CRICKET - SANITY MUST PREVAIL

by Don, With Malice...

Cricket. More than a game in India, more than a pastime, it's a way of life... followed with an almost religious fervour. The successful national-level players are veritable demi-gods, treated with esteem that sportsmen in the Western-world could only dream about.

Given that the Indian economy is really surging, the Board of Cricket Control for India (BCCI) wields perhaps the most power of any nation in cricket.

Currently, the Indian team is touring Australia. The second test (match) against Australia was a nail-biter. When a game goes for five days, and victory is attained in the last eight minutes of play, it's a tense affair. Problem is, the Indians lost, and in a game where the adjudication from the umpires (both from neutral countries) was quite atrocious... add into that a charge of racist abuse against one of the Indian players - and it's turned into a tinderbox.

The charge of racism was for Harbhajan Singh calling Andrew Symonds, a man of West Indian descent, a "monkey". The charge was heard by chief match referee Mike Procter (a South African) and upheld. Harbhajan was given a 3 match ban.

At this point, supposedly 'respectable' Sachin Tendulkar - an Indian batsman of repute - sent a text message to the BCCI, telling them that the Indian side shouldn't play the next match (Perth) unless the ban on Harbhajan is lifted, and umpire Steve Bucknor to be sacked for the following match in Perth.

All hell breaks loose.

The Indians have declared the Australian side, and the Australian captain - Ricky Ponting - to be racist cheats. Media in both countries have fueled the fire, and within India effegies of Ponting, and the umpires have been burnt. The powerful cricket board in India gave the ICC a 24 hour ultimatum: sack Bucknor (the most experienced umpire in the game) & lift the ban on Harbhajan or we head home.

At this point in time, the ICC - the sovereign body of cricket - have pretty much kowtowed to the BCCI's demands, sitting Bucknor for the Perth Test and allowing Harbhajan to play until his appeal is heard.

Accusations of collusion and match-fixing fly from the sub-continent (a hilarious charge, given the only players ever to be found guilty of it hail from there)... most of Australia looks on bewildered.

Hopefully saner heads prevail.

The state of world cricket depends on it.