief Ricky Ponting has a clear majority of support from the australian public. Keep playing hard but fair Ricky.
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After reading these posts, I now understand why England is so weak at sport. How on earth did they ever build an empire? What a weak, lily-livered bunch!!
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What rubbish. This article is one sided and dominated by people who forget that some of their own countrymen are less than perfect such as the dirt in the pocket for ball tampering. Gilchrest walks even when the umpire gives him not out or do we forget about that as well. The focus of English cricket these days tends to be when we get in front where is the rain? the 2005 ashes England were haled for the way they did things. That included intimidation of players. They got queens awards for that. Get a grip and watch both sids of the game. Spend the time on players and training rather than bagging those who do. It is just the same mentality used when an english person wins something they are English when a Scottish person wins they are British. no They are Scottish. I watched the cricket in the UK for years and took a dislike to the negative play and attitude. Seeing it played in Australia it has opened my eyes. try and open yours.
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Kudos, the best article so far on this issue. You've hit the nail on its head. Aussies are unsporting, arrogant and the Indians have always tried to flout their money power. I am an Indian and frankly we have been at war with the pakistan team on the cricket field. but in the past decade matches between the two countries though intense and entertaining, nerve biting till the end have been played in a spirit that is so commendable. A lot of the credit has to go to captains dravid and inzy. this is where Australia suffers in having bad boy ponting as their captain. he is a dweep! AS far as India holding the world to ransom, guys welcome to how India functions!!
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I too agree with Jonathan that key problem lies with players and not umpires.
Good sportsmanship is about players/teams and management taking responsibility for there actions, i.e. team management should encourage there players to walk if they know they were out and fielding side also should come forward if they know they have not correctly caught the ball.
There days because it’s all about money and winning at all cost (even if that means lying, cheating or using verbal abuse which likely to change the result) we have taken the fun out of cricket.
This puts more and more unwanted pressure on umpire’s job and clearly this cannot carry on.
Considering a cricket ball travelling close to 100mph, the umpire has spit second to decide the actual chain of event that happened.
As a result umpires can easly make mistakes.
If player are going to continue on the current path, then ICC should give playing teams the option either to sort there act out or the option of using technology aid decision to the maximum.
All appeals should be answered using television and wicket side microphone should be employed to record what is being said on the pitch. You could even take it to even more extreme my employing individual player microphones just like in the county version of 20-20 game.
For the sake of the game, long term clearly something has to change for the better and I hope it does soon.
Long live cricket we all love.
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Don't understand why umpires cant be held accountable for their mistakes .....Its not the first time Bucknor performed so badly against the Indians .....If a player performs poorly over time he gets replaced and so should be the case with the umpires . He's just not good enough anymore , atleast at this level.
Its not so much about the wrong decisions, its the manner in which those decisions were made . How could you not give someone out when there is such a big noise and except for the bat nothing else is even remotely close to the ball and then in the second innings you give a batsmen out whose bat is well behind the pads away from the ball. To top it all he had the guts to make his own decision about a close stumping call ....Any sane person would refer it to the third umpire.
It was plain imcompetent umpiring for which he's rightly showed the door.
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I agree with all coments. I also agree that umpires can make mistakes. Usually mistakes are evenly done and does not favour any team. Here that was not the case. All wrong decision barring one favoured Australia to win the match.
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Good and sane comments as always, Aggers. I do hope these 1200+ comments and reactions are being read by the games administrators, not just by cricket fans.
However my favourite example of the Aussies' 'hard and professional approach to the game' was back in the '70's when they had to resort to bowling underarm to stop New Zealand winning a one-dayer. I still laugh at this one.
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It is unfortunate that Steve Bucknor was removed from officiating in the Perth test. But there is a history to the unease that India feels when Steve Bucknor is officiating.
You have partly covered it when you said that Australia have perfected the art of deliberately conning the umpire. If you go back to the three previous series between India & Australia in Australia, Steve Bucknor has been amazing in giving outrageous decisions against Indian team and at the same time turning a blind eye to genuine decisions where the Australians were concerned. This Sydney test was the pits with both umpires trying to out do each other to ensure that Australia keep their date with history and attain the record breaking win.
They like to dish it out but they cant take it, they really are poor sportsmen and like Geoff Boycott said they are "Cry babies". No role models these.
Let’s move on, but the tour should still be halted if the ICC & BCCI do not ensure that the ban on Harbhajan is lifted without bias. Where its one mans word against the other (with the umpires having said that hey did not hear anything being said) why should one believe Symonds & Ponting and disbelieve Harbhajan & Tendulkar. That is totally unfair.
An individual’s honor along with that of a Nation comes First and then Sports.
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Ok now for some cold logic. There are two salient facts about the umpiring decisions in this Test:
(1) There were too many of them for a single match, 12 to be exact, which were wrong.
(2) 10 of those went against one team - namely India.
The probability of (1) based on estimation is, say, 1 in 20. The probability of (2) is to be exact 11X12/2^12 or 3.2%, which is the same as the probability of getting 10 heads (or tails) in 12 coin tosses. In other words, the conditional probability of 10 decisions against one team, given 12 were wrong, is 3.2%. The a priori probability of the whole scenario unfolding (i.e. 12 decisions would be wrong, 10 against one team) is 0.16%.
Now there are two possible explanations:
(1) It was just a 0.16% probability unbiased event.
(2) The result was biased, possibly because (a) The match was fixed, (b) One or more umpires were biased because of personal prejudice, or (c) The intimidation of the umpires by the Aussies and their "playing hard", as they call it, created the bias.
The evidence for (a) or (b) is absent (although that does not make it improbable or impossible, and some would argue there is evidence of (b) for Mr. Bucknor from the past). However, the evidence of (c) was, as Kumble put it, "for everyone to see".
It is for this reason the Indians are upset. The above takes into account all the general statements which are thrown like "aussies got the wrong decisions too", "umpires make mistakes" etc.
So you see, not all Indians are effigy-burning, ultra-emotional types. Don't forget, even if there is 1 in 1,000 of us who is rational, there are still more than a million rational Indian souls out there....and they are unhappy for a reason.
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I agree with some of your comments, but I have to say, that cricket is no longer just a sport, just the same as other sports over the last 20 years. It is a business, especially when teams like India are amassing Billions of Dollars in TV deals. The game is there to be won, players are playing for their careers. Just look at Shane Bond, he has a history of back problems, meaning he doesnt know how long he has left, therefore he has chosen the guaranteed $400,000 to play in the Indian 20/20 competition.
So what if the Aussies sledge, its always been done, and other teams are stupid to miss the boat. If a player is not mentally strong enough, then its his problem to sort out. You dont hear soccer players moaning despite the horrendous abuse they receive from fans and other players.
One final point, everyone is moaning about Symonds, but look at Gilchrist, the most honest player in the game. If he edges it, he walks and he's been a central part of this great aussie team. The game is full of swings and roundabouts. A player may get a bad decision one week, so why not leave the decision to the umpire, after all they are paid to do a job!
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Dear All
I have now read about 1,200 of these comments....all are great in thier own way!
Firstly, it shows what a passionate game, by the level of response, secondly it shows that people really do care about the future direction of the game and thirdly the majority want to up hold traditions and traits that are hard to find elsewhere in other 'institutions' and organisations - Respect for other humans, regardless of race, crede or ability.
I think the solutions are as follows:
1. Harbajan - as in a court of law - where is the evidence? If proven guilty a year's ban - it is unacceptable behaviour. What is a shame of course is that we cannot turn back the history books of 'how' our forefathers behaved towards people of a different country which was unaccepatvble and set the tone for many years.
2. Umpires given more support to uphold the traditions of the game that are founded on fantastic principles of human interaction.
Umpires are at threat at all levels. I play competitive club cricket and last year we sacked our professional because umpires would not turn up through fear of being abused by our ex-pro if they made a wrong decision. The idiot gave our club a bad name, he had to be sacked as his behaviour was unacceptable.
The issue with grass roots crcket is that Umpires are hard to find and those that do, do not have adequate training and assessment. It is a hard job and not many people want to do it. We need to make it more attractive and give respect to these fellows - and they must earn it through professionalism and attitude.
3. Australia - They are not alone. If it is that bad, why don't stump Michrophones pick it up, this is the role of the 3rd umpire, surely. Although the umpires on the field should control it, they cannot hear a converation between a batsman and a wicket keeper!!
4. As in all cases of managing change, the players themsleves want to have to make it themselves, they need to be engaged to make this happen.
My question is, are the players unhappy enough to do something about it themselves? If it is felt that the mental degradation that Australia (and others?) employ is not an acceptable part of the game then do something about it.
I do not hear this debate from the players. If Anil Kumble feels that "only one side was playing cricket" as did Bill Woodfull in 1932-33 it needs to be followed through and it seems to me like the Indian board have lost the point with the umpires when they should have been backing thier own players on the matter of fair play - as Don Bradman and the Australian press did back then.
Steve Bucknor has been caught up in poor administration (his decisions have been getting progressively dubious) but don't treat the man as the fool guy - this is not his fault!
I also have no issue with Benson asking the captain/player if he thought it was out. As a cricketer you know if you nicked a ball behind or grounded a catch. If you are not sure - it is not out, the same as if the umpire cannot be sure, it is not out. Can Symonds hold his head high when he retires, no, his career will become meaningless. What you have to question of course is how many other decent players has he rode over to get his spot through lieing and cheating.
It is a beautiful game and we should be fighting for its future.
Best wishes
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It is not just cricket but the world is at a crossroads. Western hegemony is slipping with the rise of China and India. Western tribalism where citizens of western nations formed a close brotherhood and trusted each other against the rest is under challenege. This was clearly illustrated by umpire Benson's unbelievably partial decision in taking Ponting's word instead of seeking the advise of the second umpire or the replay camera (not to mention Ponting's audacity to offer an opinion). Ten years ago, this would have gone unnoticed, but now the facts on the ground have changed - rightfully so. The big question is whether these countries will let cricket evolve to a more fair and balanced sport or destroy the sport in trying to oppose change which is clearly overdue.
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I agree, as Australia have pioneered sledging in the game of cricket. Sportsmanship should be a bilateral, with the onous on both sides and particularly the captain, who have the responsibility of enforcing this sportsmanship on the field. Furthermore the use of technology which enhances the fairness of the game, must be slowly incorporated. By this i refer to the simple use of the third umpire, who has the privilege of video footage, without the pressure of being on the pitch, or in the view of the supporters. India are becoming the strongest competer to Australia, therefore Australia fear this and retaliate. India play a faire game!!!
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If bowler make mistake he is hit all over the park,if batsman does he goes to pavalion,then accordingly what should be suffering of umpire if he makes mistake?
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For me there are a number of unrelated issues here.
Racial/Religious/Personally directed abuse at an individual by fellow players or crowds (sledging) on the field of play is unacceptable.
Mind games and chit chat are not.
Cricket at the crossroads? No it's not at the crossroads. The ICC need to tighten up their control and direction of the game, then the leadership of each nation will follow. They could start by unmitigated protection of their most prized possession, the umpires. The treatement of Bucknor and Hair has been the most unsettling factor in the recent happenings in World Cricket since the betting scandals.
And how do you define the 'spirit of cricket' in a global sense? It varies from country to country. In India it borders on religion and can dictate the mood of a nation and causes such outpouring of emotion, in Australia it's about proving you're the best and leaving all your blood, sweat and tears out in the middle for your country and for the English it's about playing the game in the right spirit? Please, you think the Windies were thinking that when they were sending down over after over of head high bouncers at the opposition?
It ('the spirit of cricket' means different things to different people and nations. Cricket is not a village game played by gentleman anymore? Those days are gone and it's time the ICC realised this and provided the strong leadership and nurture of the game that cricket currently needs.
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What a pompous, self important, self indignant (not to mention illogical) piece of rubbish from Agnew (well, the first bit, the latter parts are more agreeable).
Using charged words like "gloating" is poor journalism. Why not just say he said it? The irony here, of course, is that he could have simply lied and said he didn't hit it - the irony being that being dishonest would be more in the spirit of the game.
It is the height of "pomposness" to tell other cricketers what their own morals should be. There is no universal agreement on whether batsmas should walk, etc, so why do cricketing hack journalists try to criticise players for not walking (or having the honesty to admit that they actually were correct)?
As for "give it, but can't take it" - how precious of Agnew, especially when he follows it up with "but if he said it, he should be banned.". Either racism is out or not - journalistic hacks can't have it both ways and NB, any Australian doing the same thing should cop the same punishment.
Completely agree re Sreesanth, the Hair incident etc, especially now that Pakistan has seen how weak the ICC is and wants to overule the umpires' decision at the Oval to forfeit the test match. Where will it end? Bodyline anyone?
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I have to say that Jonathan has got it wrong in what he has written. As a cricket coach and player the Australian cricket team have done nothing wrong within the game and they are a great example of winners. Here in England we play the game far to soft and that is why we are now mid table in the world rankings.
The indian player in question is known around the world to be a "hot head" so as he has been found guilty he must take his punishment. Can you imagine if this was the other way round! How dare Indian blackmail the ICC and cricket in general!
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Whilst I agree with this article, and find the Australians need to be disciplined on their behaviour, I also find it rather strange that yet again a team from the sub-continent is getting away with falling foul of the rules! Much like Pakistan did when they refused to return to the pitch during the match v England.
Then there was the case of 2 of their bowlers being found guilty of doping offenses and banned, but were subsequently cleared to play!
I find these all a strange series of events and think they need to be investigated.
These teams are holding the game to ransom and getting away with it. You dont see football/rugby teams refusing to play if a certain referee is in charge do you!
Once a decision is made, so be it, you cannot go back but only hope to cut out the mistakes by giving better training and through the aid of technology (although in a way this is causing many of the problems).
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I agree with the points raised in the article. Talking about Darryl Hair, I was really disappointed when his colleague (from the West Indies) did not stand as a witness for him.
Cricket all over the world is at the cross roads and unless domestic boards reflects some strategic partnership with sponsors and people who love the game wheteher they played it at the highest level or not, then cricket administration will always be in the hands of who can "buy the most drinks" at the local level and we can see the progression upwards....money equals power long gone are the days when performance meant power (well except when WI was unbeatable in the not too long gone old days)
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I have to say that this article summarises what many cricket followers have been thinking for an awful long time. A game that I once used to love at international level is fast becoming a total turn off.
