Posts
Loading ...These two countries have problems because Aus knows India is the only one who can compete with them in field and in fact claim being better in some of the cases.
If England ever gets into that position then we can see how they respond.
Also have you ever heard of something called ‘culture gap’. there is not much between Eng and Aus but certainly there is a lot between Aus and Ind.
Handbags at dawn
By Will 5 months ago Leave a comment on this post
Children, children. Is anyone else finding the constant spat between Australia and India nothing short of pathetic? I read that India have complained for Matthew Hayden calling Harbhajan Singh “mad boy”, and Hayden’s followed it up with the less than timely statement that the same bloke is an “obnoxious weed“. Isn’t Hayden meant to be one of Australia’s church-going, cross-bearing, holier than thou ministers? And who gives a flying toss if Singh was called a “mad boy”? It isn’t racist, other than to the mentally fragile, and in no way could be considered offensive. At most, it is merely dismissive. Perhaps that’s why it upset them so much: they want a real fight.
When Australia tour England next year, they will share and enjoy every vulgar insult under the sun. Captains’ virility will be called into question by a short-leg (apologies for the pun there). The opening batsmen’s mothers might be mentioned, and you can bet that every Englishmen will, in the eyes of the Australians, not deserve to be out there. Everyone will laugh about it and we’ll all go home chuckling.
Why, then, do these two countries have such a problem with eachother?
Pathetic. The sooner this tour’s over, the better.
Tags: ashes, australia, england, Harbhajan-Singh, india, india in australia, matthew-hayden, obnoxious weed, sledging, the-ashes, verbals |
126 Responses to “Handbags at dawn”
February 26th, 2008 at 6.15 pm
February 26th, 2008 at 6.33 pm
Well the Aussies are just taking advantage of the fact that the ICC dictionary of blacklisted words has more Hindi words than English. And English abuses aren’t abuses.
The same blokes cry when some kid in their schools can’t take it anymore and wields a gun. Sledging and abusing are different and here we’re seeing abusive language and bullying.
I sure an happy to see that young Indian blokes have stood up to the challenge like no team before them and are ready to show the way to the door along with a tip (15% of their match fees) to the ICC!
February 26th, 2008 at 9.02 pm
Captains’ virility will be called into question by a short-leg (apologies for the pun there).
As long as they dont use jelly-beans. 
Note that the Indians did not complain first - neirther have they lodged anything official other than making the match-referee aware. Nor has any of the Indian players aired negative comments about their Australian counterparts. In fact, its been the Australian captain that has gone running to the umpires (once again when Symonds was bowled).
Note also the lack of such spats when India play Sri Lanka or even, Pakistan.
February 26th, 2008 at 9.06 pm
Hey folks, it’s the Indian Team who keep putting up these claims (except for that recism charge against Singh). Every time one of their players gets into strife because of incorrect gloves or showing the bats men the way back to the dressing room,etc, the Indian team come up with claims of abuse by the Australian players.
Yes, I’m Australian, and yes, I support our team, but the whole season here has been depressing because the ICC has refused to act decisively (and dare I say it), correctly and because Indian management can’t accept that their plays can do wrong. And before you call me bias, I also think that the Australian team can and should play in a more sportsmen like manner.
Vineet Raj Kapoor, get your facts right. We’re talking Australia here not America. Yes, we have had one school shooting (a University actually) but that was more than 6 years ago.
February 26th, 2008 at 9.58 pm
Will,
Why is it OK when an England player questions Ricky Pontings virility, but not OK for Harbhajan to use the word monkey!! Who decides what is OK and what is not?
Lists of offensive words are useless because what is considered offensive is highly subjective and context-sensitive.
Anyhow, I get the feeling the Indians get carried away with their sledging. The Aussies are more clinical and discreet about it! There should be a new class at the cricket academy - How to Sledge and not let the TV catch you.
Finally, the series has been a good one wrt the cricket has it not?!
February 26th, 2008 at 10.25 pm
Bravo! Great post you pommy b@st@rd….;-)
I’m now heading home..chuckling…
It’s been a frustrating season down here that’s for sure. Everytime we get cricket with a bit of passion, it ends up with the BCCI, Indian team management, the ICC or even the ACB (and certainly the entire Blogosphere) complaining/protesting, threatening to cancel tours, and so on.
I blame stump-microphones, close up, super slow motion cameras, and over-zealous cricket officials with nothing better to do, for making it impossible to live by the old addage of - “what goes on, on the field, stays on the field”. These days nothing is allowed to go on, on the field, and if it does the administrators and media make damn sure it doesn’t stay there.
I think every “incident” this summer should’ve been solved with a few sharp “Get F!@#$@#;d”, followed by a “No you Get F!@#$@#;d” - then a beer after the game.
Enough said. This culture is being legislated out of the game.
February 26th, 2008 at 10.36 pm
pseudoKu - “Monkey” is a racist term. You do not call a black person a monkey - it simply does not happen. Questioning someone’s virility, or whatever else, in a jokey manner on the field…that’s fair enough. That’s been going on for donkey’s years and, unless the BCCI get their way, always will do. It’s impossible to legislate acceptable sledging but common sense (from players and the media and public) has to prevail…and that is what has been missing from this entire series. Common bloody sense.
February 26th, 2008 at 10.38 pm
Stu - pick up your kangaroo, crack open a tinny, chuck another shrimp on the barby and bugger off, you convict
And get F!@#$@#;d
February 26th, 2008 at 10.59 pm
“The opening batsman’s mothers might be mentioned…”
I hope not. I think insulting families is one of the lowest things you can do. Personally, I think sledging should be restricted to “jokey manners,” such as “KP’s in, so we can all bring in the field.” That I have no problem with. But Shane Warne calling Ronnie Irani’s mother a whore? Real classy.
February 27th, 2008 at 5.04 am
…okay Will, now about that beer…I like mine COLD.
February 27th, 2008 at 10.09 pm
Hayden’s remarks encapsulates how Australian sports fans feel about this preening, millionaire, egotistical, boorish Indian squad. Their officials are worse.
Every time we beat them (nearly always this summer), their players act up, and their officials are worse!
Notable exceptions Dhoni, Kumble, Tendulkar, Laxman.
That the Indians think that we are scared of them is ridiculous. Have a look at the 2005 Ashes series. We got beat by the better team, which was England. No complaints, and England was allowed to celebrate in peace. And I personally thought that was the best series, ever. As do most Australian fans.
The bad blood has been caused by India virtually losing every time they play us. Sharma was hit all over the ground before he gave his send-off. If you read Hayden’s comments on about telling Sharma to settle down and concentrate on bowling its obvious Sharma was sledging Hayden. Big deal, they all do it. But for Gods sake stop pretending you don’t.
India is the most santioned team with its players the most reported. Nuff said.
India came to Australia expecting to win. They have got the asses handed back to them in a sling. That is what this is all about.
