Sledging Cricket

Sledging Cricket

Cricket in the modern times is no more a game. Slowly and gradually turn into a war of supremacy being fought on the fields with non costumed weapons of the skillful actions with the ball and bat with the physical fitness abilities expressed in the form of fielding are proving yet another important weapon of the war.

The game of the cricket was the dominating area of the West Indian countries for several decades till the mid of 80’s when Australian cricket started to emerge as the new leaders with the concept of “cricket is a game neither played nor won on the ground but the mental power and proper implementation of tactics is going to take you to the position of being victorious.” This theory succeeded and since the late 80’s Australian cricket team replaced the mighty West Indians from the status of being the undisputed world champions of the game. In fact this was the start of replacement of talent and skill by the technical excellence and man power.

Sledging- a word or bunch of words pronounce by a single or group of fielders to disturb the concentration of the batsman become a lethal weapon on the cricketing grounds. Here also the Australian players were the front runners; rather we can say they succeeded in adding new word “Sledging” to the cricketing vocabulary.

Huge monetary inflow and immense popularities has made the situations more complicated and a win on the ground become more meaningful than any thing else. Indian entered into arena with the victory of 1983 ODI championship and started to cover the grounds at vigorous rates. Packer’s cricket forced the establishment of ICC and since the Presidential period of Shri Jagmohan Dalmia commercialization and financial growth started to boost. Mean while the Australian concept of “Mind game” was on full swing and Australian cricket team was on the run of being the strangest from the stronger by wining tournament after tournament. Successive win series of Australia inspired other cricketing nations to opt the mind game tactics. Who will forget the hard hitting of Sanath Jayasurya and Kaluvitarana in the ODI world cup or action of Kiwi team opting an off spinner to open the bowling attack in the same format of the game.

Winning started to become a habit of Australian players. Winning is that kind of human want, more you have more you desire to acquire, hence this want resulted in creating a desire among the Australian players and a change in their attitude and ground activities started to be visible. A few lines “Ricky Pointing has turned the bunch of talented Australian players into squad of wild dogs” of famous Australian cricket writer “Peter Rebock” are more than sufficient to address the attitudinal change of Australian players. Anything less than victory was not acceptable to Australian players and beside their winning zeal, talent, dedication they were ready to go for anything for the victory. The recently concluded Sydney Test Match is more than sufficient to tell the levels were Australian cricket team can go down for a win. The Sydney match will not only remembered for the disputed umpiring decisions against the Indian team but the dispute over the allegations of racial comments on the harbhajan Singh, Indian off spinner and recommended ban by the match referee Mike Proctor even in the lake of clear and decisive evidence.

Sledging and disputed decision which were used to be part of the game, started to find and occupy central place for every cricketing talk and discussion. Some one started to blame the officials for creating disputes, to some others the way of Australian won at Sydney was the objectionable, some others started to put the lights on how the Indians are meeting with double standards of umpiring decisions from time to time, but no one seems to go down to reasons of present storm which is threatening a division among the cricketing nations. Why the mighty Australian players are in the complaining mood? And how it becomes possible that masters of sledging fall pray to it? Are the some of the questions, answer to which might prove path indicative help to scholar investigating truth.


“A complain is intended to get birth from the fear”, is the most common saying and might be the strongest reason of complain by Australian players. Look at the recent records of the game, Indian is the only country, with proven strong bating line up and versatile and promising bowling attack, looked as the challenging team for the champions on the cricketing grounds. Recently concluded first world championship of twenty-20 format of the game, where Australians were not part of the final by virtue of semifinal defeat at the hands of India, is the best illustration of growing powers of the Indian cricket team. The defeat was not the reason of fear among the Australian players; it was the expression of change in attitude by the young and comparatively inexperienced team which proved a worry for the champions. The traditional weapon of sledging, used by Australians on the grounds over the years against the opponents was started to be part of game plan of Indians since this tournament. Might be the ideal of young Indians shifted to revolutionary thoughts of subashchandra Bose and Bhagat Singh from the principle of tolerance, peace and non violence of Mahatma Gandhi and they started to believe in the policy of “Treat for Trait” and taking the war into the territory of opponent. This feeling was much more painful for the Australians when compared with the defeat in T-20 championship. I don’t think it will be hard to find the reason of complain by the Australian players. After all we human beings are with the tendency that we can resist a competition in our good quality but never tolerate a competitor in our bad qualities.

