Makes me wonder whether Mr. Graveney used to play a different game.
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blogging 'bout my generation.
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But Haddin's reaction really escalated the incident. He had no reason to point his bat at Benn. Benn had been annoying the Aussies throughout the series with his antics and most would say that he had it coming. But what Haddin did was simply unacceptable, especially since he wasn't even directly involved in the incident. And Benn's subsequent theatrical gestures, along with the language that he used, really made things ugly. And all this happened right in front of the Billy Bowden. The first incident was an accident and couldn't have been avoided. But what happened in the middle of the pitch during the overs break was a sheer disgrace. The Umpires should have stopped it from taking place. The days of school Headmaster-like Umpires are long gone, but the Umpires still have the responsibility of maintaining discipline on the field. And needless to say, they utterly failed in it.
So Benn has been banned for bringing the game into disrepute, which is perfectly understandable. But Haddin's crime was no less (if not more) in intensity. He definitely instigated Benn to react and is as much to be blamed as Benn himself. Johnson was innocent and has been let off with a small fine; but Haddin has gotten off very lightly. This sends the wrong signals, for the cricketers responsible for stirring up such unfortunate events should not be able to walk away without severe punishment.
Speaking of bringing the game into disrepute, the broadcasters must also be charged with the same crime. When Benn and Haddin were having a verbal battle right under Bowden's nose, it could all be heard on the stump mike. The stump mike is placed to detect any noise that may be created when the delivery is being played, so that edges can be recorded. It must be switched off immediately after the ball is bowled. But it was kept on for much longer, as a result the foul language being used could be heard by everyone watching on TV. It is shameful that the broadcasters are themselves damaging the sport that they are seeking to promote, just for the sake of a few TRP points. It is unfortunate that Cricket's broadcasters seem to be causing the game great harm by their detrimental policies. Sadly, it is also true.
I was greatly bemused by Sourav Ganguly's omission from the ODI team some time ago. I guess the same can be said about the Rahul Dravid saga. Firstly, I was greatly surprised when he was picked. The BCCI seemed to be following a 'young blood please' policy when it came to selection for the ODI team. It seemed to make sense, keeping the 2011 World Cup in mind. And Dravid was widely considered by many to be beyond his prime, especially in ODIs. Yet, they decided to pick Dravid for an extremely meaningless tri-series in Sri Lanka and the subsequent (more meaningless?) Champions Trophy.
And Dravid managed to turn in solid performances in both the tournaments. He played a vital innings (despite playing as an opener) in the final against Sri Lanka an also played well against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy. Despite all of this, he has been dropped. And Virat Kohli has been retained. The same Virat Kohli whose only major contribution has been a slow, laboured half-century against a greatly depleted West Indies attack. The only plausible explanation could be that the selectors wanted someboy with a good technique to play in South Africa and now just want someone who can hit the ball hard since the series is in India. But in any case, it is extremely unfair to both Dravid and the youngsters who have been picked ahead of him. I guess it's about time Indian Selectors started having more faith in the players and also some respect for them. Dravid has been a loyal servant of Indian Cricket and such treatment does not befit him.
My favourite part comes towards the end when he claims that the world never fully appreciated Warne's genius and that his legacy shall grow with the passage of time, much like Bradman's. And I completely agree with him on this one, we always have a habit of revering the old heroes but somehow fail to treat modern day legends fairly. Warne is 100% certified legendary material and maybe fifty years on, the world shall truly realise his genius and place him on par with Bradman as the greatest aussie cricketer of all time.