And also, the reason why Hayden will never captain Australia. He is a little blunt. LOL
February 27th, 2008 at 10.14 pm
Further to my point:
The only time a match has ended without an off-field fracas and threat by the Indian side to leave is when India won a Test at the WACA. The only time they have won. Ponting congratulated them for playing well. Kumble went on to say how good his team was. Everyone was happy.
The baby had its rattle.
February 27th, 2008 at 10.14 pm
Further to my point:
The only time a match has ended without an off-field fracas and threat by the Indian side to leave is when India won a Test at the WACA. The only time they have won. Ponting congratulated them for playing well. Kumble went on to say how good his team was. Everyone was happy.
The baby had its rattle.
February 27th, 2008 at 10.21 pm
India came to Australia expecting to win.
If you look at the pre-series expectations of most Indian fans, we pretty much expected an ass walloping (the Indian team made noises about wanting to win, but you do not expect any touring team to say ‘yeah, we came here to lose’). And I think most Indian fans will be happy that we competed well against a great Aussie team.
But of course, dont let that stop you from making up stuff and living in a fantasy world. And yes, please also forget about the close match at Sydney or the ass -whopping at Perth. Nah ! Didn’t happen.
Apparently Australians only like teams that come to their shores to lose (e.g. Sri Lanka/England etc) - any team that offers resistance, any 19-year old who gets the measure of the Aussie ‘greats’ is branded a spoilt-sport.
Way to go, mate !
About Hayden’s comment - he also asked Ishant to come into the boxing ring with him; for a senior Australian sportman, thats a real classy way to act. Keep it up !
February 27th, 2008 at 10.24 pm
The only time a match has ended without an off-field fracas
Funny, I could have sworn there were a couple of test-matches at Adelaide and Melbourne. There also seems to have been a 20/20 at the G, couple of ODIs, an ODI at Adelaide. I must have been dreaming.
February 27th, 2008 at 10.32 pm
bongopondit,
of course India expected to win. The last series here was a draw 1-1. Indian scribes have been predicting the fall of the Australian team for a few years. This is the last time India will tour with its great batting lineup as Tendulkar, Laxman, Ganguly, Dravid are at the end of their careers.
No Warne, no McGrath.
Of couse they thought they were a big chance. I listened to their commentators who virtually said there was a changing of the guard.
All these hissy fits about sledging and threats to quit and go home and an inability to accept judgements have left a sour taste.
I was praying for Sri Lanka to win. If you gave me the choice of India playing us in the finals and us thrashing India, or Sri Lanka making it and beating us in the finals…I would choose the Sri Lankan option.
Anything to be done with this Indian team and their grandstanding officials. Beating them isn’t any fun, and losing to them would be annoying.
Ironically, I went to the Melbourne Test match to see Tendulkar for the last time.
February 27th, 2008 at 10.37 pm
“Funny, I could have sworn there were a couple of test-matches at Adelaide and Melbourne. There also seems to have been a 20/20 at the G, couple of ODIs, an ODI at Adelaide. I must have been dreaming.”
All through that period Indian officials were mouthing off. They even bought into the the Pakistan tour. The Harbhhajan racist case had Indian officials nearly every second day threatening to fly out.
February 27th, 2008 at 10.47 pm
@brendon: Like I said, live in your fantasy world if you wish.
There is a difference between four ageing players wanting to win in Australia (considered the greatest challenge ever) with scribes overhyping it versus real world expectation from sensible fans (the latter might be an oxymoron for Indians, but the species, rare as it may be, does exist).
For a team with its front-line pace attack missing, with no proper opening batting combination, and thrown into the cauldron after a Pakistan series with hardly any practice, the Indian players did pretty well.
Now if a champion side like the Aussies is reduced to searching for excuses such as off-field distractions for their performance - that is quite pathetic.
You are saying good stuff about SL because SL couldnt do shit to you recently. When Ranatunga’s men were bothering you in the the 90s, the same excuses had cropped up.
Note - I am not condoning the grandstandings by the BCCI - their call for boycott etc was over the top. But the Australian players and officials are no baby Jesus either.
February 27th, 2008 at 10.58 pm
bongopondit,
why would the Australian team be looking for excuses? For winning?
You say that India didn’t expect to win. And Australia expects to win. So why would Australia be looking for ecxuses? Be honest, you guys thought you could win. LOL
Sri Lanka has behaved itself this tour. Australia has behaved itself with them. You can’t ask for more than that.
February 27th, 2008 at 11.01 pm
bongopondit,
we are watching this from different countries, and reading different media, and sharing and talking to different friends and supporters.
Lets just agree that I’m right. OK? LOL
February 27th, 2008 at 11.15 pm
Will,
I didn’t know that, honest. I have lived in the US for 2 years and I still didn’t know that monkey was a racist term. I seriously doubt that Harbhajan - he barely speaks good English - would have known that its racist!
And that just proves my point about these things not being as “common-sensical” as you are making them out to be!
You guys (Stu, brendon, et al) are seeing things from your perspective. Oz and England share very similar cultures and this translates to banter that is understood by both parties.
Half the guys in the Indian team barely speak English, so expecting them to understand the nuances of what is crossing the line and what is OK is a little too much!
February 27th, 2008 at 11.35 pm
The docile inarticulate brown man is finally looking the racist white bully in his eyes and telling him to f#$% off. The bully’s reaction reaction appears to be surprise and bewilderment. It is time to get used to it! The brown man is soon going to be doing much more than that–and not only in cricket. Time is up!
February 27th, 2008 at 11.38 pm
pseudoKu,
Obnoxious weeds are actually revered in Australia. We have Gods dedicated to them.
It must a cultural thing. LOL
February 27th, 2008 at 11.40 pm
Well, Harbhajan may not have known in the first place, but after the whole controversy with the chants in the Indian crowds, how could he not have known that calling him “monkey” might not be acceptable behaviour? Even if he didn’t mean it in a racist sense, it was obviously intended to cause offense, which I think is crossing the line as far as sledging is concerned.
February 27th, 2008 at 11.53 pm
@Brendon
“we are watching this from different countries, and reading different media, and sharing and talking to different friends and supporters.”
Finally, common sense!
Peace!
February 28th, 2008 at 12.07 am
Brendon
You are a bad boy 
Be pleased, apparently its a clothing brand! Anyway, I agree India needs to start winning more, quit whining and get back on the field.
Marcus,
I don’t like either Harbhajan or Sreesanth’s on-field behavior. Just want to say the Aussies are no better, they just sledge away from the cameras! People seem to have a holier-than-thou approach to this whole thing. Its OK if one person does it but not OK if someone else does!??
Anyhoo, my favorite cricketers of all time are folks like Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, et al who never had to say a word to win a game. Let the bat and ball do the talking!
February 28th, 2008 at 12.14 am
@brendon: I am seeing this as an Indian down under - which perspective are you getting ?
pseudoKu: agree with you. Especially Sreesanth needs to cool down. Like I mentioned before, its the Aussie attitude of ‘look we are such well behaving dudes while the Indians are bad’ that pisses me off. Be man enough to admit that you are sledging.
