Trying to blow away Gilchrist's squash ball

It is pretty amazing the sportsmanship of the Sri Lankan players. Even after being unfairly treated in the Cricket World Cup 2007 Final;

1. With a 38 over match which favored the Aussy batting and nullified the terrific bowling attack of the Lions (mind you with the spare day not taken into consideration)
2. Being sent back to bat on a soaked pitch after 16 overs
3. Then sent back in again to bat out 3 over in the dark
4. And the most controversial squash ball thumping against them

they still would be gracious and accept defeat like the Gentleman they are. A good lesson to all the sports men and women in the world "Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat".

But let us look at the other side of the story. Let us leave out issues 1,2 and 3 and consider 4; the squash ball scandal. Let alone the players, I admire them keeping it tight lipped about the whole thing (since they are sportsman), but what the hell is Sri Lanka Cricket doing about it. Like the ICC executives, the SLC executives take home thumping salaries without doing anything. The boys break bones, tare ligaments, get baked in the sun to put luxurious cuisine on the tables of the SLC executives. Cricket fans around the world are shouting foul, but SLC seems to dumbstruck and sleeping. There was an article by an Indian (mind you and Indian whom SL evicted form the WC07) questioning, "Is it fair to use a foreign object not listed in Law 42?". He further suggests that "If Gilchrist was allowed a squash ball, fielders should be allowed buckets to catch the ball". He uses the bucket example not as a stupid suggestion or a joke, but to show the scale of the impact it had on the game - take away 53 runs off Gilli's score and Sri Lanka would have lifted the cup. If non Sri Lankans are so concerned about this issue of cheating, should not SLC be standing up for our players, who were wrongly done in the WC final?

I was somewhat glad to see an article today, where Kangadaran Mathivanan the SLC secretary was commenting that "SLC has to decide whether they will take up the matter at the next ICC meeting". But then I ask "what the hell is there to decide?", you damn well should take it up at the next ICC meeting. If the Sri Lankan cricketers were cheated, does SLC expect the England Cricket Board to bring up the issue. And if world cricket was cheated by any individual, team or country, they should take the matter up at the ICC. I say, they don't have to ask the Aussys to give up the cup, the Aussys can keep the cup for all I care, it doesn't matter since the whole world, except the arrogant Aussys (I think even they know it deep inside, but don't like to admit it) know that Sri Lanka is the best team on and off the field. The Sri Lankans follow the rule "Win or loose it's how you play the game". Not so with the Aussys who follow the rule "Win! Hook or by crook". Sri Lankan players uphold the game of cricket and don't bring disrepute to it like the Aussys do by bending rules, sledging, brawling in bars and of course last but not least cheating.

But mind you if SLC brings this matter up, they will have to fight a lot of opposition. I was reading an answer session by Steven Lynch (No I don't know who the hell he is or where he came form - probably some couch potato who thinks he knows cricket) says that, and I quote " My feeling was that it was legal, as I didn't think you could distinguish between a squash ball - which Gilchrist admitted he used to improve his grip during his amazing innings in the World Cup final - and the inner gloves many batsmen wear". Doesn't this pundit know that a squash ball has a diameter of 4.3 cm. Can anybody imagine an inner glove with 4.3 cm of padding, probably will be bigger than a baseball glove. Just imagine if we had people amending laws according to their feelings, and people using what ever equipment they felt like. Probably payers could bring a stun gun and shock the fielder who is going to take their catch, since it is no where mentioned that you can't use a stun gun (close you eyes an imagine, a player going to take a catch and grrr.. he's stunned! Isn't it hilarious?).

Any way getting serious now I come to the our beloved Tony Greg's show. I am not going to insult him, since he is very, I mean very knowledgeable about the game of cricket. But suddenly he too seems to think that "It is is OK, since he can't see how it made a difference". He just has to open his eyes and ears. Tony should take a moment to look at the Aussy score card and listen to the brags of Gilli. All other Aussy batsman were struggling to keep pace. The WC07's worshiped Matt Hayden managed a strike rate of 69%. But Gilli managed a strike rate of 143%. What more Gilli kept on bragging about his squash ball. If the thief confesses, does a judge need anything more for a conviction? (unless the confession was tortured out of him). Tony further goes on to say that "when it happens for the first time it does not draw much attention". He also goes on to say that "It will be an issue when a lot more players start using squash balls". Well when it happens in the most important game in four years, is it not an issue? May be Tony could answer this in his next "Tony Greg Show".

It seems that there is a big effort in all corners to sweep this under the carpet. Probably everybody likes to be in the "good-books" of the ICC, just like Tony himself admits in the same Tony Greg show. May be the ICC has got enough crap this world cup, they don't want anymore. Most likely that many pundits might be scared that getting in the "bad-books" of ICC might not be too good for their pay cheque. The ICC is a mafia who hunts down it's critiques (Tony says so - not me)

Tony Greg Show (Listen)

I see a lot of posts on forums and comment pages, some for, team Sri Lanka (mind you not only by Sri Lankans) and other accusing Sri Lanka as shouting "sour grapes" (most probably arrogant Aussys). Well there is no sour grapes here, but there is an issue of Cheated or Not. ICC WC07 can be kept by the Aussys since all who love the game of cricket know that Sri Lanka is the best team around right now! And any way the ICC has lost all credibility, so what respect does the ICC World Cup have? It is just a metal ball on three stilts plated in gold. Finally I hope that the Sri Lankan Cricket Executives and the World's cricket pundits take some action against such cheaters, so that cricket can be enjoyed and celebrated once again.