Sydney Test divides cricketing world

International Cricket Council’s sacking of Steve Bucknor has widened the chasm in an already divided cricketing world post Sydney Test controversy with former players finding themselves on either side of the border on the heated topic.

ICC’s decision to remove Bucknor from the rest of the series has fuelled anger among many former players who thought the international body has bowed to cash-rich Indian Board’s financial might.

India’s stance of staying back in Sydney and suspending the tour is being seen as a blackmail tactics to put pressure on ICC.

Unsporting behaviour

Australia’s unsporting behaviour and Ricky Ponting’s role in the entire race row has come for sharp criticism with many former players calling for his head while others firmly backing the skipper, saying he was right to report Harbhajan Singh’s alleged racist remarks.

Former England captain Tony Greig said “my understanding is that they have been instructed to report any racist comment, so if he is instructed to do it, he has to do it.”

“I hope the people in cricket are capable of sorting this out. It is a pretty big indictment on our game if they are not” he said in Herald Sun.

Neil Harvey, former Australian skipper and 1948 Invincible member, held a different opinion and said “Ponting should have kept his mouth shut and nothing would have happened.”

Former Australian coach John Buchanan said “The ICC have changed their rules and the captain is required to report that. Ricky was between a rock and a hard place. The captains are the ones driving the ship. He reacted by the book, so it’s hard to criticise him.”

South African great Barry Richards felt the storm was brewing for a while since the ODI series in India.

“This has been brewing for a while since the Australian players were in India. It is probably good that it was brought out into the open. Had they settled it off the field, all it would have done was driven it underground for a little while.”

Former Australian captain Steve Waugh felt a better understanding between the two captains and coaches would have helped to diffuse the tension.

“Perhaps a better approach might have been for both captains, coaches and the named players to get together at the end of a day’s play and work out a solution before they went past the point of no return,” Waugh said.

Retired Australia pacer Glenn McGrath came out in strong support of his former skipper.

“I think it is sad and disappointing that it gets to the stage where you have a bad game and they are calling for your head,” McGrath was quoted saying by The Age.

“What is there, eight international umpires on the panel? And if a couple of teams aren’t happy with umpires then all of a sudden you have got one to choose from,” he said.

News Source : Samachar