Btw, anyone hear Hayden’s actual interview. He slips into a mock Indian accent mimicking Ishant Sharma. But hey, Aussies are such a well-behaved bunch, so its not racist.
Here is the Hayden interview: http://www.triplem.com.au/brisbane/sport/haydenspray.html
February 28th, 2008 at 12.22 am
psuedoKu
you want to see some funny sledging that ends well?
February 28th, 2008 at 5.44 am
Pseudoku
Apart from Gilchrist and Lee, I don’t really like the way the Australian team plays the game either. My opinions of the others range from disinterest to active dislike, and I think players like Ponting today, and Warne and McGrath in previous years, have a lot to answer for with regard to the way that they conducted themselves on the pitch. Just wanted to clear that up.
February 28th, 2008 at 12.14 pm
storm in a frikkin teacup mateys. i dont give a monkey’s about some red neck comment from a lumberjack about weeds and stuff. thats all the f*&^wit knows in any case. his weeds and more weeds which he probably smoked before the interview. fact is this high and mighty aussie team is being humbled in their backyard when a team they are writing off comes back to win key games despite playing against a team of 13 in the tests. its time the aussie media quit griping about indian money power. i tell you guys, if the aussies had the balls, they;d put their money where their mouths are and pay the money. who stops the aussies from showering money on the game rather than expletives ? i;d rather have the money anyday mateys.
February 28th, 2008 at 10.16 pm
“Why, then, do these two countries have such a problem with eachother?
Pathetic. The sooner this tour’s over, the better.”
Thats the irony of it. The Australian team has been trying to clean up its image for the past 6 years. Waugh was under instruction to cut out the sledging, and Ponting too. The good vibes about the 2005 Ashes was about the England team’s acceptance that the Australian team was behaving better.
And you can’t say Australia has bee embroiled in too many incidents since then.
The difference is India. As Australia cleans up its act, India goes in the opposite direction.
But international perception is years behind reality.
In order to complain about Ponting reporting racist slurs incidents where Australians did the same thing are bought up….. From the 1990’s! Get it? Its a different world.
February 28th, 2008 at 10.51 pm
As Australia cleans up its act,
ROFLOL !!!! thanks for providing the biggest laugh this morning. Need it on a Friday……
February 28th, 2008 at 11.22 pm
bongopondit,
its a long way from asking someone what Lara’s c–k tastes like to calling someone a [I]“bad boy”[/I]. If your cricketers are getting mentally disintegrated by comments like “well bowled, champ”, its not the Australian team that has the problem. LOL
And when you think of it, excactly what else has the Australian players supposed have said this tour in their sledging?
The answer is: Nada… nothing.
So why the complaints from Indian officials? I think it might have something to do with every time they lose they make sure its Australian effigies that get burned, and not their own. LMAO
February 28th, 2008 at 11.24 pm
But thanks anyway bongopondit,
for proving my point that perception lags reality.
February 28th, 2008 at 11.26 pm
India goes in the opposite direction.
pray tell me what kind of sledging the Indians were involved in……
And I am amazed by your intimate knowledge of the sledgings used by the Aussies in this tour. You were hooked up to them ?
February 28th, 2008 at 11.35 pm
Well bongopondit,
nice try, but I asked you first. Recount the sledging by Australia this tour. It is very tame stuff, and very little of it.
That is the issue, is it not.
February 28th, 2008 at 11.57 pm
drawing blanks, bongopondit? LOL
“How could that be??!!! Didn’t the BCCI tell me that the Aussies were sledging all the time and abusing our team in a manner most foul!? Where is the evidence so that I can put this upstart Brendon to rights! Grrrr”
LMAO
February 29th, 2008 at 12.09 am
hmmm…. you do realise that I do this time-wasting during my day job ?
as I said, you talked only about the known sledging. how do we know nothing else happened ? i assume aussies do keep some of what is said on the field. and i wont even bring up Ponting’s f%$-r etc against Bhajji……..
and do chip with the list of Indian sledgings. remember, you made the bold statement: India goes in the opposite direction.
back it up.
and stop whining like a 6-year old.
February 29th, 2008 at 12.15 am
@brendon: btw, the indian team management also said: “”This sort of thing should not happen but we’ve decided to take it in our stride and want to get on with preparing for the finals.”
doesnt exactly fit in your worldview does it ?
I could go on, but its no use arguing with obnoxious 6-year old.
February 29th, 2008 at 1.09 am
bongopondit,
reality bytes, huh? So you resort to namecalling and insulting me when you can’t back up your beliefs. I’m disappointed in you.
Ponting denied he told Harbhajan the eff off. Now I wasn’t there, I can’t say. But it can’t be thrown around for a fact if one participant denies it and there’s no witnesses. No stump mike evidence either.
India’s behaviour in Australia has been very poor. Onfield, average. Harbhajan’s insults to Symonds, Sharma’s abusive send-off, Harbhajan’s theatrics when he gets a wicket, India’s aggressive appealing and attempted intimidation of Australian batsmen on the second last day of the WACA Test.
Kumble’s disgraceful sore loser speech after the Sydney Test where he accused the Australians of cheating.
Indian officials constantly threatening to abandon the series if they don’t get their way on several issues.
So anyway bongopondit, where is all this sledging you say has been happening from the Aussies.
There is none (other than mentioned), and that is a pathetic collection to complain about.
February 29th, 2008 at 1.16 am
@brendon: btw, the indian team management also said: “”This sort of thing should not happen but we’ve decided to take it in our stride and want to get on with preparing for the finals.”
Which translated means: “We got noth’n. Nada.”
Spin bowler Hogg was reported by the Indian team for saying: “I’m going to go right thru you bastards.” That was a tit for tat re the Harbhajan racial slur report.
That was the worst they could come up against the Australians with in 10 days worth of Tests??!!
February 29th, 2008 at 2.18 am
Brendon,
Symonds shouldn’t have said anything to Ishant Sharma - well bowled or not. He was the one who said after the Sydney test that an international game is no place to be friendly with opponents. You have either a) a short-term memory, or b) a highly selective one.
And the best Hayden could come up with was the idea of meeting Ishant in a boxing ring? And that, after mocking his Indian accent?
Wowwwww… how mature that is, how non-racist. Such great cleaning up of their act.
February 29th, 2008 at 2.57 am
pod,
Symonds was told by Judge Hansen that that attitude was no good. Symonds changes and acknowledges good play. He is attacked for it. You say he shouldn’t have said it. Which is what Symonds said in the first place. Maybe you should pen a note to Hansen to tell him Symonds was right all along.
There is no pleasing some folk.
Its nice to see that imitating an accent is now racist. What is next. My God, you are getting precious!
None of this would be going on if India was winning. This is a lesson in sour grapes.
