*Official* VB Series Thread

[aussie_beater]

Well I see it as just something which has gone beyond the joke. The arguement that the Aussies might bring up about the English fans and Brett Lee is different, there is still a bit of doubt over Lee's action when he strains for that extra yard of pace, Murali has had his action shown to be legal if anyone can be bothered to look.

Exactly.

English fans did it this time and as a first offence it can be taken as a joke or such, but for a player to be targeted like that for the better part of a decade is very different and surely points to something serious.

On that other news about Lehmann, I just saw that he has been formally charged by Malcolm Speed for a level three offence(which is the second most serious category of offences).

 

[Wazztodd]

Not all the Aus fans are so dim to yell "no-ball" when Murali bowls, but it is sad that so many are still so ignorant. Even though I believed him to be a chucker at one time, yelling "no-ball" every time he bowled would have just been moronic. As he doesn't "throw" (and if you don't believe me do some research...suprisingly to me, I discovered he doesn't...) it's just stupidity, boredom, ignorance, something else to yell, rather than any informed or firm belief inciting these fans I'm sure.

These are the same people who try to get everyone doing "the wave" during a tense, hard fought session of a test match, thinking we're all bored by a lack of big hitting. Murali is (I hope) smart enough to know they're not real fans and has the sense to ignore them.

 

[Neil Pickup]

On that other news about Lehmann, I just saw that he has been formally charged by Malcolm Speed for a level three offence(which is the second most serious category of offences).

The ban will/could be 2-4 tests or 4-8 ODIs according to BBC Ceefax.

I don't think that you can really judge something like this from the touchline without knowing exactly what Lehmann said.

I wonder if Langer's going to criticise the Aussies for their treatment of Murali? I wonder if Holland will win the World Cup?

As for Murali... he ought to let his off-breaks do the talking. 4-27 says enough for me there.

 

[Wazztodd]

I'd love to know what he said.

I just wonder what he was so upset about? It wasn't a poor decision, so his anger couldn't have been directed at the umpire. Very strange.

Something about people of a different ethnicity having an advantage fieldingwise? Who knows?
To cop a level 3 offense it can't have been good. I'm sure Boof will learn his lesson and chill on this type of outburst in future. Heat of the moment stuff, I'm sure, as other posters have said, but no matter how angry one gets, using racial type slurs, just like calling pple "fags" or whatever, speaks to a problem IMO.
I get insanely mad at pple all the time (usually on the freeway) and call them A-holes, jerks, etc., but the colour of their skin never even registers.

 

[Rik]

I just glanced at the paper and it said he had been ordered to seek councilling so it must have been a pretty bad thing...seems totally unlike Boof though.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Just to toss a random stick into this bonfire:

What if Shaun Pollock had run him out and instead of the comment being ethnically-charged, it had referred to Shaun Pollock being Ginger?

 

[Bazza]

No-one cares about gingers mate. They're an inferior race! :P

Yeah counselling... had a good laugh at that one!!

 

[Wazztodd]

Neil.

Or Lou Vincent gets him with a direct hit and Boof goes beserk about ugly pple. Or he gets all "earist" when cleaned up by Caddick...

"counselling"...yeah, good one indeed! I did lots of counselling to stop me drinking cheap whiskey...anyhow, Cheers! (Hic!)

 

[Top_Cat]

Look, I know Boof is not a hard-core racist, he's just not terribly bright (sheesh, he's had the nickname of 'Boof' since high school and it's stuck for that long!).

I'm really not a fan of Malcolm Speed's decision on this one, though. I mean the people who were actually THERE and the people who were actually targetted and offended by what he said have decided the matter is closed (Clive Lloyd was the match referee and had to fight against racism whilst he was a player; do you really think he'd tolerate a serious racial incident without punishment!?!?) yet, Mal Speed from his tower made of ivory has decided from on high that the incident is worthy of a more serious charge.

I mean it has several potentially negative effects:

1) It undermines Clive Lloyd's position as match referee.

2) It undermines the process by which matters are reported and dealt with at the match.

I mean, don't get me wrong I'm right on the anti-racism side (geez, I should be; I'm Aussie Aborigine and my dad is black!) but to me if the matter is dealt with by all concerned who were there at the match then that should be it.

Geez, if Mal Speed were serious about ridding the sport of racism, maybe he'd do better to go after bigger fish such as selection inequity in the Australian team and ask why there's only been ONE asian player in Australian FC cricket in the last 10 years (probably ever!) and why there hasn't been a non-white player represent the country EVER. Mal Speed might want to increase his profile by going after this one but rest assured, there are much bigger fish to fry.

 

[Rik]

Is that Asian player Richard Chee Quee TC?

