Sunil blasts the Australians

[pasag]

From foxsports, the juicy bits:

"Australia's comeuppance at the hands of England and New Zealand has gladdened the hearts of not just the other aspirants for the World Cup but also the followers of the game,'' Gavaskar wrote in the latest issue of the respected India Today magazine.

"There is not the slightest doubt that in the past decade or so the Aussies have been awesome in batting, bowling and fielding which has taken them to the top of the cricketing ladder in both Test and limited-overs cricket.

"But they have also been awful in the way they have sometimes behaved on the field much to the chagrin of the traditional fans of the game.

"Unlike the West Indies teams of the 1970s and 1980s which dominated world cricket in much the same way as the Australians are doing now, the Australians are not popular winners.

"The Windies were feared for the ferocity of their attack and the aggression of their batsmen but at the end of the playing day the West Indian player was not only admired but also liked.

"They went about their job in a no fuss manner and hardly had anything to say to the opponents, unlike the Aussies who have plenty to say and seldom in a humorous way. Banter works - abuse doesn't."

I can see where he's coming from, but I think it's abit of an overreaction from all circles (when speaking on this topic). Because Australia celebrate a little to hard, or look smug, have a no bull**** attitude and win alot, they become any easy target.

I also think it's abit unfair to compare Australia to teams of the past, society has changed since then as has on field behaviour in all sports. Across the board people were more modest, calm and collected on the field but as it becomes heaps more professional, as the stakes are raised, things are going to get heated. I personally don't think any other team would be different on the field, in a similar situation to Australia, but again, I can see where people are coming from and if it was say South Africa in this situation, I'd probably be the first to come out against them. Anyways, I'm rambling so I'll stop.

Thoughts?

 

[FRAZ]

For me Sunil Gawaskar is a great expert of the game and I like the way he asses any given cricketing situation . Thats all I will say cuz if I will go further then I might get warning as if I am trying to start off a war like 1965 Pakistan -India one !!!!

 

[Johnners]

Quite ironic from Sunil, in critisizing the on field behaviour of others, when he alone was part of one of the more infamous dumby spitting incidents in the history of cricket.

Pasag pretty much summed up my thoughts on the matter, but i'll my bit anyway.

That said, like pasag, i can see where he is coming from, but think it's more due to a gross overreaction from most. Yes, the Play Hard, and they win a lot, and not many like for that. However, i see part of the reason being the vast change in society, and the fact that Cricket is now a professional sport, and i think you'd find that if any team was as dominant nowadays as Australia is, fans from other countries wouldn't be all that welcoming of them either.

 

[biased indian]

Quite ironic from Sunil, in critisizing the on field behaviour of others, when he alone was part of one of the more infamous dumby spitting incidents in the history of cricket.

Pasag pretty much summed up my thoughts on the matter, but i'll my bit anyway.

That said, like pasag, i can see where he is coming from, but think it's more due to a gross overreaction from most. Yes, the Play Hard, and they win a lot, and not many like for that. However, i see part of the reason being the vast change in society, and the fact that Cricket is now a professional sport, and i think you'd find that if any team was as dominant nowadays as Australia is, fans from other countries wouldn't be all that welcoming of them either.

May be thats why CA also had to ask their teams to cool off at certian times may be they also dont like them

 

[archie mac]

Sunil has a short memory, some of the things he wrote regarding the WIs are some of the most racist comments I have ever read

I do agree that the Aussies and especially their captain have gone over the top mostly with umpires

 

[Anil]

Sunil has a short memory, some of the things he wrote regarding the WIs are some of the most racist comments I have ever read

this is not a challenge or anything but i would be interested to know what these comments were...can you provide a link or something?

 

[C_C]

Somehow i don't get how play hard means 'bend the rules' or push it to its limit like the Aussie team does.
Am a fan of the no-nonsense type player who can also keep his mouth shut.
Sunil is spot-on imo.

 

[straightbat]

Being a past test player of some standing unfortunately does not make you right or sensible (ie, Sunny and Neil Harvey). Sunny is the worst commentator going round and has some hide criticising players from any country for on field behavior after his performance

 

[archie mac]

this is not a challenge or anything but i would be interested to know what these comments were...can you provide a link or something?