February 29th, 2008 at 3.19 am
see how conveniently you have ignored hayden’s wish to meet ishant in a ring… selective memory again.. wake up man… here’s a 36 year old veteran saying this to a 19-year old..
in the context of this series, i do think that mocking an accent and then laughing about is a racial insult.. you are free to choose otherwise… different perceptions
“Symonds changes and acknowledges good play”… i don’t even know what to say to that… and then to think of hayden, who after being reprimanded says “I’m innocent”… i’m speechless..
and the sour grapes statement is quite nice a veil to hide behind…
February 29th, 2008 at 4.28 am
Hayden offered a go in the ring to Sharma because of sledging from Sharma. Ironic coming from Hayden, I know. But if he dishes it out, there is always that offer, no matter from who.
““Symonds changes and acknowledges good play”… i don’t even know what to say to that… ”
Here is a hint: perhaps you could say that there is a double standard there. perhaps you could acknowledge that attacking a player for saying well played is the height of hypocricy. perhaps you could say that the Indian report saying Sharma was provoked was ludicrous’
This is racist:
“To call the crowd a ‘crowd’ in Jamaica is a misnomer. It should be called a ‘mob’. The way they shrieked and howled every time Holding bowled was positively horrible. They encouraged him with shouts of ‘Kill him, Maaaan!’ ‘Hit im Maan!’, ‘Knock his head off Mike!’ All this proved beyond a shadow of doubt that these people still belonged to the jungles and forests, instead of a civilised country”…. (Sunil Gavaskar)
This is the type of racism that infects some Indians as shown by their attacks and monkey jibes towards Symonds.
And you have the nerve to say Hayden was racist for taking off an accent. Get real, man.
February 29th, 2008 at 4.33 am
@Brendon: The only reasons I keep coming back here is to be entertained by your delusional stuff. Keep it coming mate - just 1 more hour till I call Poets Day. Keep the droll stuff rolling in.
btw, I am still waiting for an answer to my question.
and if you really want to talk of Aussie sportingness, here is one for you: “Australia have just formed a guard of honour to allow Sanath Jayasuriya to walk through and on to the pitch and what must be his last match in Australia. And well deserved, Jayasuriya is a champion.”. Classy.
Dont try to champion Hayden, Symonds or Ponting. Its pathetic.
February 29th, 2008 at 4.55 am
And proving that Gavaskar made a racist remark in his book from over two decades ago does not mean that Hayden’s actions were not racist. That’s a lame argument.
Anyway, this is it from me. We’ll never agree on these issues. To each his own.
February 29th, 2008 at 5.00 am
And proving that Gavaskar made a racist remark in his book from over two decades ago does not mean that Hayden’s actions were not racist. That’s a lame argument.
Anyway, this is it from me. We’ll never agree on these issues.
February 29th, 2008 at 5.20 am
bongopondit,
I’m not trying to champion Hayden. His comments were loopy. Locker-room humour and inappropriate.
But not racist. And he had his tongue in his cheek most of the time.
And if you read my posts you would see that I answered you. Indian officials have been worse than Indian player IMO.
But you never gave me a list of sledges from the Australian team that went beyond what we have already stated, which is a pretty innocuous collection.
As I said before, this would not be on the agenda if India was winning.
February 29th, 2008 at 5.24 am
“And proving that Gavaskar made a racist remark in his book from over two decades ago does not mean that Hayden’s actions were not racist. That’s a lame argument.”
Except that it has been Gavaskar that has been in the forefront of all these attacks, no?
It is Gavaskar that imploed Clarke and Ponting were cheats. It was Gavaskar that attacked Procter. It was Gavaskar that said it was alright to call Symonds a monkey.
Gavaskar was in all the front pages when this first came about.
So it is fair comment.
February 29th, 2008 at 6.59 am
Gavaskar did this. Gavaskar did that. So?
How does it absolve Hayden?
Your arguments defeat your own purpose. You say that others have also made racist comments. You say that some others are more racist. You say that the Indian people racist.
All of the above is true in certain circumstances, BUT how does that even suggest that what Hayden did in turn was not reprehensible?
I am not for an instance suggesting that he is the ONLY one who has been wrong over the summer. There have been many, Indians and Australians included.
That seems to be the difference here - while I do accept that a few Indians have gone over-board, you choose to remain blind to the follies of your own team.
February 29th, 2008 at 7.24 am
pod,
I never said Hayden was racist in taking off an accent. That is not racist, like you say. You wanted racist, so I gave you Gavaskar. Gavaskar, who is in the thick of it today.
I never said Indian ppl were racist. Some Australians are. Some Indians are.
Other than Symonds sticking his nose where it didn’t belong, I think the Australians have behaved well during this series. And the Indian team too. Except for Harbhajan. The Sharma send off is nothing. The Dhoni glove thing is nothing. A bit of aggro from the Indians on the last day of the WACA Test is nothing. The Australians celebrating 16 in a row at Sydney was blown out of all proportion.
Take out Harbhajan, the posturing threatening Indian officials, and the umpiring in the second test, and there was nothing.
But that includes from the Australian side. As I said before, there has been bugger all sledging this series.
February 29th, 2008 at 7.37 am
exactly, then we agree on most things.. except hayden. and i don’t think either of us will be changing our views too soon on that one
looking forward to a what is hopefully going to be a great game of cricket this sunday.
February 29th, 2008 at 8.36 am
Let me say that Matthew Hayden is an obnoxious fat pig. Since it is racist to call Andrew Symonds by the m-word, let us say he is a gorilla (I hope that is not racist), Clarke is referred to by his own teammates as a “pup” - i.e. a dog - and McGrath was the Pigeon. All in all Australian cricket team is a wonderful animal farm.
February 29th, 2008 at 9.07 am
Gaurav,
It must be hard losing most of the time. Must make you angry and bitter and looking to unleash anger. I mean, I imagine thats what its like.
You go girl. Let it all hang out.
LOL
February 29th, 2008 at 10.18 am
Undoubtably, the worst behaviour seen this summer comes from Ricky Ponting… Doing advertisements for multivitamins and KFC at the same time?!?
Unforgiveable!
February 29th, 2008 at 11.16 am
I’m sorry, I can’t see how what Hayden said about Singh and his fake Indian accent can be classed as racist. I consider it an comment on Singh’s character but not his race.
You would not get a conviction of racial abuse with Hayden’s comments in any fair court of law in 99% of the world.
I think what Hayden said and did should not have been said/done (regardless of it’s truth re-Singh) at least not in the current climate anyway and the rap over the knuckles is about right for his “crime”. As misdemeanors go this was really minor.
I would have loved this season if the Indians had kept their mouths shut and acted like adults rather than spoilt brats. In most instances they’ve really taken the game up to the Australians. For me, if I can’t see Australia win, the next best thing is a good game, but they and their fans have ruined it. Sooner they leave these shores the better.
February 29th, 2008 at 11.25 am
“Let me say that Matthew Hayden is an obnoxious fat pig. Since it is racist to call Andrew Symonds by the m-word, let us say he is a gorilla (I hope that is not racist), Clarke is referred to by his own teammates as a “pup” - i.e. a dog - and McGrath was the Pigeon. All in all Australian cricket team is a wonderful animal farm.”
Gaurav you are just being rude. I wish you would think before making comments like that. Clarke is referred to as pup because he is/was the youngest member of the team. And in your context gorilla is as offensive as monkey.
