Aussie media flays BCCI, says India worst behaved team

Melbourne, Nov 7 (UNI) Australian media today flayed the BCCI for its outrageous threats to the ICC time and again with the Sydney Morning Herald terming India as by far the worst behaved team in world cricket.

It was just yesterday that Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive James Sutherland advised the BCCI to use its financial clout far more responsibly.

''For a country which generates 80 per cent of the game's wealth, India needs to have a good look at the behaviour of its players and administrators before pointing the finger of hypocrisy anywhere,'' Sydney Morning Herald said today.

''India is by far the worst behaved team in world cricket with about 50 separate guilty verdicts from match referees over the past 10 years, and it has been confirmed yet again with Gambhir, a relative newcomer to international cricket, pleading guilty to his second physical contact charge in less than 12 months.

''He should have been banned for two Tests, not just one, but the umpires, in consultation with the ICC, laid a weaker charge,'' the leading daily further added.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) appealed against the one-Test ban that was imposed on opener Gautam Gambhir for elbowing Australian all-rounder Shane Watson.

However, the appeals commissioner upheld the ban to which the BCCI expressed its dissatisfaction and even threatened to play Gambhir in the final Tests.

The worrying factor for many, according to the Herald Sun, ''Cricket's governing body has two Indians in three of its most senior positions.

''Sharad Pawar is president-elect and will soon replace Englishman David Morgan, while Inderjit Bindra is the ICC's chief consultant and a man of significant power.

''It wouldn't have been a good look politically if the BCCI had tried to embarrass two men who have played such an important role in the rise of Indian cricket,'' the daily said.

The newspaper further added that when Pawar takes control of the ICC, some officials and the cricket Boards would find them in even bigger troubles.

''The BCCI already wields extraordinary clout around the ICC board table and dictates major financial and scheduling issues.

''That influence threatens to balloon out of control when Pawar assumes the top job, particularly as India also rules cricket's most lucrative domestic competition, the Indian Premier League,'' the newspaper added.

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