[Manorama] McGrath - a disgrace to mankind?
Greg Lambert
So, Mcgrath, his 'sensitivity heightened' because his wife Jane is
undergoing cancer treatment didn't like it when Sarwan sledged back at
him by throwing in his missus' name! Just a few years back it was the
very same Mcgrath who was cruel enough to taunt Kiwi Chris Cairns
about his sister who had died in a train crash. As Cairns walked
Magrath who sniggered and commented, "Was your sister too drunk?" even
as rest of his teammates started making noises like "Choo Choo". Well,
as you sow, so you reap.
Simply the best--in cricket and sledging
- Neeru Bhatia
http://www.manoramaonline.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=manorama/MmArticle/CommonFullStory&c=MmArticle&cid=1053376175553&channel=News&p=1002194839100&count=7
Much of Australian Test skipper Steve Waugh's 15 hour long, tiring
journey back home from the West Indies will be spent wondering: how
did his Caribbean dream go sour? Why, even after inflicting the
cruelest of defeats on the Windies, is his team being talked about for
all the wrong reasons?
It took two days for bravehearts like Chanderpaul and Sarwan to
shatter Waugh and his mates' dream of a 4-0 unprecedented whitewash of
Windies. However, it took only a few minutes and just one incident to
turn the bouquets for the Aussies into brickbats and undo all the good
work done. Visuals of a six foot three inch paceman Glenn Mcgrath
finger wagging, abusing and throwing a 'how-dare-you-abuse-me-back'
attitude toward a shorter, yet more stately Ramnaresh Sarwan were not
only a bad advertisement for the gentleman's game but also a harsh
reminder of how unsporting and cruel the world champions can be in
their quest for victory.
Not to forget vulnerable too- a weakness that other countries tend to
forget as they struggle to find a suitable alternative to the unipolar
world of cricket, so dominated by Australia.
Maybe in search of these answers, the following conversation will be
playing in Waugh's mind over and over again during the plane journey.
McGrath to Sarwan: "What does Lara's ---- taste like?"
Sarwan replied: "I don't know, ask your wife."
McGrath began to walk away before turning back and heading to within a
foot of Sarwan, screaming: "If you ever f------ mention my wife again,
I'll ------- rip your ------- throat out."
It's a shame that the more the Australians stretch the ability gap
between themselves and the rest of the cricketing world, becoming
nastier by the day. Surely there can't be any pride in being called
the bad poster boys of world cricket. In spite of reiterating the fact
that they want to be model tourists many a times, they end up leaving
as bad an impression as the unwanted, uncouth English soccer fans.
When it comes to sledging, the Aussies have mastered the art to
perfection, even justifying it as the Australian 'way' of playing.
Even their Prime Minister John Howard, a self-confessed cricket fan
prone to putting his foot in his mouth more often than his nearest
competitor the Duke of Edinburgh, has given a clean chit to Mcgrath's
angry outburst saying "that's a very Australian thing to do".
Howard's pat on the back didn't carry much weight with the more
sporting Australian public as they flooded local newspapers with
letters full of outrage over their team's behaviour. Sample this
sarcastic comment by one Australian in the Sydney Morning Herald.
"Congratulations to Steve Waugh and his men on bringing home the Ashes
of Cricket Sportsmanship." Some went beyond sarcasm to caustic.
"Amazing when you compare the behaviour of superpowers. The White
House and Aussie cricket teams have a lot in common and should share
their experiences." The condemnation continued as one reader wrote,
"Keep up the good work of "winning" Test matches, boys. Even it if
takes thuggery to do it. The most pampered team in the world cannot
win anything unless it's calling the opposition chuckers and hurling
abuse faster than Michael Holding could bowl. Keep it up boys."
One is not surprised at the criticism the team got from their own
supporters because unlike Howard's blinkered vision, the "Australian
way" is not about bullying. Australian sports has given to world
honest and gentlemanly sportspersons like two times US Open champion
Patrick Rafter and superstar golfer Greg Norman.