I wish people (from both sides) would start thinking before putting fingers to keys.
February 29th, 2008 at 11.51 am
raxar,
there oughta be a law!!!! LOL
February 29th, 2008 at 1.40 pm
viper
Im not being rude, merely “insensitive” … there is no problem in being insensitive right ?
February 29th, 2008 at 1.42 pm
brendon
losing is hard … how is it losing 10 wickets in the space of 100 runs tho ?
February 29th, 2008 at 8.47 pm
guys (brendon et al),
it’s been a great fun reading ur views on this blog , especially brendon, pd and bongopondit. u guyz must join some literary blog, i swear u r damn good at it. I am an indian sikh and my take on this issue is that Indians are behaving like a monkey and aussies like bastards. just kill it here…..i really think cricket’s been of highest standards and all other issues just added spice to it. Aussies are number one in th world and only a stupid wud question that, having said that not many teams leave the aussie shores without gettin thier ass’s whooped. Indians were really up for the challenge and they have been there for last decade or so, so i believe thaz gud 4 cricket…..it’s an endless debate on what is racist or what is not but my only disappointment of the series was Hayden…..he’s a proud christian but his behaviour doesn’t conform that..i mean it’s not worse than bhajji and sreesanth but then they dont beat their chests about having a faith…..I dont think Bible will approve a devout like Hayden…ofcourse there are no saints on cricket field and it’s better if one doesn’t pretend to be one……..if anyone comes somewhat near to the image of saint then he’s GILLY and he wont be there for long…so cricket is and shall remain a place for bullies….i dont mind if they swear the hell out till they provide us with quality cricket. However, the behaviour of aussie crowd has been wonderful and we indians can take a leaf out of their books……well done monkeys and bastards…….LOL
February 29th, 2008 at 11.57 pm
“brendon
losing is hard … how is it losing 10 wickets in the space of 100 runs tho ?”
Gaurav,
Not at all. I thoroughly enjoyed the game, and I was happy to see an out of form team win back some pride. Both teams had a red hot go. I was blogging on a Sri Lanka forum right at the end of the game, it was fun. Bith sides gave it all they had.
No excuses. We lost to the better side in the nite. And good for them!!!
March 1st, 2008 at 5.23 am
Brendon
Nice to know, I also thoroughly enjoyed watching the game which we lost at sydney the other night. Great to see our team fight from the depths of 50/4 to almost reach 300 and cause a flutter in the heart of ponting and co.
March 1st, 2008 at 6.06 am
Hi Pritam Singh. I like your view on the two teams. I’m not sure if I’d go as far as saying monkeys and bastards, but yeah, you’re basically right.
As for Matthew Hayden behaving unchristian like, well I think a lot of people who claim to be religious (I’m RC myself) have done some weird things too (i.e. holy crusades in medieval times, Hitler 60+ years ago, terrorism and wars). While it’s Christian to “turn the other cheek”, it is very much like a man and stand up and say what he thinks. Agree or disagree with him but he does have a right to his own opinion. But he said what he said and it really can’t be taken back and he has gotten his punishment for it. I’m sorry to say this, especially as you seem to be a very level headed person, but Matthew has paid his dues more than has Harbhajan Singh.
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”
(The Friends of Voltaire)
March 1st, 2008 at 10.54 am
Nice exchange of very different views from people with diverse cultural backgrounds and social values… Just want to add that we see most things through a cultural lense and express our opinions likewise…
My Aussie mates call each other bastard, sook, poofter all the time and no one cares… My Indian friends use cuss-words like teri maaki, behanchod all the time and no one cares…
All problems start only when these terms are used with people from other cultures…. You throw in language difference into the mix and it turns deadlier… You add the different cricket board officials, the die-hard fans and the paying public and you have WW3…
So how to avoid all this and make sure the players focus on their game and the fans enjoy a good game… Keep it simple… If it is impossible for some players to keep quiet, talk to each other, encourage your own team players… Learn to control your emotions, it’s the very essence of growing up in most societies…
Anyway, looking forward to some great games… Hope the Indian team is able to stretch the mighty Aussies to 3 matches and not a dead rubber in the last game… Good luck to both teams…
March 1st, 2008 at 12.51 pm
As for Australians being bastards:
During the height of the Bodyline series in Australia 1930-1, the England captain Douglas Jardine presented himself at the Australian’s dressing rooms and asked to see the Australian captain Bill Woodfall.
Jardin was angry and demanded to know which Australian slips fielder kept calling him a bastard. Woodfull turned around to the players and asked:
“OK, which one of you bastards called this bastard a bastard!?”
Jardine got the hint and quickly left.
March 2nd, 2008 at 12.27 am
StarWriter wrote “While it’s Christian to “turn the other cheek”, it is very much like a man and stand up and say what he thinks. Agree or disagree with him but he does have a right to his own opinion. But he said what he said and it really can’t be taken back and he has gotten his punishment for it. I’m sorry to say this, especially as you seem to be a very level headed person, but Matthew has paid his dues more than has Harbhajan Singh.”
Classic example of Christian Western culture double-speak - you can go out and do what the fuck you want because that’s your right as a man. Then you go cry in a church or thump your bible and you are atoned of all sins. Then you come back and say you never did anything wrong in the first place. What utter bollocks!
I specially love the last bit about Matthew having paid his dues more than has Harbhajan Singh. If that’s what you really believe, why apologize to Mr. Pritam Singh? The slimeball potty-mouth Hayden has paid fuck-all dues while poor Bhajji has been raked over coals calling him racist and what not?
You Aussies must be ashamed of yourself. Please remember you are the original pot of racism, and you won’t become shinier overnight by blaming others. Yes, Indian players may have many faults and the Indian society has many evils casteism and religious fundamentalism included, but it is simply ridiculous to lump everything together and call us racists.
My friends, the world is not going to forget the past few centuries of racism practised by you and your English fathers. Moreover, the world power is shifting graudally to the Indians and the Chinese. Even your PM has learnt Mandarin realizing this and they are already teaching Urdu and Punjabi in UK and Canadian schools.
Hope you can learn while it is not too late! Good luck to you and may humanity survive your ignorance! Amen!
March 2nd, 2008 at 10.57 am
Veggi_might,
get a grip.
Firstly you claim that someone has called all Indians racist. No-one here has. Then you defend that made up accusation. Then you go on to accuse Australia of having somehow been complicit in British rule in India a few hundred years back.
Can’t wait until you call us nothing but convict stock. Thats the usual.
Apparently Irish convict stock ruled over India at one time. Sorry about that. LOL
I’ll tell you one thing: there are some Indians who have enormous chips on their shoulders.
March 2nd, 2008 at 2.00 pm
Ouch… that must have hurt…
Oh yeah, and India thrashed you sorry bunch today!
