ICC has cut a sorry figure yet again
The International Cricket Council (ICC) may be heaving a sigh of relief after the culmination of the Harbhajan Singh-Andrew Symonds saga, but the world body’s handling of the issue has been anything but deft.
The way the case was reduced from that of a racial slur by Harbhajan to one of using offensive language may be seen as a magic formula but has done precious little to enhance the reputation and respect of all parties concerned and only polarized the cricket world further, ironically on racial lines.
Never in the history of cricket have players, officials, media and fans been so keen to dub this as a ‘they versus us’ slug-fest. This is not how any sport is run at the international level and once again the ICC has proved itself to be a bunch of weak-kneed officials happy with ad-hoc and myopic measures.
There are only two ways the actual racial slur episode could have transpired, irrespective of whether or not pressure from the Indian Board had a bearing on the final verdict - either Harbhajan abused Symonds racially or he did not.
In case he did, Symonds has been denied justice, Harbhajan has escaped virtually scot-free, while match referee Mike Procter has been insulted because of the reversal of his judgment.
If Harbhajan did not hurl a racial abuse on Symonds, the Aussies have got away despite a false accusation, Harbhajan still got docked a 50 per cent match fee when Brad Hogg was reprieved for using similar abusive language and Mike Procter has come out of this whole controversy in poor light. If this is the case, the Aussies need to be pulled up and Procter’s name needs to be struck out from the list of elite ICC officials doing duty in high-profile matches.
Total Comments: 24
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Posted : By THYAGARAJAN
HARBHAJAN HAS BEEN LET OFF WITH 50 % CUT IN MATCH FEES. FOR USING SUCH A FOUL LANGUAGE IN AN ANTERNATIONAL MATCH, IF I WAS THE BCCI CHIEF , I WOULD HAVE SACKED HARBHAJAN FROM FURTHER MATCHES . LET US UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE GIUDELINES WHEN A PLAYER IS PROVOKED. i FEEL THAT HARBHAJAN HAS PUT INDIA TO SHAME AFTER USING FOUL LANGUAGE THAT IS UNPRINTABLE , WHILE "mONKEY" WHICH IS PRINTABLE IS CONSIDERED AN HIGHER LEVEL OF ABUSE.WHY THE bcci IS SILENT IS NOT UNDERSTOOD. uNLESS THE BOARD TAKES ACTION AGAINST HARBHAJAN , THE PLAYERS ARROGANCE WILL CONTINUE AND IT IS NOT GOOD FOR THE FRIENDLY GENTLEMEN GAME OF CRICKET
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Posted : By joe
Pardon me but....................oh sorry I thought you were awake.Go on go back to sleep.
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Posted : By S.Raghavan
yes.Australians are always known to find out negative tactics.They do not see and play cricket as Gentleman''s game.One should learn how gentlemanly is the game of cricket from teams like West Indies and Newzeland.Win or lose, they play cricket as it should be played.
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Posted : By bstonwer
being a cricket fan since forty years, i am totally disappointed to see the cricket players abuseing each other and punishments being given to only to the players of the asian countries. i am also disappointed to the player playing at such level not being honest and on being out not walking. i am also surprised and disappointed to see the palyer, who have won after cheating the game of the cricket and its spirit, are not ashamed of their act. i think it is high time that all the incompitent offials running the show of the cricket are said good bye, all the cricketers knowingly staying at the crease on out and the players found guilty of abuseing should be penalized to save the gave of the cricket which was called and which is still being played as gentlemen game by most of the players all over the world except few bad characters.
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Posted : By nita
Why are the Aussies feeling so bad at Bhajji''s verdict?Is it because for the first time they haven''t got their way with the judgement.They are the ones who have always gloated about their sledging by saying they play aggressive and uncompromising cricket.They unable to handle the new aggressive India .They should infact be grateful to judge Hansen for not punishing Symonds ,who started it all by abusing Harbhajan.
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