Late.Too late, as one might say. But right from the first day of the controversy, I decided to just stay put and absorb the proceedings.And now that everything seems to have settled, I want to put my say on the records with the help whatever information that has been given out by the news agencies and the articles of many 'experts'.
I am not a 'pure I hate Ponting' man. I was and am a great fan of Ponting's 'BATTING'. Yes, only batting as, now I don't consider Ponting as a great 'PLAYER'.Why? let's consider the reasons.
First of all, I don't blame him for the result of the match. Lets go case by case. First one, he stood on the pitch after being given out,'wrongly', even after he was given 'life' by same umpire. I don't blame him for this.
Second case:the Harbhajan issue. This is really a serious issue. I think by now, we know enough about this controversy. We know about the 'pact '. If Symonds had given his word to harbhajan on sledging, why should he turn back on it. His answer is dubious. He rushed to help his team mate when being patted on the back by harbhajan. But his 'team-mate ' had no problems with that. Only Symonds did. Now incomes Ponting who is aware of this whole thing and tells Harbhajan that this was second time he has called the 'Monkey' word, believing that he did. We know that Kumble wanted to resolve the matter between players, as he said, seeing the after-effects of such a thing. But Ponting had reported him already. What a strong leader.So quick to back his players. Appreciated. Now I want to say something.
Do the Australians think that they will keep saying anything ,i.e. sledging, and everybody will listen to it. Someone like Harbhan is bound to give it back. This angers them. What is it? Only word is Arrogance. Some people say that Indians are no saints. But in sledging,they are. Not because they are so gentlemen, but for the communication problem. You can try the young ones in Hindi....
But back to point. Ponting did report the incident despite obvious breaking of the pact and provocation.
And all this considering that Harbhajan did say something like that. But on the flip side,SACHIN TENDULKAR says that he did not hear anything like 'monkey' at all. This comes from a man who in any sense is a true gentleman of the game. If one thinks otherwise, he should not read further. So all comes to same point. Reporting Harbhajan was most unsportsmanlike behavior given that his team dishes out many unwritable comments during the match being termed as sledging.
During the hearing word of Sachin was not taken as a proof. One might say similar to Atrocity Act in India word of the accusers is considered as major proof. But this is not Indian act dealing, this is ICC hearing, and all the sides should be given to have a fair say.Here Ponting has no blame, but he is culprit of 'reporting' in the first place.
Third issue: Ponting pretended to take a catch. It was not a catch in the first place.Ponting made it a catch with his outstanding fielding skills.But that does not mean you can claim a non catch. In any other circumstances this would have been acceptable as everybody does the same,and he is no different. But this is a special case because of the very reason that 'he made a pact with Anil Kumble on decision of catches'. He himself broke the pact by appealing on a non-catch. Don't tell me he did not sense it.In any catch fielder does know whether he has taken it or not. I myself am not a brilliant fielder but ask any good fielder, he will tell you the same. Yes he disclaimed a catch before it the other day. But then his team was not in 'threat' of draw.On the last day he really did go mad for victory. And did some shameful things.Yes that decision was given not out.But if umpires would have used the 'pact' and had asked Poning whether it was out,which is what I think he anticipated, Dhoni was a goner. But better sense prevailed for some time and they asked the third umpire.
Fourth case:
I don't consider him to be blamed in Ganguly catch. He believed in his team-mate's words and said it was out.But again what a leader who doesn't have control on his team?It is more than clear that Clark DID LIE. Which means that he lied to his leader if we consider Ponting to be innocent in this case. This is more shameful than anything else. Hence, I presume,that Ponting knew that it was not out. How sportsman-like!
Last but not the least, they just did not seem to be bothered about shaking hands with the Indian players.But it is just madness to expect the Australians to behave them self. Celebrate, you should, but properly. Again sportsmanship comes into picture.
Least of all, after the match he should have apologized for the breaking of the 'pact'. This to me was most 'Unsportsmanlike'.
The comments of the members of the Hall of Fame say it all. If even the greats consider him and his team as unsportsmanlike, need I say more?