March 2nd, 2008 at 4.52 pm
Brendon
You could do with spending some time with me to get used to accepting defeat … how about we have a girls’ night out ?? :D:D:D
March 2nd, 2008 at 4.55 pm
I don’t want to be a scrooge but Gaurav, Brendon, Veggi_might and co, please keep a lid on it. This isn’t the place to have personal slagging matches, and it’s incredibly dull to read. By all means disagree with one another, but do so politely and try not to ostracise the rest of the readers with your (often boring) childish insults.
Ta!
March 2nd, 2008 at 10.19 pm
Will,
don’t include me. Other than telling one person I think he has a chip on his shoulder, I have offended no-one.
March 2nd, 2008 at 11.19 pm
Dear Brendon
How can you be the judge of how many people you have offended? It’s for the others to judge…
I guess that says it all about how you self-focussed is the thinking of ’some’ Aussies like you…
And on top of it you want ‘others’ to agree with you… That takes the cake…
G’day myte…
March 2nd, 2008 at 11.44 pm
Veggi_might,
you are right.
I should have written, “I have written nothing that would be contrued as offensive by any normal person.”
Anyway Veggi_might,
I thought you would be a bit more chipper and conciliatory today after Tendulkar carved us up last night. LOL
March 3rd, 2008 at 12.20 am
Will,
I have answered every post directed at me. Since you haven’t directed a post at me, I think it unfair to say I have ostracized anyone who has posted here.
I even tried to make light of Australians being “bastards”.
You find my posts offensive. Its your blog. Sorry.
March 3rd, 2008 at 12.59 am
Brendon, Will
I apologize if I hurt anyone’s feelings in any of my earlier postings… It’s just that Gandhi has been dead for 60 years and we young Indians are not used to offering the other cheek any longer… Anyways I assure you of a more balanced view of things if everyone’s sticks to the same rules…
On a lighter note, it’s interesting to note that only US and Oz decided to have their own rules for a popular games like Rugby - American Football and Aussie Rules… Now with IPL, the Indians seem to be moving towards a new version of Cricked, which may be called the Indian Rules…
I guess it may have something to do with all these ex-colonies coming of age and wanting to make a statement of intent… A bit like fast-developing economies like Malaysia and Taiwan vying for the tallest building in the world…
March 3rd, 2008 at 1.04 am
Brendon, Will
I apologize if I hurt anyone’s feelings in any of my earlier postings… It’s just that Gandhi has been dead for 60 years and we young Indians are not used to offering the other cheek any longer… Anyways I assure you of a more balanced view of things if everyone’s sticks to the same rules…
On a lighter note, it’s interesting to note that only US and Oz decided to have their own rules for a popular games like Rugby - American Football and Aussie Rules… Now with IPL, the Indians seem to be moving towards a new version of Cricked, which may be called the Indian Rules…
I guess it may have something to do with all these ex-colonies coming of age and wanting to make a statement of intent… A bit like fast-developing economies like Malaysia and Taiwan vying for the tallest building in the world…
March 3rd, 2008 at 6.15 am
Against Dubai, they have no chance.
March 4th, 2008 at 5.58 am
Will:
Firstly, i’d like to correct your assumption about bhajji taking offence to ‘mad boy’.He took offence to hayden calling him a ‘mad dog’.
Secondly,why is hayden making off-field comments that are despicable to say the least.India could have complained to the ICC, there is scope for that.They would have but all they want now is to win today & go home.It’s been too long a tour.
Thirdly,if he thinks bhajji is an ‘obnoxious weed’ thats OK.Its his problem.But stating it publicly is not great is it??I know bhajji thinks a few things about hayden.Thankfully he didn’t give vent to his feelings.
Fourthly & most importantly,the most upsetting part about that interview was when he makes fun of ishant sharma & his inability to speak in the english language.
Ishant is from delhi.His native language is hindi.He’s not in australia to give english examinations.He’s here to play the game of cricket.Pakistani friends from london tell me that he did the same to another quick bowler rom the sub-continent.You might have heard of him.Shoaib Akhtar.Shoaib responded by thumping hayden on the pads & giving him the send-off of his life.I’d like to see hayden construct 1 grammatically correct statemet in any indian language,and there are many.Maybe then he’s entitled to say what he said.
March 4th, 2008 at 11.31 am
I bet every Indian that criticized the Aussies for their celebrations after the second test, feels pretty stupid after seeing their side - Noxious Weed expecially - celebrating their win in the CBA series.
March 4th, 2008 at 11.36 am
Now I’m hearing booing from the Indian’s left watching this presentation as Nathan Bracken accepts his Man of the Series - this from those so eager to take the high road only a few months back.
Should this Indian side continue to have such success, they’ll be far more disliked than the Aussies ever could be!
March 4th, 2008 at 12.51 pm
OX,
this would have to be the most painful series ever. Like most Australians, I will be glad to see the end of it. As I said before, we weren’t allowed to celebrate when we won, and losing was just annoying. LOL
March 4th, 2008 at 2.30 pm
Ox, Will, Brendon
Come on you can also say a few good words about the great Indian win… I agree with you we Indian fans are terrible, but how can you grudge the celebrations by this young Indian team, that nobody gave a chance to beat the mighty Aussies…
March 4th, 2008 at 5.17 pm
Brendon
I can understand your pain, obviously I cant feel it, but I can understand and I sympathize.
March 4th, 2008 at 8.10 pm
veggi_myte wrote:”Come on you can also say a few good words about the great Indian win…”
Read Kumble’s post match speech after Australia’s great win in the Sydney Test.
Nathan Bracken was loudly booed last nite by the Indian contigent in the crowd when he went to accept Man If The Series.
It never ends.
This is the worst cricket summer by far here. Never seen anything like it. And we won the Tests. Nothing to celebrate.
Yes, well done You will miss Tendulkar.
March 4th, 2008 at 9.00 pm
veggi_myte wrote: “Ox, Will, Brendon
Come on you can also say a few good words about the great Indian win… I agree with you we Indian fans are terrible, but how can you grudge the celebrations by this young Indian team, that nobody gave a chance to beat the mighty Aussies…”
I must say I had a laugh at that one!!!!!
Tendulkar carried India in the two finals. A perfect example was Sharma’s 60 odd with Tendulkar, and failure last nite without him.
Old man Tendulkar did all the heavy lifting. He is a genius.
On the other hand, we were reliant on old man Hayden, who like Tendulkar was about the only Australian player who could regularily split the filed. Unfortunately he got run out.
Tell you something funny. I was doing errands last night, so I was in and out going in to watch the telly then rushing out. Hopes was hopeless. He was the dot ball king! I could hear the commentators: Hopes struggles against spin”, then a over later “Hopes can’t pick the swing”, but he would not go out. Wouldn’t score any runs either. So I prayed for him to go out. And immediately Hussey got bowled. I stopped praying. LOL
March 5th, 2008 at 6.06 am
I still believe that Harbhajan Singh is guilty of some of the allegations brought against him, nothing is going to change my mind on that.
However, I must say that in terms of the cricket played, India was outstanding!
Maybe next time the two teams play both teams can keep their mouths shut, the Indian spectators can calm down and Australian supporters keep their clothing on and we’ll have a really good series as the two best teams in the world (currently) slog it out on the field in a proper game of cricket! What a series that would be! Well played both teams. GREAT TACKLE ANDREW! The idiot deserved worse than that!
