Continuing on my earlier post on the Australians

Continuing on my earlier post on the Australians fall in international rankings, My comments have also been echoed by no lesser than Sunil Gavaskar. Might be because both of us are Cancerians. Even though Ponting's comments are partly true in that, Gavaskar was instrumental in almost forfeiting a match, he has never justified that mistake taken on the spur of the moment. There also he was egged on by the atrocious and intimidating behaviour of Dennis Lillee. At those times, there was no rule which would have brought censure or punishment to the players concerned in such intimidation or misdeeds.

Whereas the present day Australians, though I like their brand of aggressive cricket, justify their mistakes by pointing fingers at others just like school boys do in their class rooms or on the playgrounds. They should grow up. They should emulate the West Indians who never denigrated the opponents or their countries when they were on top of the world. Only their cricket spoke and how it spoke!!!! They subjugated the opposition only through their brand of cricket.

I read with interest the comments of Matt Hayden clarifying his earlier comments about third world countries. He was quoted as saying that he admired the peanut vendor who held his head high selling his peanuts for a cent. I don't know how far is this true. First of all he may not have ventured out of his hotel due to the high security and moreover of the high humidity, crowds and what not which is a feature of Third world countries, I wonder how he conversed with the peanut vendor in whatever language that vendor spoke. I strongly believe that this incident migh have been provided by some ghost write or picked up from some anecdotes available from some publications on the third world countries. I am happy that wherever he has got that anecdote, he has inadvertently praised the hard working third world countrymen.
Just as everyone believe, these comments are either aimed at selling their books or to give lame excuse for their debacle in India. Hope they play Cricket in the established manner and show their mettle on their old enemy, the Poms.

How the mighty have fallen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How the mighty have fallen? Australians after losing so badly in India, have started the blame game. I was a little surprised by Ponting's graceful comments when he left India but was equally surprised by Hayden's uncharitable comments about third world countries when confronted with questions regarding poor overrates. How he will come and play for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL in the same third world country again? There is a saying in Tamil, "ஆட தெரியாதவளுக்கு கூடம் பத்தாது", meaning for a person who doesn't know how to dance starts to complain that the place where he or she has to dance is not sufficient to dance!!!!!!
Previously the Poms used to whine away after a disastrous tour but now the Australians are also follow their ancestors. The dust up the forgotten controversies like Monkey gate and the Sydney fiasco again and again.
In this, I should salute Steve Waugh who has maintained his position as a statesman. Even when the Australians were in a winning streak and India stopped that streak and also won that series, he has never commented about the Indian conditions or raked up controversies. This is the difference between a great player and an ordinary player. Hayden, Ponting and Symonds should learn from their great leader Steve Waugh about manners and ethics before commenting on third world countries. These are the guys who elbowed out Sharad Pawar on the dais to celebrate their win in the Champions Trophy tournament.
The time has changed when India and the sub-continent used to take all these taunts from the socalled elite teams. Now India and the sub-continent are dictating terms in the matter of sports so they should be advised to behave properly or else they'll become a team like the Apartheid period South Africa.

Australia and the Indian Sub ContinentBy Rathulan

Champions Trophy in Pakistan
It is really sad to see the Aussies trying to pull out of the Champions Trophy this year citing security considerations. In this day of terrorism and bomb blasts no country can be certified as Safe. Maveriks and fundamentalists have spread their wings everywhere. With Internet, these people get to know of making bombs the easy way. While the Olympics were goings on in Beijing, we saw that there were bombings in the western side of Chine. Did any country pull out of the Olympics, not even Australia, who cite the bombings that happened in Pakistan as a reason to pull of the Champions Trophy. This is not the first time that they've pulled out of a tournament. They have done it in the World Cup, when they refused to travel to Colombo and forfeited their match. And what cost they forfeited! They allowed SriLanka to progress further with the forfeited points and make history by winning the trophy. Later also they refused to play a test series. They were also crying about the IPL Champions Club League which was to follow after the Champions Trophy. They were playing back to back tournaments and series in Australia for long without any problem of Player burnout and strain. Only when they have to tour the Sub-continent they cry about travel conditions, Security, Environment and what not. The reason is not far to see. Previously they were earning a lot through sponsorships, when they hosted big teams like England, West Indies and New Zealand. Once the power shifted from England and West Indies and with the booming economy and multi million dollar sponsorships that BCCI and the Sub-continent were able to garner for their tournaments, they are turning green with envy. They think that they are the crowd pullers but it is not so. With SriLanka, Pakistan and India providing scintilating cricket stars, australians are not the crowd pullers that they were once. With their whining ways, they are fast losing their popularity of Border and Steve Waughs. Ponting, Symonds and others beware, else they'll be like Zimbabwe soon.