Cricket Kings
At last the test series between Australia and India ended and as per the Australian plans Australia won the series with 2-1 to keep their winning record intact though their image of being the undisputed kings of cricketing fields is not as the same as was prior to this series and even the ground behavior of Australian players and sportsmanship were put under the question mark at several occasion during the series.
This series will be remembered for the disputed umpiring decisions favoring Australia, allegation of so called racial comments by Harbhajan and controversial decision of ICC match referee Mr. Proctor over this issue. The issue sounded to such great extant that at one stage it was threatening a division among the cricketing nations of the world. Thanks to decision of excusing Harbhajan from such serious but base less allegations by the ICC appeal commissioner as neither there was any decisive evidence for supporting so called allegations nor even Andrew Symonds was able to recall the exact words of Harbhajan. However Harbhajan is punished with 50% cut in match fees for using abuse words on the ground in response of controversial exchange of words started by Australian player Symonds.
This is appropriate time to look in to the background of all this. Over the years sledging was the effective weapon of Australian cricketers on the ground and no one from the rest of world was not in competition with them at least in this aspect. Since last one year or so young Indian cricketers not only started to tackle this successfully but also started to answer in the language of Australians. This forced Australia to get exit from semifinal of inaugural T-20 World Cup held in South Africa. The war of supremacy on the sledging grounds was at the peak during the Australian cricket tour to India last year and Andrew Symond, Harbhajan and S Shrisanth were the front runners, unfortunately Australians found themselves on the losing side. Hence this tour by Indian cricketers has been taken as the revenge grounds.
Australian players and media are taking the decision of the ICC appeal commissioner not as the justice but as the victory of money powers of BCCI with blaming the Cricket Australia for bowing down under the pressures of monetary powers. How wrong they are? If the ICC was favoring the Indians was it possible that Harbhjan is punished for responding and Andrew Symonds, who himself admit, who initiated this controversial word exchange will be allowed to escaped from being punished? No dear this is pure justice though Symonds was guilty of taking the initiative but Harbhajan was punished for using abused language. Surely in the present times escaping from the temptations of the money powers is almost impossible. I wish to put a question for all the Australian cricketers, many of them are participating in IPCL a tournament being organized by BCCI in the hot summers of Indian climatic conditions and paying very handsome amounts to players, If the Australians players are thinking they are with the resisting abilities for the powers of money, let it prove by saving self from dehydrating Indian heats and opt to keep self away from this tournament, remember this tournament is not going to be played for the national pride and glory. This is a professional league tournament in which players will play for the city which can bid most for them. It sounds funny that a person available in the market for a bid is blaming others for acting under the pressures of money powers.
Most of the cricketing world is looking this as the end of sledging war between the players of two countries where cricket is much more than just a game. Frankly speaking still some suspecting snakes are on the move in my mind, as S Shrisanth was not part of Indian Test squad and now is in Australia for the tri angular ODI series. In all probabilities Australian players will not leave any space vacant for irritating Shrisanth and warm blood of this young Indian speedster might response on the lines of Harbhjan, after all Shrisanth is more vibrant in expression of aggression on the ground when compared with Harbhajan. There are some chances that might the Harbhajan face some adverse comments from the Australians during the ODI series. Let us hope things will not take the same turn again allowing cricketing lovers from all part of globe to respire with relief and enjoying the game in coming days.
At last the test series between Australia and India ended and as per the Australian plans Australia won the series with 2-1 to keep their winning record intact though their image of being the undisputed kings of cricketing fields is not as the same as was prior to this series and even the ground behavior of Australian players and sportsmanship were put under the question mark at several occasion during the series.
This series will be remembered for the disputed umpiring decisions favoring Australia, allegation of so called racial comments by Harbhajan and controversial decision of ICC match referee Mr. Proctor over this issue. The issue sounded to such great extant that at one stage it was threatening a division among the cricketing nations of the world. Thanks to decision of excusing Harbhajan from such serious but base less allegations by the ICC appeal commissioner as neither there was any decisive evidence for supporting so called allegations nor even Andrew Symonds was able to recall the exact words of Harbhajan. However Harbhajan is punished with 50% cut in match fees for using abuse words on the ground in response of controversial exchange of words started by Australian player Symonds.
This is appropriate time to look in to the background of all this. Over the years sledging was the effective weapon of Australian cricketers on the ground and no one from the rest of world was not in competition with them at least in this aspect. Since last one year or so young Indian cricketers not only started to tackle this successfully but also started to answer in the language of Australians. This forced Australia to get exit from semifinal of inaugural T-20 World Cup held in South Africa. The war of supremacy on the sledging grounds was at the peak during the Australian cricket tour to India last year and Andrew Symond, Harbhajan and S Shrisanth were the front runners, unfortunately Australians found themselves on the losing side. Hence this tour by Indian cricketers has been taken as the revenge grounds.
Australian players and media are taking the decision of the ICC appeal commissioner not as the justice but as the victory of money powers of BCCI with blaming the Cricket Australia for bowing down under the pressures of monetary powers. How wrong they are? If the ICC was favoring the Indians was it possible that Harbhjan is punished for responding and Andrew Symonds, who himself admit, who initiated this controversial word exchange will be allowed to escaped from being punished? No dear this is pure justice though Symonds was guilty of taking the initiative but Harbhajan was punished for using abused language. Surely in the present times escaping from the temptations of the money powers is almost impossible. I wish to put a question for all the Australian cricketers, many of them are participating in IPCL a tournament being organized by BCCI in the hot summers of Indian climatic conditions and paying very handsome amounts to players, If the Australians players are thinking they are with the resisting abilities for the powers of money, let it prove by saving self from dehydrating Indian heats and opt to keep self away from this tournament, remember this tournament is not going to be played for the national pride and glory. This is a professional league tournament in which players will play for the city which can bid most for them. It sounds funny that a person available in the market for a bid is blaming others for acting under the pressures of money powers.
Most of the cricketing world is looking this as the end of sledging war between the players of two countries where cricket is much more than just a game. Frankly speaking still some suspecting snakes are on the move in my mind, as S Shrisanth was not part of Indian Test squad and now is in Australia for the tri angular ODI series. In all probabilities Australian players will not leave any space vacant for irritating Shrisanth and warm blood of this young Indian speedster might response on the lines of Harbhjan, after all Shrisanth is more vibrant in expression of aggression on the ground when compared with Harbhajan. There are some chances that might the Harbhajan face some adverse comments from the Australians during the ODI series. Let us hope things will not take the same turn again allowing cricketing lovers from all part of globe to respire with relief and enjoying the game in coming days.