Maybe, Waugh can point a finger at himself too because somewhere along
the line in his quest for mental disintegration of his opponents he
forget to tell his teammates about the fine line between abusing and
sledging. That is why when the shoe is on the other foot, Aussies cry
uncle faster than their pal Brett Lee sends down beamers.
So, Mcgrath, his 'sensitivity heightened' because his wife Jane is
undergoing cancer treatment didn't like it when Sarwan sledged back at
him by throwing in his missus' name! Just a few years back it was the
very same Mcgrath who was cruel enough to taunt Kiwi Chris Cairns
about his sister who had died in a train crash. As Cairns walked
Magrath who sniggered and commented, "Was your sister too drunk?" even
as rest of his teammates started making noises like "Choo Choo". Well,
as you sow, so you reap.
Waugh has been criticised by no less than his predecessor Mark Taylor
who was quoted as saying that the skipper should have stepped in to
cool things down before Umpire David Shepherd intervened. That is
where Waugh erred.
To his credit though one wouldn't say the Aussies developed into
walking, talking meanies under Waugh. That started two decades ago
when Deniss Lillee, infamously kicked Pakistan batsman Javed Miandad -
an incessant sledger - in the backside during an Australian series.
Javed raised his bat in retaliation. Then heightened in 1981 when Greg
Chappell ordered brother Trevor to bowl underarm but became an art
under Waugh. It was the same Waugh who looked the other way when
Michael Slater hurled abuse after abuse on Rahul Dravid in the Mumbai
Test in 2000 and then went on to gesticulate angrily at him.
While Waugh never stops anyone from doing wrong, it took none other
than our very own Sachin Tendulkar to convert cricketers from sledgers
to gentleman. It happened in 1991 in Sharjah, when a nineteen year old
Sachin playing against a venom spewing Aquib Javed walked up to him
and asked why he wasted his energy on abusing instead of bowling.
Aquib Javed never sledged after that. Maybe that is where the
difference between the man aspiring to be the greatest Test captain
and the greatest cricketer in the world lies.
Bad Aussies: Australian cricket team's recent poor record
* On the tour of the West Indies, Glenn McGrath spits in direction of
opener Adrian Griffith. 2000
* In New Zealand, umpire warns Brett Lee to tone down his bowling,
saying Lee deliberately tried to hurt a No 11 batsman, overstepping
the crease by "two and a half feet" and firing in a bouncer.
* McGrath criticised for over-zealous send off of Sachin Tendulkar in
Test against India in home series.
* Stuart MacGill warned after he collides with Windies 12th man
Ramnaresh Sarwan as he leaves the field at Adelaide Oval. 2001
* Ricky Ponting told by match referee to "cool it' or risk fine after
brush with umpire Steve Davis in home Test v Windies.
* Shane Warne's verbal abuse of Zimbabwe batsman Stuart Carlisle
caught on stump microphone in Sydney one-dayer.
* Michael Slater fined and handed suspended sentence after protesting
to umpire and batsman Rahul Dravid, claiming he'd made a catch in
Bombay Test.
* Later on Indian tour, McGrath and Adam Gilchrist fined for dissent
and abusive language directed at umpire in one-dayer.
* Brett Lee fined $8,250 for ranting at New Zealand tail-ender Shane
Bond in third Test in Perth. 2003
* Matthew Hayden fined for smashing a dressing room door in Sydney
Ashes Test.
* Adam Gilchrist severely reprimanded for dissent in same Test.
* Darren Lehmann suspended for five matches for racial outburst after
being dismissed by Sri Lankans in Brisbane one-dayer.
* Fourth Test against West Indies, McGrath's histrionics against
Sarwan.
alvey
> [This is the most disturbing section about this sickening individual]
> So, Mcgrath, his 'sensitivity heightened' because his wife Jane is
> undergoing cancer treatment didn't like it when Sarwan sledged back at
> him by throwing in his missus' name! Just a few years back it was the
> very same Mcgrath who was cruel enough to taunt Kiwi Chris Cairns
> about his sister who had died in a train crash. As Cairns walked
> Magrath who sniggered and commented, "Was your sister too drunk?" even
> as rest of his teammates started making noises like "Choo Choo". Well,
> as you sow, so you reap.
