The Australian team - A disgrace to the game

[Briedis]

The ausies are so used to winning they dont know how to cope defeat. On many occations Australia try to demoralise the opposing team by sledging, passing racist comments and even physical abuse. Is this the way the gentlemens game should be played ???

Yes, we intimidate the opposition. All the great teams have done that. Look at the Windies sides of the 70's and 80's. Some of the best cricket I have seen is when there has been some heated words exchanged and the players really get into each other.

I would much rather see some spirit being shown then watching gutless Murali who decided to not tour Australia because he got no balled there 8 years ago. GUTLESS.

 

[viktor]

Yes, we intimidate the opposition. All the great teams have done that. Look at the Windies sides of the 70's and 80's. Some of the best cricket I have seen is when there has been some heated words exchanged and the players really get into each other.

I would much rather see some spirit being shown then watching gutless Murali who decided to not tour Australia because he got no balled there 8 years ago. GUTLESS.

i guess murali could have shown more guts, true, but if the premier of the country u r touring basically declares u persona non-grata, it kind of diminishes ur desire to really go there.
about the intimidation part, my only grouse is that some of the australian players don't "take it" that well, most notably mcgrath. there might be others from other countries but since the aussies make it a policy to intimidate, there inability to cop a few prolly makes more news

 

[marc71178]

Although McGrath's reaction was perhaps OTT, I think the circumstances mitigated it slightly (and I don't attach any blame to the West Indian batsman involved, as I'm sure he would make such a comment if he either (a) knew the full facts or (b) remembered them in the heat of the moment)

 

[Langeveldt]

this is absurd. do you really think a 19 year old touring first time with the senior side knows (or should know) about the in's and out's of opositions management policies.

Well this seventeen year old on the other side of the world knows that the days of Aussies being dirty sledgers are long gone, so I would have thought Pathan might have treated them with a bit more respect..

And if he is a first time 19 year old tourist, all the more reason to shut up...

 

[Macka]

I thought it was magnificent. It was good to see the Aussies get a little back. I can't stand Williams and Lee's celebrations when they get a wicket, way over the top.

 

[Deja moo]

The reason that the Australians tend to sledge more is as a bit of a challenge. The Aussies are the most mentally tough team in world cricket and they're daring the opposition to retaliate, as they are confident that they won't be rattled by it. The sayin is 'don't dish it out if you can't take it'. Australia can take it.

Can they ?....

The 2001 series , the 418 chase etc suggest they cant .The Aussies may be mentally tough when it comes to the actual playing of the game ,but thats where it ends. History shows that the opposition rarely bothers to retaliate to Aussie sledging ( and they dont need to ; suggesting that the opposition is mentally weak just because they refuse to retaliate to their sledges in like ,is ludicrous) And whenever the opposition has decided to reply to their "mental disintegration" in like fashion , the Aussies have tended to wilt .

 

[Deja moo]

But the aussies under Ponting have strived to clean up their image, Pathan knows that and I very much doubt you would see one of them clapping a guy in his face these days. He was in the wrong, not Martyn, who had not provoked anything at all..

As for taking it in the right spirit, after watching it live I probably would have wrapped my bat around Pathans big head. So Martyn did very well in keeping his cool..

Lang , I think the "little piece of **** " comment made by Martyn to Pathan might fall under the heading of provocation .

Its just that the comment was not evident to all , but the retaliation ( the clapping ) was , so Martyn comes out as the "victim" .

 

[Tim]

I don't mind bowlers celebrating. But if it's a tail-ender then it looks really stupid. Brad Williams & his display last year v Zimbabwe at the SCG was awful.

 

[Linda]

Truth is, no one actually "takes it" that well. That's why it's effective.

That sums it up perfectly I reckon!

I dont think I'll comment on the Martyn situation, you already know what I think... Heheh.

 

[Linda]

Lang , I think the "little piece of **** " comment made by Martyn to Pathan might fall under the heading of provocation .

Its just that the comment was not evident to all , but the retaliation ( the clapping ) was , so Martyn comes out as the "victim" .

Ok, IM going to comment on this one anyway.

Even if Martyn did say what he did (I dont beleive it for a second! ), doesnt really give Pathan the right to clap in Marto's face. The alleged comment is sledging, Marto wouldve been trying to put Pathan of his bowling. The clapping in his face after he's been dismissed is not sledging, its just disrespectful, it has no effect on the game whatsoever.

 

[marc71178]

The Sri lankans and the Pakistanis are the most well behaved cricketers in the world.

Yes - as demonstrated by Sangakarra, Chandana and Dilshan yesterday.

 

[Sanz]

Ok, IM going to comment on this one anyway.

Even if Martyn did say what he did (I dont beleive it for a second! ), doesnt really give Pathan the right to clap in Marto's face. The alleged comment is sledging, Marto wouldve been trying to put Pathan of his bowling. The clapping in his face after he's been dismissed is not sledging, its just disrespectful, it has no effect on the game whatsoever.

Linda, your martyn bias is so obvious here. Are you suggesting that martyn saying 'little piece of ****' to pathan is very respectful ??

PS :- I am not supporting Pathan's act. Pathan was wrong and so was Martyn.

 

[Sanz]

Precisely - match fixing players should never be allowed near a ground again where they could influence current players.

Exactly and what is Gibbs doing in South African Team ?? What is Warne doing ? I myself dont want Azhar's ban to be lifted but I dont want anyone controlling his life and dictating what he should or should not do with his life. He is banned from playing and coaching cricket. He has already been penalized by BCCI which has suspended all his cricket related benefits. BCCI and ICC has no business telling that Azhar can not do commentary or can't say the word 'Cricket'.

Even Cronje was allowed to take up media job and no one said anything.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/1567449.stm

 

[Raj123]

Well this seventeen year old on the other side of the world knows that the days of Aussies being dirty sledgers are long gone, so I would have thought Pathan might have treated them with a bit more respect..

this 17 year old also happens to spend at least (only assuming) couple of hours a day discussing about all the happenings in the cricket world with other followers from the rest of the world. i dont think pathan would have done too much of that before his first tour

 

[Raj123]

Ok, IM going to comment on this one anyway.

Even if Martyn did say what he did (I dont beleive it for a second! ), doesnt really give Pathan the right to clap in Marto's face. The alleged comment is sledging, Marto wouldve been trying to put Pathan of his bowling. The clapping in his face after he's been dismissed is not sledging, its just disrespectful, it has no effect on the game whatsoever.

maybe you should just stick to "I dont beleive it for a second" opinion. the rest of the post was pathetic.

 

[nookie_lk]

Yes - as demonstrated by Sangakarra, Chandana and Dilshan yesterday.

Its about time Sri lanka came outta the shell without staying at the recieving end all the time.... but this cannot be tolarated.

anyway what these guys did was nothing compared to what the Ausie's and the SA player do.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Its about time Sri lanka came outta the shell without staying at the recieving end all the time.... but this cannot be tolarated.

What an interesting comment.

 

[Swervy]

Its about time Sri lanka came outta the shell without staying at the recieving end all the time.... but this cannot be tolarated.

anyway what these guys did was nothing compared to what the Ausie's and the SA player do.

another well thought out,objective post by Nookie

 

[nookie_lk]

another well thought out,objective post by Nookie

oh... rest it Swervy....its getting a bit sick now.

 

[Swervy]

oh... rest it Swervy....its getting a bit sick now.

hey i am just waiting for some other pearls of wisdom on the 'whos overrated' thread

To be honest your one-eyed vision of cricketing issues etc is getting a bit tiresome. This thread was only started to get this kind of reaction anyway, so what you complaining about