Re: Myth of Baggy Green

by *Buckaroo* Wed 27 Feb 2008, 05:04

CA to make 'significant announcement' today
Melbourne (PTI): In an unusual advisory, Cricket Australia said on Wednesday that it will make a "significant announcement about a current Australian player", prompting speculation that it may take action against opening batsman Matthew Hayden, who had called Indian offspinner Harbhajan Singh an "obnoxious little weed" on Tuesday.

The announcement is expected around 11.30 am IST.

"Cricket Australia today advised that a significant announcement regarding a current Australian player will take place this afternoon at the MCG," a CA statement said.

Hayden, an active participant in the on-field bickerings that have marred India's current tour of Australia, on Tuesday launched a fresh verbal attack at Harbhajan by calling him an "obnoxious little weed" and also challenged young paceman Ishant Sharma to a boxing bout.

"It's been a bit of a long battle with Harbhajan, the first time I ever met him, he was the same little obnoxious weed that he is now," Hayden said on Brisbane radio.

Hayden said he had told Ishant to settle down and quipped he would like to meet the lanky paceman in a boxing ring.

"He is just young. I have said to him many times, you are 19, take it easy," Hayden said.

The BCCI reacted to the issue by saying that sledging was going "out of hand" and setting a bad example for young cricketers.

The Indian team management had also lodged a written complaint with the Match Referee about the provocative behaviour of the home team during their Sunday match and threatened to take a "befitting action" if Ricky Ponting and his men persisted with such behaviour.

url

by Josh Carney Wed 27 Feb 2008, 05:20

I wouldn't count on it. Generally the Aussie media, the public and the board work well in tandem when it comes to protecting their players.

However CA may be forced to do something here given that it desperately needs a good relationship with BCCI to keep its finances in order.

by SG Wed 27 Feb 2008, 05:24

That player might be Symonds as well who earlier said that he won't tour Pak.

by embee Wed 27 Feb 2008, 05:27

Josh Carney wrote:I wouldn't count on it. Generally the Aussie media, the public and the board work well in tandem when it comes to protecting their players.

However CA may be forced to do something here given that it desperately needs a good relationship with BCCI to keep its finances in order.

Gilly was charged by CA with bringing the game into disrepute by saying at an AFL President's lunch (private function) that he thought Murali chucked ....Personally abusing an opposition player on public radio is worse than that (and as was the case with Gilly ...the "truth" is not a defence)

by embee Wed 27 Feb 2008, 05:29

SG wrote:That player might be Symonds as well who earlier said that he won't tour Pak.

Symonds has also had some trouble with some newspaper columns ...CA has basically told him they will ghost write future colums for him ...he has told them to shove it up their arse

by *Buckaroo* Wed 27 Feb 2008, 05:30

Apparently it's just going to be a fine for bringing the game into disrepute.

by embee Wed 27 Feb 2008, 05:30

From Crikey.com

19 . Hard work ahead for cricket's thought police
Jeff Wall writes:

If Cricket Australia hoped its heavy handed response to mild criticism from Andrew Symonds would shut down his team mates as well, then it will have been disappointed.

On Sunday, News Limited’s Sydney and Brisbane newspapers advised readers that Andrew Symonds’ column would no longer appear – because Symonds was told future columns would have to be ghost written by Cricket Australia officials. That was after two earlier columns did not appear because of intervention by Cricket Australia.

Symonds originally drew the ire of CA because he dared to criticise, albeit quite mildly, it’s handling of player contract issues that had arisen after the formation of the IPL Twenty20 competition in India.

When Cricket Australia tried to change the column just hours before it was due to be published, the Sunday Telegraph and the Sunday Mail refused to publish it. Apparently his column, and that of other contracted players, had to be "vetted" by CA before being published. The increasingly obsessive Cricket Australia management have extended that to actually writing the column for Symonds!

Today the games' thought police face a new challenge – and one senses it might be a deliberate one.