Playing the game "hard" for most teams (including England) seems to be an excuse for winning at all costs and the level of sledging has become very unpleasant(far beyond the level which should be acceptable). Questioning umpires decisions shows all the signs that cricket is fast following the route of football and all its shenanigans.
Add to this the increased number of one-day international that now blight what was once a glorious summer of test matches and I am afraid you are well on the way to losing yet another supporter of this wonderful game.
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Quite right,Aggers.
There is nothing so unedifying as players baying at the umpire, or gloating afterwards that they had got away with it. I rarely watch TV cricket anymore....its not the game (!!?) it was...
"It's not cricket" was a phrase used to describe a lack of gentlemanly honesty and courtesy...Well, that's the last time we'll be able to use that expression...if indeed we have been able to use it over the last decade.....
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I wonder if any of the guys on the field at the time ever thought that this might blow up into a big opportunity for people to roundly abuse one another from any and every corner of the planet. Can we all please grow up and get a grip? All you crybabies yelling at each other are no better than the whingeing Indians, and no better than the wingeing Captain Ponting, who looks more like a chimpanzee than Andrew Symonds does a monkey! And can we please leave the English out of this? Crikey, we're not even playing! For once, it wasn't us!
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It's interesting that there is the constant comment about Aussies lying about taking catches. Did anyone watch the game?
In the first innings Ponting called a player back because he didn't take a catch. Why has that been forgotten?
The 2005 Ashes series was one of the best ever because this Aussie team went hard from start to finish. What a load of bollocks that "they don't like it up them". They played against a better team at the time and never gave in. Because England won everyone goes on about how great the series was... if the umpire hadn't wrongly given an Aussie out they may have undeserbedly won that series (funny that the Aussies didn't threaten to go home). If the Aussies had won in 2005 they would have copped all the same sorts of criticism.
They can't win. They lose and they are lambasted and ridiculed from far and wide. They play hard and win and they are criticised.
And, low and behold, we have idiots like Agnew actually criticising an international captain for reporting racist abuse.... although of course Agnew doesn't condone racism in any form. Make your mind up!!
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The latest news is that the PCB, are requesting that the infamous oval test match result be changed to "match drawn" or "match abandoned"
They must have read my previous post!! no.1231
Lets hope the ICC do "cave in" to another sub-continent countries' demand - like alot of people here seem to think. After all why should the sub continent or anyone for that matter stand for the Austrailian official's prejudices (sorry Mr Hair), or the arrogance or lack of spirit displayed by its players (mssrs Ponting, Symonds, Clarke, Hussey- the list goes on. Especially as the Indian Subcontinent plays the most entertaining cricket - remember the 20/20 world cup final. - Played in the "right spirit" by of the most bitter of rivals. Sorry Rest of the world.
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At sydney australians team had 13 players including two umpires to won the match.but the way of bcci shows that they r domanating icc and they influence to removal of the umpire from perth if the new umpire do the same mistake what would be the indian reactions.
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At sydney australians team had 13 players including two umpires to won the match.but the way of bcci shows that they r domanating icc and they influence to removal of the umpire from perth if the new umpire do the same mistake what would be the indian reactions.
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At sydney australians team had 13 players including two umpires to won the match.but the way of bcci shows that they r domanating icc and they influence to removal of the umpire from perth if the new umpire do the same mistake what would be the indian reactions.
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I have seen Sreesanth being mentioned again and again comparing the Indians with Australians.
One person doth not a team make.
No other team in the world is organized and strategized to make a ugly scene while playing, that is only Australians.
They are way above the rest in making Cricket lose its shine.The number of people that I could talk about Cricket has dwindled over period of time, it is sad, very sad for the game.
Shame on you, Australian team.
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Excellent piece, for the good of cricket. Will ICC set up a legal high level agency to inquire how teams were denied victory by Aussie in Australia. Was there any malpractices applied by Australian players upon competing teams for last 10 years. England and Vaughan/Flintoff reputation should be restored of their 4-0 loss in Australia for now what everybody would say game did not defeat England but sledging won game. Who knows The Ashes still belong to European Cricket Powerhouse, England. Like Marion Jones is stripped of her medals and is put behind the bars, legal proceeding and name and shame against Aussies should be brought to restore sanctity an Gentleman's Game of Cricket. Like Andrew Symmond, Marion Jones claimed wrong-doing and therefore requires no court proceedings but immediate punishment for Symmonds and the same apply for Pontings. Immediate ICC attention is required to explore if Australian cricket teams have wrongly won millions of Pounds over the years in Prize money and the trophies.
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In 2005, in an Ashes series which was as close fought as it gets, there were a number of dubious decisions which may have proved pivotal (ask Damien Martyn) but the teams involved got on with playing cricket. Australia demonstrated excellent sportsmanship in defeat (not a single effigy burnt) while the English organised a parade through the city.
I don't always like the way the Australians play, and some members of the team annoy me with their arrogance but this is not the issue at hand. The questions we should be asking is why don't India have backbone to accept a run of rough decisions? Why do they think they have the right to decide which umpires can officiate their games? Why do they think they can bully the ICC into letting their players getting away with racism? (he was found guilty remember)
This article is just another example of the mindless Aussie bashing going on at the moment. Players walking when their out, not appealing when it's not...c'mon, what planet are you on...there is not a team in international cricket who can honestly take the high moral ground in this respect. And the sub continental teams are definitely as bad as anyone.
The umpires are there to make decisions and they will mistakes. Its always been that way in cricket and, until the decision is made to use technology, it always will be. But now the Indians throw their toys out of the pram and you blame the Australian's. The Aussies are clearly a victim of their success.
I'd like to see them tone down the sledging though.
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In 2005, in an Ashes series which was as close fought as it gets, there were a number of dubious decisions which may have proved pivotal (ask Damien Martyn) but the teams involved got on with playing cricket. Australia demonstrated excellent sportsmanship in defeat (not a single effigy burnt) while the English organised a parade through the city.
I don't always like the way the Australians play, and some members of the team annoy me with their arrogance but this is not the issue at hand. The questions we should be asking is why don't India have backbone to accept a run of rough decisions? Why do they think they have the right to decide which umpires can officiate their games? Why do they think they can bully the ICC into letting their players getting away with racism? (he was found guilty remember)
This article is just another example of the mindless Aussie bashing going on at the moment. Players walking when their out, not appealing when it's not...c'mon, what planet are you on...there is not a team in international cricket who can honestly take the high moral ground in this respect. And the sub continental teams are definitely as bad as anyone.
The umpires are there to make decisions and they will mistakes. Its always been that way in cricket and, until the decision is made to use technology, it always will be. But now the Indians throw their toys out of the pram and you blame the Australian's. The Aussies are clearly a victim of their success.
I'd like to see them tone down the sledging though.
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Excellent piece, for the good of cricket. Will ICC set up a legal high level agency to inquire how teams were denied victory by Aussie in Australia. Was there any malpractices applied by Australian players upon competing teams for last 10 years. England and Vaughan/Flintoff reputation should be restored of their 4-0 loss in Australia for now what everybody would say game did not defeat England but sledging won game. Who knows The Ashes still belong to European Cricket Powerhouse, England. Like Marion Jones is stripped of her medals and is put behind the bars, legal proceeding and name and shame against Aussies should be brought to restore sanctity an Gentleman's Game of Cricket. Like Andrew Symmond, Marion Jones claimed wrong-doing and therefore requires no court proceedings but immediate punishment for Symmonds and the same apply for Pontings. Immediate ICC attention is required to explore if Australian cricket teams have wrongly won millions of Pounds over the years in Prize money and the trophies.
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Fellow Indians apologizing on Harbajan's behalf are not doing any favours to him or to themselves.They are well aware that he is fully capable of despicable behaviour. He was expelled from the cricket academy on disciplinary grounds and later was also recognized as part of a parochial gang against Dravid and G.Chappel.That again was racial/provincial directed at Dravid than Greg. Make no mistake. If Symonds did hear the word it was meant to be racial.I haven't heard of any Sikh revering a monkey; only Hindus do by referring him as Hunumaoun.Indian English texts always refer to it as monkey god. It is derogatory even in the religious context without the "god". I lived in Africa and I am a cricketer and been around mixed crowds and I know some languages. Indians in general and urban north specially is cavalier in the use of racist derogatory language. The people defending him do write a whole lot instead of a brief disbelief or simple denial.
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In the midst of all the criticism of Australia it should be noted that Adam Gilchrist is virtually the only batsman currently playing international cricket who walks. I would add that the nature of his appeals has always seemed to me very fair. It was interesting therefore to see him appeal in the case of Dravid. I think he has earned the right to have that considered a genuine case of mistaken belief. Were he captain I think we would all be less worried about 'the spirit of the game'. A final point in praise of Gilchrist; his commentary while also keeping during the 20/20 match against NZ was brialliant and the silence among the Sky commentators at his tour de force was comical - doubtless they were wondering which one of their jobs he was going to take
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You are absolutely right. This really is the most ridiculous episode I have ever watched in any sporting arena.
Firstly, I cannot believe the extent to which the aussies have stretched people's patience (and dare i say, politeness). One of these days, I really believe one of these incidents is going to turn real ugly, right there on the pitch.
Then, its even more unbelievable that such a group of cheap thugs would then become such cry babies and report one of their "victims" for some unreal offense.
And to top it all off, if from what has been published is true, the totally loose theory (and ponting's word i may add) on which the match refree upheld such a serious accusation, i must say, i am surprised the indian team is even considering playing any more on this tour.
In all this, maybe we should really be highlghting Anil Kumble's role in keeping things sane. Maybe Ponting and his group of ex-WWE personnel can take a lesson or two in behaving like humans from Kumble.
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You are absolutely right. This really is the most ridiculous episode I have ever watched in any sporting arena.
Firstly, I cannot believe the extent to which the aussies have stretched people's patience (and dare i say, politeness). One of these days, I really believe one of these incidents is going to turn real ugly, right there on the pitch.
Then, its even more unbelievable that such a group of cheap thugs would then become such cry babies and report one of their "victims" for some unreal offense.
And to top it all off, if from what has been published is true, the totally loose theory (and ponting's word i may add) on which the match refree upheld such a serious accusation, i must say, i am surprised the indian team is even considering playing any more on this tour.
In all this, maybe we should really be highlghting Anil Kumble's role in keeping things sane. Maybe Ponting and his group of ex-WWE personnel can take a lesson or two in behaving like humans from Kumble.
Finally I would like to mention to all those who think Indian Board is bullying the ICC, they only have to remember the manner in which Harbhajan case was conducted. It is a serious accusation and it cannot be handled so loosely. Also, it is not the first time a player gets stupid image attached to him after returning from australia (remember murali ?). And if anybody is holding anyone for ransom, I think it is Cricket Australia. They let their players be criminals on the field, they have let people play even when they have taken drugs, the list is just endless... it really is disgusting....
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All those supporting Bucknor, are you suggesting ICC keep backing its corrupt employees?
All those criticizing India's stance on Bhajji's issue, are you suggesting conviction should be made without evidence?
First try to see what is at the root of the problem. Number one is the biased umpiring. It wasn't just incompetent, it was biased. It made a mockery of the term "elite". And then there is the issue of unjustified ruling by Mike Proctor without any evidence. People keep debating racism, the term monkey and how much sledging should be allowed. But you are missing the point. India's main objection is the process followed by Mike Proctor. That has set the worst precedent among all this. Conviction without any evidence!
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I stronly agree with your comments.Reason days Australia has played bad cricket and it has to be changed otherwise youngsters also follow the same route.
Cricket is a gentlemen's game. But Andrew symonds not gone from the field when he was out. He later accepted that and pointing his finger towards umpire. That's not a good sportsmanship.
Steve is one good umpires in the cricket world.Human makes mistakes change him from the next test is unacceptable.
Australia has to change their way of playing and they have to change their mentality to accept the result of the game whether lose or win.
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I stronly agree with your comments.Reason days Australia has played bad cricket and it has to be changed otherwise youngsters also follow the same route.
Cricket is a gentlemen's game. But Andrew symonds not gone from the field when he was out. He later accepted that and pointing his finger towards umpire. That's not a good sportsmanship.
Steve is one good umpires in the cricket world.Human makes mistakes change him from the next test is unacceptable.
Australia has to change their way of playing and they have to change their mentality to accept the result of the game whether lose or win.
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I agree Aggers: blame lies with players not umpires. Umpires do the best they can as they see it -- in real time. It was unfortunate that such a large proportion of umpire errors fell to favour Australia in this game but I doubt that any ICC umpire would deliberately cheat. If so, to what end?
Umpires 'adjudicate' and do not 'control' a game. Here lies the weakness. ICC should empower umpires to control games and players. Many blog contributors have ridiculed football, but if umpires had the power of football referees, i.e to 'yellow card' ungentlemanly conduct and to 'red card' dissent, then much of the ridiculous acting and so-called sledging (i.e. tormenting to gain an unfair psychological advantage) would disappear. Players would have to be better behaved: especially if umpires were wired to stump-mike.
Further, endless TV slow-motion replays of contentious events serve only to undermine umpires and bring the game into disrepute. Let them be available to third umpires and match referees only.
Finally, ICC (once given its own powers of control!) should insist that disagreements be discussed and resolved in-house, not paraded on the media stage to the detriment of the game. The test nations have some soul-searching to do...
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Austalian players, undoubtedly respected for their personal levels of competence, frequently fall way short in terms of respectable behaviour on the field of play. I witnessed the total humiliation by Australia of a hapless, hopelessly weak Zimbabwe side at Queens Ground in Bulawayo. Totally dominated and outgunned, the last Zimbabwean batsman to the slaughter came in and the Australians set a field with all 9 fielders in an arc from first slip to point. No fielder on the on side and no fielder in front of the wicket. It was an act of arrogance in the extreme and drew comments of disgust from even the Aussie commentator present at the field. That day the Australian players with their obvious gloating, visible to all watching, and desire to rub salt into an already deep open wound, deservedly won no friends and were a disgrace to the spirit of the game.
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Cricket must be the only team sport with no apparent means of on-field discipline - like yellow cards, red cards and sin bins. Having fielders or batsmen sent off might well concentrate the mind on better behaviour.
