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

Time to go, says Bucknor's old mate

"Before they decide to withdraw him from the third Test,

I think he should quit," says umpire A V Jayprakash about

Steve Bucknor, his partner during his first international match

in 1997, in the wake of his wrong decisions in India's second

Test against Australia.
Bucknor was also on field in Jayaprakash's most famous game

at Kotla, when Kumble got a perfect 10. And as fate would have

it, Jayaprakash was the TV umpire during Bucknor's 100th Test

in 2005 at Eden Gardens.
"When players stop enjoying your umpiring, one should call it quits.

I did the same. My only fear is, in case Bucknor is pulled out of the

Perth Test, he will always be remembered for the mistakes

he made in Sydney. All those early years when he made a reputation

for himself as a top cricket umpire will go down the drain," says

58-year-old Jayaprakash about 61-year-old Bucknor.
While there have been several instances of Bucknor's errors

going repeatedly against the Indians, Jayaprakash vividly

remembers the senior umpire's forgettable Test involving Pakistan

at Eden Gardens.
Jayaprakash was the TV umpire in that game of the 2005 series.

As light faded at the end of Day 3, Sachin Tendulkar was given

caught behind off Abdul Razzaq. The ball seemed to have missed

the bat by some margin.
"In the last few years, because of his age, he has made quite a few

mistakes," says Jayaprakash. But he is quick to add that the

West Indian wasn't quite anti-India. "I have seen the era when the

Indian crowds used to love him. He was a star all over the world."

India undecided on tour future despite ICC action



MUMBAI, India (Reuters) - India's cricket board (BCCI)
expressed satisfaction at the International Cricket Council's
decision to drop umpire Steve Bucknor from the third test but
has yet to reach a decision on the future of the Australia tour.
"We are happy that this issue (umpiring) has been resolved,
but the working committee will meet tonight (Tuesday) and
decide on the future course," board secretary Niranjan Shah
told Reuters on Tuesday.
On Monday, the BCCI suspended the tour pending the outco
me of an appeal for banned spinner Harbhajan Singh, who was
handed a three-test suspension by match referee Mike Procter
for racially abusing Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds during
the second test in Sydney.
India reacted with anger and disappointment at the series of
umpiring blunders that led to their second test defeat as well as
the controversial ban on Harbhajan.
The hosts won by 122 runs to equal their own record of 16 consecutive
test victories and lead the four-test series 2-0. The third test is
scheduled to be played in Perth from Jan. 16.
On Tuesday, the International Cricket Council replaced West Indian
Bucknor with Billy Bowden of New Zealand and appointed match
referee Ranjan Madugalle to act as mediator in the row between rival
captains, Anil Kumble and Ricky Ponting.
The ICC also said Harbhajan may continue to play pending the verdict
of his appeal, although a date has yet to be set for the spinner's hearing.
However, the Indian board has categorically stated that Harbhajan
had to be absolved of the racist charge and "will fight the blatantly false
and unfair slur on an Indian player".
The team had been asked to remain in Sydney until further instructions,
vice-president Rajiv Shukla told Indian media.
They were due to travel to Canberra on Monday for a tour match.
"I don't want to comment (on the future of the tour) as of now.
If everything turns out fine (committee's decision) the team can still
reach (Canberra) in time," Shah said.

Harbhajan cleared to play while appeal

is pending



MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Indian spinner

Harbhajan Singh has been cleared to resume

playing until his appeal against a three-match ban is heard,

the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Tuesday.

Harbhajan was suspended by ICC match referee Mike

Proctor for three matches on Sunday after being found

guilty of racially abusing Australian all-rounder Andrew

Symonds during last week's ill-tempered second test in Sydney.

Harbhajan has denied abusing Symonds and the Indian

cricket board has lodged an appeal on his behalf.

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said a date for Harbhajan's

appeal had not yet been set but the bowler would be allowed to

continue playing in the meantime, in accordance with ICC regulations.

"The ICC has a robust process of dealing with Code of Conduct

issues and that process will now run its natural course," Speed said

ICC stands by umpires despite Indian
complaints


SYDNEY (Reuters) - The International Cricket Council
will resist Indian demands to sack umpire Steve Bucknor
from standing in next week's third test against Australia.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wants Bucknor
banned from officiating at the match in Perth as punishment for
a series of blunders he made during the second test in Sydney.
The ICC said member countries were not permitted to interfere or
oppose the appointment of umpires.
"The standard test match playing conditions are signed by the
respective board, and the condition states that neither team has a
right to object to an umpire's appointment. There is little
ICC can do," an ICC spokesman said on Monday.
Bucknor and Englishman Mark Benson were heavily criticised
by Indian officials for their handling of the second test which
Australia won by 122 runs.
Both teams were adversely affected by wrong calls but
India suffered more than the Australians.
The most significant occurred on the first day when
Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds was incorrectly
given not out on 30 before going on to make 162 not out.
Then on the last day India's Rahul Dravid was wrongly given
out when he was trying to save the game.
"I have been informed by the BCCI that they are lodging a
strong protest with the ICC, so that some of the incompetent
umpires do not umpire in the rest of the series," the Indian team
manager Chetan Chauhan told a news conference.
"We're not saying this because we have lost the game. It was for
everybody to see."
Benson was not scheduled to stand in the third test but
61-year-old Bucknor was listed to officiate along with
Pakistan's Asad Rauf.
Jamaican-born Bucknor is the most experienced umpire in
international cricket history, having stood in a record 120 tests, and
five World Cup finals