March 5th, 2008 at 9.06 am
The second final brought to an end a great season. As an Indian fan, it feels great to see an Indian team that can at least consistently challenge the Aussies (and beat them more often than any other team). At least I won’t watch an India-Australia ODI game with the same sense of hopelessness that I used to, say 2-3 years back. Australia is still obviously the world’s best team, but it’s great to see India be as competitive as it was.
Hoping for another great series in October now (minus all the unnecessary controversy).
March 5th, 2008 at 11.07 am
I’ve already comment on how much I enjoyed the 2nd Final, so nuff said about that… and like you I hope the next meeting between these two teams is much calmer, however, I think our hopes may already have been dashed by a comment made by a BCCI member.
{After it emerged Harbhajan would not be charged after making what appeared to be monkey gestures towards Sydney fans during Sunday’s one-day final due to a lack of evidence, Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Niranjan Shah told the Herald: “Let Australia come to us and see what the crowd might do.
“It’s not a good thing, people must forget. All these reports are unnecessary. When your team comes here, if it’s too much media attention, maybe there will be the same crowd behaviour in India.”}
Now that, as far as I’m concerned is official sanctioning for bad behavior.
Of course now comes the old come back that this is another outrages attack on Indian Cricket by the Australian media I guess.
March 5th, 2008 at 1.35 pm
no it is not… i’ve read these comments made by this official of the bcci.. and comments such as these are pathetic… i agree with you… the bcci is completely inept in administering the game, so these comments are not surprising… but there is more stupidity in this statement than malicious intent… these guys running the bcci aren’t anywhere close to being called professionals… it is a sad state of affairs and must change… fortunately, a few changes are being made in the way the bcci runs the game in the country… unfortunately, they need to bring about change within the organisation first, and that’s not likely to happen anytime soon…
trust me, indian fans are often as disgusted with the bcci as fans from other countries are…
March 5th, 2008 at 2.18 pm
Brendon
So if one were to concede that Tendulkar carried India in the finals - still we have Tendulkar … what did you guys have to show ? Why couldn’t Gilly carry Australia ? Or Hayden ? Or Ponting ?
March 6th, 2008 at 6.31 pm
About the SCG controversy, what disgusted me was the way Australia celebrated in spite of having clear help from the umpires in winning the match…and in no small measure that. Indians can celebrate the one day series all they want because they won the match on their own…fair and square.
March 6th, 2008 at 7.31 pm
folks, whatever bhajii did on this tour was scrutinized. I sincerely believe that he said “monkey” to symonds and he should have been punished. He broke a pact with andrew (in mumbai, regarding calling him monkey was racist). Having said that Symonds was the one who started it and the pact between him and bhajji was to not to instigate each other..symonds was left unpunished…..though two wrongs don’t make it right…Bhajji was wrongly let go……….However, the accusation of scratching like monkey during 1st final was as low as australian media could go (it definitely matched the Indian media’s version of monkey being a god….so no racism….and then the makeup of “maanki” not monkey…LOL)………believe me any levelheaded person irrespective of his/her nationality would have laughed at these accusations…..does it mean you can’t even scartch your armpits and spit on the field……..c’mon guys ricky spits into his palms and the shakes hands, is that despicable too…….I saw the video myself and i really can’t believe somebody can give racial edge to what appeared to me a normal human behavior……..personally speaking i hav always a dislike for harbhajan……he’s beeninto trouble all the times, still i commend the guy for showing immense guts while facing all those boos and press bashing.he performed quite decent when it mattered and his wickets of Haydo and symo just made this series a spectator’s delight.which cricket world’ll remeber for long times and hopefully for the action around those 22 hard yards which matter in the end
Verdict: Australia won tests well played India………India won ODI’s well played Aussies……..we want more…….GOD BLESS
March 7th, 2008 at 5.23 pm
The bottom line is Australia were never going to let the racial sledge go because the only person ever banned for racial vilification was an Aussie (Darren Lehmann).
They (and I) believe what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
I don’t think for a minute that Symonds cares what Harbajhan calls him, they are still just dirty about the Lehmann saga.
March 7th, 2008 at 10.53 pm
Yobbo.
We should never drop a case against racial sledging, not because we’ve been punished for it in the past (Darren pleaded guilty and copped it on the chin as he should have done) but because it is wrong.
But having said that where do we stop? I think it’s a better than even split that people believe that Harbhajan did make a racial comment and we can keep pound away at that because we believe that it was a backroom deal that got him off the charge so that the tour can continue; but let’s say that some one like Uthappa or Bret Lee was accused but found innocent. Do we, the cricketting fans keep after them? When do we say enough, the judge has made the ruling, lets get on and play cricket?.
And another thing that has quirked my interest. When, officially, was Harbhajan called a racist? He isn’t being accused of being a racist, he is/was being accused of making a racist remark. IMHO I think you can do that without being a racist.
March 9th, 2008 at 7.36 am
And silly me … I believed in the innocent until proven guilty principle !
Now I realize that what matters is people “believing” in someone being guilty - to hell with evidence !
I see.
March 9th, 2008 at 8.22 am
Gaurav.
If you are referring the Harbhajan Singh’s racial comments case, the evidence was on the tape. Why do you think this is such a hot issue? The EVIDENCE IS THERE, yet because the BCCI claimed it may have been tampered with (that’s laughable!) it couldn’t be used and also because the Indian team then started saying after more than some 2 weeks that no no you misheard what he actually said was “manki”. Now I don’t know what “manki” means, but if what it means is what the media says it means, then a harsher penalty should also have been brought down. But no, the spineless ICC let them get away with it and that twit of a judge didn’t ask for any prior history nor did the ICC give him any before or during the hearing. The judge even says that had he known of Harbhajan Singh’s history he would have handed down a different penalty.
I agree that no one should be found guilty without evidence. I have said here and elsewhere as well as to some of my friends, that I do not believe all the allegations brought against him (especially those in ref charges after the first final).
And now Harbhajan Singh has attacked Hayden by calling him a liar. Will BCCI punish him for this out burst like the CA did when Hayden call Harbhajan Singh an obnoxious weed? I’d almost be willing to bet that they won’t, further proving of the double standards of the BCCI and India cricket.
March 10th, 2008 at 2.13 am
Well, well.
What about Harbhajan now?
In an interview with an Indian media outlet he was quoted calling Hayden a liar - which doesn’t make sense as he eventually claimed he said something that sounded like “monkey” - and he attacked Gilchrist. All the while bignoting himself. You would have thought it was Harbhajan who made those big scores in the ODI finals and not Tendulkar LOL
And now he has denied he said it!!!!
“”I did not make these comments. A lot has been written in the last few days, but I have not said such things,” Harbhajan had said yesterday after a newspaper reported his alleged outburst directing to Hayden and Gilchrist.”
