I am no one to sit in judgment on Australian cricketers, Symonds or Harbajan Singh. However, I must say that this article by Simon Barnes makes sense, good sense. It is about time the game itself is pulled out of the morass into which it is surely and steadily sinking. Restoring politeness and good behaviour with no sledging would be a welcome step forward.

G. Kalamannil, Kochi, India

Dear Simon Barnes
I would just like to congratulate you on an Excellent article- this is one of the fairest and to the point articles I have come across on this issue. You are spot on- it really is time for ICC to take action against *real* offenders.
I have long been disgusted with this 'mental disintegration' put out by the Aussie team- and the ridiculous sequence of events highlighted at the SCG has left me without an iota of respect for a national team that I once admired.The Indian team have every right to stand up to such double standards and bullying that the Aussie team, skilled as it is, thinks it is entitled to get away with. BCCI is right to flex its muscle- and the ICC knows it. There is just no excuse for the elite cricketing world to get away with rubbish tactics, rubbish evidence, rubbish umpiring, or rubbish match refereeing with double standards- to favor the Aussie team over others;esp when over 70% of their fat salaries and first class travel are paid for by BCCI

Mallika , Toronto,

Sportmanship and Australian are a contradiction in terms.

There is plenty of sports people here, but very few sportsmen.

Alas, the kids pick up on it and we now have a couple of generations of total brats who respect no-one.

Steve, Adelaide, Australia

What ridiculous logic. The truth is ALL modern day sports are ultra competitive and have long since moved away from the "gentlemens game" you english like to pretend you always played, bodyline anyone?

I find it amazing that everyone is missing the much more worrying fact that India have effectively blackmailed the ICC. This is a much more serious indication of the decline of cricket.

Lyndon, Brisbane, Australia

come on Aussie supporters.grow up. your team is the best and you proved it several times. however, try to play the game of cricket, not the game of sledging. indians know that they will lose all 4 tests even before the tour started. but they will take the defeat gracefully. not like aussies who could not even digest a team can fight like india. can't even shake hands withe defeated players?
it may be okay for aussie kids to disgrace thier parents in every backyard or corners (as said by Allan Border!), not tolerated in any other cultured society!
it is double standard applied by icc by suspending Rashid Latif for grounding the ball and claming the catch. what did they do to Ponting/clarke? wait until Pawar takes over as ICC chief.the game is on!

VT, columbia, maryland/usa

Quite frankly it is getting embarrasing watching the Ozzies jumping up and down celebrating the dissmissal of even the tail enders of an opposing team.as if they had just gotten rid of the greatest batsman that ever lived. Cricket was known to be the fairest sport in the world and played by gentlemen who would walk rather than be called a cheat. This behaviour is Just "not cricket." Sport is to be played by sportsmen in any situation be it golf or tennis or soccer.

JP, Perth, Western Australia

Right on the money. The sensible piece of writeup. Unfortunately most of the countries cricket team got sucked in into copy Australian methods but it now it high it STOPs. Without justify the means - the end result will good for cricket and hence I complete standby the stand of BCCI. It will interesting to see how Brad Hoggs ' Bastard' case will be handled.

Ram, Sutton, UK

So I understand the argument that no one deserves to be abused when they come in to work - racially or otherwise. I also personally don't think there is any "better" kind of abuse. Perhaps the ICC needs a rethink of what it deems offensive.
Claiming catches and not walking are non-issues in my book. Fielders and batsmen have been doing it for ages in all countries. And I will be shocked if it doesn't continue to be that way.
I know Bucknor has a history with the Indians, but the BCCI should have been proactive before the series in placing their objections. Chopping him off in the middle of a series is a little counter-productive and also a case of closing the stable door after the horse is on its way to Mainland China. I also think we Indians need to take the good with the bad when it comes to umpiring decisions. They will even out in the long run, although of late I have noticed the Aussies getting the rub of the green more often than not at home.

Aman, New York, USA

I agree that the evidence for the ban just isn't strong enough, however it has made a convenient smokescreen for the Australians to play the victims and for the officials to deflect attention from themselves. The Australians got far more than a fair share of the wrong descisions, to claim umpires are fallable and everyone gets a fair share is trite, glib, and stupid - the facts show Australia, thanks to mistakes by the three umpires (and a fair lack of integrity and sportsmanship), effectively had twice as many batsmen. Statistically improbable.

matthew, Sydney, Australia

What do you expect when the game of cricket, like most sports, has degenerated into a money making circus for large corporations? Players and their teams become a means to an end-that being product endorsement-just look at their uniforms. In Australia, a country still in its cultural adolescence, sportsMEN are held up as some kind of demi-gods. It is important for them to win as then their value for marketing products is enhanced, both as a team and/or an individual. Shane Warne is still being used here to promote products (beer being the latest) depsite no longer playing the game at international level, and a personal life that makes most people cringe. But in true Australian style, he is regarded as a bit of a larrikin, and although his behaviour re women borders on the disgusting, the fact that he's good at throwing a ball down a length of grass allows for all to be forgiven. He's still useful for pulling in the money. I used to love watching the cricket. Now it is switched off.

