Aussies tirade against England in bad taste
There is no doubt that Australia thrashed England in the Ashes series with a convincing 4-1 victory but it does not mean that the victors should continue rubbing salt into the vanquished right, left and centre. Victory and defeat being the two facets of a game, each team has its good and bad days. Haven't we seen the West Indies ruling the cricket world in the 70s and 80s but they never humiliated their opponents. The recent tirade of criticism the Australians have resorted seems in bad taste – unbecoming of a great team.

In a statement to London Times, the Australian coach John Buchanan ridiculed the England cricket set-up, firing off a blistering attack on how English cricket was being run. He declared the county championship as an `archaic playing system and a servant of mediocrity' awash with second-rate players.

Buchanan thinks that the English county game is riddled with players not good enough for first class cricket and said a reduction in the number of fixtures would help weed out `impostors'. He believes the step will encourage players to think more clearly about tactics. Skills will increase by weeding out the three or four impostors who exist in every first-class county.

Looking at other side of the picture, it is generally believed that after going through a strenuous county season young players emerge with their skills well polished for higher-level cricket. Many foreign teams attribute their success in the game to the contribution of players having played county cricket in England. The players labelled as `impostors' by Mr Buchanan are perhaps the youngsters included in the teams for grooming, which is a normal practice.

Earlier, speaking to Daily Express during the course of Ashes series, the outspoken Australian spinner Shane Warne remarked that the English domestic game would never advance unless the players changed their attitude. Commenting on England players he expressed the view that `A lot of guys were comfortable with their sponsored cars and good wages but they did not push themselves to make it to the next level'. This is like negating the natural urge of players who long to rise higher and higher.

Warne also thought that too many older players were blocking the path of younger talent and the national selectors were not picking them up quickly enough. I think this observation is more valid for the Australian team where their average age is much higher than other teams. This may be so because other teams are a blend of youth and experience but there are very few youngsters in the Australian team.

One could label this as arrogance and its certainly `not cricket'. No one would want to wait for the day when the Australian `oldies' start toppling down and the team finds no youngsters suitable enough to replace them. Again, it was impolite on the part of skipper Steve Waugh to say that "rain deprived us of a white wash". It was not rain but tough resistance put up by England and a dazzling 173 not out by Mark Butcher that took away Australia's chances of victory in the 4th Test at Headingley.

Many feel they paid the price for the `bravery' displayed by declaring the 2nd innings at 176 for 4, considering a target of 315 runs, something `impossible' to achieve in the 4th innings. Rather than commenting on the attitude of English players, the Australians would be better advised to control their overflowing pride before they come down to earth.

Pakistan face Black Caps without Inzi
The 1st one-day international between Pakistan and New Zealand was scheduled to start at Karachi on September 19 had the series not been cancelled on account of a catastrophe in the USA. Pakistan would have taken the field without star-batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq, who is under a 2-match ban following Australia's 9 wickets victory in the final of the Triangular at Lords in June 2001.

Inzamam became the victim of match referee Brian Hastings's callousness in awarding him the severe punishment of a fine amounting to 50 percent of match fee plus a ban for two matches.

Inzi's `offence' was that when declared lbw by umpire Peter Willey on a Shane Warne delivery, he stayed for a while at the crease followed by a slow trudge off the field. Those who witnessed the scene closely on the ground or on the TV screen would bear testimony to the fact that there were no expressions of dissent on Inzi's face or from his mouth. His fans believe staying at the crease for a few seconds and moving slowly do not constitute an offence.

Cricket has already suffered a lot at the hands of some bookish cum unimaginative and as hard as stone umpires and match referees. A timely feeling of surprise on something `unexpected or unbelievable' is natural human behaviour. Let us not take it away from players. Cricket lovers feel that any effort to turn the players into robots will act as a call for the doomsday of cricket.

ICC's revision of Rules and Playing Conditions
The recent changes made by the ICC in the rules and playing conditions affecting test matches are quite realistic. The fresh provisions are bound to arrest the fast diminishing public interest in test matches mainly on account of their indecisive end. The most useful decisions in this respect are, the extension in playing time where necessary and the umpire's discretion to allow the game to continue under flood lights where available, when natural light is not enough to facilitate playing.

Many exciting test matches were marred in the past on account of fading natural light. The new provision will not only ensure a result but will also make the game more thrilling.

As suggested in one of my earlier articles, the Duckworth-Lewis method for recalculating targets needs to be examined by a committee of experts. I feel the revised target for a team batting second should never be more than the runs actually scored by the side batting first.

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