Sharkman84
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Sachin Tendulkar attacks Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist in new book
As expected, the release of the retiring Indian great’s autobiography, ‘Playing it my way’, has revealed further attacks from Tendulkar on some of Australian cricket’s biggest names.
It sets the tone for more tension when India arrive for the upcoming four-match Test series starting at the Gabba on December 4.
In an early extract, Tendulkar slammed former Indian coach Greg Chappell, but the run-scoring machine has written in detail about the 2007-2008 Monkeygate controversy which centred around an alleged racial slur from Harbhajan Singh directed at Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds.
Tendulkar has confirmed the Indian side was set to walk out on the tour following a three-match suspension imposed on Harbhajan by match referee Mike Proctor after the alleged incident in the Sydney Test.
Australian players were incensed at the time that Tendulkar stood by Singh, and in his autobiography, the little master has refused to back down.
Tendulkar said he was left fuming at the insinuation he was lying through the inquiry, which ultimately resulted in the ICC overturning Harbhajan’s ban and the Indians continuing the tour.
According to Tendulkar, Harbhajan said ‘Teri maa ki’ (a northern Indian expression which means ‘Your mother’ …) to Symonds, rather than calling him a monkey.
Australian captain Ponting, should have discussed the incident with Indian counterpart Anil Kumble first rather than reporting the matter straight to Procter, according to Tendulkar.
“What surprised me most was the haste with which the Australians had lodged their complaint,” Tendulkar wrote, admitting that he later found out the two cricketing boards had told the captains to report any allegations of racial discrimination to the match referee.
“Even so, I still believe that the matter would not have been blown so out of proportion if Ponting had discussed it with the captain Anil Kumble, Harbhajan and the Indian team management before reporting the incident to Mike Procter, the match referee.
“In turn, Mike Procter could also have handled the matter with a little more sensitivity.
“I must reiterate we were very serious about the boycott … and we were fully prepared to accept the consequences of walking out on the tour, knowing that such an action might have resulted in the ICC banning the Indian team.”
Tendulkar said the mood of the series changed in that Sydney Test and accused Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist of double standards in appealing for a catch that hadn’t touched Rahul Dravid’s bat.
Gilchrist was known for walking before the umpire’s decision when batting, but Tendulkar has questioned whether the Australian great really thought Dravid was out when he appealed.
“Mind you, there is little doubt in my mind that we would have drawn had it not been for what seemed to us to be mistakes by the umpires and some rather unsportsmanlike conduct by a few of the Australian players.”
“Rahul Dravid was given out caught behind off Symonds for 38 by umpire Bucknor when his bat seemed to be a fair distance away from the ball. The wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist was standing up to the stumps at the time and was in the best position to see if the ball had touched Rahul’s bat,” Tendulkar recalled.
“Yet he, who prided himself on walking off if he nicked the ball, appealed for the caught-behind and to our disbelief we saw the umpire raise the finger. It was a shocking decision. Some of us actually wondered if Rahul had been given out lbw.”
Tendulkar also had a shot at current Australian captain Michael Clarke and Ponting for appealing for a “grassed” catch off Sourav Ganguly as the Sydney Test heated up.
Ganguly was given out unfairly according to the Indians, who felt they were copping the rough end of the stick from umpires.
“Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting decided to appeal for what we thought was a grassed catch at slip,” he wrote.
“Finally, umpire Bucknor gave Dhoni out leg-before when to us the ball would clearly have missed the stumps.
“It seemed that every decision that could go against us had done so.”
This is not the first time Tendulkar and Gilchrist have locked horns over matters of sportsmanship.
In his 2008 autobiography True Colours, Gilchrist took aim at the Indian great.
“In the Australian mentality, we play it hard and are then quick to shake hands and leave it all on the field,” Gilchrist wrote. “Some of our opponents don’t do it that way. Sachin Tendulkar, for instance, can be hard to find for a changing room handshake after we have beaten India. Harbhajan can also be hard to find.”
Gilchrist also accused Tendulkar of changing his story when providing testimony at the Monkeygate hearing.
“Tendulkar, who’d said at the first hearing that he hadn’t been able to hear what Harbhajan had said - and he was a fair way away, up the other end, so I’m certain he was telling the truth - now supported Harbhajan’s version that he hadn’t called Symo a ‘monkey’ but instead a Hindi term of abuse that might sound like ‘monkey’ to Australian ears,” Gilchrist wrote. “The Indians got him off the hook when they, of all people, should have been treating the matter of racial vilification with the utmost seriousness.”
Tendulkar later told Indian media: “Gilchrist called me up and clarified this issue. He said his comments had been taken out of context.”
Tendulkar also blasted Ian Chappell for criticising his form and urging him to retire back in 2007.
Chappell said Tendulkar should look at himself in the mirror, and the 41-year-old showed he can hold a grudge.
“I don’t think much about him (Ian). I showed him the size of the mirror in the VB Series (in Australia) in 2007.
“I don’t need to go out and prove to anyone.”
