Sutherland...... What are you trying to say???

CA Cheif James Sutherland has come out in defence of his team. Well, this is not at all surprising and something everyone came to expect. Especially after Ponting blatantly refused to accept that his team behaved miserably in the 2nd test match at Sydney.

But what is scary is the attitude with which he issued the statement. His defence for the team showed that he was in favor of the way the team behaved in the test match and has absolutely no grouse over Ricky Ponting and his men. If this is the mental make up of the Cricket Australia board management, then I am not at all surprised at the way the Australians are playing their cricket. After all, when someone knows that they will be backed endlessly, no matter how they behave, they will obviously push their limits and get dirty.

ICC has done the right thing in asking the CA officials to tell the Australian team to behave themselves. But then again, I doubt if they would mend their ways. Maybe... Just maybe for the next 2 matches against India, we might see them behave but I doubt if this is going to last.

But kudos to ICC for having the b***s to finally point a fingure at the Australian team. After all the Australians have been getting away for way too long. The confrontation that will remain fresh in my mind is the one that involved Micheal Slater and Umpire Venkatraghavan in the 1996 series in India. Despite showing scant respect to the elderly gentleman, he got away. And then I have read about Pigeon McGrath calling Sanath Jayasurya a "Black Monkey". All this just makes my blood boil. But then as they say, it just takes 1 bad apple to spoil the basket. 563 wickets in an illustrious test career does not put any person above the game and the spirit of Cricket.

This is still a gentleman's game, but for a few unruly elements.