Cricket...

Perhaps "sledging" will have to be banned as that seems to be the root problem.

India cricket board statement
The following is the full statement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India into the decision to ban Harbhajan Singh for three matches for making a racist remark

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has viewed the happenings during the second cricket Test between India and Australia in Sydney with great concern as some of these can have a far-reaching impact on international cricket.

Some of incidents are highly regrettable considering the warm and friendly relations between the Indian and Australian cricket boards.

The incident involving Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds and the subsequent hearing by the ICC match referee and his conclusions are, to say the least, distressing.

The Indian Board does not accept the findings of the match referee and has decided to challenge the unfair decision to suspend Harbhajan Singh as it deems it patently unfair.

The Board will appeal to the International Cricket Council to review the decision of the match referee and suspend its operation till the appeal is disposed of.

The Indian Board realizes the game of cricket is paramount but so too is the honour of the Indian team and for that matter every Indian.

To vindicate its position, the Board will fight the blatantly false and unfair slur on an Indian player.

The Board also questions the very conduct of the hearing as the match referee before reaching his decision disregarded the essential point of any inquiry, that it should be based on facts, rational, detached and objective.

The Board, in particular, is unhappy with the charge of racial slur against India's of-spinner Harbhajan Singh.

I blame MTV's Yo Momma

I thought calling a mixed-race player a "monkey" was the problem? (xxp)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A30769914

Peter Roebuck : Ponting 'must be sacked'

http://www.theage.com.au/news/cricket/ponting-must-be-sacked/2008/01/07/1199554570948.html

Put the crack pipe down now, Peter.

Peter Roebuck: a man of many vices.

Roebuck OTM.

Sometimes it feels like the aussies can dish it out but cant take it. There's no excuse for racist abuse but its not surprising that things like that will happen when the sledging by the aussies creates such a nasty atmosphere.

This sums it up best

Kumble simmered as he delivered a line reminiscent of Bill Woodfull's famous Bodyline statement. "I think only one team was playing within the spirit of the game," he said, causing the Indian media contingent to break into applause.

Was it michael clarke who edged to slip but stood his ground for the umpire to make the decision?

"Sometimes"

friend of mine: "in the words of chopper read, india need to harden the f**k up"!

I'm with India all the way on this, fuck it. Peter Roebuck otm.

So what do you think is going to happen over this? Will Ponting and co tone down the sledging or insist there's nothing wrong with it?
It's certainly not very sportsmanlike and sets a bad example to fans. How can they be expected to behave when the captain and his players dont?

i think a three-match ban is harsh on harbarjan but he in particular, and india in general are hardly blameless in this though. they've been just as shittily petulant as australia at times! that last day was amazing, as "good" as the portugal-netherlands game at the last world cup.

I was gonna say, India are acting like spoilt brats. Sure they got the hard end of the stick with decisions but you've still gotta expect to keep out a part-timer with 3 wickets and 2 overs left! I don't think the Aussies would accuse Harbl of this if he hadn't said it, and although a 3-match ban may be a bit steep (I'd have fined him), there's no doubting that 'monkey' is racist rhetoric. Symonds and the Aussies could have risen above what was presumably an emotional comment, not indicative of any ingrained racial prejudice, but they chose not to, and the ICC have acted accordingly. What I want to see is everybody getting a light slap on the wrist and then told to get the fuck on with it. I'd also like to see tiny radio mikes attached to every player. That would sort these situations out. And provide us with some sterling entertainment.

In order to prevent this turning into a Pakistan vs. Darrell Hair-esque farce, the ICC should reverse their decision to ban Singh, but place him on a final warning for a lengthier ban should he say something similarly offensive in future. They should also fine him, and tell the Aussies that they are dirty sneaks.

You dont think there will be any action taken by the ICC on sledging then?

"Grow up, lads."

I don't see how they can reverse the decision. If they do that then each time something is done that a team doesn't like they will threaten to strike.

the ICC have to ban sledging and at least that way they have acted with authority.
Also in future they cant just accept someones word, they need evidence.

