Racisim: A New Hue

Cricket has long emerged from the auspices of those aristocratic (some would say good old) days of old when those of the ‘gentlemen’ class sat smug in their  immaculately tailored suits, sipping Darjeeling tea out of gold rimmed tea cups and mouthing a genteel ‘splendid’ to appreciate that charismatic cover drive or a smartly taken catch. It has still remained largely a gentle -’mans’ sport and the ‘superpowers’ of the game are still but a few nations, but its character has undergone a sea change over the last 25 years.

Cricket has become more aggressive, smarter, more taxing, infinitely richer and for a spectator like me a lot more exciting!  Over the last 10 years in particular, the game of Cricket has been decidedly more aggressive, thanks in no small measure to one individual called Steven Waugh – ex Australian player and captain. As a player he epitomised grittiness, ability to put mind over matter and as a captain he inspired superlative performances from what was once a moderately successful team. Steve Waughs’ Team Australia played hard, tough and uncompromising cricket, won convincingly and garnered the respect of it’s opponents while doing so.

Ricky Ponting’s Team Australia on the other hand, though seem to play the same brand of cricket, can and is hardly respected either on or off the field.  The members, if not behaving like outright juvenile delinquents, seem to morph into what can only be described as a bunch of rabid wild dogs, intent on victory at all costs, with complete disdain for any decorum or sensitivities. How they can savor a so called record equalling 16th Test win, which has come at the cost of reducing Cricket to a negative spectacle, is beyond me and it seems also that of most Australians.

But maybe even that’s forgivable to an extent. What’s certainly not forgivable is a charge of racism against a Team India player (Read: Harbhajan Singh)! Look who’s talking! Along with countries like Germany and to some extent France, Australia is, for all intents and purposes, a hot bed of racism related issues. Ask the South Africans, ask the Sri Lankans, ask the English and if that’s not proof enough for you….ask the Aborigines of Australia themselves !

This Australian Team is not only obnoxious but has also displayed a disturbing and unhealthy (Read: negative) propensity for intolerance of anything that even remotely is not to their liking. This means that small issues like a otherwise normal verbal duel on the field becomes a raging and unfair controversy about imagined racism and all because this intrinsically juvenile Australian side can’t take it when an opposition team gives it back to it in the same measure. Grow Up ‘MAYTE’!

As for Mr.Andrew Symonds, the main protagonist (or should I say Villain?) of the whole fiasco in Sydney, I have only one word of advice: If you are so very sensitive, maybe a career as a ballet dancer would be more to your liking!

Good bye for now Mr. Symonds (Oops was that racist?) !