No not that I know of. A lot of my books are packed at the moment because I am moving, it is from Sunny Days. I did find some of the comments in another book though.

"When I faced Holding, I received four bouncers in an over and a beamer which Holding pretended had slipped from his hand....To call a crowd 'a crowd in Jamaica is a misnomer. It should be called a mob. The way they shrieked and howled every time Holding bowled was positively horrible... All this proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that these people still belong to the jungles and forests instead of a civilised country".

 

[pup11]

I just don't know how to react to this statement from Gavaskar, i think all the cricket pundits have got a chance to bash the aussies as much as they can since they lost 5 games in a row.


I think everyone wants to criticise a team like Australia which has been on top for such a long time for any small mistake they make, but Gavaskar's comments really reflects lot of hatred for the aussies which is so bloody wrong.

 

[pup11]

IMO, All the criticism that the aussies have had to cope in the last one month from former greats can only motivate them to do well and silence their critics.

 

[chaminda_00]

I think Sunny is right, the Australian Cricket Tools are a bunch of tools the way they have carried on with there recent success and they have been even worse when they lost a couple games here and there. But Sunny is probably not the best one to have a go at them, looking at his past record and especially with his referral to the Windies team of 70s and 90s as a way to win gracefully. As AM pointed out he critised them before.

 

[C_C]

especially with his referral to the Windies team of 70s and 90s as a way to win gracefully

Nothing wrong in that comment. The caribbean team of the 70s and 80s were known not to get into verbal banter but do the whole 'silently stare at you if you spew blood' thing.
I for one consider them far well behaved than the current Aussie bunch.
And all this insinuation of jealousy is bollocks - Australia gets flak because Australian team tends to be crass. Maybe its something with Aussie sporting culture but in team sporting meets, i can usually pick out the Aussie team - look for the loudest,brashest bunch and its them. A friend of mine is a soccer coach and he's worked in England/Australia as well as in Canada...singles out Aussies for their hostile and uncouth element in the competetive makeup. I don't think most Aussies even realize this tbh.

 

[PY]

"When I faced Holding, I received four bouncers in an over and a beamer which Holding pretended had slipped from his hand....To call a crowd 'a crowd in Jamaica is a misnomer. It should be called a mob. The way they shrieked and howled every time Holding bowled was positively horrible... All this proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that these people still belong to the jungles and forests instead of a civilised country".

That's pretty shocking!

 

[Laurrz]

what actual examples are there of abuse? [serious question]

 

[honestbharani]

what actual examples are there of abuse? [serious question]

Throwing the ball at batsmen's head might be a start.


Esp. when the batsman in question basically has your (the bowler's) number.


Aussies do it far, far more regularly than I have seen any time do in my time of watching cricket.

 

[Laurrz]

Throwing the ball at batsmen's head might be a start.


Esp. when the batsman in question basically has your (the bowler's) number.


Aussies do it far, far more regularly than I have seen any time do in my time of watching cricket.

i think i have seen that only happen once tho with Warne and KP ?

 

[honestbharani]

I have seen it happen with Warne and Neil Johnson as far back as in the 99 WC. A couple of times against Lara, once against Laxman. Once Bevan did that to Lara when he was throwing the ball from mid off. Lara went up to him and confronted him and then when the umpire (an Aussie, surprise, surprise) told Lara to calm down, he told him something like "why are talking to me? he is the one creating the issue. ask him to shut up!". Ian Chappell was on air at that time and he kept saying how he agreed with Lara. Even Bill Lawry thought Aussies had gone too far in that instance. Lara scored only 20 or 30 in that match, but that over brough 4 consecutive boundaries off Fleming, I think.

 

[archie mac]

Nothing wrong in that comment. The caribbean team of the 70s and 80s were known not to get into verbal banter but do the whole 'silently stare at you if you spew blood' thing.
.

That is just not true, reading McDermott's book he stated he was often refered to as a 'White I won't put the word.

Or was it only the Aussies they sledged?

 

[Craig]

So how many other teams have kicked down stumps or barged into umpires when something doesn't go their own way?