Sunil blasts the Australians part II

[pasag]

Your veto days are over!

Your veto days are over!
Sunil Gavaskar

A FEW days before the recent meeting of the ICC Executive Board in Dubai, the names of the two candidates to replace Malcolm Speed as the Chief Executive Officer of the ICC were announced. Mr IS Bindra, former President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India and Mr Imtiaz Patel, currently the CEO of the Supersport TV channel in South Africa, were the contenders shortlisted for the post. As soon as Mr Bindra’s name was announced, there were a flurry of articles in England and Australia that giving him the job would put too much power in India’s hands, as Mr Pawar was going to be President of the ICC in 2010.

Worried

The ICC CEO was to be given a three-year contract, which could be renewed of course, but it was only in the final year of his contract that there could have been two Indians at the helm of the ICC. Those worried of the prospect of India’s hegemony were conveniently forgetting that only a few years back, there were two Australians at the top of the ICC. Malcolm Gray as President and Malcolm Speed as the CEO, but there were no fears about Australia ruling the game then. Why is it that these writers have no qualms about similar situations when it concerns their own countrymen, but are quick to raise a hue and cry when it is from India or the sub-continent?

Once again, it is misplaced belief that they are the only ones with honesty, integrity and have the welfare of the game at heart, while the ‘sub-continentals’ do not. Every controversy in international cricket has shown that no country has the monopoly on honesty and integrity, and so should not be looking down upon others.

Still, it is a habit that is hard to get over, and so it is anathema to think that those who were the ruled can one day become the rulers. It is this supercilious and condescending attitude that is hard to understand at a time when the world even thought it is still round more even than ever before. Gone are the days when two countries, England and Australia, had the veto power in international cricket, even though the dinosaurs, still trying to voice their prejudiced opinions in the media, may not open their eyes and see the reality.

The cricketing world has found that India has no longer a diffident voice in the international cricketing community, but a confident one that knows what is good for its cricket, and will strive to get it. What may have worried these people was the manner in which India defended its player Harbhajan Singh on the ‘racist’ allegation made against him.

Unable to prove

India was insistent that Harbhajan had not said anything racist, and when all the technology in the world was unable to prove that he had indeed said anything, these guys, especially those in Australia, having got so used to getting it their way, were unable to stomach it. They kept referring to India’s threat of calling off the tour, completely ignoring the statement of Mr Pawar where he categorically stated that there was no question of calling off the tour.

Yes, there were some other BCCI members who were aggressive, but it was the President who had been authorised to take the final decision, and when he made it clear that there was no threat to the continuation of the tour, that should have been that.

So, to ignore that and project others from the BCCI as bullies and thus create that kind of image of BCCI suited the particular newspaper, which even now refuses to accept that its players could be mistaken, despite Justice Hansen’s judgment.

Talking of bullying, one wonders what the reaction of these people would be to the threat of the Federation of International Hockey to take away the 2010 World Cup hockey from India, unless India totally accepts project ‘Promoting Indian Hockey’ that was being proposed by the FIH. How and why should the staging of the World Cup be linked to a development project is hard to understand, but that kind of bullying does not raise any comment from these guys, presumably because it is coming from Europeans, while the BCCI standing behind its player who was wrongly and falsely accused of racist comment is looked as strong-arm tactics. Wow!

The hockey scenario that is unfolding is also an indicator of how people from overseas look upon India to get some easy dough. It’s not just in cricket, where the IPL coaches have been signed from all over the world for what presumably are lucrative fees.

A Twenty20 game is such a fast-paced one that there is very little room for any tactics, and so a coach is really not needed. What is definitely required is a physical trainer, because the nature of the format makes physical fitness so important, and also a top-class fielding coach who can make a difference to the fielding standards, where every run matters and matches are won or lost by the odd run or two. The IPL has been a golden opportunity for these smooth-talkers to come and earn some easy money, and if their teams don’t do well, it will be explained in a smooth way as well.

*snip*

 

[pasag]

A little bit of truth, a little bit of

imo.

 

[duffer]

Much love to Sunny, at least he's consistent in his views and I can't see anything really untrue about what he's saying although the Hockey reference was stretching the metaphor a bit, no-one in either country really cares enough about the sport for it to be real big news.

Surprised he came out with this so early though, was thinking September onwards in the build-up to the Australia tour of India would be when the big pot stirring would start. Expect this to be the first of many flame-bait articles to get the hype machine rolling for that series.

