Are the Indian cricket team and board bringing cricket into disrepute?

[smssia0112]

As a moderator it is probably technically wrong of me to start such a volatile argument, but I feel very strongly on the issue all the same.

The BCCI has become too powerful for the ICC and someone needs to take a stand right now. If India had pulled out of the tour, ESPN would have come down on Cricket Australia, and a split of the nations could easily have occurred. Needless to say, cricket would have been damaged, perhaps irreparably.

My question is, will the ICC ever take a firm hand or will they continue to allow the BCCI to steamroll them without protest?

Have the BCCI overstepped the line here by blackmailing the ICC and Cricket Australia, who unsuccessfully tried to persuade the Australian players to drop the charges against Harbhajan because of the threat of an abandoned tour?

 

[iloveireland]

Yes, yes and yes. Aus, you are allowed an opinion. Yes they are bringing cricket into dispute. Shame on BCCI and all those new leagues and boards

 

[srikarr12]

seriously guys u guys just dont get it still. YES bcci funds 70% of ICC and has lot of power to do anything it wants. But bcci had done nothing wrong in the case of harbhajan singh. I mean australia reported him and so truly he got charged. And by being charged the culprit has the right to appeal his case no matter what. And in doing so the committee couldn't possibly prove harbhajan racially abused symonds. With this appeal came the evidence (microphone archives, the witnesses etc.) And yet the evidence didn't prove anything so therefore harbhajan was cleared of any misconduct regarding racism.

Although bcci threatened to pull if the case didn't succeed they also had the right to pull out because they believed that harbhajan didnt racially abuse anyone.


btw what do u expect ICC to do to go and tell bcci to shut up and expect ICC to lose all its funds where nobody would control cricket. And why do you think Cricket Australia let off harbhajan singh. Because they want to make money just like bcci and vice versa with bcci on brad hogg case.


How hard is it to understand that bcci stood by its player and not used its powers because it can.:boxing

 

[smssia0112]

Excuse me? NO nation has the right to abandon a tour midway for any reason unless the ICC explicitly allows them, and that would be in extreme circumstances ONLY.

Certainly no team has the right to abandon a tour because they can't handle the match referee's decision.

I am not saying that Harbhajan should have been found guilty (though I have no doubt he was guilty based on the evidence - even though it wasn't enough to hold up in a courtroom), but I am saying that if he was, the BCCI have no right to argue with the decision. They can appeal it, but if it is not overturned they simply can not just say "Well stuff that, we're not going to play."

That is blackmail.

As for your statement no one will control cricket, are you honestly that stupid? Who is meant to control cricket? The BCCI?

 

[.::Stevo::.]

I totally agree with you mate, im disgusted that India are doing this.

Lets just exclude the Harbijhan case, the way they are pushing Cricket Australia into a corner is totally wrong and sets a VERY bad precidence for the future

This would have to be nearly number one in the most un-sportsman like situations.

 

[pal]

You certainly have the right to whine about these things and yes, India does hold a certain amount of influence within the ICC due to its monetary advantages, but I don't think, at least as of yet, they've abused it. If they had an axe to grind, they would have gone after Hogg for using a disparaging remark, but the fact that they, and the team, magnanimously forgave him is an indication that they are perhaps not the entity you make them out to be.

 

[.::Stevo::.]

You dont think they've abused it??? What about all the blackmail??? The charted jet waiting to take off if Harbijhan. The fact they wanted to SUE cricket Australia if they left. And you think they havnt abused their power?

 

[KBC]

Australians = Yes;

Indians = NO.

 

[harishankar]

I'm surprised that you guys are so bitter.

Get over it... Harbhajan got punished according to the crime which he admitted which was foul language. No more, no less.

The racism charge was beyond absurd (it is laughable) and clearly the Australians misunderstood Bhajji's phrase as racist. I know you guys will say that Aussies don't make up things, but then, is there no possibility that they misunderstood what he said? I am sure that's what happened.

I'm not calling either the Australians or the Indians liars.

I think some members here cannot stomach the fact that India are now ranked world #2 in Test ratings.

 

[m_vaughan]

I have always said its extremely dangerous if one of the teams can dictate terms to the governing body. But thats how it is, unfortunately.

Cricketing is suffering in the end. It will NEVER be able to match other global sports with such politics. (Mind you politics exists in every sport but nowhere have I seen as much)

 

[harishankar]

I have always said its extremely dangerous if one of the teams can dictate terms to the governing body. But thats how it is, unfortunately.

Cricketing is suffering in the end. It will NEVER be able to match other global sports with such politics. (Mind you politics exists in every sport but nowhere have I seen as much)

Where human beings exist and where they disagree, there will be politics. It's just that you perceive that there is more politics in cricket just because of this one incident.

Yes, the BCCI did take a strong stand because it is a highly sensitive issue and no board can stand and twiddle their thumbs when one of their players is called a racist on unreliable evidence.

It's easy to take a high moral ground when you're a neutral.

 

[Animator!]

Politics barely plays an issue in Football (Soccer, sigh) because the board is very impartial and FIFA is built up of ex-proffessionals in general who want to look for the best of the game. The ICC is made up of a lot of corrupt politicians and businessmen.

 

[Leicester Fox]

I think most people with an IQ over 5 would say Harbajhan was guilty looking at the conversation off the mikes but there asn't enough evidence to conclusively prove he was guilty so given that India got the right decision in the end I guess they got what they wanted and wat was fair. I don't agree with how they did it but until they do pull out of a tour then nothings going to change and there's not much to moan about.

 

[Sureshot]

Threatening to pull out of a tour for something like this isn't acceptable, I think Dean mentioned it, it's blackmail.

Of course a team can pull out of a tour, but the only circumstance I can think of is security threat (though I haven't though long about other circumstances). This for me is a shameful period for cricket, put's the Oval debacle into the corner.

 

[maskachaskaa]

how can you call harbhajan a racist with no evidence ?????

do u have minds or not

BCCI or any board will do the same .. if any of their players are treated like that without any evidence

Threatening to pull out of a tour for something like this isn't acceptable, I think Dean mentioned it, it's blackmail.

Of course a team can pull out of a tour, but the only circumstance I can think of is security threat (though I haven't though long about other circumstances). This for me is a shameful period for cricket, put's the Oval debacle into the corner.

that is a big threat to world .. lieing and with no evidence calling a player a racist is a huge crime .. .. untill the corruption is stopped .. the tour should be cancelled .. otherwise they will repeat the same on many innocents ..