Sachin reacts to the presentation

[FaaipDeOiad]

It's a pretty clear example IMO, but the point is more that people jump at every opportunity to have a go at him, whether he's done anything wrong or not. There's various examples where Ponting had been widely criticised when he's not really done anything wrong, or what he's done "wrong" is totally understandable and would be done by any captain in a similar situation.

Along with the catching issue, there's also the absurd chain of events in Bangladesh that led to him being fined his match fee for dissent. The fine was fair enough because he did effectively complain about a decision, but on here and in various parts of the media both online and off Ponting was criticised far beyond the bounds of what he actually did, accused of bending the rules for the benefit of his team, abusing umpires and so on. All because he complained to the on-field umpire about a completely absurd decision from the third umpire and eventually got it (correctly) reversed. The on-field umpires even said at the match referee's hearing later that Ponting never abused them or asked them to reverse the decision, he just basically queried what the hell was going on, as it was clearly out on the replay.

The fine was perfectly acceptable, but if any other captain with the possible exception of Smith had done the same thing people certainly wouldn't have attacked them for it in the same way, let alone attacked the entire team in the process.

The latest example is, of course, this one we're discussing in this thread.

 

[Jono]

The latest example is, of course, this one we're discussing in this thread.

Example of people criticising Ponting when he acts decently, or example of people criticising Ponting when they shouldn't be?

What you're doing now is changing your statement, and you may say its minor but its not. People who are criticising Ponting (and the Australian team) in this thread may be wrong in your mind, my mind and many other people's minds, and you may see it as people jumping at the chance to stick a knee into Ponting, but no one is actually having a go at Ponting for saying he'll apologise if necessary (the 'decent' thing he's doing).

I just think your statement; "[e]ven when Ponting does something decent people have a go at him about it" to be just plain inaccurate, and is an attempt to make all those who criticise Ponting to be seen as blood-sucking Ponting bashers, who will somehow find a way to bag Ponting even if he gives money to the poor.

What Ponting did in Bangladesh was stupid, what he was arguing about was correct, but he deserved to get fined, and everytime he gets fined the media will eat it up, because it happens so often with this man. Its just like Ponting was right in saying that the wide given against the WI wasn't actually a wide, but crying about it was wrong, and he got fined for it. Him describing the decision to bring Tendulkar back as a disgrace whilst on the field may have been the right description, but saying it to the umpire wasn't, and the media ate it up as well.

I'm not defending the media here either, because they do blow Ponting's crying incidents up, but he still does these things, and if he stops it they'll probably stop writing about it. Atapattu didn't get much crud written about him when he was captain, neither does Dravid (regarding his behaviour, he does get criticised for his decisions and tema's performance obviously) and I don't recall anyone laying the boots into Pollock when he was captain either. Ponting must be doing something to attract all this attention, and its not acting 'decently', that's for sure.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Fair enough, perhaps I worded it wrong, but I'm including incidents where Ponting actually does the right thing and is criticised, as well as where he does nothing significant wrong and gets criticised. I was attempting to cover both in the original wording. The "hypocritical" decision not to walk is a perfect example of this, because if Ponting hadn't attempted to arrange the deal with the other captains in the first place, which he presumably did because he thought it was the right thing to do for all teams and officials, he never could have been accused of being a hypocrite for not walking on a dodgy catch claim.

Incidentally, I disagree with your comparison between the Bangladesh incident and (say) the wide call. The wide call was silly and petty and he never should have bothered making a scene about it. The third umpire call in Bangladesh was a serious case of miscommunication between the umpires and never should have happened. It wasn't even simply a poor decision, it was a serious mistake on the part of all the umpires and there was no excuse for it, and Ponting did precisely the right thing in (apparently politely) querying what was going on. If he hadn't, he would have been doing his team a disservice. If he'd made a big song and dance and carried on like an idiot some level of criticism would be justified, but the way people went on about it was absurdly over the top.

Complaining about the wide was in itself doing his team a disservice, because he was effectively having a tantrum over an insignificant error on the umpire's part. The same would go for complaining about an LBW call or whatever. I've got no problem with people having a go about Ponting over things like that, or even his Gary Pratt run out tantrum, but it does get a bit annoying when he's getting criticised over nothing all the time.

