GautiMaan Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/theviewfromrowz/archives/2012/05/why_so_angry_mumbai.php May 16, 2012 Why so angry, Mumbai? Posted by Andrew Hughes 11 hours, 40 minutes ago No, you cannot have blue M&Ms with gold trim Ž© AFP The IPLÃÔ Fair Play League is a splendid idea, if not an original one. There is, believe it or not, a similar tally of chivalrous conduct in the English Premier League, although given that the spirit of sportsmanship in that particular competition is as fragile as a daisy seedling in the middle of a rugby pitch, the threshold for what is considered meritorious conduct in the EPL has understandably been set rather low. For example, if upon entering the penalty area, a player does not immediately hurl himself to the turf as though he has been tackled by a horde of invisible dwarves, he will earn maximum fair play points. Points are also given to defenders who are able to walk past a fallen fellow professional without stamping on his knee, spitting on his mohican or calling him something unparliamentary in Spanish. Thankfully, our sport is different. Apart from that unfortunate business in the early 1930s, and a bit of a kerfuffle at Sydney a few years ago, cricket has a spotless reputation. Oh, and there was that thing with the aluminium bat, Michael Holding booting the timber, the underarm debacle, AthertonÃÔ pocket compost, the career of WG Grace, colonialism, match-fixing, ball-tampering, and chucking. But those isolated incidents aside, cricket has always been a beacon of sporting nobility. So youÃÅ expect the race to be crowned as the IPLÃÔ cuddliest franchise to be a close-fought affair between nine equally well-behaved collectives. Sadly, this is not the case. One team in particular is lowering the tone. Like schoolboys messing about at the back of the bus, Mumbai Indians are spoiling it for everyone. If Joey Barton* were a cricketer, heÃÅ be playing for the men in blue and gold. At least, heÃÅ be playing for them during those brief interludes of availability between suspensions and custodial sentences. To be fair to Mumbai, there have been relatively few incidences of eye-gouging, and Sachin has yet to resort to elbowing short leg in the face or stamping on the bowlerÃÔ foot. But still, by cricket standards they are very naughty boys. Ambati Rayadu is the latest to bring the spirit of English football to the summer game with an eye-widening tirade of abuse aimed at BangaloreÃÔ Harshal Patel. IÃÎ not sure of the specific points that Ambati was trying to get across, but I think we all understood the general thrust of his remarks. Then thereÃÔ Munaf PatelÃÔ inability to come to terms with the fact that sometimes, life and Twenty20 cricket being what they are, batsmen will score runs from his bowling. Also RohitÃÔ stump-kicking, and the unseemly kerfuffle in Visakhapatnam. These days MumbaiÃÔ match fees are just paid straight into the ICC confiscated pocket money account and most of the squad are on permanent detention. So why so angsty chaps? Is Shaun Pollock not giving you enough love? Is Sachin hogging the Playstation again? Is the material used for this yearÃÔ official Mumbai Indians underpants too tickly? Or could this outbreak of naughtiness have anything to do with the promotion of everyoneÃÔ favourite irascible doosra merchant and disciplinary-hearing veteran, Mr Harbhajan Singh? Plainly his players are terrified of him, so they work out their anxieties on their opponents, the umpires or the team cat. I donÃÕ blame them. IÃÎ 5000 miles away but when MumbaiÃÔ captain stares wild-eyed into the camera, I have to duck behind the sofa. And when he unleashes that roar at the fall of a wicket, you can almost feel the stadium tremble and the bulbs in the floodlights popping. Clearly Mr Ambani believed there was nothing to be scared of, since Mount Bhajji had been dormant for months, but these rumblings from Mumbai are ominous and anyone likely to be in close proximity to the Turbanator during the remainder of the tournament is advised to be on the look out for signs of imminent eruption. And to be prepared to duck. * Readers not familiar with the works of Mr Joseph Barton should think of him as an amalgam of several sportsmenÃÔ notable qualities: Praveen KumarÃÔ even temper, Glen McGrathÃÔ vocabulary, Ijaz ButtÃÔ rational calm and Mike TysonÃÔ restrain :rofl: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J P K Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 could this outbreak of naughtiness have anything to do with the promotion of everyoneÃÔ favourite irascible doosra merchant and disciplinary-hearing veteran, Mr Harbhajan Singh? Plainly his players are terrified of him, so they work out their anxieties on their opponents, the umpires or the team cat. I donÃÕ blame them. IÃÎ 5000 miles away but when MumbaiÃÔ captain stares wild-eyed into the camera, I have to duck behind the sofa. And when he unleashes that roar at the fall of a wicket, you can almost feel the stadium tremble and the bulbs in the floodlights popping. :hysterical::hysterical::hysterical: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1983-2011 Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 harbhajan swears too much if anyone makes little mistake and i think that the players are afraid of him and behaving abnormally Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jairamesh Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Good reason why no-one really hates any of the IPL team except for Mumbai Indians. And Mumbai Indian players reacting aptly to that hostility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulbul Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Some one need to ask Andrew to read ICF during and after MI matches...he will get some more funny points :giggle: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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