- Weather | Horoscope | Stocks
expressindia web
HomeBlogsCricketAstrologyShoppingTendersClassifieds OpinionsTravel
| Make this your homepage | Archive
Expressindia » Story

Anil plays fair cricket, but so do we: Ponting

Font Size -

Agencies

Posted online: Tuesday , January 08, 2008 at 12:00:00
Updated: Tuesday , January 08, 2008 at 11:07:49


Sydney, January 8: A defiant Australian skipper Ricky Ponting maintained that he did nothing wrong by reporting Harbhajan Singh for "racially abusing" Andrew Symonds and felt his Indian counterpart Anil Kumble has been unfair in his criticism of the host team's lack of sportsmanship.

"It is a shame that this issue has come to dominate the Test because from my point of view I believe that overall both the Melbourne and Sydney Tests were played in terrific spirit."

"This is not something we take lightly so it is surprising and disappointing to hear Anil Kumble suggest that we did not play within that spirit in Sydney," Ponting wrote in his column for The Australian.

"I like Anil as a bloke and admire him as a cricketer and now captain. I have always felt he played his cricket in the right way, hard but fair. And I believe that is what we do, too."

Ponting asserted that his world champion team was well aware of its responsibility in upholding the spirit of the game and said, "Since I took over from Steve (Waugh) I have taken it on myself to personally ensure that each new member of the team is fully aware of his responsibilities to the game."

Ponting also rejected accusations that the Australians acted like cry babies by reporting Harbhajan to the match referee as they did not have the stomach for the sledging they so proudly dish out to the rival teams.

"In the spirit of playing hard but fair cricket, anyone who knows me and the way I play will be aware I do not make a point of running to umpires and making complaints," he said.

Bookmark this Page
  • Digg

    On Digg, users share intersting online content by submitting links to the site. At that point, the Digg audience can vote on whether or not they think it is interesting. Articles with lots of votes, or "diggs," rise up higher on the site's main page and topical subsection pages. Another form of social sharing, this site also lets users categorize the content they are submitting to Digg and label it with descriptions of up to 350 characters. Digg users can also submit comments on each content item submitted to the site.

    To register, go to: http://digg.com/register

    del.icio.us

    At its most basic level, del.icio.us allows users to save their bookmarks online. Del.icio.us also gives users the ability to "tag" their bookmarks with descriptive category names. For example, someone who has bookmarked multiple Web pages that deal with the Washington Nationals baseball team could tag those links with any terms they want, like "baseball," "nationals," "natsfan," etc.

    As members of a "social bookmarking" community, del.icio.us sers can also see how many other people have bookmarked the same pages, and they can look at those users' bookmark collections to find other interesting online content.

    To register, go to: http://del.icio.us/register

    Reddit

    Reddit allows users to submit news articles and other online content to the site. Users also give articles a thumbs-up or thumbs-down. Reddit then uses those votes to build a user profile and to find articles to recommend to you. Users can also submit comments on items posted to the site.

    To register, go to: http://reddit.com/login

Rate this Article
4
Rating
Ads by Google
Post Comments
Name* Email ID*
Subject* Country*
Message*
Characters remaining
 
TERMS OF USE: The views represented here are not neccesarily endorsed by www.expressindia.com and its allied websites. All messages will be moderated and no message that has inflammatory, abusive, derogatory language or any language deemed unfit for publication by the editor will be displayed. Though it will be endeavoured that as many messages as possible be displayed, there will be time lag between the submission and publication of the messages. The website reserves the right to publish or reject any message.
I agree to the terms of use.
Moral by ravishankar on 09 Jan 2008

Mr Ponting, Shame on you as a sportsman. You have let your country down by being arrogant on the field. You never ever put-up a simple, honest efforts to display sportman spirit. On contrary, you have displayed your true character when you and your team pushed hard. Give me one reason why Michle Clark stood on the crease when he was out (caught to first slip) and why didn't he walk back?. What sort of integrity/moral you as a Aussie leading such people.On top of it, you are saying, you teach every new member about the responsibilities. Better try and correct yourself before teaching others.

