It’s rare to have a crisis in world cricket in which the usually impotent ICC stands above the crowd. As their boss Mal Speed puts it: “This is an extraordinary set of circumstances.”
Think Australia is good value at $1.45 to make it seventeen straight test wins? Join Lasseters now for a free $50 bet
In a week where parochialism, incompetence, alleged racism, dobbing, supposed cheating and bad manners in general have taken centre stage, sanity would appear to have made its first appearance to proceedings. Not before time. Speed’s steady hand in this time of crisis would appear to be the tonic to water down hostilities.
BCCI power play or not, umpire Steve Bucknor simply had to go. The aging West Indian has enough trouble making correct decisions in calm waters, let alone the under the furnace the WACA would surely have provided. The Australians were the beneficiaries of Bucknor’s blissful blunders in Sydney, but even they’d be thankful such ineptitude is now but a memory.
As for Harbhajan Singh, Speed toed the corporate line. Make it nigh on impossible for an appeal hearing to take place before Perth, hence allowing him to play, by default. The boss admitted the evidence in an appeal would be the same as that already heard by Mike Proctor (surely that goes against the very nature of an appeal, which is supposed to incorporate fresh evidence), but if the planets conveniently don’t align in time, at least all of those big-time test dollars can be collected before another potential blow up.
The shareholders will be delighted.
India really has no reason to boycott the tour now, certainly not the test series. Sure, Harbhajan hasn’t been cleared of racism, but action has been taken and their off-spinner can seemingly play. If the tourists decide this is not enough to appease, they will appear petty, greedy and selfish.
Qualities we’ve had more than enough of this week from all concerned.
Share This Post!
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
I never thought I’d see the day when someone makes an entirely “political” decision that is in the best interest of all parties. I really thought that Malcolm Speed was a bit of a dill, but this is pure genius!
what do you think the ICC and the CRICKET AUSTRALIA can only think smartly,
by pending this issue they can earn some more bucks through the PERTH test,
all this is bullshit by the time appeal comes in picture the 3rd test would have been over and left with only 1 test to go, there by making as much money as you can.
I THINK INDIA SHOULD NOT PLAY THE NEXT TEST UNLESS ALL ALLEGED CHARGES CLEARED
As an Indian I would think that the team after taking the stance, stick to it and get Bhajji exonerated before agreeing to play the third test or for that matter the Canberra game.