Additionally, isn't it about time they used the available technology to correct patently wrong decisions like some of those in the recent Australia/India Test? It's no real wonder that players get frustrated and angry.
Time that the cricket authorities moved into the 21st century!
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I agree with most of what you say, however the Aussie's do have a point about the officials. Decisions made on the pitch and regulation of behaviour is the responsibility of the officials and NOT the players. This is professional sport not village cricket , we can neither ask nor expect the competitors to regulate themselves.
In my opinion walking should not be allowed at the top level, sure in club cricket when you don't have the technology to confirm decisions it is fine, but at first class level more should be done to ensure decisions made on the pitch are correct. This includes making use of technology currently available and developing further techniques to enhance accuracy. When I watch test cricket it is very difficult to understand why a third umpire is employed because apart from bringing out a new ball every 80 overs, he seems to do very little.
This current debate needs to focus less on scapegoating individuals or groups but the game as a whole, because it seems a lot of things about cricket are suffering purely because the game is not moving forward.
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From South Africa and my main beef is with ex players who critisise but don't become umpires like Peter willey and Sheppy. Talking about the Chappels and Laurie
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I agree with the first part of the report but not with the element about umpires.
If you are not good at what you do in the real world and repeateddly make mistakes you are out of a job. If no pressure was put on by Boards and players about poor umpiring nothing would be done about it. The game would then become a joke and slowly lose ceditability.
The ICC need to set some sort of appraisal system up. The decisions in the Aus/Ind game are unforgivable. My 4 year old daughter could have made better decisions. Umpires need to be under pressure, they will perform better and up their standards. thats how it is in the real world. This will also make them stonger and more respected infront of the players and team management.
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Spot on Aggers, Joseph Cooper, Malcolm Davidson and many others….
Rocket, Jason, Alan et al
Having previously lived in Australia for a couple of years I feel justified in making the observation that you simply have some evolutionary catching-up to do before you will understand the point here.
Children (generally between the ages of two and up to early teens) push the boundaries in order to see what they will be allowed to get away with before they learn & understand the co-operative way in which the world operates. It is true also that some people never quite grow out of this behaviour but they generally end up in prison (in a different age sent to distant, remote islands).
Which brings me to the subject of colonisation; this barbaric behaviour was carried out at a time before modern society developed and thankfully most of us have since learned a more collaborative way of cohabiting.
The current Aussie team is so good it simply doesn't have to behave in the childish (you say 'hard') manner it chooses to, the gentleman Adam Gilchrist excepted, in a very similar vein to the bygone antics of genius motor racing driver Michael Schumacher - why tarnish such talent?
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I agree with most of what you say, however the Aussie's do have a point about the officials. Decisions made on the pitch and regulation of behaviour is the responsibility of the officials and NOT the players. This is professional sport not village cricket , we can neither ask nor expect the competitors to regulate themselves.
In my opinion walking should not be allowed at the top level, sure in club cricket when you don't have the technology to confirm decisions it is fine, but at first class level more should be done to ensure decisions made on the pitch are correct. This includes making use of technology currently available and developing further techniques to enhance accuracy. When I watch test cricket it is very difficult to understand why a third umpire is employed because apart from bringing out a new ball every 80 overs, he seems to do very little.
This current debate needs to focus less on scapegoating individuals or groups but the game as a whole, because it seems a lot of things about cricket are suffering purely because the game is not moving forward.
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What a load of old tosh, Aggers. As a UK resident, I invest 35 of my hard earned pounds every month with Sky so I can watch live test cricket, and I was greatly looking forward to watching the Aus-Ind series. As a neutral, this was an opportunity to see two fine teams competing, and I am lucky enough to have the flexibility to watch live coverage overnight.
But the umpires ruined the 2nd match, and thereby the series, with their incompetence. There were at least five abysmal decisions, none of which can be excused with 'umpires are human too' arguments.
India have every right to press the issue of poor umpiring, as they were bundled out of the match and the series by the umpires, not by Australia - indeed, if the umpires had made correct decisions, and all other things being equal, India would almost certainly have won by a considerable distance.
It is unfortunate that Bucknor has become the focus of the umpiring issue because he was scheduled to stand in the 3rd test. Benson was just as bad, as was the 3rd umpire.
The ICC MUST introduce a more robust system of 3rd umpiring, with full use of the technology, and proper training for the umpires in how to make best use of it. In this way, we might have a chance of seeing a fair contest, not a lottery - and, had the Australians been soundly beaten, as they should have been, their childish sledging would be irrelevant.
And I might get better value for the 35 pounds I have to fork out, most of which goes on Premiership footballers' salaries!
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I could not disagree more with Aggers. I think the problem lies with the ICC and the on-field umpires for allowing the situation to reach such a point. If anyone still thinks that Bucknor has no axe to grind with India, they do not follow cricket closely enough. This is not the first time the BCCI has complained about Bucknor, overall one would have to say that the perception with marginal decisions with Bucknor is that 90% will go against India. It would be nice if someone reviewed his history and provided proper data, rather than random hypothesis, which is obviously subject to debate. On the basis of what happened on the field, India should have won the Test, if not drawn it.
Despite its power, the BCCI has really done nothing to influence the way cricket is played or administered, probably because of its ineptness. The current situation is that the BCCI is fighting for justice for the players. The biggest shame is that cricket as a game has been tainted by this, and the series has been decided by the umpiring blunders, and organisation of BCCI. Don't really see any point in continuing with the series, the trophy has been won by Australia with a lot of help from Messrs Benson/Bucknor, India has very little left to play for barring pride. Such a shame, certainly, my children are not going to be brought up into cricket from now on. The principles of justice and fairplay are bigger than any sport!
I certainly blame the whole fiasco on ICC, and will not watch any more cricket.
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The column states that anyone not familiar with the situation must have been " living on a different planet for the past five years."
I agree, and it seems obvious that the writer must have been on that other planet.
Technology now can provide proof , in the majority of instances,with actual frame by frame video of the happenings, and the facts as shown should be used buy the umpires.
It is not the players fault that the Umpires seem to think that they are above needing the help which is easily available. Get down from that Ivory tower, and do the job as it should be done, as used in the NFL, and Tennis to name but 2 sports that now use the technology for all important games.
Harryco.
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I generally agree with Mr. Agnew's comments. I believe that every side should show aggression via their batting, fielding and bowling performances. Sledging is not agressive play, it is meant to create a charged atmosphere which will eventually lead to situations that are so prevalent in cricket these days.
While Harbhajan and Sreesanth could be sited for some of these behaviors but lets not forget the instigators. Was Brett Lee somehow physically or verbally defenseless that Andrew Symonds had to come to his aid. He knew the history and took advantage of it. Ricky Ponting was approached by Anil Kumble to defuse the situation but was turned down. All of a sudden, Ricky Ponting is acting as a poster boy for acting within ICC diktats, his insistance that he was honor bound to report the incident to ICC is hollow at best.
Yes, it sets a dangerous precedent when an umpire is removed from the game. It should not be done for frivolous reasons. An umpire can make bad decisions but when an overwhelming number of those decisions affect only one side, it is fair to demand action gainst that umpire. An umpire's impartiality is his greatest asset.
The blame for this situation goes to ICC for not having a broader panel of certified umpires. Given the explosion in cricketing calendar, it should have been addressed a long time ago. Umpires are suspect to lapses in judgement due to the long and hectic cricket calendar.
All these situations are fixable if ICC spends more time on upholding the integrity of game and not just maximizing the financial gain.
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The last paragraph of your comment says it all.This is well written and factual comment.I recall the days as a child when men played the game for the pleasure of playing it.Gary Sobers,Rohan Kanhai,Colin Cowdrey and men from Australia,they played to win without chest padding or helmet.Wes Hall,with a blistered heel continue to bowl,Cowdrey,hand broken,he came back to face Hall and company to secure a draw for England.Today,these hotshots wear sunglasses and cannot play without the unneeded goodies as if they are heading to a fashion show.A bad culture was adopted in recent years.Stop the Americanisation of our sport.Cricket and football.
The Indian team has a lot of pompous players spearheaded by Gaguly and Dravid.It is time they develop a form of coexistence with other countries` players.A copy of
your article should be handed to all members of all teams for guidance and saving this BEAUTIFUL game.
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It is a very sad time for cricket , but it has been building up for some years. It is good to hear the passionate anger of Aggers. The Aussies have gone too far this time with their improper arrogant goading. The players are to blame for this and Bucknor should be reinstated at once.
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It is a very sad time for cricket , but it has been building up for some years. It is good to hear the passionate anger of Aggers. The Aussies have gone too far this time with their improper arrogant goading. The players are to blame for this and Bucknor should be reinstated at once.
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Have we not been here before, albeit an awful long time ago?
The Bodyline Series seems to come to mind!
Win at all costs seemed to be the path taken then, and we seem to be in that zone again now.
Is cricket a gentleman's game or just a sport like any other? I think it is one of the few TEAM sports left that has a chance of maintaining it's position as the game played to win, but fairly!
Would ALL players wherever, and at whatever level, please thin kback on why they began playing the game and then maybe we will have a true SPORTING spectical in the truest sense of the word SPORTING.
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The constant whinging by writers from the sub-Continent suggests that - to paraphrase Agnew's comments above - they can dish it out but can't take it. Just reflect on
1. Sreesanth’s screaming in Symond's face in the 20/20 game in India recently
2. Sections of the Indian crowds constant 'monkey' heckling of Symonds during the same tour
2. Yourav Singh refusing to walk after given out in the First Test of the recent series, supposedly due to shock - yeah, right!
3. Harbhajan Singh rolling around on the ground like a footballer after dismissing Ponting in the Second Test
4. Harbhajan Singh or Anil Kumble (I can't remember who) appealing for an LBW decision with a ball from which the batsman scored 2 runs - & not leg byes
Perhaps, also, someone can tell me if Kumble - either as Captain and/or a senior player - said anything to any of the Indian players involved in these incidents.
While Australia is complaining about Harbhajan Singh's alleged racist comments, it's often sub-Continent supporters and players who play the race card as Steve Bucknor and Darrell Hair can attest.
I suspect many cricket followers in Australia would have been happy to see the Indian team take its bats and balls and go home rather than carry on as they did after the Second Test.
As someone has mentioned in another posting here, Australia may well have felt aggrieved by some of the umpiring decisions on the 2005 tour but they didn't carry on like the Indian team & it's supporters have this time around.
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Guys, lets accept the fact that Australia cannot accept the tit for tat tactics applied by Indian team. So far none of the international cricket teams were able to stand up to the Australian sledging.
One needs to have a close look to what happened in the second test. The decisions given by the umpires raises serious concerns. It is the responsibility of the umpires also to maintain the dignity of the game. What sporting spirit empower the third umpire to make mistakes on stamping!!! What spirit advises umpire to ask the fielder to confirm that he has taken the catch properly!!!!
I do request everybody to have a close look at the decisions and then comment.
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damn you guys are Biased, So Australia are at the top of the cricket world. England cant beat them, so what do you do.....attack them. Fact: 99% of players do not walk with the exception of Gilchrist(hey wait he's one of those bad sport Aussies).
Most teams that dominate a certain sport dominate because they play aggressivly. I bet if most of you Poms were asked if you would prefer England to play nice and lose every game or play aggressive and win all the time you would choose the winning option.
We live in a media rich world. We heat sensitive replays which show hotspots on bats we have snicko which shows soundwaves as the ball passes the bat. Every decision an umpire makes is analysed and replayed over and over. Its showed on the large screen at the grounds so all the fans can react and jeer and boo at the umpire. If we took this technology back into the past how many more examples would we see where batsman have stood there ground when they were out.
The umpires are there to make decisions, they are human. Most of the time they get it right, some times they get it wrong. The pressure on these guys is huge. The batsmen are there to score runs, not deliberate on there own batting. If the finger goes up they walk, if it stays down the keep on batting.
If you wanna show us Aussies what you think of our team then beat us. You did it when we last went over there. Your team played with aggression and it was one of the damn best ashes series i have watched in a long time. Unfortunatly when you came over here you failed to bring the aggression and fire.
This to me seems to be a case of if you cant win then berate the the better team....cmon are you guys really that desperate?
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I agree Aggers: blame lies with players not umpires. Umpires do the best they can as they see it -- in real time. It was unfortunate that such a large proportion of umpire errors fell to favour Australia in this game but I doubt that any ICC umpire would deliberately cheat. If so, to what end? And of course there must be a review process, out of public gaze, of umpires' performance.
Umpires 'adjudicate' and do not 'control' a game. Here lies the weakness. ICC should empower umpires to control games and players. Many blog contributors have ridiculed football, but if umpires had the power of football referees, i.e to 'yellow card' ungentlemanly conduct and to 'red card' dissent, then much of the ridiculous acting and so-called sledging (i.e. tormenting to gain an unfair psychological advantage) would disappear. Players would have to be better behaved: especially if umpires were wired to stump-mike.
Further, endless TV slow-motion replays of contentious events serve only to undermine umpires and bring the game into disrepute. Let them be available to third umpires and match referees only.
Finally, ICC (once given its own powers of control!) should insist that disagreements be discussed and resolved in-house, not paraded on the media stage to the detriment of the game. The test nations have some soul-searching to do...
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Only way ICC can show cricket lovers every where that it had learnt lessons from this test is by changing the rules for better and fairer cricket.
1) any umpire will be removed and retested for elite empire panel if he is found to have made 2 blatant mistakes against any one team in any innings. (this will push standard of umpiring up even if it pushes each umpire to take extra 1 second in making the critical decision.
2 ban all sledging - cricket does not need it . any team that has found to have sledged will forfeit their match fee in the first instance. If team break this rule twice in a row, match captain will be banned at least for one test depending on the severity of sledging.
3. Any batsman does knowingly cheat (catches taken or snicked) will be banned for at least for 1 match. Walking should be the norm.
I am sure other cricket lovers can think a few more.
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Jonathan
I agree with your sentiments, but I am afraid that the media has a lot to answer for.
Television commentators constantly going over and over the film frame in minute detail to try and find out if a batsman is actually out or not, has a lot to answer for in stirring up these problems in cricket.
Radio commentators, of course, have access to television monitors and watch the minute investigation, by the television commentators, and then report it on the radio.