A more appropriate biblical & farming references here would be the one
about spilling his seed on the ground? It certainly applies to you.
First hand. This "choo choo" story has repeatedly and emphatically been
denied by everybody you've named. *Especially* Cairns.
Alvey
In Brisbane, wondering in Conan was really Colin Onan.
Bob Dubery
Mariner
> denied by everybody you've named. *Especially* Cairns.
Yes the incident WAS denied by everyone but according to many sources and
articles and what you didn't mention was that the original incident was
reported by two Aussie players so before you get too hastily patriotic in
your defence do look at all the facts.
Now why would TWO people make such serious allegations about their own
teammates if the story was fiction ? Surely it would simply bring many into
disrepute including the game itself for no reason whatsoever and the two
players would probably have got ostrocised and ousted from the team as well.
Maybe these two players felt this behaviour was unacceptable and then
everyone including Cairns decided to hush up about it everyoen shook hands
and had a beer and they felt the consequences were not worth the hassles.
But then again the fact that two Aussie players reported it could also be
fiction as the ACB is not known for covering up controversies surrounding
its players is it?
Here are some interesting articles about sledging in sport and they also
mention this fact too:
http://www.geocities.com/mikey_wbt/sayings_and_writings/sledging_in_sport.html
http://www.misterharold.net/joker/src/jkquot03.htm
RodP
marin...@yahoo.com says...
> Now why would TWO people make such serious allegations about their own
> teammates if the story was fiction ?
Two players according to whom? The press? Who were the players?
> Here are some interesting articles about sledging in sport and they also
> mention this fact too:
Methinks you should look up the meaning of the word 'fact'.
Cheers,
Rod.
Arvind Borde
news:WQNya.39423$ro6.1...@news2.calgary.shaw.ca...
> Yes the incident WAS denied by everyone but according to many sources and
> articles and what you didn't mention was that the original incident was
> reported by two Aussie players so before you get too hastily patriotic in
> your defence do look at all the facts.
What are all the sources and articles so that we, too, may see
the "facts"?
> players would probably have got ostrocised and ousted from the team as
well.
> Maybe these two players felt this behaviour was unacceptable and then
> everyone including Cairns decided to hush up about it everyoen shook hands
Interesting facts, these.
> Here are some interesting articles about sledging in sport and they also
> mention this fact too:
>
http://www.geocities.com/mikey_wbt/sayings_and_writings/sledging_in_sport.ht
ml
> http://www.misterharold.net/joker/src/jkquot03.htm
They both contain the same "article" (if something with no clear authorship
and no clear publication data can be called such). The "fact" that you
refer
to is described thus:
"If that seems over the top, it was child's play compared
to comments allegedly directed at New Zealand's Chris Cairns by two
Australian players. It was claimed the players had made "choo choo" noises
at Cairns, whose sister had been killed in a recent train accident. The
story was denied by all parties."
Pretty solid facts, I'd say.
Arvind
kenhiggs8
Well,
the word around the traps (as in gossip, and, yes, unproveable), is
that Healy was the 'Choo-choo' cheerleader and yes, it was pretty
unsavoury, and yes, it was hushed up as not being in the best
interests of all concerned.
But you ask for proof, don't you?
I mean, you couldn't provide proof of Larry altering a post, but you
abused anyone who didn't 'believe' your story, but that wouldn't make
you a hypocrite, let alone a wanker, would it?
I mean, you and yours are trying to tell us that 'nothing actually
happened' between McGrath and Sarwan, except that Sarwan accidentally
brought up Ma McGra's cancer (yeah, right!); nothing actually happened
between Slater and Dravid, except that quite likely Dravid swore at
Slater, blah blah
Hypocrite Watch
That's three this morning. Just as well the pissed old sod didn't post
much last night.....