 

[Wazztodd]

Well Dav Whatmore played a Test or two for us at some point didn't he? (I know, WSC split and all, but I'm certain I saw him bat for us at some stage...)
But I see your point TC. If the players see the matter as closed, you've gotta think Speed is overdoing the politically correct thing with upgrading the charge.

Eddie Gilbert would've played many tests for Australia (Bradman rated him one of the best he'd ever faced) had he not been Aboriginal. He was branded a "chucker" and basically forced to give the game up. Very sad.
Is Symonds white? I don't wanna come across as completely ignorant but I always thought he was at least of "mixed" race.
Anyhow, good points.

 

[Langeveldt]

I thought Lehmann apologized, the Sri Lankans accepted, and everyone was on good terms. Or is it not like that? I think Mal Speed has waaay over reacted. I think he is trying to make an example of Lehmann so others do not make the same mistake. Especially with the world cup coming up and the game trying to put up a cleaner image for itself, especially Aussie cricket..

 

[Top_Cat]

Is that Asian player Richard Chee Quee TC?

The very one. Incidentally, he should have played one-day cricket for Australia too. He was a hitter of the ball in the league of Lance Klusener when he got going but also had a very good technique. Unusually wristy for a player brought up on Aussie pitches too.

Well Dav Whatmore played a Test or two for us at some point didn't he? (I know, WSC split and all, but I'm certain I saw him bat for us at some stage...)

Yes he did. Not a bad player either. Still, he didn't 'look' Sri Lankan so I'm sure with the superficial nature of our society as it can sometimes be, he wan't held back by where he was born, particularly as he moved from there as a child.

Eddie Gilbert would've played many tests for Australia (Bradman rated him one of the best he'd ever faced) had he not been Aboriginal.

Probably true. I don't remember Bradman saying he thought he was the 'best' he'd faced but Bradman certainly rated him as the 'quickest'. The reason Gilbert was thought to chuck was because he only bowled off a 4-pace run-up so to gain that sort of speed he HAD to be chucking according to the wisdom of the day.

Having seen photos of him bowling, he has a very similar arm to Murali with the unusually long bone formation joining forearm to humerus which maybe gave the 'chucking' impression.

Is Symonds white? I don't wanna come across as completely ignorant but I always thought he was at least of "mixed" race.

There were people asking about this earlier in his career but no-one is sure, not even Andy himself as he was adopted. He knows his parents are from England and that's it apparently. I've read an interview with him and he seems to have no desire to find out about them either.

Especially with the world cup coming up and the game trying to put up a cleaner image for itself, especially Aussie cricket..

Yep you're right. That's probably the aim. What Mal Speed doesn't realise is that the problem of racism in Aussie cricket won't be solved by going after one player. He seems to think that if he doesn't hear about it, it ain't happening. Boy have I got news for HIM..........geez, I got called stuff when I was playing rep cricket and I'm pretty damn white! They only knew I was Aborigine because I told them.............

 

[warrioryohannan]

Why do some people love to hate Muralitharan??? Murali said that the crowd was laughing when he was injured!! If thats true then its really a shame, and some people are really sick!

 

[age_master]

Murali is a champ, but ghe still chucks :P

 

[Tim]

Jayasuriya has been sensational during the 2nd leg of the VB Series.

This kind of batting will definately get Sri Lanka to the semi's but obviously if he doesn't fire & Murali is injured then they probably won't go far at all.

 

[Rik]

Murali is a champ, but ghe still chucks :P

Give me proof he does

 

[Rik]

Well Vaughan didn't open, Tresco and Knight added 56 for the 1st Wicket, England did quite well BUT CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHY RONNIE IRANI IS PLAYING??? :!( :!( :!(

Also after a promising start it's time to drop Harmison, in this kind of form he wouldn't be 1st pick in my ODI side so the arguement about giving him experiance for the World Cup is a little weak. I know I said give him time but give him time to improve in practise, not get worse with every game!

 

[Eclipse]

Looking at Vaughan today he really does not look like a One Day player he miscues the ball to often on the big shots. I also noticed that when he was charging the bowler he was comming down the wicket way to early and the bowlers were always ajusting to restrict him.

He is certainly better than what his ODI avrage suggests but he wont be the class ODI batsman of the same standerd as he is in tests.

And WTF !! is wrong with England selectors why is IRANI still playing he sucks.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Jayasuriya run out (Hussain) 99...

That blows it wide open now. Sri Lanka require another 97 runs with 5 wickets and 17.0 overs remaining (RR: 5.55 RRR: 97/17 = 5.71)

Arnold 12*, Sangakkara 15* with Vaas, Gamage/Lak****ha and the two Fernandos to come.

Currently trying to find out more about Harmison's injury... a chance for Hollioake to make the World Cup 15, maybe?

As for Irani: 13* off 8 and 9-0-34-1. Good lad.