 

[silentstriker]

Wow, why is this thread 9 pages long? I just watched the video and all I can think is 'WTF? That's it?' Don't people have other things to get upset over?

Oh, and that picture of the donkey is an absolute all time gem. The people in it look like 'uhh..right, so now what do we do with the donkey?'

And it wasn't even really a push. Indian media is making it sound like Martyn pushed him into the ground and the entire team started pummeling his face or something (which would have been hilarious IMO).

Ponting shouldn't have to apologize in my opinion, this is such a non-issue.

 

[silentstriker]

I believe Kapil killed one of those birds (I was too sure it was a pigeon earlier.) while batting by one of his shots and was really shaken up by it. (It is a big deal to kill anything for most normal Indians.) And so he asked for some water from the dressing room, but AB (behaving like the jerk he is) refused it and asked him to get on with the game.

He was shaken up because he killed a pigeon? WTF?

If I saw an opposing batsmen being deeply affected by the death of a pigeon, I'd have enough sledging material to last a lifetime. And I'd make him bat on too. Water?

Oh man, I really hope thats not true, because I hold Kapil Dev as one of my heroes.

 

[Dravid]

He was shaken up because he killed a pigeon? WTF?

If I saw an opposing batsmen being deeply affected by the death of a pigeon, I'd have enough sledging material to last a lifetime. And I'd make him bat on too. Water?

Oh man, I really hope thats not true, because I hold Kapil Dev as one of my heroes.

Uh dude WTF? You are batting and you hit a pigeon and it won't upset you even a little bit? I mean isn't the pigeon a living creature? Doesn't it deserve to live. And btw as far as I know, it did actually happen once.

 

[Jono]

SilentStriker, its different for you because you'll sledge your own kid the minute he comes out of the womb.

 

[silentstriker]

Uh dude WTF? You are batting and you hit a pigeon and it won't upset you even a little bit?

Only if hitting that pigeon stopped a boundry. Then I'd be upset. Otherwise, no.

Doesn't it deserve to live.

Why? If Pigeon meat was any good, I'd be shooting em left and right.

 

[silentstriker]

SilentStriker, its different for you because you'll sledge your own kid the minute he comes out of the womb.

Nah, mate. I'll be at a cricket game while he's being born. But if I ever play in a team opposite him, I'll have embarrassing pictures ready and broadcast his bed-wetting habits through a bullhorn.

 

[Dravid]

Only if hitting that pigeon stopped a boundry. Then I'd be upset. Otherwise, no.



Why? If Pigeon meat was any good, I'd be shooting em left and right.

Cruel.

 

[silentstriker]

Cruel.

Not really. I hunt quite often. Mostly deer and things of that nature, and they die a lot quicker with me than most animals do at a slaughterhouse.

 

[Nate]

You might have missed the DLF incident with Sachin and all.
Ponting sure acted like his usual idiotic self there.

I was talking about the Harmison to Ponting incident. Ponting hasn`t spoken a word about it. Nice try at being intelligent though.

 

[Jono]

I was talking about the Harmison to Ponting incident. Ponting hasn`t spoken a word about it. Nice try at being intelligent though.

But I think what was being referred to was when Ponting was last hit on the head by Srinath, he cracked it when Srinath went up to him.

Ponting mentioning it after the fact is fairly irrelevant to the original person's comment.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Stop fueling this ridiculous thread.

 

[Sanz]

I was talking about the Harmison to Ponting incident. Ponting hasn`t spoken a word about it. Nice try at being intelligent though.

And you accuse others of being aggresive ?

 

[Nate]

Ah Sanz, I`ll never like you.

EDIT: Why you gotta break balls? Just because people don`t share some of your viewpoints doesn`t mean you have to follow them around threads getting fired up. Relax a little.

 

[Nate]

I reckon we should get you a cat.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Have this one.

He is scared by lions.

 

[silentstriker]

That's not a cat. This is a cat.

Behold...the Liger:

 

[Sanz]

Just because people don`t share some of your viewpoints doesn`t mean you have to follow them around threads getting fired up. Relax a little.

Nnanden - Take a good look at yourself before posting that kind of crap.