Most Test Match venues have large screen displays where everyone, including the players, can see what has happened.
The media have microphones set in the stumps, so that they can broadcast what is being said and indicate if there has been a "nick"
I am sorry to break it to you, but you and your media colleagues are equally responsible for putting pressure on the umpires, as the players are.
Pause, for a little thought.
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Well played Aggers - spot on a usual.
Is there a faint parallel with football where senior administrators some years ago decided to positively diminish the physical side of football with the aim of developing the skill side of the game. The example of Pele being hacked to bits by the Bulgarians (?) springs to mind.
So - does the spirit of cricket need to be relaunched by the sports governing body in an attempt to return to the hard but fair and honourable approach to our most sublime and entertaining summer game?
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Spot on Aggers. Though I dont believe it is particularly the Aussies to blame. I feel it is a reflection of what has long been a part of football, which has tarnished its image, with prima donna players, and vastly over scrutinised referee decisions. The referee then becomes scapegoat if the result doesnt go their way. How often do you hear a football manager complain about a decision that went their way! It is so one eyed. These instances I think arre signs of exactly the same thing entering cricket. I would suggest instant dismissal for any dissent against the referee, or any disrespect towards other players, let's try and get back to basics, where sport is exactly that. If you win well done, if you lose, better luck next time. I dont think for a moment the players give a moments' thought to what impression they are leaving on children & young fans. It is merely continuing the cycle, who in time take it to an even more unsavoury level.
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we all accept that umpires will make mistakes just as players do. but players do tend to sit out of the next game if they make too many mistakes
if a player costs his team a match, he does expect to be kicked out, but if an umpire costs a team a match we should rally around him & try to make him feel better? why in the world? this is a player's match. umpires are tolerated because they are needed. they are needed to make good decisions. if they cant do that what is their place in a pitch? if they consistantly refuse to improve over 5 long days & appoint ponting a quasi-umpire, if they are deliberately arrogant, should they be tolerated? would you, ir, have said the same things if it was an umpire from the subcontinent?
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Well said Aggers, how about flooding the playing areas with more microphones and maintain a discrete record of any potential verbal abuse. Wire up the Umpires like rugby refs so we can all share the players comments. Also let's see some yellow and red cards, just like rugby, yellow in the bin for 10 minutes, but make it 30 minutes for cricket, two yellows and you are out for 24 hours
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This umpire had been under India's nailbed for a long time. This is not the first time he has rubbed India the wrong way - fifteen years ago,he refused to refer a decision to third / TV umpire and got Tendulakar out against South Africa. He was not out. And stop saying that Umpires will always make errors. Not if the whole world - billion people watching. He is 62 years old. Let him go.
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One comment about "Australia trampling all over the spirit of cricket".
The spirit of cricket is dead. It has been for decades. The first signs of sickness started when a certain English team decided to play the man and not the ball with "Bodyline". That was a blatant case of winning at all costs.
Since then the real killer has been allowed into the game - money. With TV rights and sponsorship has come a river of cash. With players literally earning millions from their game, is it any wonder that winning becomes paramount?
Australia gets singled out because (a.) it is particularly good at sledging and (b.) it wins so often. How many Indian players never walk? Or South African? Or Pakistani? How often do players from those countries appeal when they know the batsman was actually safe? Is the Australian team really alone in commiting these sins?
Let's not be naive. Either we slam the entire professional cricketing world for allowing money to trump sportsmanship or we accept that the "spirit of cricket" has been dead ever since the 50 over format was invented.
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I agree a very good article... lets not allow cricket to become like football - where the sport is run by businessmen and umpires (referees) are knowingly pressured into making wrong decisions by players.
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Well done, as usual, Aggers.
I see one correspondent calls you Agnes. I'm sure Johnners would have loved that!
Good to see the licence fee still being well spent in the nitty-gritty of the Corporation's work, despite the huge amounts spent elsewhere on rubbish.
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Spot-on Aggers, Joseph Cooper, Malcolm Davidson and many others….
Rocket, Jason, Alan, John et al
Having previously lived in Australia for a couple of years I feel justified in making the observation that you simply have some evolutionary catching-up to do before you will understand the point here.
Children (generally between the ages of two and up to early teens) push the boundaries in order to see what they will be allowed to get away with before they learn & understand the co-operative way in which the world operates. It is true also that some people never quite grow out of this behaviour but they generally end up in prison (in a different age sent to distant, remote islands).
Which brings me to the subject of colonisation; this barbaric behaviour was carried out at a time before modern society developed and thankfully most of us have since learned a more collaborative way of cohabiting.
The current Aussie team is so good it simply doesn't have to behave in the childish (you say 'hard') manner it chooses to, the gentleman Adam Gilchrist excepted, in a very similar vein to the bygone antics of genius motor racing driver Michael Schumacher - why tarnish such talent?
The Sydney Morning Herald has it spot on too, as do 60% of its readers...... Ponting should be sacked, immediately.
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I wonder if anyone has asked Adam Gilchrist what he thinks of Symonds' behaviour.
Being one of the few batsmen in the world to 'walk' immediately if he knows he's out, I hope he had a few words with his team mate.
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If I were head of the ICC.
Any player who got a nick, and that nick was later proved via tv replays. They would encounter an automatic one match ban.
The same would apply for grounded catches!
Trust would soon come back into the game.
Last point Ponting you disgust me!
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There is nothing to compare between umpire making mistake and player making mistake.
When player make mistakes, they either lose the match or removed from the tests. If umpire makes mistake, they continue!! If they have nothing to lose, they will continue to make mistakes. They have given opportunity to not make mistake by consulting referee (or third umpire). Why can’t they use that opportunity?
If their ego stops them to consult other, they deserve the punishment.
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Is this article written by one author? He is discussing about Aussies playing hard and sledging etc and next line says thats why steve shouldn't be removed.
For ur kind info steve was not removed cause Aussies sledged, his atrocious one sided decisions.
To err is human, but to err against one team 12 times in one match is match fixing.Tell me one decision by bucknrr which went against Aussies in this game.
And whats wrong in demanding he be removed from further match fixing
Ceedeeram
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My father was born in the UK & I believe that he played cricket in school there. While we played other sports here, Dad would always say to myself & my brothers, "That wouldn't be cricket" to explain why nothing other than good sportsmanship & exemplary behavior would be expected or tolerated. It's sad to read about how the spirit of sportsmanship in cricket has faded.
JJ, New Jersey, USA
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What a great shame and I thought that cricketers would never ever emulate footballers...
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...what is the great game coming to when the only way to win is to intimidate your opponent so that he loses his cool or is this all part of the game that us armchair spectators don't understand. Perhaps the answer is to switch the stunp mikes on real loud so that we can all hear the sledging and judge for ouselves who the culprits are....let the people vote and judge for themselves...perhaps harbajan did make a racial comment...naughty boy but what made him say it..i'm sure mr symonds is no angel and to cry woolf is like running to the teacher when in fact you are the bully boy...come on, lets all grow up now and play this great game in the true spirit it deserves and let true ability and class show through for that is what we want to see
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Brilliant article Aggers,
Spot on.
Being an Ex pat residing on the Gold Coast, I have embraced all things Australian. It did include Australian test cricket (with the exception of the Ashes)...until Stevo stepped down and handed the reigns to Ponting. Absolutely no one who follows cricket could ever play down the achievements of the Australian team under Steve Waugh. They won everything, but won fairly and squarely. However, Ponting's arrogance and win at all cost attitude, is breeding so much contempt throughout the cricket world. Hayden is a childish thug and Brett Lee is petulance personified.
Michael Clark seems to have adopted Ponting's tall poppy syndrome and as for "Roy"!!! Well, Roy has gone from happy go lucky Queensland Bulls Court Jester to Village idiot overnight.
Chris's comments above reflect only those of a small minority of Australian cricket fans.
The rest, like me, who also noted Glen Mcgrath's uncharacteristic dramatic change in attitude under Ponting, are joining the increasing exodus to something other than the unsporting and dare I say it, boring channel 9.
Bring on March. Bring on the AFL Premiership.
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Many valid points raised here however there's still one leak in India's defence of Harbhajhan that baffles me- One minute they claimed that he never called Symonds a "Monkey" the next minute they say "What's wrong with Monkey, we worship them here"....I mean, I'm no expert but shouldn't they at least choose 1 story and stick to that??!!
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Aggers has it spot on I'm afraid. For years the Australians (and other teams for that matter) play under the guise of hard and fair, but the 'fair' element is often lacking. Cricket is becoming more and more like football in the UK, where a complete lack of respect for officials is becoming the norm. However I think there are two sides to this. Players have a duty to be respectful and play in the spirit of the game, and secondly the authorities, namely the ridiculously weak ICC need to start acting like a governing body, not one that plays to the demands of national bodies. The name of the game is respect. My first love is rugby, and even that has changed in recent years with the advent of professionalism, which of course means that more is at stake. But there is still respect for officials and those governing the sport. You tell a referee to **** off and you're off the pitch and suspended, no questions asked. Cricket is becoming like football and if a simialr system were introduced, say a leading batsman like Ponting was behaving like he did, and then wasn't allowed to bat in the second innings... I'm sure he'd shut his mouth then. Of course, things have gone too far now... it's very difficult to backtrack and reverse the changing nature of what is happening to the sport. I just hope that some of these characters fade away rather soon to be replaced with a generation of sportsmen and women who understand the word respect. And as for the so-called Aussie charter on playing hard and fair, one only needs to look at the actions to understand that fair in the words of the Aussie cricket team means to gain an advantage by unfair or foul means so as to trick an official.
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when Australia lost the ashes we copped it on the chin, ricky had a bit of a spit about england substituting bowlers illeagly but we handled ourselves well. we accepted that on that occasion england were better than us.
australia are guilty of sledging but saying we cant take it back is utter crap. its a part of all sports over here. we give as good as we get. the only reason ricky reported singh was because it was a REPEAT offence. if they called any other ausie a monkey they would laugh it off and come back with something better...
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Please note.
Guess which team has had the most action taken against it by the ICC and umpires in the last 10 years and who has had the most players censured for on field behaviour.
India
Here's some stats for you.
Ganguly is the No1 bad boy in world cricket having had to front the ICC 12 times in his career.
Indian players have been charged with 43 infringements in the last 10 years. Charges included intimidating umpires, abusing rival players, ball tampering, time wasting, and widespread dissent.
Of the present touring party in Australia five have been hit with fines and/or suspension.
Pakistan are next with 39 offenses.
Australia rank fourth with 25 offenses.
Note to the rest of the world - Get over it.
Looking forward very much to the 3rd test - 4 Aussie quicks, a grassy bouncy Perth pitch, plenty of "chin music".
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i may add an umpire has to tell the captain regarding any decision he intends to take aganist the side and this what Mr.HAIR didnt do and awarded 5 runs to England(Oval Test)and got the fair treatment and as for Symonds he should ashamed of his upbringing for admitting he was out when on 30 but kept the crease,what sort of message was he sending to young players ? I a keen follower of cricket has noticed the robot like apporach of Austrailian team since S.Waugh became the captain they must remember its a game win or lose as it may come but winning hearts on and off the feild really matters.
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I see Sreesanth mentioned a number of times for his behaviour. I also remember him being fined and banned for that behaviour, I don't recall any umpire citing Aussies for over-appealing or unsportsman conduct, and that is why I think most of the Indians feel that they do not get a fair deal and have to resort to this bullying ICC. Australia were not reported by any of the officials for their on-field bad behaviour, had it been India they would have been reported and fined. However; I do not condone India for the way the incident has been handled and ICC should not have replaced Bucknor, it is a very dangerous presidence to set
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Dear All
I have now read about 1,300 of these comments....all are very intersting!
Firstly, it shows what a passionate game, by the level of response, secondly it shows that people really do care about the future direction of the game and thirdly the majority want to up hold traditions and traits that are hard to find elsewhere in other 'institutions' and organisations - Respect for other humans, regardless of race, crede or ability.
I think the solutions are as follows:
1. Harbajan - as in a court of law - where is the evidence? If proven guilty a year's ban - it is unacceptable behaviour. What is a shame of course is that we cannot turn back the history books of 'how' our forefathers behaved towards people of a different country which was unacceptable and set the tone for many years.
2. Umpires given more support to uphold the traditions of the game that are founded on fantastic principles of human interaction.
Umpires are at threat at all levels. I play competitive club cricket and last year we sacked our professional because umpires would not turn up through fear of being abused by our ex-pro if they made a wrong decision. The idiot gave our club a bad name; he had to be sacked as his behaviour was unacceptable.
The issue with grass roots cricket is that Umpires are hard to find and those that do, do not have adequate training and assessment (bar a few excpetions). It is a hard job and not many people want to do it. We need to make it more attractive and give respect to these fellows - and they must earn it through professionalism and attitude.
3. Australia - They are not alone. If it is that bad, why don't stump Microphones pick it up, this is the role of the 3rd umpire to assess, surely? Although the umpires on the field should control the outcome, they cannot hear a conversation between a batsman and a wicket keeper 22 yards away!!
4. As in all cases of managing change, the players themselves want to have to make it themselves, they need to be engaged to make this happen.
My question is, are the players unhappy enough to do something about? If it is felt that the mental degradation that Australia (and others?) employs is not an acceptable part of the game then do something about it.
I do not hear this debate from the players. If Anil Kumble feels that "only one side was playing cricket" as did Bill Woodfull in 1932-33 it needs to be followed through and it seems to me like the Indian board have lost the point with the umpires when they should have been backing their own players on the matter of fair play - as Don Bradman and the Australian press did back then.
Steve Bucknor has been caught up in poor administration (his decisions have been getting progressively dubious) but don't treat the man as the fool guy - this is not his fault!
I also have no issue with Benson asking the captain/player if he thought it was out. As a cricketer you know if you nicked a ball behind or grounded a catch. If you are not sure - it is not out, the same as if the umpire cannot be sure, it is not out. Can Symonds hold his head high when he retires, no, his career will become meaningless? What you have to question of course is how many other decent players has he rode over to get his spot through lying and cheating – this has always been my personal issue with selecting sportsman – those with the biggest gobs with the highest popularity stakes normally get selected – not best players! As proven time and time again, these characters bring the game into disrepute.
