Ball-tampering issue ……:

Raging like a bush fire

Elmo Rodrigopulle reporting from Australia

The ball-tampering issue which involved Australians Pete Siddle and Ed. Cowans that flared up during the Hobart Test against Sri Lanka, is set to fire up and create bitterness in both teams and from now on it is going to be a hotly contested series.

Newspapers here have taken up the issue after it was first highlighted in ‘Daily News’ and is now ragging like a bush fire, that Australia is famous for.

While Siddle and Cowans have been cleared of any wrong doing, the Lankans are convinced that something had been done to the ball, claiming that if not, there was no reason for the television to keep showing the incident.

Have your say

In the ‘Herald Sun’ have your say column which allows Digital and Print readers to comment, there are a lot of comments condemning the Sri Lankans for bringing up the ball-tampering issue.

That is nothing unusual and the Sri Lankan management here need not be unduly worried. The Sri Lankans are being accused of back tracking. It was not they who brought out the issue but the broadcasters who apparently saw something being done to the ball and kept showing it to the viewers.

According to Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford, the tampering issue which is pretty fresh with them.

But the cricketers are focused on winning the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and getting on equal terms.

According to the Sri Lankans, at one stage of the match, Broad the match referee had come to coach Ford and said that they had noted an incident and had spoken to the Australian team – and not to worry any further about. And that’s where it all started according to the Lankans.

Under attack

Skipper Mahela Jayewardene who came under attack for trying to explain Sri Lanka’s unofficial approach to Chris Broad, is ready to meet the Australians and sort out any differences.

Amidst all these controversies, Australia’s captain Michel Clarke who is having a dream run with the bat this summer has reclaimed top spot in the ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen.

West Indian Shiv Chanderpaul led the rankings. But Clarke who was trailing Chanderpaul by one point made 74 and 57 in the Hobart Test and is now leading Chanderpaul by nine points.

Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath who had five wickets in the second innings of the Hobart Test and became the leading bowler this year dropped two places and is now fourth.

Melbourne, Thursday.