Of sledging and bullying
It appears that the Indian Cricket Board is intent on exercising the same control outside the field as Australian players are exercising inside. Moreover, their methods of doing so are surprisingly similar. Much sympathy has been spared for India after a few umpiring mistakes cost them dearly. The Australian squad has been chastised for their on-field antics and their furious desire to win at all costs. They were also imprudent not to defuse on field tensions between themselves. But what the Indian Board and players did after the Test just revealed that maybe the ICC is not cricket's supreme authority after all.
Sack Buckner and Benson because of wrong umpiring decisions? Well, I agree that Sydney was not their greatest moment. But what were they implying by their claims? If they thought Buckner was too old to stand over Test matches, they did not object at the beginning of the Test. So, were they claiming that Buckner was partisan? That umpiring mistakes were not part of the game? Not only is that a serious accusation on a cricket's eminent personality, but that harmed cricket as a whole. Even that is eclipsed by their threat to boycott the series unless their demands were complied with. Come on, look at Bangladesh. Since the beginning, our quest for respect from the cricket elite has been derailed by umpiring decisions which have gone almost always against us. If we protested in the same manner, we could not have completed any series or any umpire of the ICC's elite panel could not have presided over our Test matches. Nevertheless, we have complied with everything, knowing that it was just another effect of being cricket's minnows, demonstrating true cricketing spirit. We may have a lot to learn from Indian batting maestros, but they could learn sportsmanship from us.
The ICC as usual bent to BCCI's appeal, though appearing stern at first. This is not the first time it has happened as during the last World Cup, they surrendered to Indian advertising desires. It is a fact that most of cricket' s viewers are from India. However, that should not mean that they should be able to bend cricket's rules!
I should make it clear that I am not expressing solidarity with the Aussies. But India's stance on the Sydney Test match just demonstrated that they were determined to match the Australians in….
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