Is 'ordinary' an inappropriate word?

[Feed]

More... Is 'ordinary' an inappropriate word? Nihal Koshie / DNA Saturday, April 3, 2010 Mumbai: Delhi Daredevils skipper Gautam Gambhir has been reprimanded by the Indian Premier League for airing his opinion about Rajasthan Royals, who got a 67-run pasting on Wednesday. “I think Rajasthan was never a threat. Except for Yusuf Pathan, the other guys were pretty ordinary. We thought Yusuf was the only danger-man and didn’t bother too much about anyone else,” is what Gambhir said. Coming from a skipper whose side outclassed their opponents, Gambhir was brutal in his opinion. However, the Indian Premier League has fallen back on section 2.1.7 under the code of conduct of players and team officials and reprimanded Gambhir for making ‘public criticism of, or inappropriate comment’. Gambhir was reported by IPL commissioner Lalit Modi (he is empowered to do so among others — reporting an alleged offence under code of conduct 3.1.3) and after admitting to the charge has been reprimanded. In international cricket, the ICC’s chief executive officer, among others, can report an alleged offence. Seen in the light of the fact that neither the International Cricket Council or the Board of Control for Cricket in India, which follow a similar code of conduct, didn’t fret when Virender Sehwag said Bangladesh were an ‘ordinary’ side on the eve of the first Test in Chittagong in January, Gambhir’s reprimand for making a pure cricketing judgement is amusing. Gambhir’s so-called offence could have been treated even more lightly than Sehwag’s because the Delhi Daredevils skipper had called his opponents ‘ordinary’ after beating them, while Sehwag had made the bold statement even before a ball was bowled. BCCI chief administrative office Prof Ratnakar Shetty confirmed to DNA that no reprimand or official notice was issued to Sehwag. “We did have a word with him, but he wasn’t reprimanded or no notice was forwarded to him,” Shetty told DNA from Colombo. BCCI secretary N Srinivasan, when contacted, refused to pass judgement. “Sehwag made this comment in January. It happened too long back to comment,” is all what he was ready to tell this paper. IPL’s media manager Mathew Slade said: “We have only gone by the code of conduct. I can’t say why Sehwag didn’t get a reprimand but since Gambhir admitted to the offence there was no hearing and he was sent a notice.” ICC’s head of media and communication Colin Gibson said he believed that the IPL, like the ICC,followed the MCC’s spirit of cricket. ‘Ordinary’ is now a taboo word in this extra-ordinary cricket league.

[Chandan]

