'Sin-bin' for sledging

In an attempt at weeding out sledging and cultivate good behavior, schools in the UK are experimenting with 'sin-bins'.

By agreement between cricket masters before matches, umpires will warn a fielding side about their conduct if they indulge in sledging. After two 'cautions', the master in charge of the offending team will be invited to remove his captain from the field for 10 minutes, with no substitute allowed.

Though it is not revolutionary,by penalizing the Captain the concept can force teams to behave. However, the onus on enforcing it is on the umpires.

Do you think 'sin-bins' will deter International cricket teams from sledging?

A Way Out

It is unlikely that Harbhajan will escape unscathed. For one it will reflect adversely on all parties concerned.

If it were to happen, India and its cricketing body will stand accused of ‘flexing their financial muscles’. The Australian players will be pilloried for employing dirty tricks, in this case racism, to subjugate their opponents and the ICC will be slammed yet again for being weak- kneed.

Normally this sort of situation an acceptable political compromise is the norm. However, there is one uncompromising element in this mix, the Indian players. They are adamant that Harbhajan is innocent and unwilling to compromise. This adds a complexity to the situation as they have taken the high moral ground by excusing Brad Hogg.

How do you think they will resolve the situation?

 

Technorati Tags: Harbhajan,Symonds,racism,hearing,ICC,BCCI,Australia,India

The End Game

The Test series is winding down and Harbhajans ban coming up for review. The BCCI has started cranking up the pressure and as a first step; Procter’s ruling been made public and now the second step

IN AN ominous sign that Bollyline is about to turn toxic, Indian cricket powerbroker Lalit Modi has warned there will be Australian "casualties" from the Sydney Test.

It is an obvious attempt to remind the CAB and the players particularly the 'accusers' that they have a lot to lose. Undoubtedly, the ban will be overturned citing lack of corroborative evidence.

The End game is on.

IceRocket Tags: Racial abuse,Harbhajan,Symonds,CAB,BCCI,Ban,hearing,IPL

Symonds-Sreesanth title fight postponed.

An injured Sreesanth has deflated the anticipation of a good skirmish down under.

Former Australian firebrand Rodney Hogg spoke
for most when he described theloss of Sreesanth as a major blow for India - and
Australian spectators.

Hogg, one of the game's more colourful
characters, joked the spatbetween Symonds and Sreesanth could have been
cricket's equivalent of a titlefight.

Personally, the anticipation of watching Laxman and Sachin take the Australian bowling apart and Sreesanth’s theatrics had me salivating and now the thrill is there but the edge is missing.

Has Sreesanth’s injury spoiled your appetite?

Malcolm Marshall and David Boon

Is this one true? I have never heard it before.

Malcolm Marshall was bowling to David Boon who had played and missed a couple of times. Marshall “Now, David, are you going to get out now or am I going to have to bowl around the wicket and kill you?”

"Aussie-fied"

"Aussie-fied"- The art of swearing like a sailor at your opponents and then acting 'precious' when you get an earful in return. Also known as sledging and mental disintegration.


Hat tip: ArthurVandelay

Return of the ‘thayir satham’ days

Kumble’s appointment may very well kill all the overt aggression shown by our players in the last season.


The danger is real, the ‘thayir satham’ days may make a comeback.

Sledging okay says Taufel: But please be original

Cricket's No.1 umpire Simon Taufel says he along with other umpires feel that there is nothing wrong with players having a go at each other as long as it is within bounds.

Taufel like any other sportsman loves sledging when it is original and witty.

Unsurprisingly, Taufel named serial glarer Andre Nel of South Africa as one sledger who'd become a tad boring.

"I was in Pakistan recently with Andre Nel playing for South Africa against the Pakistanis," he said.

"Andre unfortunately only had one line that he was dishing out to Shoaib Malik and the boys so it got a bit monotonous there.

"We just had a chat to Andre and said to (captain) Graeme Smith, 'well, look he's only traipsing out one line, it's getting a bit boring."

Ponting and his team- under siege?

The Australians, excepting for a solitary hiccup, have played ferocious cricket through out this ODI series. They have reminded everybody that they are the Champions and the best team barring none by winning the series.

However, what exactly are they trying to achieve by this constant harping about firstly India’s Twenty20 championship celebrations, secondly by the aggrieved tone they have taken about the ‘lip’ they are getting from some of the Indian players and now thirdly by ‘monkey chants’ claims.

The most charitable conclusion seems to be that they are trying to get to the mind of the Indian team ahead of the upcoming series.

The less charitable conclusion seems to be to create a diplomatic row between the two nations. We all know how the Australian government got involved during the ‘bodyline’ series. By- the –way, they also have a Prime Minister who is not above calling Muralitharan a chucker.

It is easy to conclude that this systematic ratcheting up of the rhetoric is a tool or should we say a license to behave boorishly. They are preparing the background to do so by claiming all this happened to them in India and Indians better lump it if the same happens to them in Australia.

Unfortunately for Australia, the truth lies somewhere between.

It is apparent that with the retirement of Warne and McGrath they are finding themselves matched man to man in all the cricketing areas and it will not be long before other countries will start beating them regularly. They also know that their bowlers are only good ‘on their day’. In turn this has made their team vulnerable to strong batting lineups.

The seniors in the team know that the Australian dominance is surely a thing of the past. It is this conviction that has them feeling of being under siege. No wonder, Ponting and Symonds are talking about respect and making a song and dance over mere trifles.

Sreesanth gets Ponting’s goat

The whole Australian team seems to have something against Sreesanth. Among them, Symonds and Ponting are really agitated.

In every news bite they can be found making accusations about his behaviour. The beauty of it all is the insular nature of their accusations.

When Symonds has a running tiff with Tendulkar, then it is passed off as sportsmanship.

However, when they get something back, they talk murder. For example take a look at this statement by Ponting “the Australian captain warned that the Indian team would pay the price for his (Sreesanths) childish antics.”

What the hell does he mean ‘pay the price’?

Surely, Sreesanth has got them by the unmentionables.

The Arseholes of International cricket.

Commenting on the ensuing sledging controversy,Simon Barnes chief sportswriter at The Times writes, “The England cricket team are suffering from confusion. The players believe to a man that behaving like an arsehole makes you a better cricketer. The fact is that it doesn’t. It only makes you an arsehole”.

Trifle harsh to describe the England team as arseholes. You can count atleast one gentleman among them. However, if you are itching to nominate any one team as the Arseholes of International cricket, I suggest the Australians. They are ahead of the others by a mile.

When it comes to consistent uncouth and downright boorish behaviour they are the undisputed champions, nee arseholes.