Cricket News Headlines

Cultural divide fuels Australia-

India cricket crisis




SYDNEY (Reuters) - The cricket world is in crisis, the multi-million

dollar India tour of Australia is in jeopardy, and bilateral ties are

being tested, as charges of racism, cultural divisions and unsporting

behaviour soil cricket's image.
Indian fans are burning effigies of umpires after incorrect decisions

contributed to the country's defeat in the second test against Australia

in Sydney on Sunday, and an Indian player was convicted of racism

for calling an Australian player a "monkey".
India is refusing to play rest of the games and headed off to Bondi

Beach on Tuesday for a game of volley ball with lifesavers, insulted

by the umpires' decisions, racism charge, and allegations an

Australian player called Indians "bastards" during the test.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called on Tuesday for

cricketing authorities to settle the matter "at the first available

opportunity", while the country's foreign minister said bilateral ties

would survive the crisis but called for calm.
"One of the things that we do share in terms of cultural or sporting

activities is that both nations and both peoples have a great love of

cricket," said Foreign Minister Stephen Smith.
"I don't see any problems in the relationship arising through the test

series. We all have strong views as cricket fans about test matches.

I think, is the time for cool heads to prevail."
Australians and Indians follow cricket with fanatical fervour. National

pride is at stake during test matches. But while cricket unites both

nations, the cultural divide between the two seems to be escalating

the crisis between cricket's two most powerful nations.
When Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh called Australian Andrew Symonds,

of British and West Indian origin, a "monkey" it was declared racism by

cricketing officials and he was suspended for three matches.
Indians argue that "monkey" is not racially insulting in their country.

The monkey god Hanuman in India is a hero -- a provider of courage, hope,

knowledge, intellect and devotion.
Indian officials have appealed the decision, arguing umpires took Symonds'

word over Harbhajan's, but Australia claims Harbhajan has abused Symonds

during previous matches.
"The Indian board realises that the game of cricket is paramount but so too is

the honor of the Indian team and for that matter every Indian," said the board

in a statement.
Indian fans have home burnt effigies of the second test umpires. "Indian team,

come back home," chanted fans in Jammu.
"The slur of racial abuse on Harbhajan Singh, that has assumed

larger proportions in this country, because we have been

an anti-racist country. If he is hanged that is what India is

not willing to accept," former Indian test player and now

commentator Navjot Singh Sidhu told Australia's Sky television.
Further angering India is a claim that an Australian player

called the Indian team "bastards" -- in Australia the word bastard

is often used affectionately by laconic Australians, but in India it

carries a great slur.
"This is a serious term," said India team manager Chetan Chauhan.

"It has a lot of bad meanings back in India. In India, we do not have

children without getting married. It is a taboo and it is not accepted

in the society."
The crisis is also about the apparent "gentleman ethos" of cricket and

alleged unsportsman-like behaviour.
Many Australian fans, have joined Indian fans, in slamming their team

after some players accepted the incorrect umpire decisions and

refused to honourably concede they were out.
"Like most Australians, I felt somewhat empty and embarrassed at

Australia's 'win' in the second test against India. This is clearly a

victory that we cannot celebrate," Stuart Gardiner wrote in a letter in

The Australian newspaper on Tuesday.
Australia's cricket team has a reputation for playing hard, and for

sledging or abusing opponents on the field, which many commentators

say has annoyed the cricket world for years.
"The question that needs to be ask is: 'What turned fun-loving

cricketers and fans from being good sportsmen on and off the field

into overzealous, competitive, win-at-all-costs people?," Stephen

Hagan from the University of Southern Queensland asked in an

opinion article in The Australian