Carly, Melbourne, Australia

Hats off, Simon, pertinent points and delightful turns of phrase. Would like to add a couple of points:
(1) The Aussie team intimidates the umpires as much as it sledges the opponent. At one point in Sydney, Ponting was seen umpiring ! Undeniably, this influences the outcome of matches.
(2) IF Harbhajan repeated the insult to Symonds at Sydney (it is known that he did this in the Baroda match and later apologized to Symonds), the he deserves the harshest ban that the ICC can give. But, here's the rub; there is NOT a shred of evidence that the insult was thrown! The umpires heard nothing, the mics picked up nothing, Pointing "heard from Symonds" about it etc. The only person within earshot was Tendulkar and he is a cricketer of unimpeachable integrity. So, it really feels like now Proctor is the latest victim of "mental disintegration".
To echo your cardinal point, yes, the Aussies have been at it for years. Sadly for them, brilliant actors not a movie make; rich producers do!

Subbu Ramakrishnan, Baltimore, USA

I loved cricket when I was growing up but lost interest in the mid eighties for exactly this reason. I've been saying for years that Aussie arrogance and sledging took away the joy I had in the game as a result I dldn't care less if Australia lost.

I only started to take an interest again when Aust lost the ashes. It was great to see how the game was played while there may have been a fair bit of sledging in that series it seemed to be played with much more sportsmanship.

Sadly I see we have taken it up a notch or two. When sleding is gone from the game I might enjoy it again. Sadly I think that will never happen.

Phil, Melbourne, Australia

Another knee-jerk piece to add to the pile. So many of these sanctimonious pieces stick the boot into the Australian team for the ruthless way they play cricket. 'Cheating' is a word that's been used to describe it. Leaving aside the alleged 'monkey' incident (by the way, if 'monkey' is not a derogatory word in India, why were the Indian fans who chanted this in India during the recent Aust. tour banned?), which should not be confused with sledging, this infers that players from every other country walk when they know they are out, don't appeal unless they are convinced, and will recall a batsman erroneously given out. Only Australians, it seems, are guilty. No one in their right mind can believe this. Unfortunately, this is how sport is played these days. What football team, for example, will decline a penalty when they know it wasn't deserved? It's sad, don't get me wrong, but the Australians are being pilloried in the media for the sins of all....

Paul , Melbourne,

Simon you make some valid points, but also make some stupid ones. No doubt, the webmaster will probably not print this part. The problem with teams coming to Australia, is that it is a hard tour and things go against you, tend to escalate. Gee that sounds like every tour we (Australia) make when we go overseas. What cheeses a lot of Australians off, is that India have taken the childish petulant attitude of threatening to take their bat and ball and going home. I do agree that sledging is wrong, and should be banned at all costs - threaten teams with 10 run fines when they do it. If a player says something in their own tongue when things go wrong, then penalise them 10 runs - regardless. This way we don't have double standards. You open your trap, and you get punished. The situation has got out of hand, as India want their cake, as well as eating it. Everything else is nonsense.

Paul Cooper, Brisbane, Australia 2-0 up.

Gee some of you lot need to sit down and have a cup of HARDEN UP!! This has become a whinging board for everyone who doesn't like the hard, aggresive way Oz plays. It is professional sport fellas! I think the Australians push the boundries (just like all teams) but have to say they play within the rules. The players keep re-iterating that they play hard but FAIR. They would get absolutley no pleasure from winning by cheating. So it comes down to someones interpretation of what is FAIR. If the rules need to be changed or made clearer so there are no misunderstandings, maybe that needs to be done. They simply are not breaking any laws of the game!! If they appealed too much - that can be dealt with, if they claim a catch they shouldn't have - that can be dealt with. There are processes in place. How many times has this current crop been suspended?? Brad Hogg says something wrong - IT IS BEING DEALT WITH!! Cricketers learn from their first season that umpires decisions aren't always correct. The Oz team may not like some decisions and linger at the crease or chuck the bat on reaching the dressing room, but if it is deemed too much then THAT CAN BE DEALT WITH - and is. We would not threaten to can the tour because we didn't like the umpires (or match refferees) decision!

The majority of these grizzle guts posts are from people who don't seem to understand that Australia is playing within the rules of the game - and in the Australian spirit of HARD but FAIR. If it's too much for everyone to handle then lets all get a petition together to change to rules. If we were a crap team it just wouldn't be an issue. God, you have to wonder how some of you Brits managed to colonised half the world with this soft sack attitude. (In no way am I saying colonisation was a good thing - but the attitude - and cricket is a mere game that should be played right to the limits of the rules, we're not being overlord of someones life and country here!!!)