I think Harbhajan has gone to the well one too many times on this. I would like to think any intelligent Indian supporter not wearing a chip on his shoulder would appreciate what Harbhajan is on about.
Harbhajan risked the reputations of his teammates, the tour, and good relations between the two countries - all because he could not face up.
One thing I admire about Indian men is when they have done the wrong thing they aren’t too proud to face up and apologize. I hope that is not a dying tradition.
March 10th, 2008 at 2.20 am
[I]“Yobbo wrote:
March 7th, 2008 at 5.23 pm
The bottom line is Australia were never going to let the racial sledge go because the only person ever banned for racial vilification was an Aussie (Darren Lehmann).
They (and I) believe what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
I don’t think for a minute that Symonds cares what Harbajhan calls him, they are still just dirty about the Lehmann saga.”[/I]
No, Yobbo.
You can’t understand Australian culture if you think that.
We are proud that Lehman owned up. Even the Sri Lankans afterward said he was a good guy. He immediately apologized to them although he knew he was on report. Every one shook hands afterward, and Lehman said he thought the punishment was fair.
Australia has good relations with Sri Lanka over the past 4 years since that incident. There are plenty of Sri Lankans playing in our domestic cricket, so that helps.
March 10th, 2008 at 5.24 am
1.Bracken was booed because clearly he didn’t deserve the man of the series award.Essentially what i’m saying is bracken was’nt booed, the decision to give him the man of the series award was booed.
2.What about the great spirit of the aussie fans who gave harbhajan racial & religious abuse.”Show your knot”, “Where’s your knot”,”Bandage-head”,”Tea-Towel Head”.
3.If you think indian fans support the BCCI then you are greatly mistaken.Every1 completely dislikes them.
4.When in your country’s media you are shown images of indians burning effidies etc,you need to realise that these are fringe political organisations indulging in the publicity game.It’s not a big deal.It seems violent to you, generally it’s comical to us.
5.The aussie fans didn’t wait for the final celebrations did they.Indians even cheered controversial batsman symond when he got a hundred in the south.This after he spoke what can be described as utter nonsense about the country.
6.It’s a misconception that indian cricketers are the highest paid.Ponting is the highest paid cricketer.There are a few others in the aus team.Kevin petersen I can remember going 2 years without playing a game for his county.He’s paid a whopping salary too.Something he used to sledge the indians about actually.
After india beat south africa next, i think they’ll take over the no1 position in tests.They’ve had good test results for a while & they deserve it.
March 10th, 2008 at 5.45 am
For all his size matthew hayden has the smallest pair of hands & the shortest fingers ive seen .Poor baby needs to grow up.Stupid aussies keep whining.Tries every trick & still lost.How many indians around the world who live in india or have indian roots & live elsewhere have been charged with racism.Compare that to australia’s record.It’s the worst.What a bunch of spineless losers.from personal experience the most unhygeinc people in the world are also from australia.This even though they can afford a hygienic lifestyle unlike the poor around the world.Even the poor people in slums around the world are more hygeinc than the aussies.The immigration rukles in australia have changed very recently.Our tour guide in sydney pointed to a 2 black men chillin on a yacht & said very hushfully”These people were not allowed till recently”.I’m sure any1 having indian or pakistani roots will be nodding their heads in agreementr when i say taht it takes us ages to get out of teh airport after arrival.Fuck off ,pakistan & India are better than you.Hopefully my pommie freinds can pick up their performance when you play them next.
No1 likes you so keep ranting to your mom about your loss.
March 10th, 2008 at 6.13 am
“Essentially what I’m saying is bracken wasn’t booed, the decision to give him the man of the series award was booed”
That’s like saying it’s not personal, it business. That’s one of biggest load of rubbish ever spoken. You may not agree with the decision that’s everyones’ right, but do it quietly. IMHO, I thought that Bracken did play excellent cricket all through the series and he would have been right up their with some others.
If Harbhajan had taken his medicine there probably may not have been any taunts. We get very rowdy when we don’t see justice done. HOWEVER! The verbal attacks on any player by the crowd of any nation should not be tolerated end of story. If it is possible to find the ring leaders I would (if my thoughts counted for anything) have them banned from all grounds for life.
If most Indians hate the BCCI then act against them. I don’t know what you can do because I don’t know your laws or how the BCCI is put together, but surely influence from the government would help clean it up. There are around a billion of your fellow countrymen; surely you can make enough noise to be heard.
The burning of effigies is violent! When images are shown of streets full of people burning an effigy of someone or in some cases of something (i.e. a nation), what else can it be but violence? You can laugh at it all you want because that effigy isn’t of you or something you may hold dear. But if you look at it from the other side, you will quickly think better of that idea.
And it was Matthew Hayden that walked up to Harbhajan to shake his hand after the Indian team won the 2nd final. Both teams at points in the competition showed respect for their opponents and Australian crowds showed respect for most of the Indian team too. But the thing about respect is it has to be earned.
As for Ponting being the highest paid? Who are you trying to kid? Just do a simple search on the web and the answer is pretty unanimous. If you remove all the endorsements and bonus payments, your answer may come close, but at around $US14 million a year, Sachin Tendulkar gets probably more than the whole Australian team! If you add in all the sponsorship deals then India IS the highest paid cricket team in International cricket today.
You become No 1 by beating the best. So far India has beaten Australia in 1 ODI series in the last how many years? You won’t find me knocking that win; actually you won’t find me knocking much about Indian cricketing talent except some glaring standouts. I believe that India will become the best team in the world, eventually. But a team never deserves it, they earn it. Indian cricket is on the way to earning it, but it’s still No 3 or 4 in the world ranking. If a team was to deserve being No 1, then you would have case in saying that some of the lower rank teams deserver to be there too just for their tenacity in continuing to play the giants like India, Australia and S.A. No you must earn it! And the Indian team hasn’t beaten S.A. yet, so don’t count your chickens before all the eggs have hatched.
I can’t wait until October for the rematch. Hopefully both teams can play cricket and keep their mouths shut and the crowds watch the cricket and keep their mouths shut too.
March 10th, 2008 at 8.31 am
Asiandude
As an immigrant to this country I take offence at your remarks. We do have racism in this country; but which country doesn’t? It’s not acceptable, but it’s something only time and education can change. But the levels are no where near levels some of the “Asian” bloggers imply. Australia has always had a high level of refugee and migrant intakes. Even in my school days, there were big intake of Asian refugees and they were more than a few years ago. I don’t know who your tour guide was or where you found them, but if you paid more than $2 you paid them too much. Australia has a high level of hygiene; again I don’t know where you got your facts from or what you’ve seen. There are of course some very small exceptions, mainly in very remote places where things may not match the standards of the rest of the country, which I don’t like but I think things are changing in those communities too.
And I say again who has called who a racist here? Singh was accused of making a racist comment not of being a racist.
And what the hell does the size of Hayden’s hands and fingers have to do with this whole thing?
If you can’t scribe without casting insults and falsehoods then maybe you should keep your fingers off the keyboard.
March 10th, 2008 at 3.02 pm
Seems like this season was depressing for many of my fell