In the past it might have been easy for the Aussies to ignore the criticism as the lament of the vanquished – sore losers, so to speak. But following one of, if not, the most acrimonious series in the modern era against India recently, supporters at home were equally appalled by the unseemly excesses they witnessed in Sydney, and called for Ponting to be sacked. The match involved problems over sportsmanship – catching and walking – umpiring, sledging, the veracity of players, and allegations of racism – problems that prompted contrasting responses from both captains. Anil Kumble questioned Australia’s commitment to the spirit of the game. Such a comment would be troubling to any sport loving public, but more so to the sporting and fair-minded Aussies. It also would have reawakened deep and painful memories for Australian fans for it was the very same charge that the Australians leveled against England following Bodyline – a series that to this day, some 75 years later, epitomizes everything that is ugly and dishonourable in the game.
Ricky Ponting, however, saw nothing wrong with his team’s on field conduct during the match. "I have absolutely no doubt about this match being played in the right spirit," he said. "There's been one little issue that's come out of the game; otherwise the spirit between both teams in both Tests has been excellent." The Australian public begged to disagree with Governor-general, Michael Jeffery, lamenting the loss of civility and grace from the game – sentiments also echoed by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Neil Harvey, a member of Bradman’s Invincibles, thought the players behaved “like a pack of morons”.
It is a measure of Ponting’s indifference to his countrymen’s disapproval of his leadership style when he shot back: "I think one thing that a lot of people overlook is that we are not playing cricket in the 1950s and a lot of people, I think, are still living in the 1950s," Ponting said. "Neil Harvey seems to be the hardest man in the world to please where modern cricket is concerned. And to tell the truth there is no one in our current team, and I don't think there's too many around Australia that actually sit back and listen to what Neil Harvey has got to say."
Wisden, for one, disagrees with Ponting, writing that Neil Harvey is “one of Australia's all-time favourite cricketing sons” with a “superbly steadfast temperament” that the opposition “rarely found a way of disrupting” and “which ultimately netted him in excess of 20,000 first-class runs”. In 79 tests, Neil Harvey scored over 6,000 runs including 21 centuries and an average above 48. His on field credentials aside, “Harvey continued to play a role at the forefront of Australian cricket as a national selector for a period of 12 years, and it was during the middle of this period (namely, the mid-1970s) that the country fielded one of its most successful ever sides at international level. In recognition of his string of outstanding achievements in the game, he was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in early 2000. He was also selected in the Australian Cricket Board's official Test Team of the 20th Century”. Oh dear me, one would have to believe that Mr. Harvey does know a thing or two about playing the game the right way. Whether he knows it or not, Ponting owes the esteemed Neil Harvey a public apology, not to mention his fellow countrymen and teammates for whom he took the liberty to speak so recklessly.
Ponting’s response to his countrymen’s disapproval of the team’s conduct may have been ugly and ungentlemanly, but what has that to do with the current series, you might ask. Well, quite a lot in fact. The Aussies are expected to win the series on the trot. The real challenge, you see, is for them to avoid a repeat of the hideous spectacle instigated by Glenn McGrath during their last tour that left an indelible blemish on the great man’s career. The Australian Cricket Board was so incensed that, immediately following the game, James Sutherland, the Board’s chief executive, telephoned Steve Waugh to denounce this ugly incident involving McGrath. "What we do agree on is that it's all very well to be playing the game in the right spirit when things are going your way but if things don't go your way, that's when the real test is on," he said. "And if you can't carry yourself in the right fashion, in the true spirit of the game at those times, then perhaps you need to have a good look at yourself”, concluded the Chief Executive. Peter Roebuck added, “regardless of the result, the Australians have done nothing to enhance their reputations as sportsmen. If victory cannot be achieved without recourse to the sort of antagonism seen in Antigua then it is not worth bothering about. Cricket searched for a champion team and found only an unscrupulous aggressor”.
The memories of Antigua should be enough of a motivation for the Aussies to mind their manners. There is little doubt that the Aussies are capable of meeting this challenge – one need only look to Perth a few months ago. When not distracted, the Aussies can be the most formidable opponent in the world. Meanwhile, if at times during this series tempers flare, it might help to remember that there is weed in the Caribbean too, albeit of a more pleasing and tranquil nature that reputedly enables one to transcend the ugly and the petty and reach for the higher ground.
This article first headlined on caribbeancricket.com
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