If it's not working change the bloody rules but while the rules stay as they are they should keep pushing to the limit.

Rocket, Bondi, Australia

I've been an admirer of Simon Barnes' writing for long enough to know that he is not rabidly Anti-Australian, unlike some of the authors of the comments below. As a non-Aussie living in Sydney, I have no particular axe to grind and there are, as Simon points out, a million complicating factors.

I agree that the Aussie cricket team needs to show a bit of class and sportsmanship, but to blame them for the death of cricket is a tad harsh. At the same time, the Indians need to learn to accept defeat with good grace - some of the decisions were admittedly poor, but to stuff the ball up your jumper and threaten to call the whole thing off is just as damaging to the sport as anything the Aussies have done.

Patrick, Sydney,

What you failed to mention about Lehmann was that his outburst was made in the Aussie dressing room after he was dismissed and was overhead by Sri Lankan officials. It was not directed at any player, just said in frustration, in what he thought, was only to be heard by colleagues. It was no doubt racist and it would of caused great offence to the Sri Lankans.Lehmann admitted as such and took his deserved punishment and actually he apologised for it. You alson accuse Ponting & co of having double standards for reporting this to umpires, because you they are the world champs of sledging. Wrong . When Singh used the vulgar term in India, he was asked by the Aussies not to use it, and he agreed. Singh has a history of overstepping the bounds. So I can understand why Ponting reported him after used the vulagr word again.

Paul, Sydney, Australia

Good heavens, nobody died! It's just words, not a series of well directed punches and karate chops to the solar plexus.

Grow up, brush it off for the nonsense it is and move on.

It that's the way a team wants to win then play a better game and beat them, this is professional sport not a playground squabble.

David, St Albans, UK

Couldn't agree more.
A very balanced and appropriate commentary.

Kevin Robinson, Quebec, Canada

This article is the most sensible commentary I have read on this situation. Sledging is a blight, and I think you will find many Aussies are like me and embarrassed by the behavior of our players. To my mind playing it tough would be flogging your opponents in silence. I think of the great West Indian players who could intimidate without saying a word. However the people who need to make a stand and control sledging are the umpires, and they are the very ones being increasingly neutered by the ICC, and often at the behest of our Asian friends. The Indians currently appear to want to take the umpires out of the game as much as possible, but by doing so they will inevitably making sledging more prevalent, and exacerbate the problem.

Greg O'Donnell, Newcastle, Australia

I think cricket needs a code of conduct, let's call it "Rules of Sledging". In the world of Big Brother we can attach microphones to all the players to record the language of their sledging. If a racial or cultural slur occurs, judged by members of both countries cricketing bodies, then the player is banned for a few games without appeal. Heat of the moment vulgar ignorance is not accepted as an excuse. See where this is going. The 'art' of sledging will be no more. Also, it will definitely increase England's chances of winning the ashes. Hooray!

NT, Southampton, UK

I am a big cricket fan and an India supporter but hey I say, get off it! Just play cricket. All of the cricketing guys are rich beyond measure...you win some you lose some. The fact is, India did choke - they are carrying at least 2 non-performing players (Yuvraj and Jaffer) and 4 non-performing bats (the previous 2, plus, RP Singh and Ishant Sharma). Sorry you cannot hope to win with that. But leaving that aside, its not the end of the world.

As for the umpiring - big deal! I saw the Calcutta test (when Azharuddin and Mark Taylor were captains) and saw some horrendous LBW decisions against Australia by the India umpire (Agarwal I think). Of course, having a long memory I saw Dhotiwala give out Viv Richards LBW in Delhi in 1983, one of a set of truly bad decisions given by that umpire in that Test.

So please...lets not be bad losers. Going to play gives us many more brownie points than muscling our way thru this. And hey, all this talk of India prosperity - let the future judge

ajay mahal, boston, massachusetts

How can the ICC adjudicate based on the testimony of witnesses who clearly don't act in an honourable and truthful manner? ...for example Simmons not walking and Ponting claiming a catch he didn't take....the allegations can only be as credible as the witness who makes them...

I would like to highlight Michael Clarkes part in this. He claimed a catch against NZ which replays showed clearly bounced, didn't want to leave the crease after gliding the ball to first slip, then claimed Ganguly in another catch which from the rear camera shot looks to have been taken on the bounce again. It seemed to me that he was upset after dropping a catch and scoring his first test match duck so wanted to redeem himself. Hence the reaction after he supposedly took the catch (lip readers would have noticed a big f... o.. coming from Clarkes mouth)...

If he truely wants to contribute to his team, perhaps he could start by repairing Australias tattered reputation and acting in an honourable manner.

Greg, Seoul, Korea

This has been coming for a long time.

