CRICKET WORLD TELLS AUSSIES: WE HATE YOU
By Mike Walters
STEVE WAUGH’S Australians have been branded a team hated worldwide in an amazing dressing-down from the man who runs Test cricket.
International Cricket Council president Malcolm Gray has ordered an inquiry into the Aussies’ behaviour during last week’s stormy Fourth Test defeat by the West Indies in Antigua, where he said their conduct went “beyond the pale”.
The Windies’ historic three-wicket win, as they chased a world record 418, was marred by an atrocious, finger-jabbing row between fast bowler Glenn McGrath and Ramnaresh Sarwan.
McGrath wrongly thought Sarwan had made a comment about his English wife Jane, who is undergoing treatment for cancer, and snarled: “If you ever f****** mention my wife again, I’ll rip your f****** throat out.”
Waugh had earlier decorated the occasion with an ugly, toe-to-toe sledging match with opposite number Brian Lara.
Now Gray - a former chairman of the Australian Cricket Board - has stepped in with a public dressing-down for Waugh’s team and a rap for umpires David Shepherd and Sri Venkat, who should have taken “sterner action”.
Asked if Australia had acquired a reputation for bad behaviour, Gray said: "Definitely, no doubt about it. Australia are not liked around the world.
"The message we are getting is that the Australian public felt it was way over the top and their actions were beyond the pale.
“It’s something we don’t want in the sport and, in those circumstances, sterner action should have been taken.”
Pakistan pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar has been given a two-match ban for ball-tampering.