It's just not cricket fellas by Greg on 09 Jan 2008

Forget all the ramblings about personal abuse, look inside yourselves and see that one team lost 3 wickets to a part timer. I can bet the Indian team isnt concentrating on how they can defame competitors as u are all doing, be fair, I bet they are working on refining the skills they have so they dont get beaten by poor batting at the end.Good luck with the appeal, but let it be an unbiased hearing not officials persecuted by pressure, most of the gentlemen here would agree anything else would be as disrespectful as the insinuations you are pointing at the Australian team and Australian people. Thank You

No comparison by cricketfan on 09 Jan 2008

But there is a big difference Mr. Ponting in the way you handle yourself on the ground and in the way Anil carries himself. He is dignity personified. I am afraid i can't say that about your team members or yourself. You guys might have a little edge over others in your cricketing skills technically, but you leave yourselves wanting in all other departments of the game.

Unfareness With Indian Team by Deepak Mehta on 08 Jan 2008

Hi,A 70% of ICC money comes from India beeing in ICC . Today if india or BCCI stop playing for ICC would not be running. Ponting is a B.S.he should be strip from, the team Aus. A leader of the team shall be sportsman not Cheater he can not tell Ump. weather a player is out or not. Also was Ponting on the pitch where Symond

Ponting and fair play. by vinayak on 08 Jan 2008

What Ponting thinks as fair is not fair according to many including many Australians. If he persists with his brand of fairness, he will be sacked as a captain and he may have to request BCCI to give him a place in IPL.Arrogarnce is never fair. Reporters have a right to ask questions. They need fair answers not abuse as Ponting did. That may be fair for him, not for others.

Mr.Ponting's ranting by Sridhar on 08 Jan 2008

Anil plays fair cricket, but so do we: PontingWhat a laugh? Mr Ponting. have you ever heard Anil swearing explitives a the opposition? You Australians are the most vulgar sportsmen on the surface of the earth. Ask any cricket teams in the world. You started all this swearing and using bad language in order to win a match at any cost. You have given a dignified word 'sledging' to glorify your swear words. You do not play games in the spirit in which they should be played.

Australian Culture and Indian gully cricket by Naga on 08 Jan 2008

When the issue of sledging comes up against the aussies they talk about culture and the way they their cricket in their backyard so be it. We should also threaten with stumps and say it is how we play the game in India's gully. We are not playing Australian version of the game but the ICC version of the game.

Ponting suffering from Amnesia? World champ at what? Cheating and lying? by J. Harkhandi on 08 Jan 2008

World champ team Oz, really? Forgotten 20 20 already? Not surprising, he has already forgotten how he cheated on the field. Poor bloke, needs some time off in an asylum for habitual liars and cheats lol...

Ponting so chweet n innocent, na? by J. Harkhandi on 08 Jan 2008

Oh yeah, the innocent whitey sweety. Can't see why people call him a cheat and unfit to play any game. Let's trace out ur granddad mate, what was he deported to down under for?

Dumping ground by Indi on 08 Jan 2008

As zimbabwean president robert mugabe once said, Austrilia is a place where criminals were dumped by british during there colonial rule. So, now we all know who these aussies are. Criminals can never be fair in there life.

ponting and australians, a shame to cricket by Indi on 08 Jan 2008

Anil plays fair cricket, right. But ponting does not play fair cricket. Ponting plays cheating cricket, racial cricket, abusive cricket. For ponting cheating cricket fair cricket. For ponting being a racist and abusive is fair. He is shame to cricket. Cricket has lost its sheen because of australians. As South africa was banned for aparthied, australia should be banned for racism and playing abusive and cheating cricket. Australia are world champions in cheating, racism and abusive cricket. Shame on ponting and australian team. They are the ugliest to roam on planet earth.

Cong hits out at Left, says it’s bad timingTalwars out on murder night? Nupur, CBI hit ...Left pulls out, will meet President Patil on...Talwars out on murder night? Nupur, CBI hit ...No offer from BSP to Muslim MPs in our party...Jones’ 'terrorist' remark still hurts Amla

© 2008 Indian Express Newspapers (Mumbai) Ltd. All rights reserved
The Indian Express Group | Advertise With Us | Privacy Policy | Feedback | Work With Us | Site Map