The clash of cultures and the total lack of respect shown on the pitch towards opponents is anathema to the idea of sport.

Entertainment it is, sport it is not. To pretend anyone holds the moral high ground is a fallacy. Sledging no matter what the content is pathetic. Eddo Brandes famous ripsote to Glenn McGrath should be left in the annals of time and the practice banned.

While doing something about sledging the ICC might consider doing something about cheating. It is a simple definition. It definitely includes appealing when the fielding side 'know' the batsman is not out amonst other 'sharp' practices that pass for 'professionalism'.

Players being allowed to incense the opposition by admitting to the press/media 'I hit it but didn't walk' should be outlawed.

Something should be done soon otherwise cricket will become as despised as football with its diving and feigning of injury

Barney Nisbet, London, England

Record numbers watched the game in Australia and India. The biggest TV cricket audience for the year. Bring on Sledging and Racism and rampant nationalism.

It sells.

Liz, Sydney,

As an experiment I suggest the author go to an Chelsea match this weekend and sit amongst some black supporters. Sledge Ashley Cole (ask the whereabouts of his wife, question his mothers virtue etc) and note the response. Find another group and whilst they are listening call him a "monkey". When you emerge from your coma you'll know a) why people will put up with sledging and not racism and b) why I think you are a sanctimonious, hypocritical twat.

Singh is cricketer with a history of sledging. He doesn't hasn't earned the right to abuse racially

After listening watching the "results justifies the means" approach of the successful English team in 2005 and having to turn the TV down to so as to not have listen to the non-stip 2006/2007 version of English sportsmanship from your wicketkeeper I find taking critisism from the English on this issue a little on the nose.

Yes, the Australians need to improve their behaviour but so do many others including the Indians and English

James, Darwin,

I think the Australians can not tolerate a non-white... read brown.. having the audacity to talk to the pretty much white Australians in a tone that they are used to talking to others. That is the totality of the situation!!

Brits have figured out that they do not own the world and n-th generation of Brits need to do so as well.

Stephen, DC, USA

To all U aussie jokers again and again emphasizing the difference between sledging and racial insults, why it is so difficult to get it through your thick heads that Harbhajan says he did not say it. There is no evidence to support the charge but did that ever make any difference in your colonial mindset. A white man taking word of another white man on the face value. what a justice. proctor is not wrong when he say he has spent his life dealing with racism. It's just that he is the on the side practicing it and not the receiving it.

write_tp, Los angeles, USA

Simon what is more important cheating to win or playing the game. Why wasn't Symonds fined & banned for not walking when clearly out on the replay. What would have been the result if he had. Did Ponting make the catch at slip in the Indian innings?? The Aussies are winers & may be winners but they are certainly not champions or sportsmen in the tru sense of the word and certainly not magnanimous. Too many laws are being broken by all teams and it is about time the players were banned for cheating, verbal abuse and bringing the game into disrepute. But don't expect the ICC to do anything about the problems, apart from sack a good umpire who had a bad game. After all what does "ICC" stand for, Incompetent, Culpable & Calamitous.

Dave S, Gnosall, UK

For Big Ted of Bromley

Regarding your question "What sort of success is measured by a country (Australia) only qualifying twice for the football World Cup (or every time it is in Germany)?", please tell me you're not talking about soccer? You might as well be talking about tiddlywinks. The Aussies play real football - "Aussie Rules". In fact, I'm sure they'd love to face you POMs if you could field a team.

Also, do you wish to compare swimming medals?

garry, Colorado Springs, US/Colorado

There's a difference between sledging and racism. That you can't see it doesn't bode well for you.

Carys Mathews, Chester, UK

my simian pet is up in arms, has refused to eat or sleep for the last few days. says he, i and eleven of my distinguished simian friends challenge the aussies to the next officially sanctioned icc test match and lets see if the aussies get their 17th victory.no win, then heavy compensation and apology due to us equally abled animals. nuff said

joe, london,

Spot On! Waugh was the quintessentail sledger and the culture in the group reflects and perpetuates his legacy. This isn't and hasn't been a team for years. Its a gang of selfish, self indulgent and over indulged boys. They and the so-called Australian cricket board don't care a fig about what others think - they know no-one in this country will challenge them because, as they see it , winning is everything and nothing else matters - this is Packers ultimate legacy ! Well as it turns out, India is now the dominate cricketing country and wouldn't you know it players such as Brett Lee, who have a profile in India, have gone onto national television to talk the whole thing down - as I said its about money! There have been calls here for Ponting to go but that's too simplistic. The board and their appointed goons cannot regulate their own behaviour and now its fallen to India to do it!

Andrew, Brisbane, Australia

Allardyce winging on about too many fixtures (page 68 8th January) - if I was paying players their sort of wages, I'd expect them to play every day if required, not just 90 minutes now and again - and now they want a winter break. If they wore proper football boots it might help the injury problem. Its time common sense was applied to football.

