The Surfer
The Bollyline fall-out continues
With the New Zealand tour still a short way off, the English press have focussed their efforts on the fracas in Australia that is being dubbed Bollyline
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Feb-2013
With the New Zealand tour still a short way off, the English press have focussed their efforts on the fracas in Australia that is being dubbed Bollyline. Paul Kelso in The Guardian considers the long-term impact the situation could have on the incoming ICC president, David Morgan.
During his often stormy four-year tenure as chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, David Morgan earned a reputation as a conciliator. In the wake of the rancorous events in Sydney this week it could be precisely the quality the Welshman needs as he prepares to step into his new role as president of the International Cricket Council.
Simon Briggs, in the Daily Telegraph, agrees and wonders if now is the right time for Harbhajan Singh’s hearing to be held while in The Independent, James Lawton is dismayed by what he sees as money talking.
If the International Cricket Council had placed Steve Bucknor's head on a silver platter, put an apple in his mouth, and made a formal presentation to the chief mogul of rupee-laden Indian cricket, Sharad Pawar, they would have only been underlining a dispiriting point. It is that however strenuously principle still attempts to walk in cricket, it is money that talks, relentlessly and without shame.
Players are the problem, not umpires
Jonathan Agnew , the BBC’s cricket correspondent, has used his blog to give some forthright views on the current mess in Australia
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Jonathan Agnew, the BBC’s cricket correspondent, has used his blog to give some forthright views on the current mess in Australia. He starts with Australia themselves.
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
He then turns to the decision of the ICC to remove Steve Bucknor as umpire.
Full postHussey given captaincy in Bollywood movie
The theatrics have continued at the SCG, where Brett Lee and Michael Hussey have been involved in filming for a Bollywood movie
Peter English
25-Feb-2013
The theatrics have continued at the SCG, where Brett Lee and Michael Hussey have been involved in filming for a Bollywood movie. The Sydney Morning Herald, which has called for Ricky Ponting to be sacked, reports Hussey has been elevated to captain and Brett Lee is hit for three sixes in a row.
And, after some tricky, line-ball decisions by the top umpire Rod Tucker, India dramatically beats Australia in the Test ... "No surprises whose victory," Lee joked.
Australian supports Australian captain
Peter English
25-Feb-2013
The Australian, which has the country's captain as a high-paid columnist, comes out to back Ricky Ponting, saying he should be praised for exposing racism. Malcolm Conn writes Ponting deserves to be feted, not condemned, for taking his bold stand to protect Andrew Symonds.
In the same paper Peter Lalor wonders how different things would have been if India held on for a draw at the SCG.
Full postIt is about justice, not world domination
"No sooner does India protest some gross inequity, than some bloke ..
Sriram Veera
25-Feb-2013
"No sooner does India protest some gross inequity, than some bloke ... will harangue the world about how India should not be allowed to control cricket. It is about justice, not world domination," says Prem Panicker in his rediff blog.
Here is the situation: An allegation has been made. The only available, credible evidence is the word of the man making the allegation on one side, the word of the person against whom the allegation was made on the other, and the word of Tendulkar in the balance. In India, such a case would have been dismissed out of hand - on the grounds that there is no evidence to prove the charge. Explain to us, if you will, what the principles of justice are in Australia - do you condemn first, and make up the reasons as you go along ... Can you, or anyone at all, explain how a judgment can be made against Harbhajan in this case?
None of this is to defend a player if he was in fact guilty, mind - the point being made is that neither we nor you know he is. One guy says he is guilty, he says he is not, and a player with international stature, with an unblemished reputation of close to two decades, says he is not guilty. So, sorry, we protest; we appeal the verdict; we await the appellate process - and if to your paranoid imagination all of that translates into India bidding for world domination, then so be it.
Meanwhile, the Indian cricket team attempted to relieve some of the pressure around the possible cancellation of the Australian tour by visiting Bondi Beach. Read a little about their sojourn, with audio bytes from Chetan Chauhan, the team manager, right here.
Full postThe Harbhajan affair simplified
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Feb-2013
In the midst of a hurricane, with tensions, tempers and emotions on overdrive, one article - aimed at eight-year-olds - emerges as one of the more balanced pieces about the Sydney-gate affair. Read on in CBBC here.
The Sydney Morning Herald's Matt Wade, reporting from New Delhi, rounds up what the local newspapers have to say about the whole controversy.
Full postIndia on shaky ground
Mike Marqusee writes in the Guardian that as per the laws of cricket today, racist abuse is of special magnitude and if Harbhajan Singh did call Symonds a monkey, then it was absolutely neccessary for Ricky Ponting to lodge a formal complaint
Nishi Narayanan
25-Feb-2013
Mike Marqusee writes in the Guardian that as per the laws of cricket today, racist abuse is of special magnitude and if Harbhajan Singh did call Symonds a monkey, then it was absolutely neccessary for Ricky Ponting to lodge a formal complaint and for Mike Procter to punish Harbhajan accordingly.
Racist insults poison the game for players and spectators alike. They demean not only the opponent but an entire branch of the human family. Crucially, they have repercussions beyond the playing field. When one player abuses another's racial or ethnic origins, he both expresses and legitimises one of the most potent anti-social toxins at work in the modern world.
Following his strongly-worded article in which he called for the sacking of Ponting, Peter Roebuck has now written that the Indian team is also on shaky ground. He writes in the Melbourne-based Age:
Full post'Sorry, Ricky, you don’t deserve to be trusted'
Sriram Veera
25-Feb-2013
G Rajaraman, who asked Ponting some uncomfortable questions in the press conference, writes his version of the story. Read here.
Meanwhile, Prem Panicker, writing in his Rediff blog, believes Anil Kumble should never have agreed to the deal with Ricky Ponting.
Full postPonting must be sacked
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Feb-2013
Peter Roebuck, writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, has called upon Cricket Australia to remove Ricky Ponting from captaincy following the controversial Sydney Test.
If Cricket Australia cares a fig for the tattered reputation of our national team in our national sport, it will not for a moment longer tolerate the sort of arrogant and abrasive conduct seen from the captain and his senior players over the past few days. Beyond comparison it was the ugliest performance put up by an Australian side for 20 years.
Dodgy deeds leave sour taste
The initial fallout to the shenanigans at the SCG has started with Peter Roebuck firing the first shots
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
The initial fallout to the shenanigans at the SCG has started with Peter Roebuck firing the first shots. In his Sydney Morning Herald column he argues that India were robbed and that no sensible person would take satisfaction at Australia’s win.
It was a match that will have been relished only by rabid nationalists and others for whom victory and vengeance are the sole reasons for playing sport. Truth to tell, the last day was as bad as the first. It was a rotten contest that singularly failed to elevate the spirit.
Until another shocking decision was made by a 61-year-old umpire, reliable in his time but past his prime, the fifth day of this unattractive contest was offering plenty of tension to put alongside the memorable hundreds contributed by capable batsmen on both sides. Thereafter they might as well have drawn stumps, as all interest had been removed. Once justice and fair play have been ejected there is no point in playing the game.
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