Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Blow hot, blow cold, the summer of cricket down under

As if the recent "alleged racist" remark against Andrew Symonds stinking up the "gentleman's game" wasn't enough, here's another one that's causing more blood to curdle and more tongues to experience bitter after-tastes. This time, its the hoopla surrounding Mahendra Singh Dhoni's gloves during the recent one-dayer between Australia and India. Such a hue and cry's been raised about its legitimacy that I said to myself that I have to vent my spleen on this issue.

It appears that all these years of playing cricket with the English have made the Australian cricket team play the role of "whingers" to the tee... why, I would say they're doing a bloody good job of overtaking the English as "champion whingers"! Even if the gloves didn't conform to ICC standard, there was no need to raise a stink on it.

Where in the ICC rule book does it say that a batsman can embed a ping-pong ball in his gloves when going out to bat? This "according to the state level coaches" here in Australia is a tried and tested method and that requires no sanctions imposed on it. Is that right? If I'm not mistaken, it was this very ping-pong ball that gave Adam Gilchrist the ability to play a match-winning knock and single-handedly win the world cup final against Sri Lanka in 2007.

When the Sri Lankans raised concerns on this technique, out came the swords in defence of the Aussies; and as has been the case all the time, the Aussies got away with it scot-free; and Gilly got away with applause, accolades and a whole applecart of laurels. The poor Sri Lankans were left in the dark(literally) to lick their wounds. When quoting the darn rule-book, CA(Cricket Australia) should remember that what's good for the goose is good enough for the gander too... and what the hell is ICC looking at? Don't you guys know what a ping-pong ball is?

To me, all this "he said this, he said that" really is part of a bigger phenomenon. Australia are getting to see a new, young Indian team, with men who won't take nonsense from anyone; be it in India or overseas; and the Aussies' already super-inflated "street-fighter pride" ego, is being given a thorough pasting in their own backyard... and that for them, is hard as nails to digest.

Grow up Ponting and Co; you might be the best cricket team in the world; but you're no super-humans... and if you can't take the chance of having a taste of your own medicine; don't bother coming to India with the confidence that Indian fans won't boo you; so put up & shut up.. or PISS OFF!!!

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