Aussies must prove worthy champs

It bothers me, especially when the Australians come up against the one-time world beaters now turned minnows West Indies and the decisions that are made against the Caribbean team at every meeting between the teams.

Double world record holder Brian Lara has been robbed out on countless occasions to say the least, in this Test series thus far, while the Australians continue to heap and reap the praises of being the best team in the world.

I lift my hat off to them for being the most consistent team in both the area of batting and bowling— but of what good is that in a team being glorified as the world champions, yet they depend on a number of dubious decisions by an equally worthless and callous official before a victory can be realised.

In football we have the five time world champions Brazil standing alone on the throne and are saluted by footballing nations including the Netherlands (Holland), two-time champs Argentina and three-time world champs Germany and Italy.

The Brazilians stumbled during their qualification for the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan and there were no questions asked about referees’ favouritism towards them, when they won the World Cup for a fifth time.

Dapper left hander, Lara, was clearly given out wrongfully during the first test, a ridiculous LBW decision with the ball clearly going down the leg side and another caught behind decision that was so wide of the bat that it could have been called a wide.

And of course the talented Shane Warne and "so called" fastbowler Brett Lee went on to celebrate impressive Australia victories, courtesy decisions by umpires such as Rudi Koertzen of South Africa and Aleem Dar of Pakistan.

Lara who stands alone as the leading scorer in Test cricket courtesy a magnificent double century in the third test to surpass Australian Allan Border, was also cheated out by another doubtful LBW decision in the recent Australian Super Series between the world XI and the home team.

To add insult to injury some ex-Australian batsmen or bowlers such as Mark Waugh would have the audacity of saying that Lara should resign, of course because of the fact that they did not want him to achieve the inevitable (breaking Border’s record).

It must be noted also that these consistently poor decisions in every innings and every match have registered painfully in the heart of an entire region called the Caribbean, a chain of islands bounded more by the sport of cricket than any economic, cultural or political factor.

Of course we accept our position on the standings to date, one caused mainly by the inability of the then administrators to set development programmes and structures in place, but do not place your feet on our backs although we may be close to the ground.

In the eyes of fairness, even the world governing body for cricket, the International Cricket Council (ICC) would and should be penalised for the selection of such officials, who themselves have filed reports of the bowling action of our bowlers such as Jermaine Lawson.

This small but simple region would have accepted the call for illegal bowling action on Lawson’s behalf, but not when pacer Lee has been like the average Caribbean man, pelting a tree or two to feast on some juicy mangoes on a Sunday evening.

Umpires like Koertzen and Dar, among others, have accepted the bowling action of Lee as legal though the man in the street would say otherwise, therefore it must now be asked what is the role and purpose of the ICC.

Is it to enhance the development of the sport worldwide or not? And then, if it is, why is it that such decisions go completely unnoticed? I would be speaking on behalf of the masses if I ask for the use of the third umpire to be used for these controversial decisions. Moreso, when would players be allowed to question, controversial decisions by umpires.

Why have they (the umpires) become a law unto themselves and why aren’t they being closely watched and scrutinised by the ICC.

The time has come for something to be done to help the teams and the players in general.

This article should also remind ICC members that such decisions hurt an entire nation, and moreso the victims, the players and the game all over the world.