The Umpiring: Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson were remarkably poor in their umpiring. What's worse, the wrong decisions came at crucial moments in the match and games in Cricket, or any other sport, are won by wresting control at these very moments. Further, Bucknor seems to make his worst decisions against India. He's been cited for poor umpiring a number of times by the Indian team. What use is it asking for the Captain's report on the umpires if it doesn't factor in the selection of an umpire for a test? There's also a case for holding umpires accountable for their decisions, and reward or punish them based on their performance. It happens in football- referees are in the public's and media's eye (not to mention the managers!) and have to answer to the footballing world at large. Referee Rob Styles did not officiate on a weekend of matches after his blooper in the Liverpool vs. Chelsea game at Anfield.
The Aussie players: Its a given that Cricket is no longer a gentleman's game. But the Aussies, with their condescending attitude towards their opponents, have brought Cricket to a new low. Every time a wicket falls, they indulge in over-the-top celebrations and sport mocking smiles. Remember the way they manhandled Sharad Pawar during the presentation ceremony when they won the test series in India. The 'man with integrity' a.k.a. Ricky Ponting cannot boast of a great disciplinary record. He did not impress with the brawls he had early in his career. Now, Ponting would like us to believe he leads a team of angels. Symonds, for all his 'not walking', at least admitted the injustice with his tongue-in-cheek "I was lucky!" comment.
There was a time in the 90s when Australia was my favorite team. The primary reason? Mark Taylor- My favorite player at the time. I had tears in my eyes when he scored 334 not out against Pakistan, and declared at that moment as a mark of respect to Sir Don Bradman. Taylor was a thorough gentleman, both on and off the field, and probably the greatest captain of the 90s- a key factor in the development of the Aussie winning teams of the recent past. While Kumble is a captain in the same mould, Ponting comes across as boorish and lacking the very sportsman's spirit that he tomtoms.
A quote from a tribute to Mark Taylor
Mark Taylor will be sadly missed. In the final analysis, the record will show that Taylor was one of the greatest of all Australian captains, one of the most prolific run-scorers and a man with few equals at first slip.
However, what will be missed the most is the way Mark Taylor played the game. During his career, he epitomised everything that is good about the game of cricket. He played with a fierce determination, displayed modesty, humility and good sportsmanship throughout a time of great upheaval in Australian and World cricket. He helped bring a sense of dignity back to the game that we have come to love.
Today, what was most disheartening was to see Adam Gilchrist dancing like his arse was on fire when Dravid's bat was nowhere near the ball. One would think the last honest man of Aussie cricket has also succumbed to the cheaters' spirit.
The Media: The loss has been an affront to the collective Indian Ego. People seem to have taken the matter to heart. The news channels have declared war on the 'cheats' - the umpires and the Aussies. People have called in with vitriolic comments. "Bucknor should retire", they say. Somebody even said the umpires made 'barbaric decisions'! Cricket indeed arouses great passion in this country.
No comments:
Post a Comment