All in all, he will always be great batsman. But,as the great Neil Harvey said before this incident, he is not even a TENDULKAR let alone BRADMAN'. MR. Ponting, please try to be a great 'player'.
First of all, I don't blame him for the result of the match. Lets go case by case. First one, he stood on the pitch after being given out,'wrongly', even after he was given 'life' by same umpire. I don't blame him for this.
Second case:the Harbhajan issue. This is really a serious issue. I think by now, we know enough about this controversy. We know about the 'pact '. If Symonds had given his word to harbhajan on sledging, why should he turn back on it. His answer is dubious. He rushed to help his team mate when being patted on the back by harbhajan. But his 'team-mate ' had no problems with that. Only Symonds did. Now incomes Ponting who is aware of this whole thing and tells Harbhajan that this was second time he has called the 'Monkey' word, believing that he did. We know that Kumble wanted to resolve the matter between players, as he said, seeing the after-effects of such a thing. But Ponting had reported him already. What a strong leader.So quick to back his players. Appreciated. Now I want to say something.
Do the Australians think that they will keep saying anything ,i.e. sledging, and everybody will listen to it. Someone like Harbhan is bound to give it back. This angers them. What is it? Only word is Arrogance. Some people say that Indians are no saints. But in sledging,they are. Not because they are so gentlemen, but for the communication problem. You can try the young ones in Hindi....
But back to point. Ponting did report the incident despite obvious breaking of the pact and provocation.
And all this considering that Harbhajan did say something like that. But on the flip side,SACHIN TENDULKAR says that he did not hear anything like 'monkey' at all. This comes from a man who in any sense is a true gentleman of the game. If one thinks otherwise, he should not read further. So all comes to same point. Reporting Harbhajan was most unsportsmanlike behavior given that his team dishes out many unwritable comments during the match being termed as sledging.
During the hearing word of Sachin was not taken as a proof. One might say similar to Atrocity Act in India word of the accusers is considered as major proof. But this is not Indian act dealing, this is ICC hearing, and all the sides should be given to have a fair say.Here Ponting has no blame, but he is culprit of 'reporting' in the first place.
Third issue: Ponting pretended to take a catch. It was not a catch in the first place.Ponting made it a catch with his outstanding fielding skills.But that does not mean you can claim a non catch. In any other circumstances this would have been acceptable as everybody does the same,and he is no different. But this is a special case because of the very reason that 'he made a pact with Anil Kumble on decision of catches'. He himself broke the pact by appealing on a non-catch. Don't tell me he did not sense it.In any catch fielder does know whether he has taken it or not. I myself am not a brilliant fielder but ask any good fielder, he will tell you the same. Yes he disclaimed a catch before it the other day. But then his team was not in 'threat' of draw.On the last day he really did go mad for victory. And did some shameful things.Yes that decision was given not out.But if umpires would have used the 'pact' and had asked Poning whether it was out,which is what I think he anticipated, Dhoni was a goner. But better sense prevailed for some time and they asked the third umpire.
Fourth case:
I don't consider him to be blamed in Ganguly catch. He believed in his team-mate's words and said it was out.But again what a leader who doesn't have control on his team?It is more than clear that Clark DID LIE. Which means that he lied to his leader if we consider Ponting to be innocent in this case. This is more shameful than anything else. Hence, I presume,that Ponting knew that it was not out. How sportsman-like!
Last but not the least, they just did not seem to be bothered about shaking hands with the Indian players.But it is just madness to expect the Australians to behave them self. Celebrate, you should, but properly. Again sportsmanship comes into picture.
Least of all, after the match he should have apologized for the breaking of the 'pact'. This to me was most 'Unsportsmanlike'.
The comments of the members of the Hall of Fame say it all. If even the greats consider him and his team as unsportsmanlike, need I say more?
All in all, he will always be great batsman. But,as the great Neil Harvey said before this incident, he is not even a TENDULKAR let alone BRADMAN'. MR. Ponting, please try to be a great 'player'.
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