***Official*** West Indies in New Zealand

[Tim]

In the meantime, Shane Bond showed how truly world class he is. That was outstanding bowling today.

 

[sportychic33]

I really think a lot of you guys are making too much of this. Can't a guy speak his mind to an old mate without being expected to make a national apology???

yeah he can, but there is a time and a place for doing it, and right after a televised interview where it is not guranteed it won't be recorded isn't really the place or time to be doing it

 

[Dick Rockett]

Why should person x's opinion in the commentary box matter to the players so much? Even if he is critical of scoring rates or is speaking crap, I don't understand why players take it so personally.

It probably is because they were teammates. Imagine if one of your work buddies quit the company and six months later was criticising the way you're doing your job. I'm not saying that Mark Richardson shouldn't be doing that, he should, but I can understand why Flem might be upset.

As the captain of a team that gets only cursory attention from the NZ sporting public, but a lot of utterly irrational criticism, I wouldn't blame Fleming if he were a touch sensitive.

As it stands, I think it's crazy to be complaining about NZ's second innings slow scoring rate - in the first innings everyone was whinging because the Kiwis were still in "one day mode"!

 

[Loony BoB]

I really think a lot of you guys are making too much of this. Can't a guy speak his mind to an old mate without being expected to make a national apology???

Yeah, I agree. If the camera wasn't rolling when all of this was said yet there were still people around to hear it, the people would have just been like "Looks like a spat between friends." That's exactly what it is.

Has anyone here never been angry with their friends and told them they were an idiot or something similar? It's not the end of the world.

EDIT: It should also be noted that Fleming gets interviewed by his friends who just joined the commentary all the time - so clearly something must have been said in the interview that offended Fleming more than the hundreds of other interviews he's had in his life. Until we see the interview there's nothing much to say.

 

[Smudge]

Spot on. I would have thought the camera crew would have deleted the footage, to save Richardson from embarrasment.

It was live on Willow TV (which I'm guessing is an internet feed) by all accounts.

Apparently, Willow must get a raw feed, as one of my mates overseas reckons you get all sorts of swearing before interviews are being set up.

 

[Loony BoB]

It was live on Willow TV (which I'm guessing is an internet feed) by all accounts.

Apparently, Willow must get a raw feed, as one of my mates overseas reckons you get all sorts of swearing before interviews are being set up.

In which case it isn't a big deal because that's standard for them.

 

[Smudge]

Loony Bob,

The interview was this morning's pre-day interview, according to Blaze. If he could tell us what it was about, it would explain a whole lot. I was at work...

 

[Zinzan]

yes i guess there is, but there is a time and a place for doing it, and right after a televised interview where it is not guranteed it won't be recorded isn't really the place or time to be doing it

If anyones to blame, its whoever leaked/posted the footage. I mean lets be sensible here, after Fleming said "thanks Mark", the interview was over as far as he was concerned, you can't expect Fleming to think they will show any footage that may be taken after the interview.

I agree it wasn't the most appropriate time or place, but lets not get carried away here.

 

[Pratters]

It probably is because they were teammates. Imagine if one of your work buddies quit the company and six months later was criticising the way you're doing your job. I'm not saying that Mark Richardson shouldn't be doing that, he should, but I can understand why Flem might be upset.

As the captain of a team that gets only cursory attention from the NZ sporting public, but a lot of utterly irrational criticism, I wouldn't blame Fleming if he were a touch sensitive.

As it stands, I think it's crazy to be complaining about NZ's second innings slow scoring rate - in the first innings everyone was whinging because the Kiwis were still in "one day mode"!

Oh really? The team mates bit is an excuse which isn't acceptable to justify irresponsible, pathetic conduct.

Now this is a common thing, make no mistake - players being disgusted with commentators cos they are criticising them, some times justifiably, some times unjustifiably according to them.

Now why can't a player see that the commentator is doing a job and ignore it like the press. A commentator, even if he is a former team mate, isn't as important regardless of whether he is speaking right or wrong.