Yesterday Symonds close mate, Matthew Hayden, went on Brisbane radio and described Indian player Harbhajan Singh as "an obnoxious little weed".

And that was on the very same day Brett Lee described relations between the teams as wonderful!

The Indians, not backward in complaining, will go ballistic at Hayden’s comments. They have already complained about the alleged "bully boy" tactics of Ricky Ponting, Hayden and Symonds, and there have been suggestions the Indians might even pull out of this weekend’s one day final – hardly likely!

But Hayden’s comments raise an interesting question for Cricket Australia – it might be able to censor columns written by players, and even write the columns for them, but how is it going to control what players say in radio, television and press interviews? Or is it really only interested in using the power it has over players – as they are all contracted to CA and not clubs or states – when they criticise CA itself?

Relations between Cricket Australia and its contracted elite players have been on the slide for some time. But it’s not entirely CA’s fault – it is not long ago that the players wanted a reduced international schedule, now they want the schedule to be expanded so it can include the very lucrative Indian Twenty20 competition! What happened to the "burn out" players were complaining about?

But none of that justifies Cricket Australia’s heavy handed approach to what players can, and cannot, say. While the AFL and the NRL have heavy penalties for players and coaches who criticise referees and umpires, I see column after column in which players and coaches (especially in the NRL) express robust views on their games' administration.

This has not been a good summer for cricket administrators. Gagging players who dare to criticise the way the game is run is not making it any better.

by Henry Wed 27 Feb 2008, 05:31

Sack the lot of them.

by *Buckaroo* Wed 27 Feb 2008, 05:46

Roebuck: It's a bit rude

Meanwhile senior cricket writer Peter Roebuck also felt Hayden's jibe at Harbhajan was very rude and wondered why he chose to make such statements in the public domain.

"Well they were a bit rude, the young man (Harbhajan) is a guest in this country and ought to be treated with hospitality... I think they (Australian players) are pretty fed up with Harbhajan particularly. I am not sure why Hayden felt the need to say that publicly. I don't know about mind games, I think they just speak their minds on occassion. A lot of Australians feel two things: firstly that their own team is too aggressive at times, but secondly also that India sometimes has followed the same path this summer, in reaction to the Australians. I think both sides should shut up and concentrate on the cricket, that's my point," commented Roebuck.

by embee Wed 27 Feb 2008, 05:48

I think both sides should shut up and concentrate on the cricket, that's my point," commented Roebuck.

Spanky's Million Monkeys find the right keys

by Josh Carney Wed 27 Feb 2008, 05:56

A lot has happened in this series. I just hope that all of this will lead to the necessary clean up on all sides and put back the game on top of the agenda else the public will start turning their backs and then everybody loses including the players and the administrators.

by *Buckaroo* Wed 27 Feb 2008, 05:56

The interview

On Tuesday the Australians took the mind games in the current tri-series to a new level with Harbhajan Singh coming under a fresh attack from opener Matthew Hayden.

Hayden's remark calling the Indian off-spinner an "obnoxious little weed", has the potential to create more bad blood between the two teams. Here is a transcript of the radio interview that Hayden gave to a Brisbane radio station:

Radio host 1: Have you read the paper, the Indians are back into you blokes about being bullies?
Hayden: That's because they're losing every game they are playing out here at this stage.

Host 1: ... and because they've had a guy docked 15% of his match fee and they've got a wicket keeper...
Host 2 (cuts in) Why don't they just shut up and play cricket?
Hayden: There you go, that's the most logical thing I have ever heard this summer

Host 1: Were you charging Harbhajan Singh the other day and calling him 'mad boy' as you were batting?

Hayden: No, 'bad boy'. 'You bad boy'.

Host 1: That's offensive apparently in India?
Hayden: He took offence to that, I thought that was quite funny. I said mate you should be flattered it's a clothing range.

(Everyone laughs)

Host 2: We need to get to the root of the problem and see why they are all so sensitive? What's going on in their lives.

