tHe auSSie pRIDe...thE iNDIan rePLY.

It is hard to noT notice the fact that the auSSie pRIDe has been dented! The aussies were always known for playing it hard and playing it with the utmost clinial professionalism. The current aussie team is no less in that regard with the aussie teams of the past! The only additional factor which fuelled the current SYNDEY FIASCO is WIN AT ANY COST. This has really made things worse for the aussie pride!

Let us rewind and go back in the past. It was in the 1930s when there were only 2 teams competing for the best, the auSSies and the engLISH! The other teams were still learning the naunces of cricket! The bodyline series of the 1930s can never be forgotten when the auSSies were at the receiving end from the english! Things never remained the same!

It was during that time the auSSie mind set has changed and kept on changing to the better. The 1950s saw the greats like the Sir Don Bradman and Neil Harvey and the others who had instilled the never say die attitude in the auSSie blood and win from any position. But sledging was never encouraged. The great Don once replied to a question posted to him what he thinks of sledging and he shot back saying that I never approve of it. He said "I would tell him once not to sledge and if he still continues, I would make sure he's out of the team". Such was the attitude of the auSSies of the 50s!

Things changed differently in the 70s and 80s and we can never forget the famous underarm bowling episode of the Charming Chappell brothers against the Kiwis! Though it was not appropriate, it was acceptable according to the law books!

Later came the invincible auSSies of the late 90s and 2000s under the inspirational leader Steve Waugh. Waugh came up with his own concept of "mental disintegration" called sledginG. The rest of the world did not agree but had to accept it since the law books did not talk about it!

It is good to have the attitude to win at any cost but it should not drive the whole cause. The current auSSie team under Ponting has gone up another level in notching up the wins with their WIN AT ANY COST!

It is not wrong but is it ethical? Is it really needed? Alas it is just a sport...not WAR!!! Where can we have a STOP on this? There is a saying, "YOU GET WHAT YOU GIVE". This leads to the question...are the auSSies noT capable of taking the talK from the oPPositioN? I don't care who is the culprit Bhaji or Symonds! It is always the game which is greater than the individual! So leave the crap and MOVE FORWARD. Do whatever it takes to resolve the iSSue at hand in the mosT aMicaBLE way! GROW UP FOLKS...CRICKET IS A LOVELY GAME!

Let us think about the days of the greats like Sir Don Bradman, Tiger Pataudi,the great Colin Cowdry, Sir Gary Sobers when crikKEt was played like a real GENTLEMAN's game!

Stay tuned for my next article on uMPirinG anD thE huMAN eleMENT!

uNtiL laTeR... gOod morNing and goOd luCk!