It is always pathetic behaviour from a player trying to manipulate commentators and influence them to speak in favour of a specific player. When they don't do that, specially when some one is a former team mate, you get ****ed and even say the commentator is crap trying to hurt his moral.

Now maybe Richardson was at fault earlier in the long room or whatever. So what? Fleming is the one playing and not Richardson. Fleming is the captain, not Richardson. Richardson is just a commentator right now.

 

[Loony BoB]

I can tell you now that if it was aired or leaked at the beginning of the match, it hasn't had a big deal made about it on the web yet. The last news article found by Google (which stays very up to date) featuring both players' last names is a NZHerald article by Richardson made 15 hours ago. It wasn't scathing by any means, either, although it was of a negative opinion towards the side's current state of mind.

EDIT: Pratyush, do you never get angry at friends? His conduct was fine - he was talking to a friend, he has every right to call him an idiot if he thinks that. Friends argue constantly, I'd say the only people in the world who have never given their friends a piece of their mind in such a fashion are those who are too timid to.

 

[Hazza]

Ouch. Just ouch. Richardson understandably speechless.

 

[Dick Rockett]

Oh really? The team mates bit is an excuse which isn't acceptable to justify irresponsible, pathetic conduct.

Really, using language like yours is just hyperbole. Irresponsible? How so? as far as he was concerned, the comments were off the record. Pathetic? Come on. As if you've never lost your nut at anyone and said something overly harsh. I know I have, many times. Fleming's a human being, he makes mistakes.

 

[Smudge]

I can tell you now that if it was aired or leaked at the beginning of the match, it hasn't had a big deal made about it on the web yet. The last news article found by Google (which stays very up to date) featuring both players' last names is a NZHerald article by Richardson made 15 hours ago. It wasn't scathing by any means, either, although it was of a negative opinion towards the side's current state of mind.

EDIT: Pratyush, do you never get angry at friends? His conduct was fine - he was talking to a friend, he has every right to call him an idiot if he thinks that. Friends argue constantly, I'd say the only people in the world who have never given their friends a piece of their mind in such a fashion are those who are too timid to.

Possibly because it was only seen overseas...

 

[Smudge]

If anyones to blame, its whoever leaked/posted the footage. I mean lets be sensible here, after Fleming said "thanks Mark", the interview was over as far as he was concerned, you can't expect Fleming to think they will show any footage that may be taken after the interview.

I agree it wasn't the most appropriate time or place, but lets not get carried away here.

It was a live internet feed. No one leaked it...

 

[Pratters]

EDIT: Pratyush, do you never get angry at friends? His conduct was fine - he was talking to a friend, he has every right to call him an idiot if he thinks that. Friends argue constantly, I'd say the only people in the world who have never given their friends a piece of their mind in such a fashion are those who are too timid to.

That didn't look like two friends. Upset over him mentioning scoring rates and then saying you were with us 6 months ago.

Richardson was rightly distraught.

 

[Zinzan]

Really, this isn't going to reflect very well on Fleming. It shows a pretty harsh side to him. I mean it wasn't long ago he released a book and was critical of certain players..I remember one of the book launches. He went to town on Lou Vincent and his personality.

He's perhaps not totally the nice guy he is made out to be.

Course he's not a really nice guy Tim !! Thats what makes him a good captain - he is hardnosed, and always has been, and I wouldn't want it any other way for NZ's captain.

 

[James]

C'mon James, with all due respect, its not like he slept with his wife or something. I mean Flemings an upfront guy and in my opinion he was just speaking his mind. He didn't think the cameras were still rolling. Having said that, no doubt Vetch, Telfer and Watergrave will eat it up tomorrow on radiosport

For the record, how was it leaked ???

You're right there. I just got carried away with it all.

It's just really shocking and down right strange. Like the rest of you, it would be interesting to know what set Fleming off.

 

[PY]

I haven't seen Richardson that upset since he lost to Gil-o in his sprinting capers after the series in England.

 

[Zinzan]

There should almost be a separate thread for this footage, if someone can be bothered

 

[shaka]

dont think Fleming will be thinking about it too much.