And what a hard hitting reply Gambhir has given in his coloumn in HT!! It is just superb!! ‘I take seriously only those who’ve played cricket’ Gautam Gambhir April 03, 2010 I’m going to say a few things here that might not make people happy, but I think they need to be said. First, I can’t live my life by what people in general think of me, or what I say. Just because the people who are reportedly upset with something I’ve said about a cricketing performance are starry, doesn’t mean I take it all back. I said what I said and I stand by it. But it cuts both ways. For instance, people said we (Delhi) gave an ordinary performance against Mumbai and we did. But we didn’t overreact or fuss about what anyone said. We picked ourselves up and raised the bar. I don’t believe in saying things I don’t mean. If you’re looking for platitudes or banal gestures, I don’t think you’ll get that from me. I don’t mean to sound arrogant, I’m not, but I also can’t be a hypocrite. More pertinently, I can’t be expected to get all worked up about comments made by people who have never picked up a cricket bat in their life. If I listen to opinions seriously, it is from people who have played the game. Who understand what it is to desperately want to win, who know what it’s like to try and out-think the opposition, who’ve gone back to the dressing room and cried because they missed out, shared a joyous moment with mates who did the impossible, or been captain of a professional side and felt the pressure of responsibility. Leave Yuvi alone I have nothing against the entertainment side of the League or the Beautiful People who flock to our games, but as an Indian cricketer, for me, the Indian Premier League is still cricket, cricket, cricket. I go out there to play hard, and go out there to win. And while I'm saying 'I', this is true about any of us Indian cricketers. As a professional cricketer, you really want to come back to that dressing room as part of a winning team. Which is why I am unhappy with the way Yuvraj Singh has been pilloried by the media and by people all over. You have got to show confidence in your cricketers, you have got to back them up when they are down. Yuvraj is an exceptional cricketer, and the match-winner right now in this country. He's always been the way he is, in form or out of it. He's had the same lifestyle, the same carefree, happy attitude to life in general. So why kick the guy when he's down? Every damn thing a cricketer does is under the microscope, which is a tough enough way to live life but isn't a cricketer also a human being with ups and downs, good days and bad, needs and desires, likes and dislikes, just like everyone else? Isn't he entitled to his privacy? This is the same Yuvraj who's single-handedly won matches for India. Time and again. So yes, he's going through a lean patch, that doesn't make him any less of a fantastic player. Every person, whether it's Yuvraj, or you or me or anyone else, needs space and time to recoup, the freedom to be allowed to do that and the confidence that someone out there is standing by him. It's easy to bring down some- one who's already down, it needs heart and character to stand by him and will him to get back. As a pro cricketer, I can tell you that we do everything we can to win, irrespective of who is captain, whether he is an Indian or a foreigner. I'm captain now, but if I were not, I'd still do my best to be on the winning side. It's the same for all the players I know. This is our life; the only life we know. And no one would want to risk it. ------------------------------------------------------------------- This is what I like about this younger generation of cricketers. They can speak out their mind without caring or fearing if it is politically correct or not.

[someone]

I do not think this is a good idea in India. We Indians criticize others very easily but when someone says something to us, it becomes a potentially racist and non- stop breaking news from our masala news channels Just imagine, if someone had said that to our Indian side as being ordinary side, we would all explode( and if I remember someone did say like that some years ago which caused huge controversy) , So if we want respect from others, we should respect them. Afterall, we really were an ordinary side b4 2007...

[DomainK]

I agree with Gambhir regarding Yuvi. The guy is not in the best of his form. So what? He hasnt scored in a few matches. So what? Even Tendulkar went through bad patches. Dont blame the *****y performance of the whole team on one player.

[Chandan]

I do not think this is a good idea in India. We Indians criticize others very easily but when someone says something to us, it becomes a potentially racist and non- stop breaking news from our masala news channels Just imagine, if someone had said that to our Indian side as being ordinary side, we would all explode( and if I remember someone did say like that some years ago which caused huge controversy) , So if we want respect from others, we should respect them. Afterall, we really were an ordinary side b4 2007...

There is nothing wrong in speaking what you feel. Why should we expect everyone to be a hypocrite? If we were ordinary as per results, exploding after being called that only showed our immaturity. And I don't think we were ordinary before 2007, but that is a different story. If everyone will speak the truth, it will no longer be a masala news. It is a masala news now because everyone says things which are politically correct, doesn't matter whether they even agree to it or not.

[HowardRoark]

Gauti :hatsoff:

[Bradman99]

I see nothing wrong with what he has said, honesty is a good attribute to have.. If this came from Ponting's mouth however....

[mastana]

Very ordinary thread.

[Sooda]

Well written by GG, does he write em himself?

[thevortex]

Gambhir has, to me, has gained a whole lot more respect from me with this. That is the kind of player India needs more than anything else. Delhi is in a great position with 2 individuals such as this. Sehwag - the original straightforward talker and now Gambhir. Bravo! And no, that is not a Mumbai Indians related pun. :) I dont agree so much about his Yuvraj defending though. It is true that the media needs to mind its own business and get away from doing mindless, invective reporting. But there is no mistaking the lack of team spirit and camarederie in the Punjab camp. Yesterday Bopara was asked how it was to bat with Yuvraj. He said without mincing any words 'Yuvraj is a good, clean striker of the ball when the ball is in his zone'. That is all. The unspoken words spoke far more loudly than anything he said. It is not that Yuvraj has become a poor batsman. He is psychologically unfit to lead a team. He is also not the best team man. Lately I have begun noticing even a reluctance to do high-fives with his team mates! And a sour, grumpy look to go with that sullen attitude; not to mention the sizeable paunch! Match winner or not, he has to ship up or shape out. Or is that because he is 'shape out' he must ship out? :)

