AUSTRALIA CRICKET TEAM - A Real Cheaters

Shame Shame Australia pretty sure that our ancestors the monkeys would want nothing to do with SYMONDS THE CHEATER.





Gone are the days when Cricket was considered to be a game for the GENTELMEN. There was nothing ethical or moral in the way the World Champions?!?!? played this Test match and nor was it the ideal way to ring in the new year but nothing seems to have deterred the lying kangaroos from claiming a world record victory (16 in a row). Who is going to trust them or give them the benefit of doubt henceforth?



Indians of course were playing against a 14 member lying, unethical Aussie team (of course the contribution of Umpires Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson) could barely be discounted.



Harbhajan has been summoned for a hearing and is accused of racial abuse. We in India think it was racism at its core where the umpiring was concerned. Why suddenly when the Aussies were under pressure the Aussies had to look at the umpires to bail them out (such is the caliber of ethics of the World Champions?!?! Au contraire it was the Indians who were at the receiving end an apt case of the kettle calling the pot black.



There is a big hue and cry and the media is all over the place but the questions that arise are very simple:

1. Who is going to take action against the umpires for this shocking debacle?

2. Who is going to summon and take action against Andre Symonds (who admitted he was out or as a matter of fact Ricky Ponting who was the self appointed third umpire in giving Sourav Ganguly out, or Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds (once again) for the Rahul Dravids alleged dismissal by leaving a ball and Gilchrist of course shouting over catching a ball that touched thin air? Micheal Slater who did not walk when he was clearly out till the Indians vociferously appealed and umpire gave him out this mans word was taken to give Saurav Ganguly out caught in the slips. SHOCKING!! And whose word was taken Ricky Pontings Who did not walk when he was clearly out such integrity the World Champions ?!?! have. The man who at the end of days play had the cheek to call the journalists that if they questioned his integrity they had no business being there but we feel he has no business to be in the game and for bringing it such disrepute.





If this would have happened in the subcontinent the ICC would have been quick to take action but one wonders what action will be taken against Australia.



Judge This...



Case A: Andrew Symonds edges one to the wicketkeeper; the fielding side appeals vociferously; the umpire says not out.



TV replays show that the batsman had got a thick edge so does the snick o meter.



Case B: Andrew Symonds misses a ball down the leg-side; the wicketkeeper whips off the bails and appeals for a stumping to the leg umpire. Not out, says the umpire.



TV replays suggest that the batsman may have been out!



These two instances, among the many that were alarmingly seen during the ongoing Sydney Test, have sparked off crickets newest debate: is it time for the International Cricket Council (ICC) to use more technology to ensure umpires dont destroy a match by their erroneous judgements.



Presently, television replays are used at the umpires discretion mainly to adjudicate on run outs, stumpings, hit-wickets and bump balls; at times, if both umpires are unsighted, they seek the third umpires help to judge if a catch has been taken cleanly or not.



Unfortunately some umpires still see technology as an affront to their competency. A few even feel below themselves to turn to the idiot box for help while a few others are too cocky even in close situations. All these leads to the exasperating examples where a batsman is either wrongly given out or not given out when its abundantly clear to even a baby.



There are, of course, a few instances where some umpires prefer to take the safe way out and summon the third umpire even when a batsman has been run out by a mile. All this leads to the one simple question: should the laws make it mandatory to use technology wherever possible? Or should it remain at the whim and fancy of the umpire even if hes being plain oafish?



The Aussies were beneficiaries of as many as four shockingly incorrect decisions at Sydney on Wednesday. If you count Ricky Pontings eventual lbw dismissal, the one bad call that went against the hosts, it makes five howlers in 89 overs of play!



Its also strange that whenever India tour Down Under, the umpires mistakes invariably affect them more than the hosts. It happened in the first Test too, notably with Yuvraj and Kumble looking unhappy with their decisions, and it has happened again.



In fact, Bucknors blooper against Sachin Tendulkar at Brisbane on the previous tour - when he was given leg before as the ball thudded against his helmet still rankles.



Oxenford, the third umpire is an Australian - he hails from Queensland, the same state as Symonds. His "not out" decision when Dhoni whipped off the bails even as Symondss foot was in the air, builds a stronger case for neutral third umpires. Former Australian batsman Michael Slater said: "Even all the Australians on the Channel 9 commentary team clearly thought Symonds was out."



Symonds was then on 48, but he wouldnt have got that far had Bucknor been on the ball. Clearly, Bucknor, who is pushing 62, is past his expiration date. Ian Chappell even suggested that the umpire "should have retired earlier this year". Bucknor, along with Billy Bowden, who stood in the first Test and had a hard time of it, also featured prominently in the farcial end to the World Cup last year. Both were reprimanded.



On Wednesday, English umpire Mark Benson was the first to get into the act, when he ruled Ricky Ponting not out when the Aussie skipper got an edge to a Sourav Ganguly delivery drifting down leg. Ponting went on to make 55, before Benson decided two wrongs will make a right and ruled him out lbw to Harbhajan despite a thick inside edge.



Its clear these decisions have hurt Indias chances of making a comeback in this series. In fact, two Australian greats, ex-Aussie skipper Steve Waugh and Ian Healy, suggested after the days play that changes are necessary to shake up an underperforming group of Elite Panel umpires. "Four obvious errors in one day is poor concentration," said Waugh.



Healy said he was all for referrals, or captains challenge, as he called them, to give teams an opportunity to dispute an umpires call. Sadly, thats exactly what the umpires might have done here.



Steve Bucknor of course seems to chase the Indians wherever they go. The list is long, but here are some of his more infamous decisions..



1. 2nd Test 1992, India Vs South Africa at Johannesburg. SA was 73 for 5, and there was a run out appeal against Jonty Rhodes. Bucknor ruled not out, even though replays suggested it was out. He didnt bother to refer to the third umpire. South Africa scored 292 and drew the match.



2. India Vs Pakistan at Kolkata, 1998-99. Shoaib obstructed Sachin and appealed for a run out. Mr Bucknor ignored his obstructions and referred the matter to third umpire, who had to rule out.



3. Ignored Sachins pleas for bad light at Kolkata in March 2005 and then gave him out caught behind to Abdul Razzaq in semi-darkness.



4. Gave Sachin out leg-before to Jason Gillespie in Brisbane during the 2003-04 tour. The ball was outside the line of off stump. Then-skipper Sourav Ganguly gave him a zero in the captains report.



We are outraged that the game has come to such a disrepute coz of the way the World champions?!? of the game have conducted themselves. What will the BCCI do (that is if they know anything apart from making money of will they keep mum because the big man wants to contest ICC elections.)?



In order to make sure such instances are not repeated and that teams do not behave in such shameless manners this test should be erased from the records of history or Ponting and his men have a lot to be ashamed of for the rest of their careers /lives.



I think the Indians should just abandon the remaining test matches and not play the one dayers too as a mark of protest. Kapil Dev wearing black on television and Sunil Gavaskar crying foul on commentary may not work to get the message across to thick skinned people.



If we do not take a stand now we will be labeled cowards Forget being calls sore looser if we walk out of Australia now. We need ACTION now



Shame Shame Bucknor!!!



SHAME CRICKET AUSTRALIA!!!