There is so much inconsistency on this issue, that I don't know where to begin. Some say that there is a double standard, and that players from the subcontinent get treated worse by officialdom than those from the other countries.
Maybe there's some truth in this, although it seems to me that players like McGrath have been made an example more than some players, and there was certainly a fear of taking serious action against Ranatunga in the late 90's.
Personally, it seems to me to be as simple as godawful application on the part of the referees.
Here's what really pi$$es me off about these recent incidents. I personally didn't have a problem with Parthan's behaviour towards Hayden (in fact, it was enjoyable, and provided some "punch" to the game). I DID think that getting all in Martyn's face was over the top, although I agree that it's a minor deal, and a reprimand was all that was necessary.
But Williams' getting all over Ganguly wasn't appropriate, and you should only pull that kind of physical crap if the guy you're doing it to is in on the joke. And Ganguly clearly wasn't. If action is going to be taken over Parthan, then the referees better wake up and smell the coffee, and at least reprimand Williams in kind.
This isn't what annoys me most however - the STUPIDEST comment on this whole affair was delivered by Adam Gilchrist today - where he said that perhaps sometimes the needling got out of hand, but that players should be big enough not to run and complain to the umpire about it.
1) What the HELL does he think that Martyn was doing in this VERY game????
2) Has he forgotten when he, himself complained to the umpire about a comment he accused Rashid Latif of making, which he later acknowledged probably didn't happen?
Really, really stupid, and a poor way to end the series.
BTW, I don't mind a bit of needling, and I think that people have gotten carried away with some "standards" that they expect the players to uphold (and there's obviously a fair degree of romanticization of previous teams, that in reality, were no better, and often worse, like Richards' West Indies, etc).
But if we're going to punish these kinds of transgressions, than the officials of the game could at least be consistent, and the Aussie players could perhaps not be so hypocritical about the whole thing.
Not that the Indians hands are clean in that regard, either.