Periscope on Pakistan

The Indian Express brings you clippings for the Pak mediaCracks on the Australian pitch?DAWN: Not so long ago, Shoaib Akhtar was just a yo...

The Indian Express brings you clippings for the Pak media

Cracks on the Australian pitch?

DAWN: Not so long ago, Shoaib Akhtar was just a young fast bowler, one of many trying to make the grade. Little did we realise that he would turn the cricket world upside down and threaten to divide it on racial lines. Akhtar himself did not bring this about. He was an innocent by-stander and, if anything, a victim. Indeed some Australian officials and ex-test cricketers have now counter-attacked calling the lifting of the ban on Akhtar temporarily a sub-continent conspiracy, claiming that although we have differences among us, we tend to gang up against the whites.

There may be some truth in this because we feel that it is not a sheer coincidence that when the Australian umpires act, they invariably do so against Pakistan, Indian and Sri Lankan teams. The Australians can get away with sledging but Venkatesh Prasad gets fined and a suspended two-match ban for giving Slater a ratheraggressive send-off. McGrath, on the other hand, is simply cautioned when he bares his teeth like a snarling animal as he gets the wicket of Tendulkar, in the same match! Jagmohan Dalmyia is being targeted and someone like Bobbie Simpson would not have dared to use the sort of language he has had the president of the ICC been an Australian or an Englishman.

The code of conduct does not allow a player to defend himself. The umpires and match-referees in particular take the position that they are under no obligation to explain their actions to the media. It is too one-sided. The match-referee has to be made accountable. They have authority without responsibility. If the ICC is to be taken seriously as cricket8217;s supreme governing body, it should be seen to be even-handed and it should, by its actions dispel the impression that it is racially biased.