Line & Length
R Mohan
On the field Indians have to be street-smart
February 28, 2008
Cricketers do not aspire to be like Mother Teresa, at least not when they are still playing. They are a combative lot who feel hot under the collar whenever challenged and Team India are certainly feeling nettled now by some stereotypical on-field Aussie cricketer behaviour. Far from being prepared to take it in their stride, the Indians are itching to retaliate.
It would be a moment's work to view the punishment meted out to Ishant Sharma as just another instance of the double standards most ICC match referees employ when dealing with Asians as opposed to 'white' teams. But this is not so.
Ishant is just another Indian who has fallen into the trap and retaliated with a gesture rather than just exchange words with hot-headed opponents.
The low level of verbal exchanges among cricketers who often resort to profanity in the heat of the moment is one of those curiosities that must be studied by psychologists.
Lack of vocabulary often leads to players taking recourse to obscenities and they are not all that far behind sailors when it comes to swearing.
Not all profanity is caught by stump microphones on the cricket field unlike in tennis, which more often fines racquet wielders for audible obscenities.
The gestures are somewhat easier to spot and fine in cricket, which is what ICC referees constantly do. India can have no complaint in this regard since Ishant's gesture was a direct breach of the ICC Code of Conduct.
This is where the Indians lag because they have not picked up well enough on the art of one-upmanship. All the more reason why more Indians (and Asians) are hauled up by match referees than cricketers of England , South Africa and New Zealand . The players of the white block may be adepts at mouthing off who know they can avoid sanctions if they stick to words, how ever offensive, than finger waving gestures.
The Aussies are, however, serial offenders not only in words but also in gestures, which has led to their captain being hauled up twice in the recent past for dissent at umpiring decisions.
Even Gilchrist has been on the carpet for dissent at a decision. Given their record, a contentious series was always on the cards, more so considering the background of the Australian tour of India in which Sreesanth engaged Symonds in various 'battles'.
The ICC match referee, Jeff Crowe, is on record as saying, "Clearly both teams are still sensitive to each others' actions in the middle. ICC has recently reiterated that a zero-tolerance attitude will be shown to abusive or insulting language and actions."
Nice enough words, but the ICC is yet to pounce upon language as the cause in the vicious cycle of cause and effect in confrontations on the field.
The crime and punishment register in Wisden reveals that, over the last two seasons, five cricketers from Australia (Ponting, Gilchrist, Lee), South Africa (Smith) and England (Pitersen) were sanctioned while there were as many as nine from Asia and one from the West Indies (Gayle) who came under the scanner.
The ratio of two to one merely underscores the fact that certain teams are getting away with it.
The BCCI would do well to consider running orientation courses for its cricketers involving detailed lectures on the Code of Conduct and how it operates.
This is a must for newcomers who are easily trapped by the emotions of the moment into reacting as Ishant did. The thought that the whole thing may have been born of a misunderstanding makes it sadder at least for Ishant whose name is now in the record and any future punishment may be more severe.
Until the regulations change regarding sledging, Team India must tread carefully lest it strengthen the impression of being fractious cricketers always railing at the injustice of the system and landing up in front of match referees.
Some street-smart ways are called for.
Republished with permission from The Asian Age
It would be a moment's work to view the punishment meted out to Ishant Sharma as just another instance of the double standards most ICC match referees employ when dealing with Asians as opposed to 'white' teams. But this is not so.
Ishant is just another Indian who has fallen into the trap and retaliated with a gesture rather than just exchange words with hot-headed opponents.
The low level of verbal exchanges among cricketers who often resort to profanity in the heat of the moment is one of those curiosities that must be studied by psychologists.
Lack of vocabulary often leads to players taking recourse to obscenities and they are not all that far behind sailors when it comes to swearing.
Not all profanity is caught by stump microphones on the cricket field unlike in tennis, which more often fines racquet wielders for audible obscenities.
The gestures are somewhat easier to spot and fine in cricket, which is what ICC referees constantly do. India can have no complaint in this regard since Ishant's gesture was a direct breach of the ICC Code of Conduct.
This is where the Indians lag because they have not picked up well enough on the art of one-upmanship. All the more reason why more Indians (and Asians) are hauled up by match referees than cricketers of England , South Africa and New Zealand . The players of the white block may be adepts at mouthing off who know they can avoid sanctions if they stick to words, how ever offensive, than finger waving gestures.
The Aussies are, however, serial offenders not only in words but also in gestures, which has led to their captain being hauled up twice in the recent past for dissent at umpiring decisions.
Even Gilchrist has been on the carpet for dissent at a decision. Given their record, a contentious series was always on the cards, more so considering the background of the Australian tour of India in which Sreesanth engaged Symonds in various 'battles'.
The ICC match referee, Jeff Crowe, is on record as saying, "Clearly both teams are still sensitive to each others' actions in the middle. ICC has recently reiterated that a zero-tolerance attitude will be shown to abusive or insulting language and actions."
Nice enough words, but the ICC is yet to pounce upon language as the cause in the vicious cycle of cause and effect in confrontations on the field.
The crime and punishment register in Wisden reveals that, over the last two seasons, five cricketers from Australia (Ponting, Gilchrist, Lee), South Africa (Smith) and England (Pitersen) were sanctioned while there were as many as nine from Asia and one from the West Indies (Gayle) who came under the scanner.
The ratio of two to one merely underscores the fact that certain teams are getting away with it.
The BCCI would do well to consider running orientation courses for its cricketers involving detailed lectures on the Code of Conduct and how it operates.
This is a must for newcomers who are easily trapped by the emotions of the moment into reacting as Ishant did. The thought that the whole thing may have been born of a misunderstanding makes it sadder at least for Ishant whose name is now in the record and any future punishment may be more severe.
Until the regulations change regarding sledging, Team India must tread carefully lest it strengthen the impression of being fractious cricketers always railing at the injustice of the system and landing up in front of match referees.
Some street-smart ways are called for.
Republished with permission from The Asian Age