It is a beautiful game and we should be fighting for its future.
Best wishes
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Agers,
Sorry, I forgot to say, what a fantastic debate...and the right debate to be having!
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I am at a loss to understand what all the fuss is about. I watched the last day of the 2nd test and it was totally gripping. Who could blame the players for getting a bit anxious, they are human after all. This has been a media commentator beat up, probably as they need to find something new to say when Australia wins all the time. And the Indian cricket team hasn't exactly been innocent but where is the criticism there? I'm afraid its the same old jealousies coming out. Maybe some other teams should step up the mark and start to provide a challenge, that is what cricket truly needs.
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I feel this is part of a power struggle between the ICC and Asian Cricket. The Asian teams have been disrupting the very fabric of the sport by undermining the officials. Remember against England refusing to come out and play, then questionable results in teh world cup and now refusing to continue the tour in Australia. It isnt a coincidence that crcket is far more popular in Asia than anywhere else in the world but the power lies in the UK.
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The underlying problem stemming from the comments on this blog is the ICC.
They are supposed to be the governing body, yet they act with total ineptitude, both before and after any incident. Examples have been plenty. In essence you could argue that they are worse than the 'old farts' from rugby union.
One of the first things they must do is to instruct umpires to use the technology at their fingertips if there is any question of doubt. This would certainly have avoided a few incidents in the last game.
The lack of sportsmanship generally in cricket is also very apparent these days. Again the ICC could and should have done something about this a long time ago. If you leave a wound to fester it will go sceptic and then you have even more of a problem.
I am glad that Ponting and Kumble have sat down and talked. The fact that Hogg no longer faces a charge is admirable. Perhaps the charge against Harbajan could also be dropped in the spirit of the game especially as there still doesn't seem to be any evidence that the comment was made. Add to that, as the media suggest, the fact he was goaded rather than it being said out of malice, there seems to be a mountain made out of a molehill.
Clearly there is no room for racism in sport or in any other area of life and I fully support that.
That just leaves Mr Bucknor, the poor old scapegoat. Sure he had an off day or two but the ICC should have dealt with that in a far better way than they did.
For the future, I challenge the ICC to make good their failings of the past and make many changes that are long overdew before it is too late and cricket suffers again. They have to stand up and be accountable to the game, otherwise they must make way for people who can do a proper job.
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Perhaps it is the commentators who are the problem.
How easy it is to make judgements dispassionately from the sideline with the benefit of hindsight and slow-motion replays.
It's all very easy to see what should have been done now, isn't it ?
What would the players give to be able to have these benefits before acting ?
What would the umpires give ?
How about a little realism.
How about some empathy
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As always Jonathan, insightful, honest, and completely right. Australia play a very nasty brand of cricket these days and it needs to be stamped out. As for the umpires, in my opinion, Bucknor, Harper, Benson, and Koertzen are not up to the job.
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I feel really sorry to see the timid and spineless behavior of the Indian authorities, in the name of diplomacy and friendliness. This reinforces the image of teh "weak Indian" ready to face any assault without the slightest of protests.
India had the opportunity to make a point to the world - withdraw from the series, and not accept anything less than a withdrawl of the charges against Harbhajan AND an apology from all concerned.
Now the moment is gone. Australians must be laughing all the way, and Indians will praise theselves with a false sense of "fairplay" and "spirit". What utter rot!
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Australians should learn to play cricket in a way which is acceptable to the rest of the world.
Like FIFA, football governing body, ICC should take serious actions against foul play or against players who are trying to defuse match officials.
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Cricket is no longer gentelmen's game. may god bless every one
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I totally agree with the comments made, with the Aussies it's a case of win at any cost. Also applies to other national sides as well. I wonder what will happenn to the game when the players behave like the players in the NFL (American football) Jump up and down after every tackle, beat their chests in triumph when an opponent is forced to the ground. There is no end to the antics of the players except that a player can be penalized for overenthusiasm after scoring a touch down. Strange considereing what goes on. My point is. It will not be long before these antics invade the cricket pitch and then all semblance of the gentlemanly (or what is left of it)game of cricket will be lost. Don't blame the umpires for mistakes, they are only human. Blame the blatant proffesionalism that has entered into every sport when money does the talking.
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The ICC publishes Statistics on almost every aspect of Cricket, some not very flattering such as "most ducks in test matches".
Yet there are no performance stats for Umpires, who can & have had major influences on the outcome of a cricket match -such as the 2nd Test @ Sydney. They can also adversely affect an individual's future career.
Players are frequently dropped after very few bad performances, why not umpires?
Whose game is it anyway - Cricket players or Officials?
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Its circular, but.... We are having this debate because the losing team raised a stink about it, because they lost. Had India won, things would have been ok. Why cant we place ultra sensitive microphones near the stumps so that close in conversations can be picked up at least for the match referee or third umpire.
Although I think unsettling the batsman, through pressure tactics is fair game (as long as it does not violate personal respect). Like in tennis, a fielding side should have the right to appeal to the third umpire for a limited number of times per innings - like 2 or something. Likewise for the batting side. This way we can ensure judicious usage of honest appealing and a feeling that "serious" umpiring errors can be ajudicated well.
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As of today, Indian Board seems to have mellowed - they are going to continue the series, they are also going to know Harbhajjan's fate after the series is over (quite conviniently) and finally nothing seems to have happened except Bucknor being sacked.
I think Indian Board should stop looking after the game of cricket and stop protesting so mildly.
They were done for good by the home team, by the officials and this really does not seem to be the first time it has happened. Remember in South Africa when even Sachin Tendulkar was accused of match fixing.
ICC must come up with strong officials who will not put up with bullshit criminal attitude of the aussies and be in control of the game so it will never reach this stage.
if the law makers are not firm enough, crooks and thugs will always be themselves, while the good people will always get bullied and be nice, even in protest.
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It all boils down to the term sporting. Is Cricket a sport or a business? If it is a sport then all unsporting conduct can be reviewed retrospectively and any results annulled. Teams seen to be using unsporting tactics to succeed can be fined as can individuals.
The board or panel making the decision should be a broad colledge of sporting personalities that can be from many countries. Each time an assessment needs to be made seven members will be selected to adjudge on the issue.
The annullment of results will be critical in the focus of the participants and sporting conduct will be brought to the fore.
Let us not ape the originators of this game and talk a lot of sport and ensure a win unsportingly, or those that are trying yet again to make monkeys of the sporting by diplomatic bullshit.
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As an australian and someone who still actually plays cricket, I'm just going to have to disagree with all these Poms agreeing with you Aggers. Merely out of principle obviously, but also because I sense in their comments a lack of appreciation for the stresses and strains of high-level of cricket.
Secondly, let's not over-dramatise this problem. If it is an issue with the players, then yes, they must be dealt with individually and in an unbiased manner. Having a go at sponsors, who are supporting a game that needs all the PR help it can get, is unnecessary. Your last two paragraphs are arguably the most melodramatic thing written in sports journalism since...well, Peter Roebuck's recent SMH article.
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When an upmire makes 90% of deceision against one team then it is not an umpiring error. It is called one sided umpiring and total incompetence. Such an incompetent upires should be removed immidately. Mr. Buckenor has history of making wring decesions against India.
Thanks
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I do agree with the article. Players should not hold the game ransom at any point and this culture of abandoning the tour should be slashed by ICC. But saying that I do not agree about what is said abt Darrel Hair, he clearly had something against the asian teams. Remember it wasnt only Pakistan complaining about him, there was Sirlanka and India as well. and no doubt he brought the shame to game and is the man responsible for the culture of teams threatening to withdraw from tours, which we see now.
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Very intuitive article even for one who has a peripheral knowledge of cricket. Does raise issues thatb are relevant for most sports today.
look forward to reading more.
Niall Cremen
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I must with bowed head agree with Aggers. It is not a happy time for many Aussies. I take pride as an Aussie when Adam Gilchrist walks. I feel ashamed that Symonds knowing he's obviously out, stands there hoping to fool the umpire.
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What a load of rubbish - I think Aggers has been living on a different planet these past few years.
The Australians don't deserve any praise for being bullys.
Brucknor has made a lot of mistakes over the past three years - as Dickie Bird rightly put it " He should have retired after the world cup matches"
What about Mike Proctor the referee?
Whats the point of having a referee who was obviously not paying attention to what was happening out in the middle.
The Referee and the Umpires should be held responsible -
Open your eyes Aggers - I used to think you were a great writer - ?????
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Problem is not with the players but the ICC for being sycophantic to both their players and their countries. Too scared to impose discipline for unfair play or chucking, they instead single out the poor misguided, mishandled and misled umpires.
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Some years ago, having decided that American Baseball had changed into a drug-ridden enterprise of Big Business, I turned to Cricket.
Now Cricket is going the way of all things in our era, as the game is progressively stripped of all circumstances except those dealing with the Big Business of Entertainment.
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I think it will be interesting if some one probes into role of umpires in match fixing!
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How would you feel if England were given seven wrong decisions against them by umpire Steve? Would you still favor him? Dont you think he is too old now to retire? Why dont we have more umpires in the ICC panel? Its high time now that some one should raise this issue and thats what the governing body did! Hats off to them to make the situation more calm now.
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Agree entirely with your comments Johnathan. The approach of the Australians has to be rectified or at the very least toned down somewhat. There is nothing wrong with playing the game "hard"- blimey everybody plays the game "hard" even atclub cricket level. But one needs to play the game fairly.
What I completely object to is the way the Aussies trample over the spirit of the game. Under Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh, the Australians at least played the game hard BUT FAIR. Under Ponting we see a new attitude. It is a "sod spirit or fairness, lets just win boys" approach. What about honesty from the players? Why didn't Symonds just walk- the nick could be heard in London. Playing in the spirit of the game is alien to Ponting's men. Is winning and success so necessary for Ponting and co that they are willing to do anything to get it. Seems so at present.
I feel sorry most for Steve Bucknor here. Over the years Steve has been an excellent umpire. Yes, he made one or two poor mistakes in the last test in Sydney. However, he hasn't made too many over a career spanning 120 test matches. To treat him the way the ICC has treated him- all genuine cricket lovers should feel real hurt and shame right now.
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I think that it is sad that an undoubtedly great cricketing team will be remembered for it's ugly behaviour.
All the records in the world will not atone for the unforgivable outburst from Ponting on their Ashes tour here. The arrogant taunts from Hayden and McGrath also left a sour taste; albeit that they fell flat on their faces.
The Australians invented 'sledging' it is an integral part of their game. Ask Grade cricketers in Australia even they suffer abuse, they shouldn't 'whinge' if the opposition treats them to a bit of the same.
If the Australian team believe that they are Great why do they have to behave like spoilt prima donnas.
No team is greater than the game it plays, if it should ever become so that sport would die.
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In the 1930s, and I think for some time even after the Second War to End All Wars, some things about the Greatest Game in the World were in need of improvement: for instance that Test sides could only be captained by Gentlemen (i.e., amateurs), never Players (Professionals), who were not allowed to come onto the field down the pavilion steps like the Gentlemen but from a separate entrance. Once on the field, however, the initial snobberies were forgotten, and the game was played by two clean and honest teams.
Their use of the term "Sledging", accidentally perhaps, epitomises the failed attitudes of some of to-day's players towards a game they no longer love: sledging is a winter, not a summer sport, and occasionally dangerous. It is becoming increasingly dangerous for a once graceful, decent game.
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Let's just clear all this up...
1) Australia are the best team in the history of cricket, one of many reasons for this is their attitude. They go out there to unsettle the opposition, then cash in when they get a response. Nothing wrong with this - their job is to win cricket matches, so can we all stop this nonsense about the "spirit of cricket". I'd love it if England were recognised as the nastiest team out there, and suspect we'd win more games if we were.
2) Symonds was absolutely right not to walk, and also right to be honest about getting an edge in the press conference. It is the job of the umpire to give the batter out - until the finger of the umpire is raised, the batter has every right to stay there. And if the umpire makes a bad decision, the batter also has every right to tell the umpire this as he walks off.
3) Bucknor is past it...over the hill...stick a fork in him, he's done. His decision-making has been awful for the past few years, and he's not fit to be a test match umpire. It was right to drop him, and he should now be encouraged to retire whilst he retains some dignity. He was a fine umpire, but age has caught up, and it's time to go
So let's get real. International cricket is tough, and mentally hard. I want to watch exactly this kind of cricket, so if Aggers and his traditional old friends don't, they can be put out to pasture and we can find some people who actually understand what top level sport is about.
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Spot on Aggers. There is a clear and present danger that some aspects of international cricket are heading down the putrid route that English football has travelled, which has left a once great sport grossly rich but at the same time spoilt, ignorant and deeply unwatchable. The people at the ICC are horribly reminiscent of the money-grubbers at the FA and Premier League who appear to be frightened to discipline the spoilt brats who are ruining the game.
Sometimes I can't work out whether the Aussies are worse losers or winners - some days they are gracious and reasonable, some days they are more like Manchester United's sulky, whining thickos.
But I am equally tired of listening to Indian, and even more, Pakistani cricket screeching incessantly about how everyone is picking on them, everyone is racist, everything is an insult to their country. Grow up. Everyone gets bad decisions: some teams sulk, others get on with it.
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do not agree at all...........................if you err once it can be forgiven but if repeatedly that also when there are latest techniques with third umpire giving a wrong decision in haste may change the game......as it did in sydney test......if bucknor's first decision of symonds was given correctly....australia may have lost.....and even if second of Dravid given correctly.....it may have been a draw......
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There are lots of threads in this and the subject will be remembered for a long time. But let's get some facts straight succintly:
a) the debate is largely polarised between white and asian. of asians using economic clout in a DASTARDLY manner vs. cold analysis of the aussie's, umpires' and referee's actions in this match, with considerable "previous".
b) some exceptions in support of the asian view, and some asian attempts to put it down to fate and move on.
c) of course, there is no problem per se in sledging but, by natural law, a personal afront excuses the agrieved of any injudicious comment; so even if HS did say monkey AND referred to DS's looks too, there can be no charge to answer. Therefore, how did Proctor arrive at his conviction, with only hearsay and with counter witness.
d) Furthermore, sledging is not part of the rules of the game so, if Symonds wants to START the antic, Singh is entitled to use whetever language he selects, without prejudice.
