Ranjan, Roshan bring honour

With the local cricket scene in disarray, we take wing to old Blighty, the home of cricket, where very soon would be played the Ashes series between England and Australia.

The countdown has begun for this historic series, with verbals being thrown around by both adversaries, in an attempt to gain the psychological advantage.

Australia have in recent times been knocking the Englishmen around with comparative ease, and if indications are a barometer, then the Aussies are all geared up to stuff the English again.

What is amazing and the envy of all other Test playing nations is the get up of the kangaroos. They have all departments so well oiled and tuned up, and are an example. Most teams attempt to emulate them, but sadly come a cropper. The Aussies have many imitators, but they alone are monarchs.

The Aussies have the early advantage, because most of their cricketers are already doing their thing in England, playing for the counties, studying the Englishmen they would front up to and acclimatising to the fickle conditions that England is famous for.

In an early fling to upset the Aussies, queries were made on the bat that Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has been continuing to use. A verdict on this is being awaited with the manufacturers of the bat Kookaburra confident that nothing is wrong with it.

England under Michael Vaughan are confident that they could roll over their erstwhile opponents. This belief comes from the fact that they have been on a winning stroll.

With both sides trading punches, what would ultimately matter is how they perform out in the middle. The middle is where the series would be won and lost. So it would be noticed that all big talk would be bollocks and the team doing their thing out in the middle to a nicety would be winners.

While Australia and England would be battling it out, Sri Lanka too would be playing a vital part providing the match referees for the Tests and one-day series.

Ranjan Madugalle, the former Sri Lanka captain and stylish batsman would be keeping an eye and cooling things down in the Tests, while Roshan Mahanama, primarily an opening batsman, and who could rightly claim to be the most shabbily treated cricketer watching over the three NatWest Challenge matches.

It is indeed great pride to the country to have these two exemplary gentlemen keeping an eye and telling the teams that cricket is a gentlemen's game and hitting it into them to keep it clean.

The other day during the Windies, South Africa series one of the commentators had reason to comment on Madugalle and say that he is the most respected match referee in the game today.

What a compliment to this wonderful gentleman, cricketer and match referee.

Not done Smith

Greame Smith, the South African captain deserves the 4-match ban and 30 per cent match fee slapped on him by match referee Jeff Crowe for slow over rates in the third one-dayer against the West Indies.

Not only was his slow over rates irritating, but his behaviour too was questionable. Crowe only pecked him. The match referee would not have been faulted had he been more severe with Smith.

With the Proteas on a roll winning the Test and one-day series quite comfortably, pocketing trophies and money, there was no necessity for Smith to behave the way he did.

Smith no doubt is turning out into being a competent leader. Then there is no necessity for him to make enemies.

He was lucky to get a way after allegedly making racist remarks, for which the West Indians did not forgive him, and showed their displeasure by not putting their hands together when he made three figures in the third one-dayer. He also indulged in a lot of verbals and finger pointing.

For a skipper Smith's behaviour was appalling. True that winning is the thing in modern sport, because of the big money to be won. But Smith must be told that winning at all cost is not everything.