Hayden: I think it's been a bit of a long battle with Harbhajan. The first time I ever met he was the same little obnoxious weed that he is now, so... (more general laughter)

Host 1: That's what you got about him from every person who's had a dealing with him?

Hayden: The thing is, his record speaks for itself in cricket. It's a certain line that you can go to and you know when you push it - and he just pushes it all the time. That is why he's been charged more than anyone that has ever played in the history of cricket.

Host 1: Does (Ishant) Sharma come from the same school as Bhajji?
Hayden: Well I think he's just young and as I have said to him many times, mate you're 19, just take it easy. He says, but "I'm playing for my country" (mimics Indian accent). (contempt showing through here)Well we're all playing for our country but at the end of the day you're just 19, what about if you just worry about your bowling for a while. I actually like the idea of getting him in a ring. I like that, let's bring that one on!

by Hass Wed 27 Feb 2008, 05:57

I wish Roebuck would just shut up and get on with being a journalist- but I don't think we're going to the Herald fine him anytime soon for offending Ricky Ponting earlier this year.

No sporting body should be able to punish a player for expressing an opinion.

Voltaire would be turning in his grave.

by Josh Carney Wed 27 Feb 2008, 06:03

I am not sure calling somebody a weed can pass of as an opinion.

by embee Wed 27 Feb 2008, 06:07

Josh Carney wrote:I am not sure calling somebody a weed can pass of as an opinion.

...and you need "thought" to be able to have an opinion ...so the Qbilly Neanderthal doesn't qualify on that count either

by Ross Wed 27 Feb 2008, 06:09

embee wrote:
Josh Carney wrote:I am not sure calling somebody a weed can pass of as an opinion.

...and you need "thought" to be able to have an opinion ...so the Qbilly Neanderthal doesn't qualify on that count either

Tautology

by Hass Wed 27 Feb 2008, 06:15

Josh Carney wrote:I am not sure calling somebody a weed can pass of as an opinion.

What is it then?

He is clearly of the opinion that Harbhajan is an "obnoxious little weed".

Some might ascribe to the theory, "if you aren't going to say anything nice about someone then don't say anything at all". But it's not Cricket Australia's job to step in if one of its players strays from this teaching.

by embee Wed 27 Feb 2008, 06:15

Disagree....Neanderthal QBilly is a Tautology

by embee Wed 27 Feb 2008, 06:18

Hass wrote:
Josh Carney wrote:I am not sure calling somebody a weed can pass of as an opinion.

What is it then?

He is clearly of the opinion that Harbhajan is an "obnoxious little weed".

Some might ascribe to the theory, "if you aren't going to say anything nice about someone then don't say anything at all". But it's not Cricket Australia's job to step in if one of its players strays from this teaching.

MtFTB (and all the other major players) signed a contract for good money with CA ...there are clauses in that contract about their behaviour ...this comment (whether it be opinion or fact) probably breaches that contract ...

by tac Wed 27 Feb 2008, 06:20

Yeah, like CA would do anything to upset the only regular run-scorer and half decent slip fieldsman in the team.

by skully Wed 27 Feb 2008, 06:28

tac wrote:Farkin obnoxious little weeds, the lot of ya.

Phurt, it was a term of endearment, harking back to MtFTB's happy childhood memories of watching Bill and Ben the Flowerpot Men on ABC TV. But as usual, it's subi-sookin time.

by eowyn Wed 27 Feb 2008, 06:30

Flobbel-obble, Skully.

by skully Wed 27 Feb 2008, 06:30

eowyn wrote:Flobbel-obble, Skully.

by skully Wed 27 Feb 2008, 06:35

And apologies to taips. I note that he made the Bill and Ben analogy on the "Oh sh*t" thread 4 hours ago.

Fark I hate it when work gets in the way of forumming!! Smile

by embee Wed 27 Feb 2008, 06:38

tac wrote:Yeah, like CA would do anything to upset the only regular run-scorer and half decent slip fieldsman in the team.

Gilly was fined for his MuMu chucks comment

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