Venomous Vernon Philander a shame on the game
 Before
going on to comment on the grand First Test victory by Hashim Amla's
South Africans over Sri Lanka which was the first one in the 21-year
ties between the two countries, we would like to put bowler VERNON
PHILANDER in the dock.
On the third day of the First Test at the Galle International Cricket
Stadium, PHILANDER had scratched the ball with his thumb and fingers
which was amounting to ball tampering and was found guilty and fined 75
percent of his match fee.
When the news broke out, it was unbelievable. And it was the talking
point not only in Sri Lanka but the cricketing world and it took away
the GLOSS from the lion-hearted bowling by Dale Steyn and the GLOSS from
their splendid victory.
Now why VERNON had to spew his VENOM and play the ugly act that he
did belies sensible thinking. That South Africa was the better team
there was no doubt. Lout then the question is why on earth did he have
to stoop to such a low level.
Scratching not aired
During the ball by ball action shown live on TEN SPORTS, the act
where PHILANDER was scratching the ball was not aired. But subsequently
at the end of the day's play it was shown to the men who matter who
found PHILANDER guilty and imposed a fine on him, where he accepted the
guilt without a murmur.
If this is how PHILANDER has been taught to play this time honoured
game and in resorting to unfair and cheating tactics, then it is a stain
on their game and the effort of STEYN and everything that it stands for.
But what was laughable was the stance taken by South African coach
Russel Domingo who when questioned about the incident acted the kid by
saying other countries resort to these tactics but don't get caught.
Now if there was a statement that should go into a new edition of
CRICKET JOKES or CRICKET LAUGHFS then this statement will earn space on
page one. What he was trying to imply was that they have been resorting
to these tactics previously. SHAME if it was so.
South Africa CA shamed
The South African Cricket Board and its officials who have an
unblemished record of keeping the game and winning not at all costs
squeaky clean must have been shamed by the PHILANDER tactics and the
hollow words by Domingo.
As for us a fine is not a deterrent. The International Cricket
Council which is doing everything in its power to cleanse the game of
cheats, match-fixers and undesirables must bring in more stringent laws.
I make bold to suggest that the ICC must have a law where the cheats
or the match fixers must in addition to the fines, be banned for the
rest of the tournament or for a defined period. That should serve as a
deterrent.
If what Cricinfo claimed that Cricket South Africa had prevailed upon
broadcaster Ten Sports not to show tampering incident during the live
broadcast that allowed South Africans to continue bowling with the
tampered ball is true, then both parties Ten Sports and Cricket South
Africa are also guilty as well and must be asked for their explanations,
SHAME.
Had Lankans did it
What a hue and cry the International Cricket Council would have made
had any of the Sri Lankan bowlers were caught fiddling with the ball?
The ICC would have degraded the Sri Lankans and gone to the extent of
imposing stringent sanctions. But in this instance the ICC has remained
silent. Isn't it said that none are so blind, than those who refuse to
see. Having got that poor and ugly unsporting tactic out of the way, we
would like to further pay homage to South African Captain the bearded
Hashim Amla for the wonderful and exemplary manner in which he Captained
and played the game what with this Test being his first one in the big
league.
It is accepted that it is not the winning or the losing that matters,
but how one played the game. And this adage, it is obvious has been
inculcated in Amla from the time he was knee high to a bat. For this a
big bouquet to all those who showed and told him how to play the game in
his youth.
The declaration he made setting Sri Lanka four sessions to get 370
was a sporty one and came in for praise from all quarters. He could have
played safe and declared with more runs on the board. But Amla dared and
put the ball in the Sri Lankan court by dangling the carrot and making a
tempting declaration. It took everyone by surprise.
No easy task
True 90 runs a session is no easy task considering that no team has
chased 300 runs in the second innings in a Test match on the Galle
wicket. But it is said that if there is a will there is a way. The
Lankans who were taken aback with this sporting declaration seemed to
have accepted the challenge, the manner in which Kaushal Silva and Kumar
Sangakkara went about accumulating 110 runs in the session for the loss
of Upul Tharanga's wicket showed that they had accepted the challenge.
On the final day Amla would not have been faulted had he employed
defensive field placing considering the strong position that the Lankans
were in. But Amla never wavered. It was obvious that he has based his
captaincy on the cliché that attack is the best form of defence.
And it is said that fortune favours the brave and fortune smiled on
Amla when his team romped home easy winners by 153 runs 40 minutes after
lunch. This bold declaration and the ensuing victory should spur Amla to
act similarly in his future as Captain which promises a long stay at the
wicket and be an example to other Captains.
When play began on the final day, expectations of a Sri Lankan
victory by making over 300 runs in the final innings and winning thus
creating history were high. But what was seen when the chase began was a
limp display of batting after the early dismissal of Kaushal Silva.
Another gallant innings
Left-hander Kumar Sangakkara played another gallant innings. The
other batsmen were coming and going and once again it was sad to watch
skipper Angelo Mathews stranded with no other batsman capable of
sticking it out with him.
The ball tampering incident must not be allowed to take away the
damaging spell of fast bowling displayed in Galle by that lion-hearted
bowler DALE STEYN. He was poetry in motion. The Lankans can't cite the
ball tampering as a reason for defeat. There was no ball tampering in
the second innings. It was simply bad unimaginative batting that lost
the Test for Sri Lanka.
It was also nice to see gangling paceman Mornie Morkel among the
wickets. He ran in hard and let fly some terrific deliveries and bowled
a vicious bouncer that reared off a good length.
All in all the South Africans played the better cricket and deserve
their success and here's hoping that when this column is read which will
be the fourth day of the Second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club that
the Sri Lankans would be on the way to a series levelling victory which
will enable them to save face.
|