[thevortex]

I see nothing wrong with what he has said, honesty is a good attribute to have.. If this came from Ponting's mouth however....

Ponting and honesty dont really gel together, Bradman99. Right when he claimed that catch at Sydney that theory fell by the wayside. The only other really frank speaker in cricket that I have known is Sehwag. I thought Gayle and Bravo too were outstandingly frank when they professed their liking for IPL more than cricket for their national side.

[achilles]

It would help if Gautam was a bit less cocky and got on with the game. He should get his ordinary form to the extraordinary levels that he is capable of. And this Royals' curtain down by Gautam is exactly the anecdote the Royals needed. A kick up their butt. Hope they sort their issues and prove the world wrong, just like Lara proved Greg wrong in the humiliating 4-1 drubbing Windies gave us after Greg called West Indies a weak team. For the record, Gautam is right. RR is a super-weak team. But you don't have to be Captain Obvious all the time.

[achilles]

Ponting and honesty dont really gel together, Bradman99. Right when he claimed that catch at Sydney that theory fell by the wayside. The only other really frank speaker in cricket that I have known is Sehwag. I thought Gayle and Bravo too were outstandingly frank when they professed their liking for IPL more than cricket for their national side.

Take a bow Sir, take a bow :bow:

[Bradman99]

Ponting and honesty dont really gel together, Bradman99. Right when he claimed that catch at Sydney that theory fell by the wayside. The only other really frank speaker in cricket that I have known is Sehwag. I thought Gayle and Bravo too were outstandingly frank when they professed their liking for IPL more than cricket for their national side.

You're right, he isn't the most likeable of players and I can see why people don't like him, believe me I can. But I was never saying he was an honest chap, just simply that if he were to say this people would criticize him, label him "arrogant" etc.. That is what I don't like about many people on this forum, as they jump on the bandwagon too quickly and don't treat each circumstance on its merit.

[Chandan]

Gambhir has' date=' to me, has gained a whole lot more respect from me with this. That is the kind of player India needs more than anything else. Delhi is in a great position with 2 individuals such as this. Sehwag - the original straightforward talker and now Gambhir. Bravo! And no, that is not a Mumbai Indians related pun. :)[/quote'] I thought it is great to have a player in the team who stands by his opinion even if the administration has been stupid enough to reprimand him over a no issue!

I dont agree so much about his Yuvraj defending though. It is true that the media needs to mind its own business and get away from doing mindless, invective reporting. But there is no mistaking the lack of team spirit and camarederie in the Punjab camp. Yesterday Bopara was asked how it was to bat with Yuvraj. He said without mincing any words 'Yuvraj is a good, clean striker of the ball when the ball is in his zone'. That is all. The unspoken words spoke far more loudly than anything he said. It is not that Yuvraj has become a poor batsman. He is psychologically unfit to lead a team. He is also not the best team man. Lately I have begun noticing even a reluctance to do high-fives with his team mates! And a sour, grumpy look to go with that sullen attitude; not to mention the sizeable paunch! Match winner or not, he has to ship up or shape out. Or is that because he is 'shape out' he must ship out? :)

I think media has every right to criticize his performance, but they have absolutely no business to comment on his private life or have no right at all to question his integrity by saying that Yuvraj is underperforming deliberately. Yes, Yuvraj has to pick himself up, yes he has to get himself in shape and yes he has to start scoring runs. But we have no right at all to question his pribate life or his intent or lack of it. And Gambhir has done publicly what Yuvraj's other team mates would do, ie to back him and show faith in his ability. This should give Yuvraj confidence.