Some further thoughts:
1. Why have the umpires not reported the Aussies for overreacting, feigning, and ungentlemanly behaviour on the pitch. They are entitled to do so yet tend to reserve this charge for Asians!! Hmmm.
2. I agree with an earlier comment that the Indians have let Mr. Hogg, the Aussies and the ICC off the hook, for the bigger picture. FOOLS - this is one area in which they should copy the Pakistanis!
3. Finally, wait till another White official is ready to retire or publish his memoirs. Will it be against Sri Lanka or Bangladesh next?? I hope no Asian has or will buy Denness's, Hair's or Proctor's books.
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I disagree with Jonathan. Saying players are at fault is a complete cop-out.
The analysis needs to be taken another step further. If this was a one off incident (or over a period of few months) then I could agree with Jonathan. However, Keeping the game under control is the mandate of ICC and Umpires are the on-field ambassadors of that.
ICC has failed to do two things
1) By its lack of action or comment, effectively "allowed" sledging to grow and become acceptable.
2) And by never punishing the perpetrator it has made "conning" the umpire to be also acceptable - and undermined their position.
This is not dissimilar to Soccer where a goal (or penalty claim) that shd be disallowed stands, if the referee does not spot it then and there. The reward is so big and the punishment so small that it is practically an encouragement.
ICC must accept a large part of the blame for years of inaction.
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When umpires make mistakes ... you say they are human also. Fair enough. But then if they human ... they could be BIASED too !!! The 5th person, who got Tendulkar out the most ... Bucknor !!!
Put that in your pipe Mr. Aggers !!!
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Whenever an incident occurs between an Asian team and a non-Asian team there is always talk of anti-asian bias or racism. To explain what happened here in those terms is ridiculous!
What happened and has been happening in many sports for some time is that if there is any bias (and I don't believe that there is any racism here) it is towards the top teams (what I refer to as the "Manchester United effect"). The top team in cricket for some time has been Australia and decisions have been going their way for some time. The possible exception to that was the last Ashes tour to England when we saw what happened. We also saw the Australian behaviour when things didn't quite go their way. Who can forget Ponting's childish reaction to losing! And, in my opinion, he is the root of the problem in this Australian team. It's one thing to be confident and to play hard to win but another to be arrogant and expect to win every game (and get upset and blame other factors if you don't).
Yes, I agree with the general point that Aggers makes which is that the players are to blame. Ponting giving Ganguly out when it was clear that the ball had not carried should be recorded as one of the lowest points in test cricket.
However, it has to be said that some of the umpiring decisions in this match were dire. And not only by Bucknor. I know that umpires are human and that, statistically, they get a very high proportion of the decisions right but I think the time has come to embrace technology to give them every help. Most of the bad decisions would only have needed one replay for the correct call to be made.
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Good to see the Indians have rejected the "trust the fielder" agreement on catches for future matches. If you don't walk when caught, (and then gloat about it!), how do you expect anyone to trust you on anything, especially something as critical as catches? Cake and eat it? Get real aussies, you've only yourselves to blame.
I don't care what others say about the money and everything else, right is right, cheating is cheating, in life and cricket. It is cynicism to state otherwise. We need to stress that to players and kids, without it we should all be called 'monkeys', as that's what differentiates us.
So it's good this aussie team lost the kudos they would expect from 16 straight wins because of the way they achieved it. The team is good enough to get their results without cheating, and we would give them their just deserts and honour if they did so. They would have far greater respect from me for 10 tests in a row won with honour, than 20 without. Rise above it and earn the true accolades you deserve for your cricketting skills AND spirit!
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Totally agree with Aggers - if we are not careful we will end up with cricket being administered like football. The (overpaid)players behaving like prima donnas, being supported (actively or passively) by the managers and clubs and the ruling bodies doing absolutely nothing about imposing rules/regulations. The way referees are treated in football is a disgrace and before any manager or ruling body are allowed to change any of them they should impose a protocol which forces the clubs/players to behave in a way deemed appropriate by the authorities. If players/clubs object then they should be heavily punsihed. However, in my life I will probably die before football does anything to address this - as a rugby player/fan I am concerned at the way rugby is moving down the wrong path with officials and hope that cricket does something quickly!! I am not convinced that our ruling bodies in any of these sports are of the right material to do anything about this though unfortunately. How about Aggers and others like him moving into sports ruling bodies.
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Well, I haven't had the chance to read all of the comments, but there is clearly a lot of support for your viewpoint .. no surprise there!
However, I don't think that we can lay the 'blame' solely at the feet of the players; although they are extremely culpable is this instance. I believe that there real source of change in behaviour lies with the ICC. Time and time again over the last 5 years they have failed to act in the best interests of the game and now routinely surrender to individual Boards - particularly the more powerful ones. Jonathan's point about the Pakistan Board is a good one, but it goes back further than that, to the 2003 World Cup where they could have cancelled plans for games in Zimbabwe but, instead, bowed down to the money men.
I'm sure there are many other cases in those 5 years, and I'm afraid we are already on a slippery slope that it may be too late to get off. So come on ICC show some backbone, reinstate Steve Bucknor (who was, until recently, rated as one of the best in the business ... has he suddenly got that bad?!); tell Australia to play the game properly and stop pussy-footing around!!!
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Spot on!
Steve Bucknor has been made a scape goat for this issue when it has nothing to do with him. There is no way any party involved would allow the tour to cancelled due to the revenue involved, therefore something had to give and that, sadly, was Bucknor.
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I do agree with Aggers and do feel the Players should shoulder the blame. Especially the Aussies. I feel India were foolish to accept a 'Gentleman's agreement' on cathces when every Aussie bar one admits they will not walk even if they know they nicked one. How can you trust someone with that attitude.
As for Bucknor he should have been rested but not the way it happened. The ICC should have a system like the Premiership were Referees are rested a weekend or dropped to the Championship if they make too many bad mistakes in a match. The ICC should have dropped him for having a bad match.
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The problem here is that the spirit of fairplay for one person is a spirit of amateurishness for another. Unfortunately the days of the plucky part-timer are gone and the game is now dominated by teams who play all year round, and, as anyone who plays sport knows, it is far better to win than to loose. This feeling must be intensified when playing under media scrutiny and to a demandinding schedule.
The other clear issue is that there is no definition of what players can and can't do on the pitch, a general "spirit" is worthy but ineffective in this context. This is made worse when we see bold umpiring and refereeing undermined by the authorities. As I see it there are therfore two options. Write a list of rules and guidelines about behaviour on the pitch: 1. No jelly beans. 2. No disrespectful talking to or about the batsmen within earshot. etc etc. The alternative is to respect the discretion of the match officials, and allow their calls about difficult incidents to stand.
The other alternative is to let the game descend into endless disagreements about motive, intent, misunderstanding. Worse will be a decline in umpiring standards as good men decide that they can earn their crust without being diminished in front of a global audience.
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The problem here is that the spirit of fairplay for one person is a spirit of amateurishness for another. Unfortunately the days of the plucky part-timer are gone and the game is now dominated by teams who play all year round, and, as anyone who plays sport knows, it is far better to win than to loose. This feeling must be intensified when playing under media scrutiny and to a demandinding schedule.
The other clear issue is that there is no definition of what players can and can't do on the pitch, a general "spirit" is worthy but ineffective in this context. This is made worse when we see bold umpiring and refereeing undermined by the authorities. As I see it there are therfore two options. Write a list of rules and guidelines about behaviour on the pitch: 1. No jelly beans. 2. No disrespectful talking to or about the batsmen within earshot. etc etc. The alternative is to respect the discretion of the match officials, and allow their calls about difficult incidents to stand.
The other alternative is to let the game descend into endless disagreements about motive, intent, misunderstanding. Worse will be a decline in umpiring standards as good men decide that they can earn their crust without being diminished in front of a global audience.
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Cricket is truly at a crossroads. On the one hand we have a world beating team who play it the 'hard' way to win at any cost. On the other, we have teams without enough mental strength and play too 'soft' and into the aggressor's hands.
As with regard to the ICC, there is no clear distinction between playing hard and fair cricket. Teams have to be clearly reminded about what the game of cricket is all about, a gentleman's game.
Banning the umpires may not be a great idea, but to be fair to the game, we do not have the best umpires in the game today.
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What a balanced and fair assessment of the rather disappointing situation of international cricket today! I have followed cricket as a fan for over 20 years atleast and remember the days when it truly lived up to being the "gentlemens game". Sadly, as it has gotten more competitive and affluent, the spirit of sportsmanship has all but disappeared. I would say that most of the part of this change for the worse has been Australia's doing in the recent past when I have been shocked time and again at how that team has behaved. But the blame rests on all players who let this type of aggression get the better of their sensibility and sportsmanship. Cricket is truly at a crossroads and like a lot of posters to this, I too think its going to only get worse as long as the oodles of money keep coming in. I think its upto the sponsors as well to rope this in before it gets out of hand. Instead of rewarding bad behavior with lucrative endorsements, some censure might work?
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The duty to enforce the laws and spirit of the game falls upon cricket umpires and administrators while good sense and self-interest places on players - especially internationals - a duty to play fair and act with respect both the word and spirit of the laws of the game. It is essential therefore that misdemeanour's are publicly reported and penalised; whether failing be by player, umpire, or administrator. It is right an administrator, umpire or player is 'sin-binned' for a period and so deprived of participation and income, as punishment. 'Sledging' should be 'outlawed', whether against player or umpire. I would go further and and make it an 'offence' a player to deliberately or falsely claim or deny a wicket; for example a batsman who knows he or has snicked a catch, should walk.Everyone should share responsibility for good order in cricket including media people who all too readily use negatively sensationalised gutter-level reporting based upon unsavoury innuendo rather. Journalist have an enormous responsibility because they certainly help to form opinions.
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Aggers, as an umpire at club level I find that certain players can be a bit nasty, however, by employing a bit of humour, this can be overcome.
What we have here is the spirit of cricket being threatened by becoming footballesqu, diguised as playing the game hard,but fair, so did Chopper Harris & co.
I am also of the opinion that the gutless authorities have opened the door teams to dictate who THEY want to stand.
What they seem to forget, or not consider, is without an umpire the game does not function.
Finally, as an observation of the events of the previous test the famous quote by Corporal Jones from Dads Army does seem appropriate.
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Mr. Bucknor is an experienced West Indies umpire. But, I am wondering any money involved now a days in umpiring? Why he made mistake only against India, now against Australia?
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nice. umpire asks whether its actually out to the captain of the opposite team. clever..........
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The majority of comments are laughable, pitiful or pathetic. Realistically the only way to judge if a player is out is by an umpires decision.
Most of the technology is inaccurate (hawkeye especially). Then there are doddery old men in commentary boxes, far from the action, making judgements based on dodgy technology.
Players are blaming everything except their own shortcomings for their failure to make runs.
Journalists need to examine themselves to see whether they are truly reporting in a balanced way. To me it seems they are merely spitting vitriol for varied personal reasons...I'm sure you can work those reasons out for yourself.
As for sledging ... did the naughty big boys in the opposition say a naughty word to you, my poor little babycakes? Awww.
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Bravo for the article.Sad to the person who said it is pitiful and pathetic.The Indian team seems to have become pompous!Spearheaded by Ganguly and Dravid. Ganguly,for the past 10 years has shown his arrogance wherever he goes.In the past,men play the game as it should.Today,it is for the love of money.All English sports have become Americanised.Like American sports,they have gone astray.This article should be hung on the door of every player so they can come to grips with the problem.Fix it lads.
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Get over it people!
What is the definition of not being able to take it anyway? Would it be something like the players threatening to walk away from a tournament, the fans burning effigies and the nation holding the game to ransom?
The better team once again won as we do time and time again. There is a difference between bad sportsmanship and cheating, acknowledging Australia's part in the former, but I dare say our current opponents' more blatant part in the latter.
People need to stop this tall poppy syndrome and sit up and notice the all-round brilliance of this team and start blaming their own shortcomings rather than misguided attempts at justifying the dominance.
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Why is it that one finds only the Asian Cricket Teams at the wrong end of the stick when it come to either umpiring or match referee decisions or scrutinizing behaviour of the players on the field. Its about time the cricket boards of India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan got to gether and set right the imbalance.
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"I've not travelled 6,000 miles to make friends. I'm here to win the Ashes."
Said by Douglas Jardine, the English captain for the bodyline series.
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I HAVE NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ EACH AND EVERY POST BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY I AGGREE WITH THE ARTICLE AND MOST OF THE POSTS I HAVE READ BUT I DO THINK EVERYONE IS MISSING A/THE POINT.
WE HAVE 3RD UMPIRE DECESIONS ON THINGS LIKE RUN OUTS SO WHY NOT IF A BATTER OR BOWLER DISAGREES WITH A DECISION THEN THE 3RD UMPIRE SHOULD BE CONSULTED.
NO CHEATING AND SERIES CHANGING CALL ERRORS.
JUST RED OR GREEN LIGHTS.
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I think we can only hope the aussies get beaten in both the tests now so that this debate will suddenly come alive again as almost everyone will agree india had a better chance of winning the second test with quality umpiring.
However, i would liek to point out, international cricket should be hard and reallly really hard. No problems with the aussie approach.
The real problem came up for 2 reasons -
1) these aussie thugs saw it fit to complain about harbhajjan when they themselves have been sledging people like hell for years and
2) even more ridiculously, the umpires and match refrees took the word of these thugs (in on and off field decisions).
Indian board should really have stressed on this part more.
Test cricket is hard and so it shuold be. and so shuold be the officials.
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Responding to Morisey's comment on Jan 14, any inference that can be drawn about statistics depends upon what conclusions the reader wants to draw:
- Bullies generally have a better record than others because they get others riled up and when others react it gives tham an opportunity to complain.
Is it that India and Pakistan have been at the receiving end from Australia for a long time and when they react they are infringing whatever?
Bullies indtimidate not only the others but those in power as well.
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I don't agree with Jonathan. I know that players are partly responsible for wrong umpiring decisions. I think players should be penalised for delibrately false appeals.
Regarding Steve Bucknor's removal, I feel it was appropriate. As Geoff Boycott says umpires should be held responsible for a series of bad decisions which is responsible for the outcome of the match!
