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 (http://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