Hypocrisy

The recent second test match between India & England at Trent Bridge proved once again that most of today's cricketers are hypocrites. Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties and everyone knows that and part of the charm of the game is because umpires make the decisions and so there is a human element involved.

Incorrect decisions are part and parcel of the game. If we cannot take it, then it is better not play the game in the first place. Simon Taufel has proved time and again that he is the best umpire in the world today without a shadow of a doubt. However, the best of umpires make mistakes because they are humans just like the cricketers themselves. The manner in which Taufel's name has been tarnished by the Indian & international media is a shameful act to say the least. Just because the batsmen at the receiving end of two wrong decisions were two (stroke makers) batsmen who have come to a stage in their careers when they are just playing to score runs for themselves & not for the team. If you take the strike rates of Tendulkar & Ganguly in recent times, you will get the picture I am trying to draw. It can be said that the two wickets were crucial and that the match could have gone England's way. However, how can anyone explain the numerous near-misses & lbw shouts against these players. Ryan Sidebottom would have missed Tendulkar's bat by less than an inch almost 50 times during his innings. And the fact was that when Tendulkar became out, he was padding up to the ball & not offering a shot. This sends out a wrong signal to the umpire.

The final point I am trying to make is that when batsmen who do not walk when they know 100% that they are out and the umpire does not give them out, do not have the right to show dissent when they are given out incorrectly.Tendulkar used to the first batsman who used to "walk" when he knew that he was out but gone are those days. In today's cricket Adam Gilchrist is the only cricketer who "walks". This is why I feel the first line in my post holds true.