After watching the test match, I feel some rules have to be incorporated by ICC to give the other teams a perfect clarification
(1) Ricky Ponting %u2013 (THE TRULY GENUINE CRICKETER OF THE CRICKET ERA AND WHOSE INTEGRITY SHOULD NOT BE DOUBTED) should be considered as the FOURTH UMPIRE. As per the new rules, FOURTH UMPIRE decision is final and will over ride any decisions taken by any other umpires. ON-FIELD umpires can seek the assistance of RICKY PONTING even if he is not on the field. This rule is to be made, so that every team should understand the importance of the FOURTH UMPIRE.
(2) While AUSTRALIAN TEAM is bowling, If the ball flies anywhere close to the AUSTRALIAN FIELDER(WITHIN 5 metre distance), the batsman is to be considered OUT irrelevant of whether the catch was taken cleanly or grassed. Any decision for further clarification should be seeked from the FOURTH UMPIRE. This is made to ensure that the cricket is played with SPORTIVE SPIRIT by all the teams.
(3) While BATTING, AUSTRALIAN players will wait for the ON-FIELD UMPIRE decisions only (even if the catch goes to the FIFTH SLIP as the ball might not have touched the bat). Each AUSTRALIAN batsman has to be out FOUR TIMES (minimum) before he can return to the pavilion. In case of THE CRICKETER WITH INTEGRITY, this can be higher.
(4) UMPIRES should consider a huge bonus if an AUSTRALIAN player scores a century. Any wrong decisions can be ignored as they will be paid huge bonus and w
Dear Speed thanks for enligtening us. Do let us know how many more errors do these guys before anything substantial is done why do you get these players to play. When the umpires can decide the fate of the game. this is all a big farce.
The whole episode has something fishy, beyond what you or i can see. This to me looks like a great stage managed act in broad daylight. When the world around is made blind and deaf to what is seen on TV one steps back with doubt & fear to unravel the mystery of the tacit understanding between someone, somewhere. The authorities claim that the umpires had a bad match - CAN A JUDGE IN THE COURT HAVE A BAD DAY AND GIVE A WRONG VERDIT??? CAN A DOCTOR HAVE A BAD DAY AND PROVIDE FATAL TREATMENT??? CAN A COP HAVE A BAD DAY AND GO AROUND ARRESTING AND SHOOTING ALL?? What logic are we applying. Ricky Ponting talks about integrity - does he know to spell it at all - maybe the definition in the directory of these cricketers means "cheating". While walking away from the tour is an option, beating them square in the final test would be a befitting response. Indians should take the field with their Mouth Covered as a protest. Tie black band for the death of cricket in this part of the world. These are non-violent demonstrations. The other way out would be for each batsmen to come hit the stumps and return so as India would score 0 all out (provided they dont bowl no balls). There is a vertical divide, our administration is playing the wait game, which is slightly astonishing. Pakistan set the tone to walk away from the game - we should atleast make a strong case. Some wanted Simon Taufel to umpire this game - not realising what he did to us in England. Australia SHAME ON YOU.
I left India in 1987 and did not watch cricket until 2001. I had completely switched Cricket off. I had never seen Tendulkar play. Guess which match I watched just to see what was going on...Kolkota 2001 vs Australia. What a match! That match made me a fan again.
Fast forward to Jan 2008 vs the same team and the game has lost me today. I find it a waste of time if the decisions have to made by the umpires when the technology is available that is far superior than any naked eye. I hear this nonsense from some media member that the technology is not perfect. My dear who is perfect in the world? We are not talking about perfect, we simply need best possible decisions so that matches are decided by players and not umpires. It kills the essense of the game. A game has to fair and fun. Cricket is neither for me today. The organizations running this sport are not professional. What do you expect when policians are running the Board! In this day of technology every sport is using it except Cricket. Only commentator and viewers can see the blunders. Were the best possible decisions made? No...then why should I waste my time wastching nonsense?
Tuning off now maybe for another decade.
PS: ICC should declare the 2nd Test a null test as it was so badly umpired that the winning team ended up losing. Nothing short is fair. Australia doesn't know spirit of the game. They have lost it. They are losers even if they may be winners in the game.
