A playing field ?

Mike Hussey is a wonderfully exciting cricketer to watch-- his cricket oozes passion, he is incredibly talented and skillful and all those years of waiting for his turn in the sun seemed to have given him a reasonably good (cricketing) brain. So I was dispappointed when I saw this piece on Cricinfo, which reports that he was irked at knowing the stump microphones were not turned off between deliveries during the 2nd test match between Australia & South Africa.

The implication is that the Aussies would like to continue to say whatever they feel ---things that aren't really suitable for kids to be listening at home. They would rather that the microphones be turned off so that whatever 'chat' goes on in the center is not heard in the broadcasting rooms and from there in the living rooms of the watching public. To justify that a lot of things get said in the center in the heat of passion is absolutely ridiculous -- an odd exchange, an occasional taunt or two, the in-your-face glare etc. are integral to the on-field drama, but for some strange reason, Australian cricketers simply don't seem to know where to draw the line.

Shane Warne's penchant to talk dirty...on the phone..is well documented but can't the rest of the Kangaroos simply not give up talking dirty? They'll probably only learn when the others pay them back in kind and hit them where it hurts most, like a diminutive and affable Carribbean cricketer did to Glenn McGrath a few seasons ago (and unfortunately ---I don't condone whatever happened that day one bit)