 

[Craig]

 

[Son Of Coco]

Exactly, who cares what Sunil says really.

I care that little I didn't even bother reading the article before I posted this

 

[Craig]

Exactly, who cares what Sunil says really.

I care that little I didn't even bother reading the article before I posted this

Or I could of indicted that I'm tired from a lack of sleep

 

[Laurrz]

Surprised he came out with this so early though, was thinking September onwards in the build-up to the Australia tour of India would be when the big pot stirring would start. Expect this to be the first of many flame-bait articles to get the hype machine rolling for that series.

ahh yes...

Sunny and Ravi Shastri will rip into the Aussies i recn

still remember what Ravi said at the MCG very clearly... (about Aussies not being favorites in India.. even though the series was just starting!!!) was like he's waiting for Aussies to lose in India

 

[pasag]

I'm calling it early - there's going to be very little drama on the return leg, with both sides not really being interested in anymore crap and heavy gagging from the boards as well, imo, despite the media's best efforts.

 

[duffer]

With the boofheads and egos involved I doubt there won't be more of it. If not from the players we know the crowds are going to make stuff happen. I fear it will be abuse well out of the ordinary for an Indian crowd.

 

[R_D]

He makes some interesting points.

 

[ret]

nice atricle

 

[BoyBrumby]

Jesus, chippy much, Sunil? Sounds like he's still fighting the last colonial war in his mind.

 

[_Ed_]

Yeah that's the impression I get too!

Just wanted to wait for someone to articulate it better than I could. Much appreciated sir.

 

[Richard]

Jesus, chippy much, Sunil? Sounds like he's still fighting the last colonial war in his mind.

Pretty much. He's right about the fact that it's silly to worry about too much Indian power and not too much Australian power, but attitudes like this "we are no longer your subsidaries" just annoy the hell out of me. Get the &$£@ing chip off your shoulders, the attitudes of intelligent people have moved on. My generation has never known a world where England and Australia were the dominant ones, and we don't want to be reminded either of it or that things are now different.

 

[bond21]

post of the century - pasag

 

[Dasa]

Pretty much. He's right about the fact that it's silly to worry about too much Indian power and not too much Australian power, but attitudes like this "we are no longer your subsidaries" just annoy the hell out of me. Get the &$£@ing chip off your shoulders, the attitudes of intelligent people have moved on. My generation has never known a world where England and Australia were the dominant ones, and we don't want to be reminded either of it or that things are now different.

You'd be surprised. There's still plenty of that attitude around, just not as overt as it once was.

 

[Richard]

I'm well aware there are, most of them are people who aren't worth bothering about. And it annoys the heck out of me that idiots like them cause idiots like Gavaskar to make statements like this which me and near enough everyone in my generation does not want to hear and does not give a crap for.

The only way cricket is going to move forward is if the "subcontinent vs old-power" bull**** - in both directions - is buried as deep under as many Dubai buildings as possible.

 

[Top_Cat]

From the article;

As soon as Mr Bindra’s name was announced, there were a flurry of articles in England and Australia that giving him the job would put too much power in India’s hands, as Mr Pawar was going to be President of the ICC in 2010.

Anyone else wondering where this 'flurry' of articles is coming from? Smacks of the oldest trick in the political play-book (used extensively by George W); make some random statement along the lines of "Many people are saying x....." and write and article about why you disagree with it to make a point, despite that there's not 'many' people saying it at all.

Seriously, where's this coverage supposedly been? The only stuff I've seen in Aussie papers is the appointment of Patel.

 

[Majin]

A little bit of truth, a little bit of

imo.

Beautiful

 

[Richard]

From the article;

As soon as Mr Bindra’s name was announced, there were a flurry of articles in England and Australia that giving him the job would put too much power in India’s hands, as Mr Pawar was going to be President of the ICC in 2010.

Anyone else wondering where this 'flurry' of articles is coming from? Smacks of the oldest trick in the political play-book (used extensively by George W); make some random statement along the lines of "Many people are saying x....." and write and article about why you disagree with it to make a point, despite that there's not 'many' people saying it at all.

Seriously, where's this coverage supposedly been? The only stuff I've seen in Aussie papers is the appointment of Patel.

Yeah, that too. I have heard it mentioned, but not anywhere near to the level Sunny seems to (want to?) believe.