Get Sporty : Pakistan ball tampering controversy- don't loose your Hair on nothing !
Inzy 'Aloo' Ul Haq is facing disciplinary proceedings related to the ball tampering fracas that has now grabbed the headlines. While the ICC conducts its disciplinary proceedings and allied investigations, it was surprising to hear some of the comments being played out, both by former cricketers of different nationalities, as well as media presenters.
Sample this:
"Darrel Hair should be banned from Cricket"- Imran Khan
"Accusing a team of ball tampering is like accusing a woman of prostitution, so before making such comments, strong evidence necessary"- heard NDTV sports editor Sonali chander repeating the comment made by someone, just before I switched on the channel to CNN.
"Ball tampering is part & parcel of the game"- Ajay Jadeja a.k.a 'fixer'
"Is this racial discrimination by Darrel Hair"? question posed by T.V presenter to Ex-Indian cricketer Srikanth
Before Darrel Hair even presents the circumstances to what led to his decision, his name has been tarnished. Past decisions by him have been presented as evidence of racial bias against Asian cricketers. Nobody is willing to wait for Hair to present his side of the story, AS IT HAPPENED YESTERDAY. President Musharraf has already supported Inzy. He took time out of his busy schedule to support Indian separatists to do so, which means the matter must be really important.
The only sane voice amidst all this mayhem, was of the ICC CEO, Malcolm Speed, who rightly said that the umpires has pulled off the game because Pakistan refused to come to the ground and the umpires had strictly acted as per rules. He pointed out, that Public opinion as to what’s right and wrong cannot be allowed to decide upon the events as they unfold 'live' on the ground.
Perversely, while both India and Pakistan are generally at each others throats in all matters, on cricket the two boards seem united as if they were twin brothers! In fact all S.Asian countries seem to have formed themselves in a united block, which is pitted routinely against the 'white' cricket playing countries like England, Australia, S.Africa etc. That a game like cricket which is known as the gentleman's game has got enmeshed in racial politics of the lowest order, is tragic to the extreme.
And yet, the truth of the matter is that ball tampering has never known any borders, color or race and almost every team has done it at one time of another. Ajay Jadeja is right that this has been happening for a long time and almost a std. practice in the game, but where he was wrong, was the way he made it sound as if it was an ACCEPTABLE practice. Its not. The ICC should go strictly by the book. The Cricket Control boards should support the ICC is going by the law of the game and not dig up racial dirt.The laws of cricket are clear and its time, all of us called a spade a spade and restore some sheen on this 'tampered' game, once and for all.
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Sample this:
"Darrel Hair should be banned from Cricket"- Imran Khan
"Accusing a team of ball tampering is like accusing a woman of prostitution, so before making such comments, strong evidence necessary"- heard NDTV sports editor Sonali chander repeating the comment made by someone, just before I switched on the channel to CNN.
"Ball tampering is part & parcel of the game"- Ajay Jadeja a.k.a 'fixer'
"Is this racial discrimination by Darrel Hair"? question posed by T.V presenter to Ex-Indian cricketer Srikanth
Before Darrel Hair even presents the circumstances to what led to his decision, his name has been tarnished. Past decisions by him have been presented as evidence of racial bias against Asian cricketers. Nobody is willing to wait for Hair to present his side of the story, AS IT HAPPENED YESTERDAY. President Musharraf has already supported Inzy. He took time out of his busy schedule to support Indian separatists to do so, which means the matter must be really important.
The only sane voice amidst all this mayhem, was of the ICC CEO, Malcolm Speed, who rightly said that the umpires has pulled off the game because Pakistan refused to come to the ground and the umpires had strictly acted as per rules. He pointed out, that Public opinion as to what’s right and wrong cannot be allowed to decide upon the events as they unfold 'live' on the ground.
Perversely, while both India and Pakistan are generally at each others throats in all matters, on cricket the two boards seem united as if they were twin brothers! In fact all S.Asian countries seem to have formed themselves in a united block, which is pitted routinely against the 'white' cricket playing countries like England, Australia, S.Africa etc. That a game like cricket which is known as the gentleman's game has got enmeshed in racial politics of the lowest order, is tragic to the extreme.
And yet, the truth of the matter is that ball tampering has never known any borders, color or race and almost every team has done it at one time of another. Ajay Jadeja is right that this has been happening for a long time and almost a std. practice in the game, but where he was wrong, was the way he made it sound as if it was an ACCEPTABLE practice. Its not. The ICC should go strictly by the book. The Cricket Control boards should support the ICC is going by the law of the game and not dig up racial dirt.The laws of cricket are clear and its time, all of us called a spade a spade and restore some sheen on this 'tampered' game, once and for all.