Australians on the Cricket Field

Australians on the Cricket Field

The fire and heat generated from the so called allegations of racial comments by the off spinner Harbhajan Singh, is not only reaching to every elite and common of entire cricketing world but also forcing to come out with own views over the allegations and decision of match referee over the issue.

Most recent reports says that BCCI, handed over the authority of taking the final decision in this regard to President Sharad Powar, who went on to say that Indian option of calling the tour off, is still open, if the ICC appeal commissioner is going with decision of match referee. He also expressed unhappiness over the behavior of the Australian players and cricket board for being the reason for these situations. Shall I need to memorized that Sharad Powar was the person who almost thrown out from the dais and pointed out a place away from the central stage by the Australian cricket team lead by same captain Ricky Pointing during the prize distribution ceremony of ICC Championship at Mumbai. It was tolerance and sportsmanship of Indians that Sharad Powar took this shameful Australian action as the act performed under the influence of over enthusiasm and not only excused the Australian players for this insulting and shameful public behavior but also not complained about it to ICC. Might Mr. Sharad Powar had not shown that generosity and lodged an official complain with ICC. Surely in that case ICC will be left with only option of coming with very strong action against the Australian captain and players, because there were crystal clear video evidence for this shameful action of Australian players, but that not happened and right looking attitude for own actions of Australian players allowed to grow. Whatever the crises entire cricketing world is presently facing is generated from this attitude of Australian players.

Whatever you earn through the hard work of years might slip from your hand by just one wrong behavioral action; this is what a common Indian father teaches to children. No doubts Australians are the most talented and skilled one in the entire cricketing world, their zeal for winning and putting in the efforts, dedication for the game and professional attitude has made them mighty and almost unbeatable team of cricketing world, but it is also a fact that over the years, especially after the Ricky Pointing started to lead the team, their behavior on the field is not matching with the behavior of undisputed kings of the game and a champion team. The door for criticism has made opened not by any one else but by the Australian players, the Sydney match referee only went on to put the petrol in the fire.

Allegations against the Harbhajan, has asked the entire cricketing world to come with words about the ground behavior of the Australian team after all the art of sledging was originated and implemented by the Australian cricketers over the years. The filtering in reports says that many past and present cricket players are putting their words opposing the action of Australian players for reporting about Hatbhajan. According the kiwi player Patel, Australians have used more abused word than the “monkey” for him at several occasions though he refused to say something about the guiltiness of Harbhajan. In a column with Dominikan Post Morison, who represented country in the decades of 70’s and 80’s, say that if the Australians cricket players are with a little bit honesty than surely they will feel shame of the self action. To the former kiwi captain Fleming all this was started as the child play of school going children and went on to be a complicated matter with decision of match referee as there were no sufficient evidences. Fast bowler Doll also seems of this vision according to him match referee had not played his role in proper way, there was nothing in the matter specially in the lack of clear and strong evidences.

Indian Cricket and Match Referee

Indian Cricket and Match Referee

Entire cricketing world is respiring again with relief as the Indian tour to Australia gets resumed yesterday with the practice match at Canberra. Fears of division among the cricketing nations, if not removed, at least went under the cloud cover of suspects till the ICC appeal commissioner decides the fate of the charges of so called racial comments, framed over the Indian spinner Harbhajan, by the Andrew Symonds and other Australian players during the Sydney Test of on going series.

