ICC set to take action against Gavaskar: Reports; and now Cricket Australia snubs Sunny Gavaskar?

[talksport]

John Reid and Barry Richards flay Gavaskar PTI): Former New Zealand captain John Reid has lambasted Sunil Gavaskar for his comments against white Match Referees and demanded an action from the International Cricket Council (ICC) against the Indian batting great. Reid was angered by Gavaskar's column in which the former India captain questioned decisions by the white Match Referees. Gavaskar was miffed with the sub-standard umpiring in the Sydney Test and he criticised Match Referee Mike Procter for ignoring the Indian players and going by the words of the Australian cricketers before slapping a three-match ban on Harbhajan Singh in the racism row. Reid, who himself was an ICC Match Referee for a decade, was not amused by Gavaskar's take on white Match Referees and he felt the former opener had no business heading the ICC Cricket Committee. "That's a shocker," Reid said of the column in which Gavaskar lashed out at Procter. "He (Gavaskar) should decide who he's working for. In his position he's not supposed to be on any side. He's supposed to be neutral," Reid was quoted as saying by 'The Australian'. Reid also found a supporter in former South Africa batsman Barry Richards, who said he was "staggered" by Gavaskar's comments. Richards also alleged that Gavaskar had once labelled him "racist" only because he had criticised the Indian batting order in a column. "He wrote a letter to (South African broadcaster) Supersport demanding that I be sacked because I was a racist. I don't know why this (race) card is played all the time. It is fragmenting the cricket world," he said.

[talksport]

Gavaskar slams 'white man' ban Alex Brown, Perth January 14, 2008 THE chairman of the International Cricket Council cricket committee, Sunil Gavaskar, has launched an extraordinary attack on his council's own match referee, Mike Procter, suggesting he took the "white man's word against that of the brown man" in banning Harbhajan Singh for three Tests. And in a reference that is certain to raise the ire of the Australians, Gavaskar hinted that the reporting of Harbhajan might have been motivated by the home side's desire to remove the threat posed by his hard-turning off breaks. Writing in the Hindustan Times, Gavaskar accused Procter of making a decision based on emotion, with no hard evidence to support the Australians' claims that Harbhajan had called Andrew Symonds a "monkey" during the Sydney Test. The former Indian captain was adamant that New Zealand High Court judge John Hansen should uphold Harbhajan's appeal, which most likely will be heard after the Perth Test. "Millions of Indians want to know if it was a 'white man' taking the 'white man's' word against that of the 'brown man'," Gavaskar wrote. "Quite simply, if there was no audio evidence, nor did the officials hear anything, then the charge did not stand. "This is what has incensed the millions of Indians who are flabbergasted that the word of one of the greatest players in the history of the game, Sachin Tendulkar, was not accepted. In effect, Tendulkar has been branded a liar by the match referee." Gavaskar was sceptical about the Australians' motivation in reporting Harbhajan. The controversial off-spinner has dismissed Ricky Ponting in three of the four innings played in the series thus far. Gavaskar has been an outspoken critic of both the Australians and match referees in the past. Before last year's World Cup, the former Indian skipper slammed the behaviour of Australia's cricketers. And during Australia's last limited-overs tour of India, Gavaskar questioned the value of match referees after Chris Broad failed to report either side after a series of heated on-field clashes. Gavaskar yesterday was harsh in his assessment of Procter's handling of the Harbhajan case. "The off-spinner has denied having used the word which has caused offence and in the absence of any audio recording and, most crucially, with both umpires not having heard it, the charge should have been dropped straight away for lack of corroborating evidence," he wrote. "By accepting the word of the Australian players and not the Indian players, the match referee has exposed himself to the charge of taking a decision based not on facts, but on emotion."

[Dravid]

welldone sunny :D

[yoda]

they are legitimate questions asked by gavaskar and yes, barry richards is a racist.

[anbuchelvan]

Gavaskar reflects minds of Indians.Why Barry and Reid are involved anyway.?

[Guest Hiten.]

Barry richard's an a$$wipe..... He is so biased (not sure abt racist).

