Well, the Indian tour of Australia will continue after the ICC caved to the BCCI demands – sacking Steve Bucknor for the third test, and allowing Harbhajan Singh to play pending an appeal. They have also appointed a neutral ICC mediator , one Ranjan Madugalle, to help improve relations between the two test sides. So has the ICC done the right thing?
It would seem that yes, it has done the correct thing, at least on two of the three counts, them being the rescinding of Singh’s ban and the appointment of a neutral mediator. However, I’m a bit wary of the sacking of Bucknor. From what it seems, Bucknor has only been sacked from umpiring the third test in Perth – which is fair enough punishment for having a ‘bad few days at the office’. Whether or not he is appointed for the fourth test in Adelaide remains to be seen but if there is more politicking by the Indian cricket board over the appointment of umpires, and the ICC cave once again, one would have to question the authority of the ICC.
The issue seems to cleared up, at least for the meantime. What is more annoying is the bandwagon jumping and witch hunt that seems to have arisen around the alleged conduct of Australian captain, Ricky Ponting by part-time bedroom cricket commentators (a group which I admit I am a part of). As I said yesterday, Ponting cannot be held accountable for the performance of the match umpires, nor the decisions of the ICC board of conduct. Calls to sack the ‘arrogant’ Ponting are absolute nonsense – many Australian’s are confusing unbridled success and competitiveness with arrogance. This is indeed tall poppy syndrome at its most potent.
Ponting wrote an interesting reply in yesterday’s Australian. He talks about a few issues, however fails to address the failed dismissal of Symonds during the first innings of the test – something that would become a crucial point of the entire test given the Symonds went on to score 168. Incidently, former Australian cricketing legend, Glen McGrath has come out in support of his former captain, with some comments that I think are worthy of being heard. You can read them for yourself here.
…and I promise this will (might) be the last article I publish on this issue…at least for the next 24 hours 
!
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