Everybody has a shelf life and everyone knows that Steve Bucknor has past his. Even the Great Sachin Tendulkar has to retire one day however experienced he is!
Mr Bucknor should have listened to Dickie Bird and retired before he was pushed.
For great part of the cricketing history, England and Australia controlled the ICC, now is the time for India and Pakistan to return the favour.
Long live the cricket!
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as a cricketer who has played county junior cricket in this country and state cricket in australia and who has been living in australia for the last 5 yrs and went to school in oz. i think that you are correct in principle umpires are not at fault. they are only human and will of course make mistakes. i think steve bucknor to be a fantastic umpire and think he has been wrongly treated by the icc. it is also a shame that we only fault the poor decisions made by umpires but rarely praise the good ones. which bucknor has made lots of. as to your comments that all the australian team do not play in the spirit of the game and that there will adversley affect the future generations is wrong. the players have already been affected down at that level. players are taught to sledge and things to say to batsmen to make him lose cocentration or have a brain explosion. it is not like the players arrived in the test arena and suddenly started sledging. i have played against both hayden and symonds and they don't abuse batsmen they just point out errors in the batsmen technic which play on the batsmen mind. i also diagree that batsmen should have pressure on them to walk. i think it is a persons choice to walk or not as it is for a person to drink or not. the umpire is there to make a decision. also batsmen will often be given out when they are not so i think that you sometimes have to take your luck when it comes. i do think batsmen like michael clark should of course walk when they smash it to 1st or second slip but not for a fine knick like symonds one to keeper should be his choice. i think it wrong also to label players like lee, hussey, jacques, s. clark and johnson in that as they have always played the game hard but fair. it is only a small group of them. i don't think ponting men will be remembered as offensive. they will be remember as competitors who played to win and a group of the fine cricketers and tremendous athletes who are simply breathtaking to watch in the field and without doubt the best all round batting, bowling and fielding side the the game has seen. symonds, hussey, clark and co. who sometimes in their desire to win maybe occasionally boardered on the inappopriate.
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I reproduce below excerpt from Wikipedia on the 1960-1961 Australia-W Indies test series. The cricket was absolutely out-of-this-world, the atmosphere electreic and friendly, and the winner was cricket.
Forty seven years later, Australia plays (ungracious)host to India and the loser is cricket.
Cricket fifty years ago and now is a tragic reflection on what our world has become.
Here is the report of that long-ago test series.
The West Indies cricket team toured Australia in the 1960-61 season under the captaincy of Frank Worrell. Both Worrell and his opposing captain, Richie Benaud, encouraged their teams to play attacking cricket. The first Test of the five match series ended in a dramatic tie, the first of only two instances in Test cricket. Though West Indies narrowly lost the series 2-1, with one draw in addition to the tie, they might easily have won both the last two matches and taken the series 3-1. They took much credit for contributing to such an exciting series and made themselves extremely popular with the Australian public. Prior to their departure from Australia, the team were paraded through Melbourne in open-top cars on February 17, 1961, and were cheered by enormous crowds.
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Well , what happened at Sydney is just a symptom of what is happening in society . When the amount of money involved( such as endorsement ) , winning is all too important and it will be reasonable to stop calling the cricket as gentlemen's game and take to be another competitive sport making interesting viewing because of the intensity with which it is played. may be most of the cricket followers are still living in the days before big money has come to cricket.
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It does not make sense that Jon Agnew is congratulating Australia for winning 16 in a row while criticizing them for not playing with the right spirit. How does this work Mr. Agnew?
What ever happend on the fifth day of 2nd test between India and Australia is unfortunate. This has hurt the feeling of a lot of people who care about the game, definitely mine.
I used to like Autralia but not any more. I think they play some pathetic cricket and they shouldn't be congratulated for it unless you are Australian Media (I noticed their head doesn't work when it comes to national pride). For any reponsible media outside Australia should not give credit to Autralia for their 16th win over India.
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I don't agree with Jonathan here. His views don't have any merit.
Umpires do make mistakes, but to defend them for their mistakes even if they are few is not right. These mistakes may cost some young talented players their future players. (For example: Ishant Sharma). If umpires are making too mistakes they should not be there. That's why you and I are not standing there to do umpiring.
And also Indian cricket came heavily on Steve Bucknor not only because of the mistakes he made in this test, but from the mistakes he made in India VS Australia 2003-2004 series in Australia which costed India, a series win in Australia and other series in which Bucknor umpired when India is playing.
I think Mark Benson also deserved to be sacked because of poor umpiring, he is lucky to escape with out any punishment.
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Great comment! Why congratulate the Aussies? The Paskistani forfeited their test. Why not strip Ponting & Co of their win?
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One contributing factor is that umpires dont have / use access to modern technology. An armchair pundit watching TV, slow-motion replays, snickometers, computer displays, etc has a better feel for what happened than the umpire behind the wicket (moderating multibillion $ entertainment events) . That makes no sense at all.
50 years ago, the person behind the stumps was in the best position to judge if the batsman was out; now he probably knows/sees less than almost everybody else. Lets get real and provide umpires the tools they need. That will have some consequences (1) the umpire becomes a relayer of decisions made in the pavilion (2)it might elmininate half of the cricket-related arguments and debates in pubs, living rooms, email groups etc etc..
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Could anyone fairly say that if they had been caught "out", and the umpire said "not out". Would you ask him why you were "not out"?
NO !!!!!!
You would assume that there was a reason for the umpires decision to let you play on..........and stay there.
"Walking" may not always be the right decision.
Try traveling to a foreign country (India), and facing angry, racist crowds for days on end. Compare that to the comfort that teams receive when visiting Sydney.
If an umpire is consistently making poor judgements they should be removed from the tour. It is only fair that they be rested.
adjunct...........see
https://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=368583
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I am a West Indian and love the game of cricket. I have watched Australia beat every team in the world. What I have not enjoyed is the way they go about it. If you are truly a champion team, you do not need to use negative and unsportsmanlike tactics in order to win. Sadly this is a problem with many of the cricket teams around the world. Winning is more important than doing the right thing. I have always admired Brian Lara for the way he plays the game. Once he knows he has played the ball and is caught, he does not wait for the umpire to give him out; he walks. I hope that all cricketers can emulate him.
I was shocked by the removal of umpire Steve Bucknor from the Third Test between India and Australia. What a shame!
It seems like the ICC is now being manipulated by powerful teams. If you ask any cricketing country whether they were entirely satisfied by umpiring decisions in any series you would find that many were not. Umpires are human and will make mistakes. The ICC should decide now whether they are in control oif the game and if not, resign.
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The Gentleman's Game ?
Bodyline killed any gentlemanly code of conduct that existed in cricket, and for that we can thank the English.
You made your own bed, now lie in it.
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Could anyone fairly say that if they had been caught "out", and the umpire said "not out". Would you ask him why you were "not out"?
NO !!!!!!
You would assume that there was a reason for the umpires decision to let you play on..........and stay there.
"Walking" may not always be the right decision.
Try traveling to a foreign country (India), and facing angry, racist crowds for days on end. Compare that to the comfort that teams receive when visiting Sydney.
If an umpire is consistently making poor judgements they should be removed from the tour. It is only fair that they be rested.
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Two issues here:
The comment made by HS to AS: Team captains are under strict instructions to report ANY racial slurs immediately that happen during a match, by either supporters or players. RP was doing no more than follow instructions. After a hearing, HS received a ban which he has not appealed. I don't know what was or was not said, but you can draw the conclusion you like from it.
Team conduct during the game: There is nothing wrong with a bit of sledging during a game, it has gone on for years and at the right level adds to the spirit of the game. Intimidation during a game has gone on for ages too - last man in, bit of a rabbit, 10 men crowding in around the bat - you don't need to say a word.
That said, there is one thing that goes on in the modern game that I cannot condone. Cheating.
If you win a game through cheating, the record books may say what they say, but your achievement will never truly be recognised.
This is possibly one of the greatest test sides ever to have graced the game. But for many people, their achievements will never be held in as high regard as other teams, because they have been prepared to cheat to get them. And that is a real shame.
No issues with a bit of sledging and intimidation, as long as it is not really personal or physical and respect for the umpires, the other team and the game is maintained. Play the game hard but fair lads.
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Well said Aggers!
My sixpen'orth is that the powers that be (The ICC) should instruct all umpires to strictly enforce the laws of cricket. If this means that the game is played in total silence apart from the occasional legitimate appeal so be it. The current situation cannot be allowed to continue.
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Rubbish Aggers. Tall Poppy Syndrome at its best. You have teams that deliberately scuff the pitch, throw jelly beans, ball tamper (Atherton lets not forget), racially abuse opposition, illegally throw matches....
And your problem is a failure to walk, sledging and aggressive appealing?
If Australia weren't so good you wouldn't bother.
But as a journo its what the English readers want to hear. Well done on your on pandering to an inferiority complex.
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If WG Grace is the name which automatically springs to mind when thinking of the early years of cricket, then who came up with the notion that cricket was ever a gentleman's games played fairly by 2 teams? It's always been a rubbish concept.
Also 2 points on sledging
1. There is a difference between sledging and making racist comments. I am staggered by the number of people on this list unable to grasp this concept.
2. Ponting has got to be dirty on AB, MT and SW for all seemingly getting off 100% free by the media on this topic. The on field antics of Waugh's men were far worse than this current squad. Now even Aggers is rewritting history with his "last three years" line.
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I agree 100% with every thing said in this artical by Jonathan.
Well done Jonathan for not shying away from these serious issues.
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Eeeh bah gum, There are a lot of cheeky monkeys about.
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I agree with everything aggers is saying. In my eyes Sri Lanka is the #1 cricket playing country in the planet. Sri Lanka plays the game with such zest, passion, and desire, and most importantly within the constructs of the game. Aussies, stick to rugby.
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I actually believe that cricket may well be split in two at some point down the line; where a more aggressive - colourful, physical, gambling driven, fireworks and all - one day version of the game will exist, independently from the traditional form of the game: Testosterone Cricket Vs Test Cricket. And of course, wages will differ accordingly.
I also believe that a split such as this would be one of the only ways, save an environmental disaster, in which a pure version of the game can survive.
But, as long as there are elderly gentlemen, young children, fields, hedges, twigs, mudflats and icebergs, cricket will remain; it is one of the greatest ideas we have come up with: a true religion . It must be saved.
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Aggers has hit the nail on the head here. The Australian team are without doubt magnificent cricket players, and a joy to watch most of the time, even when stuffing England! But, with one notable exception, they have absolutely no respect for the game that provides them with their undoubtedly high standard of living. That one exception? Adam Gilchrist, who always walks when he nicks it. Surely those that don't walk know that the TV technology now being used will show them as a cheat if the umpire gives them not out. Because that is all they are. I play village cricket, only friendlies, and thankfully the spirit of the game still survives this far down the ladder. We see the other side of the coin when / if we are drawn against a league side in a cup match, with players arguing, moaning, sledging. Join the league? No thanks.
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I agree with everything aggers is saying. In my eyes Sri Lanka is the #1 cricket playing country in the planet. Sri Lanka plays the game with such zest, passion, and desire, and most importantly within the constructs of the game. Aussies, stick to rugby.
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Is it the large financial rewards for which the players fight that is the cause of such friction in the game? Well, let us see. Compare for a moment Cricket and Snooker. In the past fourty years the financial rewards for the top players in both of these sports have grown dramatically. During this period Snooker has managed to shake off its murky past and is now regarded as one where the highest code of ethics apply. Cricket, on the other hand, has moved in the opposite direction, so much so that we no longer use the phrase, "It's not cricket", to describe poor conduct. So why should two sports, over the same period of time and with similar changes to their finances, have gone in such opposite directions? This question then begs the next question: Is cricket really ready for professionalism?
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The number of responses to this article clearly demonstates the feeling about this issue, and primarily in Aggers favour. The present series in Australia and events therein, has highlighted the extent to which teams are prepared to go in getting the upper hand. For an umpire to be made scapegoat is outrageous in the extreme. Personally, I am for playing the game hard, but the level of banter / sledging / abuse / excessive appealing, call it what you like, has reached a level beyond the "spirit of the game". Rules (and Laws in cricket's case) are made in all areas of life and there will always be groups prepared to push the boundaries and limits set. Australia have been the leaders and done just that, and have tipped this over the edge; whilst doing so, other countries have followed suit. Ponting is primarily responsible for this and fair play to him for trying, but ultimately, he needs to recognise that the limits have been exceeded, and pull it back a peg or three - a shame that won't happen, hence why the issue will never repair. A new standard has been set.
My club run a number of colts X1's and already the kids are following the examples set by their professional "rolemodels". This is not a good sign and I fear the damage has already been done. This is entirely in the players hands to improve behaviour and set a meaningful and lasting standard.
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i think that this article is right on the money. The aussies have brought this poor behaviour to the game and it is unacceptable. i personally feel that it should stop before it gets to late. the aussies need to sort their act out and swallow their pride and put the reputation of the game before their own selfish needs.
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Could not agree entirely with this article - while the players have to behave within limits the umpires also have a job to do.
Umpires decisions impact the game and if people are looking to get fair results out of the game umpiring standard needs to be good.
I am pretty sure noone will like to see results being influenced by umpiring decisions and in this particular case the number of error committed ran into double digits.
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Requested, that umpires should have some kind of device that can record what is being said on the field......it should be a very power full mechanism that should be able to record the wicket keeper and the slip fielders too.....
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Spot-on, Aggers.
Cricket has been sustainable these past 300 years because we have been able to pass on 'the spirit' to the next generation. There is real long-term danger in the message that all will give to the current batch of kids. All modern competitive sport owes its basis to cricket: governing laws, built on an underlying spirit of fair competition. Our generation would indeed be culpable if we allow all sport to degenerate to a WWF-like TV entertainment spectacle. As the forefather, cricket has a responsibility to show leadership.
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i agree with the comment by the journalist, jonathan agnew, i request the icc to have a mechanism attached to the umpire that is able to hear what the players are saying to each other and what they are saying to the umpire. i believe that in the future umpires should no tbe given so much critisism and so much of the blame that they are to be thrown out of cricket. after all they are human and we all do make mistakes
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Good article, but Sreesanth shouldn't be dragged into this. Agreed, some of his antics may have been over the top but if you apply the same standards to everyone, you should be mentioning so many others like Prior, Cook, Nel. Otherwise sounds like Mr Agnew is applying the Raj standards.Sounds like you have an axe to grind, Mr Agnew, as you had against Nassar Hussain.