[aussiefan]

gavaskar has no credibility, look at this video of him in action... basically he's :((:(( , what a ***** he is...... http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?from=inline&mkt=en-au&brand=ninemsn&tab=s29&showPlaylist=true&playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:6226da85-c2cb-4de2-b0bd-a0e359bfd9e2

[kumble_rocks]

gavaskar has no credibility, look at this video of him in action... basically he's :((:(( , what a ***** he is...... http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?from=inline&mkt=en-au&brand=ninemsn&tab=s29&showPlaylist=true&playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:6226da85-c2cb-4de2-b0bd-a0e359bfd9e2

and your point is .. Are you disputing the call , it was clearly not LBW ..

[Chandan]

gavaskar has no credibility, look at this video of him in action... basically he's :((:(( , what a ***** he is...... http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?from=inline&mkt=en-au&brand=ninemsn&tab=s29&showPlaylist=true&playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:6226da85-c2cb-4de2-b0bd-a0e359bfd9e2

Listen Aussiefan, Gavaskar is one of the legends of the game in the world cricket and I would suggest you not to speak obscenities about him. Whatever questions he has asked are pretty legitimate questions which all of us were asking and to which no one has an answer. He has asked those questions on behalf of all the Indians.

[Rajiv]

Goes to show, the umpiring favored Australia then and umpiring favors them to date P.S, About Credibility, Barry and the others side show bobs can't gulp the truth does dish em out, I admire gavaskars frank opinion

[Guest Hiten.]

Main reason for Sidhu being the least liked as a commentator by his fellow colleagues was due to the fact: 1) He spoke whatever he felt (bias or not) 2) He actually was smarter than most of the commentators

[Ram]

I dont know if any can actually *prove* in no uncertain terms if racism actually exists in cricket, but the general perception has been the Asian teams have always got the rough-end of some match-refreeing decisions and the White players have gotten away with some serious offenses. I sorta buy that line, to this day I havent been able to figure out why Michael Slater wasnt punished for dis-respecting Venkatragahavan over the Dravid catch in the 2001 Kolkata test.

[Rajan]

Happy Pongal! By the way, while reading the first line,i was immediately thinking of some of the incidents when Aussie players were let off with out even a warning.and trust me, the first one which came to my mind was the Slater incident. clarke-gayle-second class citizen incident was a clear indication of the double standards by the same referee-Procter does any one has the 3rd test-sydney-1999-video where McGrath abused SRT after obtaining a very dubious LBW Was there any action on McGrath for the Infamous Sarwan incident? was there any action when ponting threatened srinath by waving his bat after getting hi off a bouncer? that healy -bails removing-appeal incident? any fine? Langer-bail removing incident in SL- appeal for hit wicket off Tilakratne? any fine? was clarke banned for the "bump catch" in the recent 3rd one day against Kiwis? there must be so many incidents, these just spring to mind.

[chanakya]

gavaskar has no credibility, look at this video of him in action... basically he's :((:(( , what a ***** he is...... http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?from=inline&mkt=en-au&brand=ninemsn&tab=s29&showPlaylist=true&playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:6226da85-c2cb-4de2-b0bd-a0e359bfd9e2

Really and I suppose the opposition were saints.

[King]

Miandad and Ranatunga will flay Barry Richards and John Reid so what???

[goose]

These guys clearly feel as though Gavaskar's comments were directed at them. That means they're probably guilty as charged.

[beetle]

Well Done Gavaskar.... Some one had to say the obvious...Of course Barry Richards is upset....someone has finally pointed it out and now the spotlight is on them. Thanks Reid and Richards for not letting it go ...and for making more and more people think about it.

[kilroy]

gavaskar has no credibility, look at this video of him in action... basically he's :((:(( , what a ***** he is...... http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?from=inline&mkt=en-au&brand=ninemsn&tab=s29&showPlaylist=true&playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:6226da85-c2cb-4de2-b0bd-a0e359bfd9e2

if that makes you doubt his credibility, i wonder what you think of your own team. and let me ask you, what's wrong with what he's asking?? has procter come forward with any tangible proof, that bhajji called symonds a monkey? NO

[bunny]

I think Gavaskar is a tad irresponsible here. Either he should give up the ICC job and then whole-heartedly criticize the umpires and the match refrees in the media, or he should actually do something to sort out the mess.

[putrevus]

Gavaskar is spot on this why should he quit his job in ICC, so what if he holds a job there , it is his job as columnist to write what he feels and his sentiments echo with all indians, how in world that idot proctor can take Aussies word and ban Bhajji as he explained why , this allegations are just to divert attention from the fact that Proctor is an ass who side with his men