he does sound a bit like Watson.

you are no better then Watson!

I got no problem with celebrating a wicket but that was crossing the line!! I was embarressed for Watson… don’t worry Chris- most Aussies are good sports!!!

Isn’t it funny how karma works in the world…today Watson got run out when starring at his first century!!!!! I was runnung around my lounge room in fits of laughter and punching the air when he was given out…. a bit like how he acted when taking Gayle’s wicket..

“Strong” – Has the qualities to abide by his staed principles and doesn’t kick with the breeze when it suits

“Diplomatic” – Has the capacity to see all sides of a story and act accordingly (India vs Australia series in 07/08 was a classic example from our great leader of a lack of diplomacy).

So there you go daveo1, nothing to do with whether you go to school at Bankstown High or Scotch College but a lot to do with what you make of yourself when the opportunity presents.

No I don’t think it’s necessary at all to have a degree in surveying like Taylor, to captain Australia.

Brett Lee’s heel clicking jumps after a wicket, is one example which infuriates me. But what about Andrew Flintoff’s hands in the glorious air celebrations? Or Akhtar’s runs around the pitch? Watson is just another version of this.

I think it comes back to players appealing. It’s one side of the game that is traditional but is now more an intimidatory measure. And don’t get me started in the new review system.

As soon as you have nicknames n the back of players shirts I’m sure it is the 1st sign of the Cricket apocalypse.

The footage of Watson and Ponting running in and acting like 7 year olds makes me sick in the stomach for my countries reputation.

Ponting’s hypocracy in his after match comments is also pathetic. Someone needs to pull him up on this:

“I know all the guys are a bit embarrassed probably, and know they’ve overstepped the mark,” Ponting said.

“It’s one of my responsibilities as the captain to make sure that guys aren’t overstepping the mark. This week when we get down to Melbourne as a group together it will happen in our first team meeting, we will go over some of the events of this week.”

Test cricket is a ‘test’ of character and mettle, where hard players must perform for 5 days. We all like to see players on the edge, it shows they care. Watsons celebration was the antithesis, graceless insulting and childish. Sure getting Gayle out was key but does not excuse that reaction. The guy has just scored one of the greatest centuries in test history, and Watson has not shown anything in his many opportunities to indicate he is anywhere near the caliber needed for test cricket. Show some class please.

Unless he was standing on a milk crate!!!!

Boom boom!!

However I think Haddin Benn and Watson should all be stood down a TEST match (bugger the one dayers they did the crime in a test match). Also the Umpires should ban them from bowling for the rest of an innings – likewise it is because ‘chucking’ is deemed cheating and offensive that they are removed from the attack. This would quickly put a stop to it.

I mean, if a defender in AFL turns the ball over and the opposition get a goal you’ll often see the opposition players get stuck into the defender. As far as I know, nobody’s been fined or suspended for that and I haven’t seen anyone calling for it.

Perhaps we should be careful not to get too dramatic when talking about player behaviour in cricket.

Ponting has often struck me as a grumpy petulent player – but that was terrible even by his own standards! And he has the audacity to publicly tick off those players withour referencing his own sub-par behaviour.

Very poor form from an average-at best captain

But we’ve become acustom to poor behaviour from the aussies haven’t we??

Taking the bails off with your gloves in front of the stumps and claiming he was bowled IS CHEATING!!!

But I agree, it looks pretty bad.

http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/timblair/index.php/dailytelegraph/english_musted/

“……Beginning with Roebuck’s previous column, we now commence this season’s most exciting sporting challenge: THE GREAT PETER ROEBUCK SUMMER RUN MUSTER.

The rules are simple. Roebuck earns one run for each mention of “must” in his columns, with two bonus runs for a double mention in the same sentence and a bonus three should he manage a triple-must. “Must” in a headline is four runs and, in the unlikely event Roebuck directs a “must” at someone other than an Australian, he will earn six.

Will Roebuck strike a sparkling 50? Might he make it all the way to 100? Or will he bumble along to a mere 37, his first class average? Place your Run Muster estimate in comments. Contest to close the day after the final international match. There will be a prize.

Roebuck’s score so far from two columns: an impressive 12……”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuDuBAKp1xQ

I read somewhere that clebrating wickets started with him

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhxIxIefwp8

War in many ways is a male rite-of-pasaage that pyschologically shifts a boy into being a man and better prepares him for the rigours of life. Many of the behavioural problems seen in modern male sports stars is that they have not made made the pyschological shift into manhood. You only have to look around and see many emotional juveniles wandering around in adult bodies in the wider community. The sad thing about this is their lack of ability to cope when life does get tough which often leads to substance abuse and/or depression and can lead to suicide. Suicide is the biggest killer of men between the ages of 15 and 50 and that does not include single driver deaths.

I always loved Keith Miller when asked about the stress of playing for Australia ” stress mate is having a Messerschmidt up your arse” – Keith was a WW2 fighter pilot