DEREK FLANAGAN, HYTHE, Kent

Simon Barnes is consistently one of the finest journalists, nay one of the finest writers/thinkers I have had the pleasure to read (and I've read some, from Ovid to Derrida). He hits the nail on the head every time with grace and class, and a delightful turn of phrase -- this article included.

I'm afraid the Aussies have been found out, a point that should be made at the highest level of this crisis. The terrible thing is that I don't for one second think that Symmons or the Australians were offended by the comment, Pontijng just grabbed the opportunity of being given a taste of their own medicine to move up one more level of gamesmanship and get a winning edge in the series by eliminating his nemisis.

The fact that most of the Aussie's here chose to shoot the mesenger as the last line of defence rather than debate the issue at hand is effectively... uh... sledging. Claiming the Australian Cricket team does not represent Australia sounds like a defence creaking at the hinges.

Richard Hallward, Warsaw, Poland

Once again Simon Barnes is spot on, but with a few honourable exceptions, such as Tony Taggart from Adelaide below, have you ever heard so many whinging Aussies as you see here? For a balanced Australian view one should look at the Sydney Morning Herald. Readers were invited to choose one of seven options of the responses to this 'cause célèbre'. A huge 43% chose the statement, 'Australians can "dish it out, but can't take it"', well over three times bigger a percentage than those who voted for the nearest of the other options. In addition 60% of respondents agreed with the proposal that Ponting should be sacked. Those Australians moaning here, as opposed to making constructive comments, should check the debate at home first before venting their spleen and underlining the fact that a lot of Australians can't take constructive criticism. Voila!

Gordon Wilson, Liphook, Hampshire

Cricket – this sport of Princes – has descended from the sublime to the pathetic. The Aussies gave us sledging. The Pakistanis ball tampering. The Sri Lankans rule changes to accommodate a chucker. The ICC spineless against the Asiatic onslaught to decide who should umpire a match. Forget the money. To rescue this noble game we should have two spheres of cricketing nations. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka –should play each other only , leaving the rest to play each other. East is East as the man said.

Akbar, Cambridge, UK

I cannot agree more with Simon Barnes. I used to be proud that my husbands father and fore-fathers were Australian. I am sure that the majority of Aussies are still good decent fun loving and proud people but unfortunately a certain arrogancy have taken over in the sports arena. So called sledging have been taken to far resulting in sportsmanship going out of the window. Please wake up. You have a great team. No need for this type of behaviour.

nicky murray, Cape Town, South Africa

Its good to see the Aussies finally getting their comeuppance, make no mistake Harbhajan will be exonerated and Hogg will be the one serving a suspension. without india the ICC is a bankrupt organisation.

PP, Leeds, UK

ndian players' high moral stand implies they will ALWAYS, ON EVERY OCCASION, be fair, just, moral, good sports, never sledge or demean any opponent from any nation, never sulk, whine or moan when going badly, always be good losers, and be gracious winners.
So will they NEVER make a frivolous, hopeful appeal when the ball is obviously going down leg side or high or was outside the stump line, regardless of the pressure or tenseness or crucial stage of a match? NEVER claim a doubtful or contentious catch at bat-pad or by the keeper or slips? Not show open disagreement at decisions that go against them if line-ball? Will they ALWAYS walk off quickly when they know they are out? CALL BACK a player they know was given out wrongly?
I'll believe it when I see it in the next tests here, and in the next India-Pakistan test series....

jim, sydney,

Simon, I usually agree with your well written articles.
However I have to disagee with your statement that "the row has gotten out of hand not because of racism". This is only about racism. If the word idiot was used instead of monkey do you think the Aussies would've reported it.

You seem to have contradicted your own article on racism in football from only 2 weeks ago. To quote you then - "Racist abuse is now considered the unforgivable sin."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/simon_barnes/article3101424.ece

What has changed in two weeks? Is it that now because it was a slur on an Australian cricketer?

And yes not all Australian's are angels. Lehman's racist comments were disgraceful. But he accepted his suspension unlike Singh.

Troy, London,

I think that BCCI should pay the fine ($52 million - $50 million to CA/Channel 9 for lost revenue and $2 million to ICC) and withdraw this Indian team from WWFesque spectre going on in the name of cricket.

Ms, Melbourne,

Let's get one thing clear. The Australian cricket team does not represent the nation of Australia, it represents it's controlling body Cricket Australia and Australian cricket in the broader sense. But not the nation. The soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan represent the nation.

The Australian cricketers, specifically Ponting, Gilchrist, Hayden, Clarke, and Symonds represent their own personal interests. Undoubted talent but with a relentless selfish pursuit of individual glory and seemingly endless wealth. I don't lie, between each over on TV is an ad featuring one or all of the above players flogging cars, mobile phones, takeaway chicken, soft drink etc. As crass,vulgar and hate-filled as they are on the field, Corporate Australia loves them.

