It just seems that nothing is going right for Australia.
First, Brad Haddin commits a ‘foul’ by knocking off the stumps and claiming a bowled decision from the ump! Now, this is just plain tom-foolery! How low can you go to win?
I don’t know how many of you remember, but a similar incident happened here in SL in 2004. The test match seemed to be drifting away from the Aussies, and Hashan Tillekaratne was at the striker’s end. He plays the ball away and doesn’t take a run. However, about 15 seconds after he’s made the shot, Justin Langer (of all people) walks by the stumps, knocks the bails off, and everyone jumps up in an appeal for ‘bowled’. It goes to the 3rd ump, and given ‘not out’.
I mean, how blatant can it get? OK, everyone cheats once in a while by not walking, or for appealing for balls bouncing outside leg, but, come on, aren’t you going a bit over the line by doing such crappy stuff?
However, Brad considers himself ‘not guilty’! Typical Aussie style, looks like they can’t get to grips with the fact that they’re not ‘world-beaters’ anymore!
Ponting then brings a bombshell by announcing that he’s resting for the next 2 ODIs.
Now that’s just poor timing. The team is in bad shape, having lost 5 of the last 6 ODIs, and to desert them is just criminal! Of course, you can’t blame Ponting, he may have protested, but the brains of the CA honchos seems to be disintegrating! Looks like someone has to give Andrew Hilditch the boot before the Aussies go into a rut!
Off Cutter 