[Sachinism]

Gambhir’s thoughtcrime I can say that Rajasthan Royals are ordinary. So you can. You can point to any number of facts: The fact they have lost more games than they have won. Their gun strike bowler goes at 8 and half runs an over. Their batting was reliant on one big hitter and their keeper, now they have added Watson to it. People keep making encouraging noises about Michael Lumb, almost ignoring the fact he hasn’t gone beyond 45 and averages 23. Warne’s shoulder seems to almost detach after each delivery. The Damien Martyn experiment failed, surprising everyone. Adam Voges is there best-performed player, and they don’t pick him. They’re the very definition of ordinary. When they do win, it needs to be a special effort from Yusuf or one of those terribly earnest team efforts where everyone does well. They could still come good, there is no reason why they couldn’t slip into fourth place, actually there are many reasons why they couldn’t, but they still could. So if you are asked about them, you can call them ordinary. Unless you happen to be an IPL captain, then you can’t. Gautum City Gambhir was asked about Rajasthan, he said they were ordinary, actually he said this, “I think Rajasthan was never a threat. Except for Yusuf Pathan, the other guys were pretty ordinary. We thought Yusuf was the only danger-man and didn’t bother too much about anyone else”. That is the truth. Not the universal truth, but that is what Gambhir thought, then he said it, people nodded, and Lalit Modi got angry. Perhaps Lalit got angrier because his team is Rajasthan, or perhaps he got angry because someone inside the bubble dared say anything negative about the IPL. Either way, it is the sort of thing anyone who hates the IPL expects Lalit to do. They expect him to be this Orwellian evil figure that punishes people for daring to do anything less than continue to believe in his own magnificence. He plays the role so well. Ofcourse Gambhir should be allowed to say Rajasthan are ordinary. I can see why he shouldn’t be allowed to say something like, “**** me, I couldn’t believe how ****en **** they all were. It was like playing against a special needs team. The only bright light in this team, other than Warne’s radioactive teeth, is Yusuf, and the big ****er can’t play a short ball. No, they is the rubbish, complete dribble, we had to be careful not to laugh at them when the cameras panned in our direction, you could call them ordinary, but you’d be being nice. To be honest, I only play in this **** cause I want to build a grotto in my back yard, otherwise I’d be in Mauritius having a holiday”. But he didn’t, he just said ordinary, and then was fined, by the ex-president of Rajasthan Cricket Association. http://www.cricketwithballs.com/2010/04/03/gambhirs-thoughtcrime/

[achilles]

Jrod is right that RR is "ordinary" at times. But where is sportsman spirit gone?

[yoda]

Well written by GG' date=' does he write em himself?[/quote'] Obviously not. Have you heard him speak? Regarding this topic, I personally think it is not appropriate to call your opponents "ordinary", unless it is a smash mouth talking sport like Wrestling or Boxing. You will never hear a Federer calling his opponent Ordinary or a Tendulkar/Dravid calling a team ordinary. I guess some people consider it as speaking your mind others like me call it being (im)polite. Depends on which of these two you value more in your life.

[Bradman99]

^ It's a bit different with tennis because that is an indiviidual sport.

[someone]

Gambhir’s thoughtcrime But he didn’t, he just said ordinary, and then was fined, by the ex-president of Rajasthan Cricket Association. http://www.cricketwithballs.com/2010/04/03/gambhirs-thoughtcrime/

The same thing can be said of every team in the whole IPL tournament. Incomplete facts are easily to deceive others. Example Mumbai, KKR are very ordinary sides,. Yes, they really were that in the first 2 ipl yet no one said anything to them ever. Even his own DD, is reliant on Collingwood alone and a little bits of other players for their batting. And reminder, if you are judge facts, you really have to judge it at the end of tournament and in terms of IPL overall/