Punter and the gibes

First the boos .Then the sneers and then the gibes . The fact being Ricky and spirit of cricket have never gone hand in glove for the lack of a better expression . But in the age of politically correct people and hot shot marketers and IPL addicts Ricky is the kind that doesnt enter the stereotype .

Never the type who would let a situation pass without an abrasive retort of almost unschooled arrogance as ferocious as his pull stroke, the one thing you cant accuse the Aussie captain of is 'being a bore' . He mouths his opinions direct and his response time is quicker than when he takes a brilliant reflex catch at second slip.

But to make him the scapegoat of this entire 'spirit of cricket' debate smacks of hypocrisy . It is only fair to say he is merely an bigoted adherent of a legacy sustained by generations of Autralian cricketers and captains. At the very base of the spirit of cricket arguement lies the dictum 'Be gracious in defeat ' and Australian cricket fostered and nurtured anything but that .

It is no secret that the Chappels were sore losers . Great visionaries of the game they never left any stone unturned in their quest for victory,spirit of the game or not. Border was a handpick of the Chappels (Kim Hughes a brilliant batsmen had to leave in tears because he was a decent man and there was no place for decency) . Border promoted the tactic of sledging ,Taylor his successor tried to mask it underneath a gentlemanly exterior and Steve waugh almost turned it into an art form . So much so that probably the last great 'spirit of the game exponent' Brian Lara refused to come to bat unless 'Motormouth' Steve move himself and his barrage of verbal volleys out of cover . So it is barely surprising when Shane Watson,'the new age' aussie pro blames Australia's tempered sledges to his teams defeat at Lords .Meaning decency and winning are poles apart when it comes to the baggy green . In order to win you need to cross all lines and clear all boundaries .

But it is this unflinching and relentless 'win at any cost' attitude that made Australian cricket a brand to be cherished and admired . And it is unfair to single out Ponting, though worthy of rebuke and criticism for his actions, for all the ills that plague the 'spirit of the game' .It is high time the game's administrators and intellectuals and one and all addressed the base of this 'spirit of cricket ' philosophy . Until then lets accept australian cricket for what it is and punter for his pull stroke .