Cricket For Peace

This post could also be called ‘The racism in cricket’ or ‘Bad Umpiring: The saga continues…’  The bitterness that surrounds the Indian tour to Australia knows no bounds at the moment.  The Indians are furious about two major issues.  One is perceived bad umpiring and the other is the allegation, and response to, Andrew Symonds claim that Harbhajan Singh called him a ‘Monkey’.  The match referee has banned Harbhajan for three matches because of this allegation http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/7174122.stm

and the BCCI have threatened to end the tour.  Now there are obviously a number of issues to be looked at here…

Firstly: racism is cricket is bad.  I don’t think many people would disagree with that.  But it seems as if the evidence is purely hearsay and that wouldn’t stand up in a court of law, would it?  Obviously Symonds is feeling somewhat sensitive because of the way he was treated in India.  Indian fans (caught on TV so no doubt about it) were calling Symonds a monkey when the Aussies toured in India in October 2007 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7050264.stm ).  Now that is plain wrong.  Racism has no place in cricket.   However I wonder if that experience has coloured views on what happened in Sydney.  Symonds is obviously right to complain if he felt he was racially abused, and it should go to the umpires and match referee.  However the investigation seems to have just taken a very one-sided view as there is no video evidence of racial abuse (although TV evidence shows clearly that there were obviously words between Harbhajan and Symonds) and the umpires didn’t hear anything either.  So it came down to one sides word over the other and the Aussie side was taken.  Match referee Mike Procter said ‘I believe that one group was telling the truth’  (http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/ausvind/content/current/story/329742.html ).  It seems a little bit like the Pakistan ball tampering affair at the Oval in 2006 to me – one side is punished on instinct of the umpires/referees (I think there’s a bit of ‘well you’ve done this kind of things before so you must be guilty…’ in both cases).  So I can see why the Indians are furious about the whole affair.

India are also seething over poor umpiring.  Now this is slightly different.  Most teams are on the receiving end of poor umpiring and whilst its very annoying at the time, I do generally believe that what goes around, comes around and it will usually even itself out.  I mean England had some shocking decisions go against them in SL but there was no huge outcry about it.  Although perhaps of they had been potentially able to win the matches rather than pathetically draw them, things may have been different.  But that’s another issue….  So, whilst the ICC and all involved in the game, should keep the pressure on umpires to be the best, and use technology when they can, I think the Indians maybe pushing this issue a little too hard.

This leads me on to the third issue I want to raise.  The ‘Spirit of Cricket’.  One of the Indian’s complaints about the umpiring was when Ganguly was given out on 51 on the last day to a catch that Michael Clarke claimed he caught cleanly.  The umpires didn’t have a clear view of the catch so they took the word of two very competitive Australian players (Clarke and Ponting) rather than go to video replays – which they are allowed to do.  This happened in the England/Sri Lanka match in Colombo too – Pietersen was judged out even though all the replays (and me at the time) suggested to ball had grounded first.  There is no need for this kind of controversy.  The ICC guidelines clearly allow umpires to go to the third umpire in this kind of situation.  And whilst to take the word of professional cricketers should be enough (if they play in the ‘Spirit of the Game’) it sadly isn’t today.  And this kind of incident sparks a lot of bitterness between teams.

This leads me nicely on to another incident in the Sydney test that wasn’t in the ‘Spirit of the Game’ – Symonds (oh him again!) great knock int he first innings.  The Indians claimed a thick inside edge when Symonds was on 30.  Steve Bucknor gave him ‘not out’ and he went on to make 162.  OK fair enough I guess – a poor decision.  However Symonds went on to say in the media that he knew he was out but wouldn’t walk.  Now that just isn’t cricket!  It’s bad enough not to walk (I know most modern players don’t) but then to brag about it afterwards is just not on.  No wonder he got up the noses of the Indian players.  Indian captain Anil Kumble went on to say that ‘Only one team was playing within the spirit of the game, that’s all I can say.’  ‘Indians fume at Aussies and umpires’ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/7171843.stm

The Indians and the Australians play the game of cricket passionately.  And all credit to them for that.  But sometimes it seems to me that both sides go a bit overboard.  The Australian aggression is simultaneously boosting and destroying the game.  They are sometimes to only ones willing to play for a win at all costs which is great (I’m talking about India in Calcutta and Bangalore against Pak, and Sri Lanka in Colombo against England – 3 boring draws!) but they are even starting to be disliked by their own supporters for their arrogance and aggression now ‘Ponting must be sacked’ http://blogs.cricinfo.com/surfer/archives/2008/01/ponting_must_be.php

And ‘Open your eyes, Ricky’ http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/ausvind/content/current/story/329708.html

The Indians on the other hand, for all their skill and style in the game, can come across as a little petulant.  The whole ‘Jelly Bean’ incident in the summer against England (for sure England were very childish for throwing the jelly beans, but the Indians were just as childish for making a huge scene out of it) was just one example of this.  And this Sydney test furore is another.  As I’ve said there are valid issues to be raised but at the same time – threatening to cancel a tour?!!  I am sure to some extent this is just politicking by the BCCI but none of it is really in the ‘Spirit of the Game’.

So let’s hope that 2008 doesn’t continue in this vein and ends up being a year that cricket fans can be proud of!  Happy New Year!