Retributions  

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

BCCI’s belligerent attitude betrays a nation still coming to terms with its new-found power

As widely expected, Harbhajan Singh has been exonerated of the charges of racism. As Mike Proctor’s decision had shown, there was never any conclusive evidence that Harbahajan Singh had called Andrew Symonds a monkey; Proctor had simply relied on hearsay to convict Singh. While the transcript from the stump microphone suggests that Harbhajan may indeed have addressed Symonds in racist terms, it failed to satisfy the legal requirement of beyond ”reasonable doubt.” Indeed, it is doubtful if the fiery Indian spinner could have been convicted even in a criminal trial on the evidence on offer, let alone a civil one.

The decision by Judge Hansen bridges, at least temporarily, the developing schism in the cricketing world. The suspension of Harbhajan Singh had threatened to derail India’s tour of Australia, certainly the marquee event of the International cricket calendar. Indeed, the Australian media has claimed that it was the threat of financial losses which forced the Aussies to ”back down”. Whatever may be the truth, one can only hope that cricket would now finally return to the center stage.

Now the curtains have come down on this sorry saga, perhaps it is time to take a step back and look at this episode in its entirety. Like other cricket fans, this blogger was also outraged by the absolutely shocking umpiring at Sydney which definitely cost India the match and as it later transpired, the series. BCCI was well within its rights to demand that Steve Bucknor be axed from the next match. ICC, by agreeing to the request of Indian cricket board’s request only did the right thing.

An already angry India was further enraged by the charges of racism leveled against Harbhajan Singh and his subsequent ban for three tests. After all, sledging is more or less an Australian invention and they have acquired certain expertise in what has been ingeniously described as ”mental disintegration”.Not only subcontinental teams, but even traditional rivals England have complained about the highly personal and abusive nature of Aussie sledging. India would have certainly held the moral high ground if it had demanded that sledging be banned entirely. It could well have pointed that is nonsensical to penalize alleged racist comments when Cricket Australia brazenly endorses abuse in the name of playing tough cricket.

Instead, it reacted with passion and anger almost entirely devoid of reason. Sharad Pawar, the chief of B.C.C.I declared that the charges against Singh were not acceptable because India had been in the forefront of the war against racism! It was an individual and not India which was at trial. Surely, it is ridiculous to suggest that Indians are not capable of racism when the evidence clearly suggests otherwise. Equally, the shrill and jingoistic campaign by large sections of the Indian media does them no credit. It is one thing to support the team; it is another to entirely sacrifice reason.

However, what has really taken the proverbial cake is the virtual threat of the Indian board to pull out of the Australian tour unless Harbhajan was cleared of the racism charges. If reports (subsequently denied) are to be believed, Indians had even chartered a plane to fly out of Adelaide in what the Indian manager called a ‘’show of solidarity.” Peter Roebuck has quite rightly called it the ”amongst the most nakedly aggressive actions taken in the history of a notoriously fractious game.” What was the need for India to resort to such blatant blackmailing when a neutral authority was adjudicating on the case? It was not only bad form but bad strategy as well as a legal professional could not have convicted Harbhajan based merely on testimony of the Australian players. The legal luminaries guiding the BCCI should have known at least this much. BCCI’s blunder has only made India look like a road side bully bent on having his way at any price.

India is no longer just another developing country. Two decades of rapid economic development have ensured that it is now a country firmly on the asendence destined to take its rightful place as a major player in the world. It is time it starts behaving like one. In fact, the latest affair is merely symptomatic of India’s inability to come to terms with its growing stature. From the Shilpa Shetty affair to Mohammad Haneef story, it is the same mix of victim hood, outrage and a believe that Indians can do no wrong.

Everyone including the Australians recognize that it is Indian money which runs world cricket. Then why this perpetual victim hood? Why this feeling that justice would always be denied to India? No doubt, some of it is a legacy of India’s past. Nevertheless, the much talked about ”confident new Indian” must also realize the dividing line between bravery and braggadocio; between confidence and cockiness.

It is not to argue that Australians are paragons of virtue. The same Peter Roebuck had called them a bunch of wild dogs after their ungracious behavior after the Sydney test match. The great Neil Harvey has called them a ”bunch of morons” and in fact applauded India for standing up to them. Nevertheless, the Indian team need not copy the tactics of Australians merely to ”fight fire with fire”. To understand what true grit, determination and toughness means, they only have to look towards this man.

And yes, can we have now some good cricket please?

Note: There was a a problem with the comment section. I have fixed it. Thanks to Atanu for pointing that out.