Both South Africa and Oz are sore losers - Sunil Gavaskar

[mastana]

Both South Africa and Oz are sore losers By Sunil Gavaskar It was a week of comebacks as England and India roared back after losing the previous weeks Test matches.England had been demolished by Australia on a bouncy pitch at Perth and India had suffered a similar fate at Centurion.There are many similarities between the Australians and the South Africans.Both are sports-loving people who play the game hard with no quarters given or asked for.Both love winning,but are sore losers and quick to make excuses about their defeats and blame it on everything except their ability or the lack of it. There was even the crazy suggestion that Australia had stopped winning simply because they had been told to tone down their aggressive verbal approach and attitude towards the opposition and the win in Perth,where the Aussies were clearly charged up,was given as an example of how the Australians had rediscovered their mojo.It was pathetic,to say the least,where showing disrespect to the opposition is looked upon as a virtue and even more pathetic when a responsible official supports it! The question that needs answering from the same official is,well,what happened in Melbourne Did the Australians suddenly become silent. Did he seriously think that even when they were losing in the last couple of years they were mute on the field That they only wished the opposition good morning,how is the family and other such pleasantries If he believed that,then he must be living in cuckoo land. South Africa also fancy themselves as sledgers,especially against teams other than Australia where they feel they are superior to the others and these other teams should not have any comeback lines. So when a Sreesanth does a Rodeo-ride impersonation after hitting serial sledger Andre Nel for a six,the other South African fielders try and shout him down.Wow! Its like saying we can do it but not you. Sadly,nobody responsible has tried to nip this in the bud and that old saying that its Test cricket and so its got to be hard is brought out as if Test cricket without swearing and abusing is not hard.Some in the media and some former players actually glorify it by saying it brings the viewers,which is a pity,for all along it was thought that it was the contest between bat and ball which the crowds came to watch and not who has a more foul vocabulary. The champion West Indian side of the 1970s and 80s hardly said a word.Thats why they were popular even when they were beating teams inside four days and great role models as well. Peter Siddle and Matt Prior had an exchange where Siddle gave the England wicketkeeper a send-off after getting him out and Prior suggested that it be settled in the grandstand after the days play was over. How did that enhance the game or set a good example to the thousands of kids watching the game at the ground and many more doing so on TV Good sense prevailed and it was left only at those gestures.Siddle got six wickets in the only innings that England played and stuck around stubbornly for 40 runs in trying to delay the inevitable in the second innings.Prior took six catches in the first innings and played a capital innings of 85 that helped England extend their lead. They are the joint winners of this weeks accolade of CEAT International Cricketer of the Week for those deeds and not for the empty threats doled out to each other on the field.PMG

http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/mobile.aspx?article=yes&pageid=22&edlabel=CAP&mydateHid=02-01-2011&pubname=&edname=&articleid=Ar02200&format=&publabel=TOI

[suraj]

You go Sunny:two_thumbs_up::two_thumbs_up: I specially like this part: They are the joint winners of this weeks accolade of CEAT International Cricketer of the Week for those deeds and not for the empty threats doled out to each other on the field.

[Andy]

SG :two_thumbs_up: I dont know why other moronic ex cricketers learn from you and Flay this Saffers and Aussies :headshake:

[Shakthi]

keep it going Sunny u r doing great job.

[gsivak]

is there any team in today's world who are gracious losers? When India was steamrolled in Centurion, our press chose to ignore the loss and highlight Sachin's century. As an Indian, I am extremely proud of Sachin's achievements but we can't deny that we Indians are also highly skilled in looking only at the positives and exaggerating our achievements.

[someone]

is there any team in today's world who are gracious losers? When India was steamrolled in Centurion' date=' our press chose to ignore the loss and highlight Sachin's century. As an Indian, I am extremely proud of Sachin's achievements but we can't deny that we Indians are also highly skilled in looking only at the positives and exaggerating our achievements.[/quote'] exactly. It does not make sense in criticizing others when they lose but at the same time deny the same stuff when we lose. It is only human nature to try to deny defeat and play the blame game.

[flamy]

Erm... we tried to look at the positives of Sachin's century and temper our loss. The saffer and assies downplay the opposition.

[Manny_Pacquiao]

he is right. look at how south afrika resorted to making up stuff about umpire steve davis, alleging that he is drunk and what not. their commentators went nuts over the two umpiring decisions on day 4, talking about them as if south afrika would have won the game had they gone the other way...what a joke.

[Bradman99]

Interesting read, think he is being a bit of a baby though.

[suraj]

Interesting read' date=' think he is being a bit of a baby though.[/quote'] No he exaggeartes a little to make points that should have been made long time ago by many

[gsivak]

Erm... we tried to look at the positives of Sachin's century and temper our loss. The saffer and assies downplay the opposition.

True, I think different countries react differently to deal with losses. India and England search for the minutest positive and play that up. Aus and SA downplay their rivals achievements Pak blames CIA, RAW, Mossad and BCCI As for the rest - i don't pay attention to how they deal with it :winky:

[Watson87]

Gavaskar himself was a whinner, he just needs some attention now, he's acting like a girl in her period. Let the dogs bark, we don't want our players to sound like the English or Saf players, Dhoni's press conference was a fien example. Gavaskar should learn when to open his mouth from Dhoni, gav is a joke.

[TheWall]

Sunny at his best....

[achilles]

Interesting read' date=' think he is being a bit of a baby though.[/quote'] He calls a spade a spade and doesn't like one team acting like hypocrites, shooting through the lip. Can't blame him for that.