Yes Australia is a nation of crass, vulgar and hate-filled individuals so I guess the national cricket team simply reflects those people. The Nation of Australia is greater than the sum of those individuals. This is still a great country.

Tony Taggart, Adelaide, South Australia

Sadly, Australian's have dealt themselves out of reasoned debate. They come accross as thouroughly defiant, parochial and insolent. A kind of Colonial outpost which has grown self-contented. I do like how they chip on about brilliant sporting success: what's that? In cricket? In rugby league" in Netball? What sort of success is measured by a country only qualifying twice for the football World Cup (or every time it is in Germany)? Or never having a heavyweight champion in boxing? Or not having a male gold medalist in track and field in the Olympics since 1956.
Yep -they are good at spin and defiant to criticism. Noticeably, the best way to get them hurt is to scare and humiliate them: witness the Andrew Sheridan technique agaisnt the jelly-back Wallabies.

BIG Ted, Bromley,

Simon Barnes is spot on. The whining aussies have got away with it for so long, now they get it back they are crying. As for Mike Procter, he banned Rashid Latif for 5 matches for claiming a grounded catch, yet theres no action against Ponting & Clarke. There is no evidence as to what Harbhajan said, even the umpires did not hear anything. Lehmann was defended by the Aussie public when he was 100% guilty, that just confirms the intellect of that nation. What can you expect from a nation built from people that were immoral and immune to breaking the rules/law.

PP, Leeds, UK

Mr Barnes
As expected, an excellent article befitting the respect and recognition you have within the media.
I am primarily a lover of cricket and then an Indian supporter. For too long rude and boorish behaviour has been tolerated by the administrators in the name of sledging or mental disintegration. It's sad but no surprise to me that things had to come to such a stage as this. This is a wake up call for the ICC and I hope that we can see tough but fair cricket without any silly rude antics on the pitch. Personally I do not have much against the Aussies because they continued to behave in such a manner for decades only as it was ignored or allowed by the ICC and it helped them to win matches. However it was a surprise that other fair play loving nations like England and NZ did not stand up to this evil in cricket and left it to India who with its immense financial clout and a new generation of fearless players decided enough is enough, albeit at the cost of a major scandal.

Alex, Wolverhampton,

The ICC has enacted laws that make racial vilification illegal in cricket. Sledging and racial vilification are two entirely different matters. Firstly Symonds endures the indignity of being vilified by the Indian public in India, then their media, then the KKKBCCI and then Singh.

The clearly codified laws against racism in cricket and their correct implementation have seemed to escape a nation of about a billion people so I’ll let you off the hook this time Simon for getting it so plainly wrong.

simon, sydney, oz

If calling others bastard is an accepted practice in Australian culture, so is calling someone a monkey, donkey or an owl in India. If Indians are supposed to accept the way Australians play, then the Australians also should learn to accept it. You guys started it, now learn to dance to your own music

Arpit, Delhi, India

Here are a couple of examples of sledging. One of them is *good* (and pertinent to sport), and the other is Australian :-

"...is that all you've got George ? Huh ? Is that it ?"

Mohamed Ali (vs George Foreman - the rumble in the Jungle).


"...how is your wife and my kids ?"

Unidentified Austraian Cricketer (to Ian Botham).

RJA, Nottingham, UK.

Simon, there is a huge difference between racial villification and sportsmen sledging each other. Even the ICC (lame as it is) recognises this and views racist comments very seriously indeed. It's a pity that you don't know the difference.

Bazza, Brisbane,

Whatever the rights and wrongs of this matter, surely ultimately the cricketing authorities decisions have to be accepted and respected. Therefore if the Indian team want to pull out of the series let them; Then punish them accordingly and let it serve as a warning to all countries that the game is bigger than any individual country.

Paul Beard, Maidstone, Kent

It is indian who has fought for racism be it against England, or white regime of South Africa. Indians has been at the receiving end be it in South Africa or Australia. Indians are working across the Globe due to their humbleness. This Test was won by Australia due to their haughtiness and arrogant. They are not invincible.

shashikant kumar, Delhi, India

Ponting shouldn't have bothered to report H.Singh. That's about all Punter did wrong.

This is the second time H.Singh called Symonds a Monkey. And to all you who don't believe he said it you should read the paper more carefully. India have not denied he said it - they have said that 'Monkey' is not a racist insult. Wow. Let me ask you what the reaction would be to Flintoff calling a West Indian a monkey?

The main problem here is the umpiring, and if it had been at the same high level as the cricket this whole storm in a teacup wouldn't have happened. This controversy will be milked by the Indians because it gives them an excuse for losing the series. Now the Indian public can burn effigys of Ponting and Bucknor instead of their cricket team....