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As I read the article and readers' comments, I received the news of India's victory over Australia at Perth. While the controversy over umpiring decisions and players' behavior raged, I kept thinking that the only way for a team to come put of it is to play exceptionally good cricket, and beat the rivals comprehensively. The performance of the winning team should be so superior that a couple of bad umpiring decisions and a few aggressive remarks by the opponents are not able to deny it what it deserves - a victory.
This is not to say that there should be no attempt to improve the quality of umpiring and the conduct of the players. But until we have better umpires and players, the only thing the teams can rely on is better performance.
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Thanks for the article that makes many excellent points mostly aimed toward having better sportsmanship than we have witnessed these past few years.
Just before the third test at Perth began, an Australian friend of mine sent me some twenty odd sledges most of which featured gutter-language clearly aimed at unsettling the batsmen. Many excellent players from all countries have been guilty of using unforgivable behavior on field, which turns off those who love cricket for the fantastic game that it is.
When I was playing competetive cricket in the mid-to-late seventies, players were extremely mindful of how they behaved on and off the field. Perhaps I didn't go far enough to experience the mud-slinging that seems to be so common these days. It is also a pity that the Aussies, whom we dearly loved in India (I now live in the U.S.A.), are exhibiting such bad behavior. As kids, we watched that glorious tied Brisbane test between Australia and West Indies so many times and still we could not get enough of it.
The pity nowadays is that those we think are heroes have been reduced to players we will likely despise, notwithstanding their records as there will always be a doubt about how they achieved their honors in the books.
I recall the days when G.R. Vishwanath recalled an Aussie player to bat again when he thought that the umpire made a difficult , but incorrect decision. I have never heard that the umpire took G.R.'s offer as an effront to his abilities.
On the flip side, Tennis has benefitted greatly from using technology to advantage largely due to that genius, but eccentric, John McEnroe's demands. Perhaps, cricket will learn.
It'll be a shame to let cricket go down the tubes. I hope sane minds will prevail. All power to Kumble who seems to value the game more than his own pride.
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Great article but I dont agree regarding the umpire.
Yes, Umpires are human, but such glaring blunders cannot be ignored.
Also, since replays in slow motion are permitted, it is very important that technology be used to prevent errors by the umpires.
Clearly the umpire could have saved his skin by checking with the third umpire, BUT HE DID NOT!
Times have changed with technology. So must the holy cow of "traditions".
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Wow what a passionate argument. the tall poppy syndrome is in full swing. In australia we are very concerned about racism in Aussie Rules football in particular. Accordingly, we feel strongly about insults relating to the colour of a player. Andrew Symonds once hit 16 sixes in a county game and England had a chance of recruiting him. Would their similar criticism of him if he was wearing an English shirt? Somehow I doubt it.
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Being an aussie and a big cricket fan, I am amazed how quickly people are keen to "cut down the tall poppies". ie as soon a chance is found to criticise successful teams its in their boots and all.
During the first test,I saw an interview with Sunny Gavascar. He remarked on how sportsmanlike the Australian team have been in recent years. Brett Lee, Adam Gilchrist and Adam Hussey are just some examples of great players on and off the field.
A couple of questions What would have happened if the Indians had won would they have rushed over to the Australian to console them?
f Australia had lost would the ACB have supported ending the tour.
What was the cause of the problem?
The ignition point was terrible umpiring. I was embarrassed how lucky we were.
The result opened up a cultural issue which began in India where Symonds was used as racist target. we are sensitive to tacism in Australian sport due to aboriginal discrimination in Aussie Rules Football and rugby League. Solutions are found by having those involved meet after the game.
Indians are sensitive to the word Bastard. I'll give you an example of how little offends in Australia.
During the bodyline series, jardine complained to Bill woodfall that someone had called him a bastard BW turned to players and said "which one of you b..ds called this b..d a b..d. Jardine walked off in a huff.
I enjoy your articles Jonathon, but I don't like seeing the tall poppy syndrome. There are 2 teams out there playing cricket but they deserve to be umpired by first class umpires who are able to use technology such as Snickometer. This could have prevented the ignition point.
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Not worth the time to comment, you didn't publish my last one. Was that because I dared to criticise the great Aggers??
Isn't it amazing that the comments that only partly criticise Aggers get published, but the articles debunking his article as a whole are not printed, at least I couldn't find any!! Whoever coined the phrase "whinging pom" knew what they were talking about! What a bunch of sooks!
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Why should a cricket umpire be the only person in the world not be held responsible for his mistakes...at work? Why should his decision be paramount and final..even when incorrect at the expense of a result? Why not think outside the box? Do we need umpires any more...when technology is at hand?How does the icc justify half measure of using replay for catches,run outs and stumpings but for everything else that it can be used for?
Surinder
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As a Pom living in OZ, I am appalled at the double standards of media and the players in the Australian team. They always branded us as sooks (whingers and whiners) but now its their turn to shed some tears in public (click on URL to read the article below).
https://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23076777-10389,00.html
Pathetic Andrew Symonds waved his bat to indicate that he nicked the bowl to the umpire when he was given out LBW but he didn't bother to do so when he nicked a big one to the keeper in the previous test. He actually boasted in his column later that he got away by fooling the Umpire. It went from bad to worse when Michael Clark nicked one straight to the slips and waited for the umpires to give him out. Perth result showed that Sydney test was won by umpires for Australia.
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good article but I still think if the unpires donot do their job then they should not be there. In case they were not up to the task so deserved what they got. The bad side is that this has taken away the spotligth from Australia's lack of sportmanship.
I have to say Australia is argueably the best in the world for the last ten years but they are DEFINITELY the most unpopular team over the last ten years.
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Well Said say I, but you have to portion some of the blame to the media, Being a Englishman I've been used to ubiased reporting (mostly) but here in the lucky land, You only get one side of the story, the hype and diatribe you get from the media is nothing short of bringing the general media into disgrace, It's the same with any sport if there is'nt an Aussie some where you just dont hear about it, Sorry to say though its not one country or anther it's the whole of society, you hear it all the time dobb them in reguardless, where are we going, sorry for the up and comming youth what a legacy we are leaving
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Aggers, the removal of Bucknor as an umpire is not due to a one-off Test where decisions went wrong against India. If that was the case, India would have asked for Mark Benson's replacement. It is not the case of bad umpiring, but bad attitude. It remains a mystery as to why a wonderful umpire like Bucknor behaves so silly when he deals with India and Indian players. Let me explain what I mean by bad attitude..
Twice in the match, Bucknor did not seek the III umpire's decision when there were appeals for stumping. The replays later showed that both were indeed out had it been referred. A senior umpire CANNOT make such mistakes. Giving Symonds not out when the whole world heard the nick is still excusable. But it really hurts when an umpire turns down even a decision that can be referred to a TV umpire. And, if you're a follower of Indian cricket, you would also know that Bucknor has done this several times. There was a classic case of Jhonty Rhodes almost deciding to "walk" after being run-out by Tendulkar except that he changed him mind when he saw Bucknor strongly turn down an appeal in an India-South Africa match, and also turned down referring. As a staunch supporter of Bucknor then, I attributed the attitude of Bucknor to excessive appealing by Indians (& Asians) in general. Later, there was also an instance where Bucknor made fun of Rahul Dravid on a ball tampering issue on the cricketing field - which I felt crossed all boundaries. I have seen Bucknor officiate in several tests versus India, and India has lodged several complaints on his "attitude".
What is disappointing is that Bucknor is truly a top class umpire and that he lost his place due to his attitude.
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I dont think anyone can justify the aussies behviour, they are extremely arrogant in the field and our players are often alleged to make racist remarks on other coloured players. Mcgrath and Hayden is a prime example for this, not to forget Lehmann. Being an aussie, i am sometimes embarassed by our players behaviour. One of my American colleague has gone to the extent asking me whether are all the australians racists like our players, is slavery very much part of australian culture. I think being an australian, we have to show others in the world that we have great respect for other culture and race.
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I agree with Jonathan here completely. However, one must accept the difficult nature of the problem when you try to overcome it. Are we going to stop all displays of aggresion vocal or otherwise? One only needs to watch today's fast bowlers who feel obliged to mouth off obsceneties when hit for a boundary or when they get a batsman out. Do you think we should prophylactically stop Andre Nel from carrying on as he does?
This might be more difficult than it seems but I agree all captains of teams should be made made to sign up to a pact on principle. Policing it though, is a totally different issue!
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I completely agree with Jonathan. I also agree that, the way Steve was removed was not fair. I know it happened because of extreme pressure of BCCI implemented on ICC, but it's understandable as people of India goes mad on cricket and BCCI had no choice but settle this issue with keeping the sentiments of Indian's in mind. According to me the way this issue was resolved was completely unacceptable. Instead some strong action should be taken against Australian cricket board for not taking any action on their arrogant players. If this doesn't happen the game of cricket will go more and more bad as tomorrow all the players will feel free to behave like arrogant Australian players. They are not the only one who can do that, rests are also there to repeat the same.
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good article but I still think if the unpires donot do their job then they should not be there. In case they were not up to the task so deserved what they got. The bad side is that this has taken away the spotligth from Australia's lack of sportmanship.
I have to say Australia is argueably the best in the world for the last ten years but they are DEFINITELY the most unpopular team over the last ten years.
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At the end of the day, Cricket has to be the winner.
There is no place for racism in sport. However ICC needs to ensure that they have a solid, objective and rational process for adjudicating cases on racial abuse, so that justice is always served and innocents are not punished.
The umpiring standards and the use of technology needs to be explored in order to keep Cricket, a gentleman's name. Many a times excessive hunger for victory, records and one-up manship supercedes the true spirit of the game which is quite concerning.
Let the gentleman's game win!
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Hello Aggers,
I've always thought that cricket was about cricket. Wherever in the world it is played, it is played by people who love the game. It's played against others who, I presume, share that love of the game. All of which is an opportunity for lasting friendships. It is a bond formed between fathers and sons. The game deserves better than what we have seen of late.
With regards to certain players, their stats may bring them comfort after they retire but the game will not miss them.
I remember Murali saying that he would rather be judged as a person than as a player. Good for him.
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Very true and very well said Mr.Agnew. Absolutely fair and unscathing in praise and reprimand. Cricket needs more competition and it can get lonely at the top and also bring a sense of arrogance.
I hope England can allow that famous voice to ring in our head "The Ashes is it, England have won the Ashes" as we watch in bated breath the result of the fourth test after a Tendulkar hundred. Hope Australia rediscover the gentlemanly qualities which epitomised players like Bradman.
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A very well written summary of what is currently going on in the game of cricket, however...
Some people in this thread seem to be villifying the aussie team for "over-appealing". I notice that that local coverage here made no mention of some of the ridiculous appealing that the Indians did in this series as well.
I have an Indian colleague at work and we both agree; if the shoe was on the other foot and India were bowling for a win on the 5th day at Sydney, the appealing would have been just as loud. I'm not saying the aussies are angels (in fact far from it!), but please keep some perspective here.
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Hi Aggers
Having just returned home from Australia where I watched the recently concluded 2nd Test between India and Australia which was ruined by unbelievable behaviour by the players compounded by atrocious mistakes/decisions by the umpires permit me to air my thoughts for whatever their worth.As a “born” cricketer(I have been closely following international cricket from the late 1930’s to-date,initially via radio up to current live tv) and having had personal experience of playing against and with international “Test”stars when they were in Malaya(which included Singapore then),Malaysia,Hongkong,Ceylon/Sri Lanka,Australia and England, I have never heard or seen such disgusting behaviour associated with the game of Cricket.Why has the game descended to such disgraceful depths?The answer as I see it is manifold but can be boiled down to a few:
1.Professionalism(money!)Influencing Behaviour(of Umpires and Players)
2.Loss of Control by Umpires
3.Mass Media including Advances in TV and IT coverage
Professionalism
The Players have to Perform to earn their keep(contracts etc.);failure can lead to non selection which can lead to loss of capacity to earn.The net result?---professional “cheating” will creep in.Batsmen who do not walk when obviously “out”often say that they are “professionals”,the Umpire is there to make the decision, it is his job not mine! Incompetent/stubborn or intimidated Umpires make mistakes(I do not think Umpires “cheat”).
The Umpires are also concerned about being retained on the panel of international umpires which involves fees and facilities to be invited to “perform”;this can bring in subconsciously an element of bias towards the host country.
Umpiring Loss of Control
I have noticed over the years that Umpires have allowed “big named” stars to intimidate them by allowing them to QUESTION the umpiring decision;umpires should only entertain queries for clarification not DEMANDS and QUESTIONING of their decisions.
Suggestions for the future: Umpires should be given the power to issue a green card,yellow card and red card(1-3 offence) to bowlers/fielders for dissent for that innings.
The fielding side making appeals should also have the right to make 3 challenges per innings against umpiring decisions which are blatantly wrong, to the third umpire.Umpires have lost control over the whole mess because they have ALLOWED it to degenerate and happen.”Sledging”which originated as a form of “ragging”with the purpose of disturbing the concentration of one’s opponent(thus making him lose his cool) has been allowed to fester with no limits;I am sure the ICC has set out a Code of Ethics for the Behaviour and Professional Conduct of participants in the “Noble”game of Cricket.Transgressions have been allowed to find their own depths of limitation;racist,religious,private/personal comments have come in as “clever”comments.Limitations have to set out AND IMPLEMENTED.
Advances in TV and IT(replays)
These should be utilized on legitmate referrals or for the benefit of the match referee to monitor the mistakes of the umpiring or the veracity of the appeals.Some feel that too much IT can make Umpires redundant.There should be a semblance and sanity to this dilemma;umpires should consult one another or refer to the 3rd.umpire whenever the reaction of those on the field does not coincide with their opinion or if they are not sure themselves—there is no shame in seeking a second or third opinion.Granted one can be threading a fine line here because one has to presume that the 2nd.or 3rd.opinion is UNBIASED!
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.....cricket is played purely for money, ego and power" ?
Players and umpires could rescue the Gentleman's Game from going into oblivion.
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