The ‘Gentlemen’s Game’ in need of Gentlemen - EDITORIAL

Hooray and congratulations! Our national cricket team won a full series of matches. It was against Afghanistan, but no matter, at last we have won a whole series. It was refreshing to see our team win. The huge crowd at the third T-20 match, vouched for the regeneration of interest among the fans of the game in the country. 

While we won all of the test matches, it was the absence of spectators which was prominent. Despite the fact entrance to the games were free, a sparse crowd attended the matches.   

During an earlier era we were enthralled when we beat teams like India, Pakistan and Australia. In those days beating even England was no big deal.
But times have changed. At the Dambulla Cricket Stadium where the last T-20 match between Afghanistan and our national team took place, we witnessed a sad change for the worse in the spirit the game was played. 

The captain of our national cricket team furiously challenged an umpire’s decision on field. He then made an even bigger fool of himself by questioning the umpire’s qualification to officiate in the game! 
The umpire is on the international panel of cricket umpires. Even more unfortunate is that this cricketing captain has apparently not heard the phrase ‘the umpire’s word is law’, or does not believe in it.

How sad... the captain of our national cricket team does not seem to know the rules governing the behaviour of players or the niceties of the game. The ugly scene – shown repeatedly on TV – and reproduced in the print media, brought not only the game of cricket to shame, it put all of us Lankans to shame.

The ‘spirit of cricket’ was very much with us during the days we played our finest cricket and ultimately won the World Cup. Those champions of yesteryear also challenged bad decisions. But they did it with aplomb. 
We cannot forget Captain Ranatunge walking off the field when a particular umpire kept no-balling champion spinner, Muralitharan. But the captain returned and the match continued. He did wag his finger at the umpire but there was no belligerent or threatening attitude that we witnessed at the final T-20 match at Dambulla.

The conduct of the great Muththiah Muralidaran cannot be forgotten. The champion spinner is the only bowler to have taken 800 test wickets and more than 503 one day international wickets. His best figures of 9/51 are the second best in tests, and he holds a net average of 22.72 and an economy rate of 2.47.

Even when he was called out by a biased umpire, we did not see him throwing either on-field or off-field tantrums or indulging in name calling. Neither did he personally vilify the umpires who wrongly called him a ‘chucker’. 
Rather, he willingly underwent scientifically approved tests of his bowling action, which cleared him of the charges brought against him. The course of action led to the end of the careers of the umpires concerned.

Of course, Murali had the backing of a no-nonsense captain, Arjuna Ranatunga who stood by his players and challenged the umpires’ call. The umbrage the present captain took, was not at a player being unfairly singled out by a prejudiced umpire - the umpire was a local umpire - quite unlike in the case where Ranatunge stood up for his player.

What a difference to the scene which unfolded during the final stages of the T-20 match played against Afghanistan at the Dambulla Stadium. Our T-20 captain was arguing over a ‘no-ball’ call. He was not defending a player against a possible career threatening moment.

The ICC has already called out the boorish behaviour of the captain of our national team. He has been handed a two-match ban for his unsporting behaviour. However, our own cricket board has not uttered a single word on the subject. They have adopted a ‘see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil’ attitude. 

The silence of the board is sad; condoning such behaviour will lead youngsters to behave in a similar manner. Corrective action needs to be taken to ensure present and future players never resort to such unacceptable behaviour ever again.