Misbah suspension too harsh on Pakistan

The suspending of skipper Misbah Ul-Haq for the First of Three Test matches against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium, would certainly have taken the sails off the Pakistani cricketing ship. Pakistani cricket which suffered a body blow when they lost the One-Day series to Sri Lanka, would have been looking to redeem lost prestige by performing well in the Tests and maintaining the superiority they had over the Lankans in the desert last year.

But the suspension of Misbah, their think tank, had left them without their regular leader who had resurrected their cricket with his clever leadership.

Slow over rate

Pakistan bowled a slow over rate and Misbah received two suspension points which forced him to skip the First Test which would have disappointed him and dented the morale of his team. This suspension which was slapped by the ICC and informed by Match Referee Chris Broad which would also have disappointed millions of Pakistani cricket fans came in for discussion by cricketers and cricket fans.

Accepted that this rule has been in existence for a long time. But the question is: Does the punishment fit the crime? Why suspend him for a Test match when the crime was committed in a One-Day International?

Pre Test era

In the pre Test era, there was an incident where the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka as it was then known, was contemplating suspending a cricketer for committing an offence. That was also the time when the great Sri Lankan batting maestro Mahadevan Sathasivam was doing expert comments for 'The Times of Ceylon' during an Unofficial Test at the CCC. As Sports Editor of the 'Times' when I informed 'Satha' of the move by the BCCSL to suspend the player he was furious. He said that the particular player is indispensible to the team and that spectators come to watch that particular player.

'Reprimand the player. The maximum punishment you can give that player is to fine him his full match fees or whatever. But play him', was the great man's befief. And it is not too late for the ICC to change that draconian rule.

Indians not coming

The news that the Indian cricketers would not be available to play in the Premier League conducted by Sri Lanka Cricket would have jolted SLC. Last year when D.S.de Silva' s Interim Committee was planning to hold the inaugural Premier League, the non-availability of the Indian cricketers stalled the tournament. There is no doubt that he Indian cricketers are the draw cards in today's game.

Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni are the crowd pullers. Without them, it is difficult to see how the Premier League could be a success.

Lot of cricket

The excuse that the India Board has made is that the Indians will be having a lot of international cricket to play and they will not be available during that period. Dhoni and Tendulkar are a must in any form of cricket, especially when it comes to attracting crowds and filling the coffers. Conducting a Premier League without the Indian cricketers who are the stars in the Bollywood of cricket will be like conducting a carnival without lights.

How Sri Lanka Cricket will conduct the inaugural Premier League and how successful it will be in the absence of the Indian stars will be interesting to watch.

Hall in hallof fame -sub head From now on that that fast bowler who terrified and had batsmen shaky in the knees when facing him, Wesley Hall will have to be addressed as Sir Wesley Hall. He was knighted by the Queen in her honours list.

He thus joins the exalted company of great West Indian cricketers who have been knighted.

Names that come to mind are Sir Learie Constantine, the terrible Ws - Everton Weekes, Clyde Walcott, Frank Worrell, Garfield Sobers, Vivian Richards and Condrad Hunte.

A giant of a man, Hall was a terror with his express deliveries. Not very many batsmen showed a likeness to face him. He was like a black stallion coming at you in his run up to deliver.

Glittering cross

Sporting a glittering cross round his neck, and with front shirt button undone, and an action that was poetry in motion, he terrified all batsmen during his reign. One opening batsman who will not forget him will be Australian opener Bobby Simpson. The 'Orcades' docked at the Colombo Port with the Australian team on their way to contest the Ashes after that memorable 1961 series against the West Indies.

That was the series in Australia that brought Test cricket alive with Frank Worrell and Richie Benaud,two of the most aggressive captains that he game has seen or will ever see as captains.

The game's the thing

To them winning r losing did not matter. But what mattered most was how one played the game in the spirit and keeping to the rules. Because for them the game was the thing. When the late M.B.Marjan and I boarded the ship to interview some of the Aussie players, we saw Simpson sporting a bump on his forehead, the result of having missed hooking a bouncer from Hall.

One batsman in Sri Lanka who must still be having nightmares watching Hall running in and delivering is left hander Sarath Silva, the former Nalanda Captain and opener who also opened for SSC.

On their way back after the Aussie series, some of the Windies cricketers - Garfield Sobers, Rohan Kanhai, Condrad Hunte, Chester Watson, Wesley Hall and Seymor Nurse played a game that included some local cricketers and a Board X1 at the Oval, organized by the Late Felix Goonewardene, Managing Editor for the 'TIMES GROUP'.

Hall ran in and delivered the first ball at express speed and sent a bail flying. That was all Silva could remember. Michael Tissera scored a grand century in that game. The other opener, Nihal Kodituwakku was half the height of Hall.

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