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...rist-in-new-book/story-fnp050m0-1227114204261
- BEN HORNE
- THE COURIER-MAIL
- NOVEMBER 06, 2014 10:09AM
As expected, the release of the retiring Indian great’s autobiography, ‘Playing it my way’, has revealed further attacks from Tendulkar on some of Australian cricket’s biggest names.
It sets the tone for more tension when India arrive for the upcoming four-match Test series starting at the Gabba on December 4.
In an early extract, Tendulkar slammed former Indian coach Greg Chappell, but the run-scoring machine has written in detail about the 2007-2008 Monkeygate controversy which centred around an alleged racial slur from Harbhajan Singh directed at Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds.
Tendulkar has confirmed the Indian side was set to walk out on the tour following a three-match suspension imposed on Harbhajan by match referee Mike Proctor after the alleged incident in the Sydney Test.
Australian players were incensed at the time that Tendulkar stood by Singh, and in his autobiography, the little master has refused to back down.
Tendulkar said he was left fuming at the insinuation he was lying through the inquiry, which ultimately resulted in the ICC overturning Harbhajan’s ban and the Indians continuing the tour.
According to Tendulkar, Harbhajan said ‘Teri maa ki’ (a northern Indian expression which means ‘Your mother’ …) to Symonds, rather than calling him a monkey.
Australian captain Ponting, should have discussed the incident with Indian counterpart Anil Kumble first rather than reporting the matter straight to Procter, according to Tendulkar.
“What surprised me most was the haste with which the Australians had lodged their complaint,” Tendulkar wrote, admitting that he later found out the two cricketing boards had told the captains to report any allegations of racial discrimination to the match referee.
“Even so, I still believe that the matter would not have been blown so out of proportion if Ponting had discussed it with the captain Anil Kumble, Harbhajan and the Indian team management before reporting the incident to Mike Procter, the match referee.
“In turn, Mike Procter could also have handled the matter with a little more sensitivity.
“I must reiterate we were very serious about the boycott … and we were fully prepared to accept the consequences of walking out on the tour, knowing that such an action might have resulted in the ICC banning the Indian team.”
Tendulkar said the mood of the series changed in that Sydney Test and accused Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist of double standards in appealing for a catch that hadn’t touched Rahul Dravid’s bat.
Gilchrist was known for walking before the umpire’s decision when batting, but Tendulkar has questioned whether the Australian great really thought Dravid was out when he appealed.
“Mind you, there is little doubt in my mind that we would have drawn had it not been for what seemed to us to be mistakes by the umpires and some rather unsportsmanlike conduct by a few of the Australian players.”
“Rahul Dravid was given out caught behind off Symonds for 38 by umpire Bucknor when his bat seemed to be a fair distance away from the ball. The wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist was standing up to the stumps at the time and was in the best position to see if the ball had touched Rahul’s bat,” Tendulkar recalled.
“Yet he, who prided himself on walking off if he nicked the ball, appealed for the caught-behind and to our disbelief we saw the umpire raise the finger. It was a shocking decision. Some of us actually wondered if Rahul had been given out lbw.”
Tendulkar also had a shot at current Australian captain Michael Clarke and Ponting for appealing for a “grassed” catch off Sourav Ganguly as the Sydney Test heated up.
Ganguly was given out unfairly according to the Indians, who felt they were copping the rough end of the stick from umpires.
“Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting decided to appeal for what we thought was a grassed catch at slip,” he wrote.
“Finally, umpire Bucknor gave Dhoni out leg-before when to us the ball would clearly have missed the stumps.
“It seemed that every decision that could go against us had done so.”
This is not the first time Tendulkar and Gilchrist have locked horns over matters of sportsmanship.
In his 2008 autobiography True Colours, Gilchrist took aim at the Indian great.
“In the Australian mentality, we play it hard and are then quick to shake hands and leave it all on the field,” Gilchrist wrote. “Some of our opponents don’t do it that way. Sachin Tendulkar, for instance, can be hard to find for a changing room handshake after we have beaten India. Harbhajan can also be hard to find.”
Gilchrist also accused Tendulkar of changing his story when providing testimony at the Monkeygate hearing.
“Tendulkar, who’d said at the first hearing that he hadn’t been able to hear what Harbhajan had said - and he was a fair way away, up the other end, so I’m certain he was telling the truth - now supported Harbhajan’s version that he hadn’t called Symo a ‘monkey’ but instead a Hindi term of abuse that might sound like ‘monkey’ to Australian ears,” Gilchrist wrote. “The Indians got him off the hook when they, of all people, should have been treating the matter of racial vilification with the utmost seriousness.”
Tendulkar later told Indian media: “Gilchrist called me up and clarified this issue. He said his comments had been taken out of context.”
Tendulkar also blasted Ian Chappell for criticising his form and urging him to retire back in 2007.
Chappell said Tendulkar should look at himself in the mirror, and the 41-year-old showed he can hold a grudge.
“I don’t think much about him (Ian). I showed him the size of the mirror in the VB Series (in Australia) in 2007.
“I don’t need to go out and prove to anyone.”
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...rist-in-new-book/story-fnp050m0-1227114204261
