The Game called Cricket!

Cricket! It used to be called the Gentleman's game, in the days of yore. Is it anymore?

If you are a gentleman, you would give back the excess change you got at the store. If you are a gentleman, you would smile and tolerate short change given to you at the store. May be you will ask once, but if the storekeeper insists, you would walk away.

This is neither a store, nor are we gentlemen. It is a matter of victory in war. All's fair in love and war.

I am referring to the Symonds's incident last night. There used to be a time when cricketers felt ashamed about such a thing happening on the ground. But, times have changed. It is alright to be dishonest; and admit it. In fact, it is hip. "It is my day. I was given not out anyway".

Little does he realise that there are kids out there looking at him. Kids, to whom he is a role model. Kids, who emulate him, and tell themselves, its okay to be dishonest.

Thats bad for cricket, and in general.

Not surprising when this happens to be Australia. This is a team that almost disowned Adam Gilchrist, when he walked without waiting for the umpire's decision (more than once), in 2004. May be the australians have, as a team, agreed to "never walk, unless the umpire tells you".

Could have been different in different times, when there weren't any action replays, slow motions, snickometers et al. Come to think of it, how did the umpire miss the noise? Had it been in India, it could be said that the noise of the crowd drowned the noise of bat grazing the ball.

Flipping the other side of the coin, we see the player thinking, "I could be dropped, if I walked". "Then, I will lose my endorsements, my wife will divorce me". "And, ...".

A lot more seems to be at stake, these days. So what would you do? Walk or Stay?

By the way, does Adam Gilchrist walk these days?

---

Who's honest? An incomplete list. Add your suggested name too, to make it complete.

Gary Sobers
Brian Lara
Sachin Tendulkar
Adam Gilchrist
Sunil Gavaskar
Courtney Walsh
Kapildev
Clive Lloyd
G R Viswanath
Jonty Rhodes