Dubai: Let us hope cricket does not produce a Luis Suarez, who, in case you missed it, bit an opponent during the just concluded Fifa World Cup. The reason why cricket must learn a lesson from this incident is that, over the years, cricketers have also shown signs of getting physical in the heat of the moment.
The alleged altercation between England’s James Anderson and India’s Ravindra Jadeja during the first Test at Trent Bridge is the latest incident. From staring down a player, to clenching of the fists, to even hitting a player with a bat have all been happening on the cricket field.
So, despite the strict code of conduct, it is important that such trends are nipped in the bud with the harshest punishment imposed on anyone who lashes out.
When Javed Miandad threatened to hit Dennis Lillee with a bat at Perth during the 1981-82 series, it was termed the most shameful incident in cricket history. Shoaib Akhtar went one step ahead in 2007 by hitting his teammate and pacer Mohammad Asif with his bat. Maybe a cricketer may not bite like Suarez, since cricket is not as physical a sport as football is, but a bowler or a batsman can inflict extreme physical harm through various means.
In the Indian Premier League, Harbhajan Singh allegedly slapped Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, and it is important that such incidents do not happen in international cricket.
Under these circumstances, the Anderson-Jadeja incident should be viewed seriously. The message conveyed to cricketers must be clear that those who cannot play the game in its true spirit should stay at home.
Imagine the indignity that Anderson appears to have brought to English cricket that has a tradition of being sporting. Past England cricketers who propagated the image of this sport as a gentleman’s game will be forced to bow their collective heads in shame.
It is an incident that should not have happened and both captains too should have acted in a more mature manner. England skipper Alastair Cook supported Anderson and Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni backed Jadeja — and this is not what was expected of them. Over and above being ambassadors of their country, captains are also role models of the game and hence should have reserved comment on who was wrong or right and let investigations prove the case.
If any cricketer turns physical and the other player reacts, and if such acts are justified, then there is no difference between a street fighter and a cricketer. Join hands to support cricket and not cricketers who bring shame to the game.
