No more a gentleman’s game

Gone are the days when cricketers used to walk back to the pavilion when they were out even if the umpire did not raise his finger. Now with technology in action, modern cricketers tend to test the integrity of the umpire, or mislead him to give wrong decision or remain adamant in the crease till the umpire raises his finger or the big screen shows “Out�. Things have changed, not for perhaps the better, as is exhibited in the Sydney Test where Team India twin blow – from the umpire and the players.

For the Aussies, win is more important than the reputation of cricket as gentleman's game. And they can adopt all means –fair and foul – to beat the opponent. In fact, by their professional attitude, they exhibit everything-is-fair-in-love-and-war theory in toto. Look at Symonds, who was out and was about to walk, but then he held back his advancing step seeing the umpire unmoved. In total disrespect to the professional ethics, he admitted he was out. He might have helped his country win the match but brought a bad precedent to the game. His wicket costs India more than a hundred runs – 132 to be exact in the first inning's total. Should Symonds enjoy his Man of the Match award? That is a big ask from an Australian player who is bent on beating every team by hook or by crook. Ponting and Co. have shown they are least bothered about sports spirit.

Nest, the catch that Michael Clarke took was actually he picked up from the ground in a jiffy and started celebrating as if he made a magnificent take. Standing next to the skipper, Clarke knew he did not take the catch cleanly and would have stopped him pointing his finger. He did not. Interestingly, Mark Benson asked for confirmation from players, not the third umpire nor his colleague Bucknor. Instead of the catcher, skipper Ponting raised his finger like an umpire.

Why should Ponting raise his finger to confirm a catch that he was not sure of? Why did Mark Benson ask Ponting instead of asking the third umpire? Why should he believe that Ponting was telling the truth? And why did Ganguly's plea was not heard by the same umpire? There is an element of partiality in the decision of Mark Benson, whose ask for confirmation proves that he had a doubt. As an umpire, he should have realised that the benefit of doubt always goes to the batsman rather than the bowler that he failed to utilise. All these questions will come up before the ICC when India formally lodges a complaint to it.

The first violation is that confirmation ask from the umpire Mark Benson is supposed to be done in case of ball being stopped at boundary rope to ascertain whether it touched it or catch being taken at the edge of the rope. Earlier, umpired tend to believe the player at the boundary to be telling the truth. But given the lack of sports spirit and professional ethics making inroads to the level of white lie, this should also have been directed to the third umpire.

Remember Darrel Hair, the controversial Australian umpire, who along with fellow umpire Billy Doctrove ruled that the Pakistani team had been involved in ball tampering. Hair was banned from officiating in international matches by the ICC in November 2006. I don't know what would Imran Khan say about Bucknor and Benson after Sydney Test, who had called Hair an "umpiring fundamentalist."

It is still a speculation what action the ICC would initiate against the two umpires officiating in the Sydney Test. Meanwhile, skipper Kumble echoed something similar to the immortal line used by the Australian captain Bill Woodfull during the 1932-33 Bodyline series against England . "Only one team was playing with the spirit of the game." He was clearly referring to India . Unlike the Aussies, Indian skipper did not show his anger over the Australian players.

While the fans and experts are furious over the seven wrong decisions that Bucknor and Benson have given against Indian, it is expected that BCCI would go ahead with a strong protest against the two umpires. But what about the Australian cricketers? The less said the better. Now onwards, Team India needs to confront all means – legal or illegal from the Aussies. I am sure Ian Chappell and Dean Jones would come up the strong-worded syndicate columns, as they had done in past when the violator was supposed to be from India or Sri Lanka.