P.S The ICC needs to have an annual "Cricket Cultures Conference" (ICCCCC) where all the players come together for a week or so and talk about these issues. In cricket the cultural gaps are sometimes just too wide.

Nick, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Aussie reactions to this pertinent article are hard to accept. a) "Oh, sledging - vulgar and personal comments - "so different" from racial slurs b) Singh meant a racial insult by using the term "monkey" c) Singh, they are all certain, is guilty. My reaction: a) in the degree of provocation and personal affront suffered by a batsman besieged by vulgar comments, how could one maintain there is a difference. I see a bit of PC, operating here, "race", oh, no, tchu, tchu. Except the Aussies, no team accepts sledging as part of a good game of cricket, especially, at the highest levels. Aussie cricketers give the impression that an important reason why they play cricket, and so good at it is, sledging. b) Singh is not from a culture that regards "monkey" as a racial term of abuse c) Procter's finding will fail scrutiny whether in law or just common sense - only a "Kangaroo court" pronounces someone guilty on "motivated evidence". Remember Singh has dismissed Ponting about 8 times, mostly 0

kris iyer, Melbourne, Australia

I am an Australian who lives in Sydney and I have always hated sledging. Thats why I hope Australia loses all the time. They have big heads and love themselves. It like a big song and dance when they get a Century. Doug Walters just doffed his bat to the crowd and got on with it. The Australians need the rest of the world to give it to them. I could go on and on about what I think is bad with Australian Criicket. No respect for opposition. No idea that they are killing cricket.
Stephen Warren

Stephen Warren, Sydney, NSW / Australia

To all Aussie supporters here:

Harbhajan patted Brett Lee on the backside and Lee smiled back and it ended there. From where does Symonds come into the picture all of a sudden and talk trash to Harbhajan as if Symonds owned Brett Lee's backside?

Forget all that. Now, the question is, did Harbhajan use the word 'monkey'?

Australia trotted out some witnesses. Symonds himself, but he is the injured party - while he deserves to be listened to, his word alone has no evidentiary value.

Another witness is Ricky Ponting who had it from Symonds. Hearsay is not evidence; it is even less so coming from Ponting, who thanks to his own actions finds his credibility in the toilet.

The third was Adam Gilchrist who was at the other end of the pitch, and could not have heard something the straight umpire did not.

Shankar Anand, Chennai, India

Simon, an excellent article and you have hit the nail on the head as usual. I'm an Englishman who has played cricket in Western Australia at a decent level and I can confirm that sledging is alive and well, is certainly racist in content and is extremely unpleasant to deal with. As for Peter's comments below, I was in a hotel in Perth where Lehman was staying only last week ( a beach cricket match, it seems) and I can assure you that there was support for his outburst - it was in the heat of the moment, apparently, and poor Darren is just unable to contain himself in these heated moments and it's just one of those things that happen in cricket. Utter rubbish - it certainly doesn't have to happen in cricket and the sooner the authorities bring an end to this habit the better.
By the way, I wonder what Andrew Symonds was saying to Singh in the video of the incident - any ideas anybody?

Keith, Perth , Western Australia

Wow. Amusing to read the comments left by some Aussie nationalist nuts. Let me pick their arguments apart. First off, the only evidence against Harbhajan are "testimonies" by three Aussies. That's it! Those familiar with the old Witch Trials should know what that amounts to. Second, anyone who saw the test live knows that most of the decisions that went against India were outrageously bad. This is the year 2008 and for the umpires to not ask for TV help, at all, repeatedly, is pathetic. Even more pathetic is the two jokers allowing Aussies to have a say in on-field decisions. Third, abusing players' mothers might be funny and cool in Aussie-land it is not considered ok in India (or for that matter, in other decent cultures). Finally, how is it possible that none of the Aussies have been fined, even notionally, for over-appealing and pressuring the umpires? Truth is, this bunch of Aussie players would look more apt on a baseball diamond than on a cricket oval. Shame on them!

Nikhil, Cambridge, USA

The point here should be, who heard the comment. Whith Lehmann's indiscretion it was heard by may independent witnesses. No one but Symonds heard Singh (if the remark was made). Where the problem lies is the ICC has taken the word of proven cheats and liars over two Indians with fairly unblemished records. Symonds has cheated when batting, and openly admitted it, Ponting cheated the same way, and claimed a catch when clearly grounding the ball, so much has been said by Ponting about taking the player word on catches.

I would like to see on what basis the ICC made their decision, they have created this mess, when the could have dealt with it firmly, without recorded proof or an unimpeachable source Singh should have been cleared with a warning to future conduct.

Michael Holloway, Sydney, Australia/ NSW

So let's hear from the ICC! Or are they going to keep quiet ,as usual, instead of taking a stand and actually regulating the game they are supposed to govern. Come on Mr Morgan (or whoever is in charge these days), the silence is deafening.

