Anil Kumble says Australia triggered crisis
In an exclusive article, the India captain writes that Australia started the teams' row by showing a disregard for the spirit of the game
Anil Kumble
I would like to begin by pointing out that someone [Michael Clarke] clearly edged the ball to the slips in the second innings of the Sydney Test and stood there even when there was not an iota of doubt over the dismissal. The same player then claimed a catch that showed more than reasonable doubt and said he was 100 per cent certain it was clean.
At this point, a few days before the Test in Perth, I can tell you that that sort of behaviour will play a big role in my decision whether to continue the agreement that Ricky and I had made before the series began.
We had decided that in the case of a disputed catch we would take the word of the fielder concerned, if he was certain. But that agreement was based on the premise that, come what may, whatever the situation, the fielder concerned would be completely straight on what happened. Now, there will obviously be a big question mark about that in future matches.
On the other events, I can only say that I spoke to Ricky that day [of the row between Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds] and having heard from Bhajji and Sachin Tendulkar before that, I was convinced that there had neither been any racist remark made, nor intended. I asked Bhajji why he started it and he said he hadn’t; Symonds did and goaded him, so he responded. But he insisted he made no racist comment.
Ricky, meanwhile, was just not willing to listen, nor see my point. When I offered to apologise as Bhajji’s skipper, it was only to smooth things over, at no stage did I admit that he had made a racist remark; in fact, I said he had not.
Unfortunately, these days, when someone apologises, it is seen as either a sign of weakness or an admission of guilt. I am neither unnerved nor are we guilty. In the larger interests of the game, if an apology could help to build bridges and smooth things over, then it is better made than left unsaid because of egos.
In my book, it’s really important that when somebody is accused of being a racist, whoever that someone is, the charge is not made lightly, is not followed up just to prove a point and is not deemed as proven unless there is absolute evidence. Unfortunately this did not happen in Bhajji’s case.
Then again, he is a colleague and I have a responsibility towards him as his captain and as a fellow Indian. It is a serious allegation, calling someone a racist. You are not just accusing a cricketer, but the ramifications of this accusation, unproven in the eyes of almost everyone, were bound to be huge. India’s cricketers are the country’s ambassadors when we travel and, by making such serious charges without proof, it becomes a question of honour for the individuals concerned and the country.
There is obviously a sense of outrage in India. I cannot comment on what I thought of the proceedings, but the fact that we have appealed should make things self-evident. I’m really grateful for the overwhelming support the team have received from Indians in India and abroad and from people from other parts of the world, equally upset by the turn of events.
I’m also really thankful to the BCCI for their unstinting support of us on the matter. They have backed us right through and are doing all they can to make sure the players will be OK.
We’re going to try to do our best in Perth, a place where no one expects much from us. We are disappointed that we couldn’t force a draw in Sydney. We had a great opportunity when [Mike] Hussey and [Matthew] Hayden were batting to try to restrict their second-innings score, but Hussey batted really well to put the game beyond us.
Still, we should have at least tried for a draw despite that. We really need to get our batting in order. Too often, of late, we’ve struggled batting in our second innings to save a game. Here, we were three down at tea and then lost seven in a row. Yes, the rub of the green went against us, but we still should have stuck it out.
Finally, it’s important that the game goes on. Cricket is larger than any individual. One of the reasons I have tried to put the game and other things in perspective is to ensure that we move on and play good cricket. I’ll do my best but it takes two to tango and ensure that things move smoothly. I can only hope it happens.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/cricket/article3168220.ece
AuthorTopic: Anil Kumble - Shooting straight about Sydney (Read 369 times)
April 18, 2006, 10:28:45 AM