The way I see it, reversing the decision now isn't necessarily an admission of weakness, more a means of letting India off the hook just this once. I don't see many teams threatening to go on strike for ICC disciplinary decisions, and if they do, the ICC can simply choose to go "Fuck you". When this comes about, the team is the loser. I know India are a special case because their board is so powerful, but if the ICC reverse their decision, I reckon that they'd be grateful enough not to try a similar stunt again for a while.

Yeah right...

Also in future they cant just accept someones word, they need evidence.

-- Herman G. Neuname, Tuesday, 8 January 2008 12:24 (20 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

^^ Quintessence of the issue.

greg baum talks sense: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/01/07/1199554570951.html

So the ICC has dumped Bucknor (but not at the BCCI's request) (ORLY?) but oddly not Benson, who seemed just as incompetent than Bucknor, if not more so. Why one and not the other? India's long-held and widely known belief that Bucknor is biased against them no doubt had no bearing on the decision. None at all. And of course the ICC is compromised since India is largely responsible for ensuring the health of the ICC cash cow through TV rights.

And happily, Roebuck's call for Ponting's head has been treated with the contempt that it deserves - sometimes even selling lots of newspapers can still leave you as a laughing stock. Bad luck, Pete.

They totally make up the rules as they go, right?

-- HI DERE, Thursday, August 30, 2007 11:31 PM (4 months ago)

????

Kudos to the journalist who termed this the "Bollyline" tour.

In another remarkable day for world cricket, the financially powerful Board of Control for Cricket in India succeeded in having controversial umpire Steve Bucknor stood down for the Perth Test. New Zealand's Billy Bowden will stand in his place.

What, and giving this twat another chance to be a wanker is better in some way?

Some people are ruining cricket for me. Bowden and his self-obsessed arsehattery can get fucked.

(Mark Taylor's incredibly soporific commentary is another)

Billy Bowden pisses me off like you wouldn't believe.

Is Mark Benson usually crap? He was a decent opener for Kent and unlucky for England. He had an unusual batting style.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/7178634.stm

What do the actual aussie public think?

UH

I assume contrary to the reports in todays UK newspapers the public are totally behind ponting?

The public manages to ignore any news story in which Australia is criticised. If the situation were reversed we'd be beying for Indian blood.

Loads of countries are like this, but Australia is a bit over the top imo.

Common scenario: A male Australian 'football'* player fondles some woman in a club, reels off a template apology to the press, cops a fine and/or a several-match ban, continues to enjoy blanket media coverage, becomes role model for young boys.

* not football

way to generalise!!

interesting alternate perspective from india

^^^ author has 30 minutes to live

that guy is one of the best cricket-writers going, along with cricinfo colleague and amusingly-named-for-an-aussie peter english

you'd have to say 'peter australian' would be a lot funnier, surely

this is true

peter new zealander would be funniest of all

poida

Of course what is not being discussed anywhere is the woeful quality of the team that India has sent to represent their country.

Aside from Tendulkar, Laxman, Ganguly, Kumble and Dhoni the rest should all be dropped. Jaffer's made 22 runs in 4 innings and got out to Lee each time. Dravid's faced 443 balls for a pitiful 112 runs in 4 innings. And Yuvraj, the wonderkid, has 17 runs from 4 innings. Ana aside from Kumble, the bowling hasn't looked much better.

Perhaps they SHOULD go home.

lol you

india took a first-innings lead in the last game, were denied a potentially decisive one by a staggeringly poor bit of umpiring, and only failed to draw due to a) more bad umpiring and b) one freak over.

for your sake i hope india wins the next two tests

Bowden and his self-obsessed arsehattery can get fucked.

He's annoying, but also makes the correct decisions most of the time.

No, they "failed to draw" because they couldn't bat through two sessions.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/thepress/4350433a6429.html

Has this been posted yet?

*speechless*

Incidentally, Symonds is not Aborigine as many think, but has West Indian heritage, so technically, he and Harbhajan are both Indians.

OK, this is a spoof