Cricketing world is sounding with some voices of bowing of ICC before the BCCI on this controversial issue but if you look into history evidence will prove, non reasonable special behavior of match referees, going harsh with Indian or rather with the players from the sub continent always provided with a reason for the clash between BCCI and ICC. Look at the present issue, there were no audio / video proofs and even other evidences were not even sufficient to issue a warning for Harbhajan but match referee Mr. Proctor decided a three match ban for the Indian player.
This action of match referee prompted to look at some of the post records of the same person. In the year 2003 he conveniently over looked at the clash of Birayan Lara and Steev Waugh at Antigo but not hesitate to issue one match warning for the Indian captain Sourav Ganguli at Brisbane during the last Indian tour to Australia for the slow over rate bowling 9 over short, even there is provision of curtailing the match fees in the situation [For players 10% and for captain 20%] but Proctor prefer to go with level two offence and wormed Indian captain about the extreme punishment.
The same match referee Proctor went on to pose a five match ban for the past Pakistan Captain Rashid for making an appeal for a catch not taken properly against the Bangala Desh but at Sydney he prefer to keep quite when Sourav Ganguli was declared out by the way of catch taken in disputed manner by the Australian fielder Clarck not only this but he also over looked the appealing of Australian captain Ricky Pointing for taking improper catch. History will never forget the Oval Test between the Pakistan and England, where the issue of ball tempering gets more complicated shape and structure with the role played by Mr. Proctor in the same capacity of match referee.
The biggest dispute of the history between the ICC and BCCI was the 2001 Port Elizabeth issue, here once again the match referee Mr. Mike Denis was the accused of providing a space for the clash by banning six Indian players including the mighty Sachin Tendulkar. Mike Denis proposed a ban for Sachin for so called charge of ball tempering, Captain Sourav Ganguli for not keeping the players under control, Virendra Shewag for excessive appealing and one match suspended ban for S.Das, Harbhajan and Deepdas Gupta for the same reason of excessive appealing.
Hopefully the appeal commissioner will look into matter with a justifying vision and Harbhajan will come out spotless from allegations of so called racial comments. Indians have a long proven tradition of tolerance and fighting against the racialism but surely all will go behind the memories, rather out of cerebral hemisphere, if the self respect and national pride of Indians is challenged with an unnecessary and non proven blame. I am concluding this with instead of looking at dispute as the war of supremacy between ICC and BCCI or with the market oriented vision, look as the thing of national pride, honor and blame on attitude because this will not help to see and understand the dispute in true sense but will also prove help in reaching to proper and justifying decision and keeping the integrity of cricketing world intact.

Divided Cricketing World

Divided Cricketing World

In India there is a saying meaning never try to cross the limits, you never no your which of your slightest mistake might going to prove the blinder one and may cause the question of life and death. Cricketing world is presently going through the same phase of existence over the issues of storms generated from the disputes over the Sydney test match between India and Australia and turn of situations taken place there after.

One thing is sure umpiring standards at the Sydney were the ever worst and partial ever since the history of the game. In my previous blog post I had already wrote that neither Australia won nor India lost the Sydney test but umpires allotted this test to Australia so the Ricky Pointings team may equalizes the Australian recode of 16 successive test victory and move to Perth, where the ground situations are comparatively more favorable for the Australian team, to go on creating new world record of successive test match wins. All of this was going on smooth roads but might the successive dismissal by the Indian spinner Harbhajan was playing with the mind of Australian captain Ricky Pointing or might the thought process of Andrew Symonds went on to see this as the most appropriate time for taking revenge of harsh treatment given to Australian all rounder at Mumbai by the cricket lover during the last tour of Australia to India. Recall the statements of the player just after the Australian tour to India was ended, in Australian press for requesting the Australian people not come with reciprocal action during the tour of India to Australia. Any way charges of racial comments were framed against the Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh and series of mistakes ends when the South African match referee Mr. Proctor banned Bhaji for three test matches. India which has a proven record of opposing racialism reacted with natural hard stand over the issue. A cloud of suspect created over the smooth conduction of the remaining part of the Indian tour to Australia.

