MAHELA THE GREAT AND ADAM THE CHEAT?

Asoka Perera PhD Toronto

Cricket World Cup is officially over by that rain hit historical dark evening of April 28, 2007 at Kensington Oval in Barbados. The dark clouds of this World Cup are still hanging around and will continue to cast over Australian cricket until they justify the entire cricketing world about Gilchrist's squash ball scandal. The match ended prematurely giving an unusual victory to Australia. Sri Lanka lost the toss at the beginning and then lost the game finally to the weather. That's what everybody thought. But, truth can not be hidden for ever. It came from the very culprit who committed it. There is no doubt that Australians are one of the best and undefeated sides in the world cup. It does not mean that they are not beatable.

Adam Gilchrist was struggling with the bat throughout the tournament until he found the rhythm in the final game. Hayden and Ponting were among leading run scorers for the world cup from the beginning. It is very clear for anyone who looks into the statistics of the final match of the Australian batting; Adam Gilchrist was sending the ball allover the ground with his electrifying shots and thundering sixes. Whereas his leading runs machines were struggling against Sri Lankan bowling attack. What really made the difference? As disclosed by him, the effect of using a squash ball in his glove gave Adam Gilchrist the much needed momentum. He found his form and led the country for the title.

Australia was instrumental in making troubles to Sri Lanka's spin wizard Murali in the past. Murali was using his natural talents to spin the ball. Even after Murali was cleared by scientifically proven bio-medical evidences, Australia never gave up their uttering against him. Even their Prime Minister jumped with his dirty political slogans into the bucket.

It is very evident that Gilchrist has exposed himself to the whole world that he used the squash ball to strengthen his weak left hand grip. Now, Australian Prime Minister is silent, Australian umpires including Daryl Hair (the man who offered victory of the test match to England against Pakistan recently) and Ross Emerson (who no bowled Murali with Daryl Hair) are silent, and Australian team and ICC are sleeping, Pakistan Captain Inzuman was banned from several international cricket games for the charges of bringing the game into dispute though the charges of ball tempering was not proven in the hearing. Hair made the way for himself to jungle after the incident. What would the ICC do to Gilchrist for his illegal action in the final game? I believe that he did not use this in earlier games as he might have been scared of possible exposure would lead to ICC decision to ban it. So he may have waited for the final game to test it.

Here the case is very clear. Gilchrist has disclosed that he used the performance enhancing devices (squash ball) in the final game. ICC even does not need any hearing as he has admitted what he has done in the game. Sri Lankan Cricket management should take a strong initiative to bring this issue to ICC to strip off the crown that Australians illegally took away from Sri Lanka.

Sangakkara showed his sportsmanship to the game by signaling the head umpire that the catch was not taken cleanly from Hayden's bat before referring to TV umpires. Mahela departed the ground at a very crucial stage to a leg before wicket appeal to a turning ball to his leg as Sri Lanka was chasing the Australian target. Mahela was very humble to praise whole Australian team including Gilchrist's illegal inning. Everybody who watched the final moment of the awards ceremony witnessed the way the Australian captain described his feelings. They lack the real character and played against the spirit of the game.