Al, Weybridge, UQ

I dont apologize for Harbhajan if he did call Symonds a monkey because of his color but It is very simple you respect our sensibility and we respect your sensibilities.

It is very strange to say that we will keep talking about your family and your wife and you are supposed to behave like an australian would !!! I am not an australian and I dont like it when you talk about my family.

Singh, Delhi, India

I see one of the 2 outcomes- Ponting gets the sack with Proctor or India pulls out of the tour.

Presh, Wadebridge, cORNWALL

Would you say that Australia (and Australians) are 'cheats' and 'liars' because Bucknor had a bad game? Did you bother watching the match? Thought not.

Incidentally, oh great authority on all things Australian, I don't know a single person who condoned Lehmann's idiocy. At least he was man enough to admit his vile stupidity.

Normally when you sink the boot into Australians (and I mean 'Australians' - not just our cricketers) you are simply wearing your inability to cope with defeat on your sleeve. We are able to laugh you off as a troubled, but amusing old dear. This time you are misrepresenting the facts, which is wrong of you.

Australia responsible for the disintegration of cricket? Even you could not believe that. Nice copy though. Which is the point I suppose.

As usual the good points you make are lost amid the childish resentment you have for Australia and Australians. Maybe if you Poms win in 2009, you will learn to like us. That is if we haven't destroyed cricket by then.

Peter McGuinness, Third Tier, Hades

"General" sledging and racial sledging are on different levels. As an Aus cricket supporter I believe we go too far on the sledging front, however processes are in place to deal with this on a case by case basis as required. This current team has more than enough skill to win cricket matches without getting ugly. Racial comments however cannot be tolerated. Singh has form on the board in this regard and the appropriate action has been taken by an independent party, so there must be something to it. It was agreed at the start of the series that the captains should immediately report any such behaviour and now Ponting is being crucified for doing so. Also, in the recent one day series in India, the BCCI and CA agreed that the term monkey, in the context used against Symonds, was indeed racist - this was supported by the fact the Indian authorities removed members of the crowd for using the term. For the BCCI to come out now and say they don't believe it to be a racist term is a bit rich.

Richard, Sydney, Australia

Simon
You sound downright anti-Australian with this diatribe. I had hoped that the old English anti antibodes leanings of bygone years were extinct.
Best to stick with writing about wildlife eh?

Tom, Melbourne, Australia

Some commentators are saying that cricket now finds itself involved in a controversy not seen since bodyline. What state will cricket find itself in if the ICC succumb to the apparent blackmail attempt by the BCCI to cancel the tour unless the penalty handed to Singh is rescinded. A penalty handed out by an independent ICC employee. Heaven help the game if the executive bow to the whim of one member based on their monetary clout, and put that member above the game. A precedent would be set that would possibly cause irreparable damage.

Richard, Sydney, Australia

Do I need to state the obvious Simon? "Sledging" or "banter" is not the same as racial slurs. This group of Aussie Cricketeers is not responsible for what Darren Lehmann said, and besides, as Andrew pointed out, Lehmann served his penalty. Have you just decided to pile on with all the other Aussie Cricketeer haters just because they are consistently the best in the world? Come on, you're better than that!

Garry, Colorado Springs, US/Colorado

Simon this is nothing but a childish rant from you. There is a huge difference between racial vilification and sledging. One the Australians don't cross (Lehmann was suspended when he did cross this line and Australia did not threaten any bans the way India are now). The problem here is that India seem to think that they are morally superior and how dare they be accused of this. I do agree that the Aussies often get too aggressive in their approach but this is a mans game and if you can't take it then take up knitting.

Mike, Sydney, Australia

The umpiring was terrible. Perhaps Darryl Hair should have been given the job.? Oh -I forgot , the teams from the subcontinent got him sacked as well. Perhaps they should borrow some umpires from netball ? Keep the girls in line.

Aston Martin, Trinidad, of mind

I think you have missed the point Simon. Sledging is a part of most sports I can think of (in basketball it is called trash talking). You liken sledging in cricket to kicking shins in football and punching someone in rugby. Surely sledging in cricket is most like...wait for it...sledging in football and sledging in rugby?

Racism in sport, as in life, is deplorable. As you would be aware, fans making monkey noises at players has been rife in European football in recent years. Clubs are now being punished for the actions of their fans. Surely players themselves should be held to greater account.

Darren Lehman's actions were inexcusable and you will recall he received a ban for the words he uttered. Australia did not boycott any matches as a result.

Whether there was enough evidence to convict Singh of racism I'm not sure (it was one player's word against another). Remember the BCCI ignored the first instance of monkey noises from crowds in India - they are not blameless in this.

Andrew, Sydney, Australia