ICC was forced to appear in the dispute and for settlement of high tensions created, came forward with withdrawing the participation of disputed umpire Steev Buckner and suspended, not given the clean chit, orders of match referee against Harbhajan. British media, West Indian Cricket board and some others are blaming ICC for bowing down before the economic powers of Indians [ India contributes almost 70% of ICC revenue] and deciding the issue in favor of Indian team. Here I will love to include two things first I will salute to Australian citizens and press for taking the true sportsmanship over the issue even though the mistake coming players were representing their own country. Second I would love to see the reaction of British media or the West Indian cricket board if instead of India might the English or West Indian was playing in the Sydney test against the Australia, here I am leaving apart the issue of charges of racial comments.

As for as my cricketing knowledge suggest, Australian players were the first to bring the sledging in the game of cricket and implement it successfully against the opponents over the years under the sweet name of mind game tactics. Surely it is amazing even to listen that Australians players are complaining about the reciprocal action from the irritated opponent. In my view the true racial behavior is this and not the reaction of Indian spinner, I am sure Harbhajan has not reacted in the manner in which he reported by the Australian players. I wish to say to Australian players to remember this neither the love nor the war, where everything will be treated fair. This is the game of cricket, an exhibition ground of skills and talent; learn the lesson from the Sydney and stop so called mind game of sledging opponents, other wise the cricketing world will under go many such occasions of reaching to dangerous dead end of division.

Cricketing World after Sydney summit

Cricketing World after Sydney summit

A new chapter has been started in the history books of the world cricket. Sometime in the futures this might be called as the effects of Indo – Australia Test match at Sydney. The cricketing achievements like the 16th successive win by Australian team, 38th Test century of Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, 29th test century of Haiden etc. will go in the darkness of background generated from the unfair partial and one sided decisions of umpires Steeve Buckner and Benson. Even the TV umpire [third] was not hesitated for being the part of non rational and non justified umpiring as he refuse to declare Australian Batsman Andrew Symond out stumped even when the TV coverage was clearly showing that batsman was not in the crease when bells dislodged by the Indian wicketkeeper M.S. Dhoni. In this atmosphere ICC match referee had also played his part not only justifying the catch of Sourav Ganguli taken by Clarck, where as the reply made it very much clear that catch was not completed as with the falling of the fielder on the ground ball went on to touch the ground, but also went on recommending a three match ban on Indian spinner Harbhajan for so called racial comment “Big Monkey” for Australian player Andrew Symonds, though neither there were any audio/video evidence nor the ground umpires supported the blame.

ICC later on, under the pressures of Indian players and BCCI, who threaten to call off the tour, agreed to prevent further participation in the series by disputed ground umpires and allowed Harbhajan to play in the series till the ICC chief match referee look into matter. Though for a time being things seems to be settled down and it appears that series will go according to predefined schedules but that will happen only if ICC reach to a decision within next seven days, the ultimate time given by the Indian players. If ICC fails to resolve the issue within time limit or the Appeal commissioner upholds the decisions of match referee there are more chances that Indian players will refuse to be further part of the series and might BCCI will also decide in favor of calling the tour off.

I am being a strong positive minded person hence even these most dark situations are the brightly shining one for me, you surely will agree with me when we together will have impacts of all this on the cricketing world. Technological excellence has provided a space for the highlighting the mistakes committed by the field umpires. Like the Tennis we can’t allow to umpires to stand on the ground just for calling the over and let the other decisions be made with the help of technology. I am also not agree with upcoming demand of challenging umpires decision by the captain as this will result in loosing the friendly spirit in which game is being played. I would like to increased active participation of ICC match referee, who is at present there just to relax and once a while impose a fine for slow bowling rate or helps the ground umpires in deciding the number of over in a rain curtailed match and seldom be the part of controversy like the Sydney test match. As the ground umpires are observing the match without the help of technology so they are bound to make mistake and help to create situations resembling with Sydney test hence my suggestion is that match referee must be given powers of rectifying the human mistakes committed by the field umpires. Whenever an appeal is made by the fielding side, the decision of field umpires must be reviewed by the match referee within next five minutes and in case of mistake batsman should be called back or called of the ground accordingly. This will not only release the tension of field umpires but will make the game more fair and interesting. As for as the front foot No ball is concerned on the terms of tennis a sound activated system can be activated.