| Font Size - |
"Sometimes tempers can get a little bit out of line but the challenge for us now, as I've said to the guys over the last few weeks, is just to take a little step back and have a little think about your actions before you actually act," Ponting said.
"We are not too good, not too big for criticism. We'll sit back and listen to it and a lot of the times actually cop it and go away and try and make ourselves better next time these sort of things happen," he was quoted as saying in the Australian media.
But he countered the claims that his team lacked sportsman spirit by saying, "As far as sportsmanship on the field is concerned I think that is a little bit off the mark."
The Australian skipper said of late the sport had turned very professional and modern cricketers could not to be judged by the standards of the 1950s.
"I think one thing that a lot of people overlook is that we are not playing cricket in the 1950s and a lot of people I think are still living in the 1950s," he said.
Ponting was reacting to the comments of Governor-General Michael Jeffery, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and former 'Invincible' Neil Harvey, who called for more civility on the cricket field in the wake of acrimonious Test series against India.
Jeffery had also called for a return to "fundamental courtesies and good manners".
But Ponting said with so much at stake and everyone trying to do their best, tempers were bound to flare up.
"It's now a fully professional game. It's not a game of just going out there and having a bit of a bat and a bowl and having a laugh and giggle with the opposition," he told the Australian media.
"This is fully fledged international sport played by fully professional athletes and we are trying to do the best by the game and by the Australian public and the on-field umpires and everyone involved in the game," he said.
| Bookmark this Page |
|
RatingIt's a shame that Ponting cannot read the writing on the wall. He fails to understand what is being civil and what is contrary. I for one know that he understands English well, as our suckers (Editors) give him the opportunity to dirty our newspapers with his crap.He should very well know his position now, as one of his own stalwarts said; that if Ponting did not play cricket he would have been in jail.We wonder how our cricketers have to put up such characters. Cheers.
Overt racism, sledging, pressuring umpires into errors in their favour..................this is what Australian professionalism is all about Mr. Ponting?If that is so it would suggest that the team under you and your predecessor were the only professional ones in the entire history of the game.
Does not matter if it is 1950 or 2008, Mr. Ponting. Cricket is not the only game that has gone professional. Rod Laver turned Tennis professional but his manners were impeccable. People remember him fondly all over the world as 'The Racket' as he let his racket speak and is the only one to win All Tennis Grand slams in the same year, twice.Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Boris Becker, Pat Rafter, Agassi, Federer and scores of other professional tennis Players were/are calm and sportive irrespective of the pressure. They made millions of dollars too. Most Pro-Golf legends including Tiger Woods also made more money than the entire Australian team, but are gentlemen and well behaved. Kapil, Gavaskar, Sachin, Dravid, Laxman, Gilchrist, Mark Waugh, Ambrose, Viv Richards, Kumble, Akram, Imran, Murali and many modern players have made more money in Cricket without resorting to Mr. Ponting's ways. Nothing to do with playing the game in 2008 mate, just not knowing to be friendly and sportive is the problem. People respect champions only when they are humble. Case in Point: Gilly is a legend in India and so is Sachin in Australia.
Does not matter if it is 1950 or 2008, Mr. Ponting. Cricket is not the only game gone professional. Rod Laver turned Tennis professional but his manners were impeccable. People remember him fondly all over the world as 'The Racket' as he let his racket speak and is the only one to win All Tennis Grand slams in the same year, twice.Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Boris Becker, Pat Rafter, Agassi, Federer and scores of other professional tennis Players are calm and sportive irrespective of the pressure. Most Pro-Golf legends including Tiger Woods also made more money than the entire Australian team , but are gentlemen and well behaved. kapil, Gavaskar, Sachin, Dravid, Laxman, Gilchrist, Mark Waugh, Ambrose, Viv Richards, Kumble, Akram, Imran, Murali and many modern players have made more money in Cricket without resorting to Mr. Ponting's ways. Nothing to do with playing the game in 2008 mate, just not knowing to be friendly and sportive is the problem. People respect champions only when they are humble. Case in Point: Gilly is a legend in India and so is Sachin in Australia.
Dear ttpms, are you a rapist and were in prison??How do you know that the indian prisons are full of Muslims only. You see place like Dubai and Saudi Arabia where shariah law prevails. The crime rate at lowest level. The people feel secure and the women can walk freely even in night without any body dare touching them. Ask any hindu women staying in Dubai and Saudi arabia. You will be enlightened and forced to advocate shariah law in whole of India.
Why not? Did Kangaroos learn to walk on 4 feet after 1950?
That's true.
We have Great Kumble's, Tendulkar's, Dravid's, Laxmans, Ganguly's, Inzamam's, Jayasuriyas, Muralitharan's and then we have Symonds, Pontings, Hayden's, clarke's, athertons, nasser hussain's, Nel's and co. First mentioned names are clearly gentlemen of the game, where as the later mentioned names are big rowdies, bullies and cheaters (aussies) of the game. But then expecting civilised behaviour from bully's i.e ponting and Co, is like expecting rain in a desert. Gentlemen will always be Gentlemen and rowdies and bullies and sydney cheaters will always be aussies.
Right Mr. Ponting. There is such a thing called "civilised behaviour". Time cannot make changes in this, whether it is 1950 or 2008. That is what is expected of the "gentlemen on the field". For your information, I may add that the West Indians in 1960 with Sir Frank Worrell as skipper, lost the series to Australia (famour tied test included). But when the time came for the West Indians to leave Australians, nearly 500,000 lined up the route to the Airport. Such was the esteem the Australian public had for the West Indians. Can we expect anything similar to that now?
| Most Read Articles |
 |
