Aussies hurl a few more bouncers at Gavaskar

 
Aussies hurl a few more bouncers at Gavaskar..how roud aussies are…
Australians hurled a few more bouncers at Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar with Allan Border and two other former Aussie cricketers attacking him for “uncalled for” remarks.

Former captain Allan Border took exception to Gavaskar citing the death of ex-Australian cricketer David Hookes after being punched outside a Melbourne bar three years ago as an example of Aussie behaviour.

“I consider Sunny a friend, but what he said about David Hookes and the behaviour of Australian cricketers was totally uncalled for…What Sunny said was totally inappropriate,” Border was quoted as saying by ‘The Australian’.

The incident, the daily claimed, has strained a 20-year friendship between the two former captains to breaking point.

Gavaskar incurred Australian wrath after commenting that the cricketers from Down Under were not popular winners and people were quite enjoying their recent slump in form.

Border described Hookes as a fantastic cricketer, husband, family man and a mate and said, “For him (Gavaskar) to link David’s death to players allegedly misbehaving on a cricket field is plain wrong.”

Australia’s 1987 World Cup winning captain said Gavaskar had a mistaken cultural view of the way Australia plays the game.

“Where Australia may be seen to be playing the game hard and tough could be misconstrued on the subcontinent,” Border said.

“Similarly, the way India plays the game at times may not be to the liking of every Australian. Cricket is a global sport in which different cultures lock horns out in the middle, only the nuances of the game may vary from country to country”, Border said.

“While a cricketer on the subcontinent or the West Indies may find an Australian bowler’s remark to a particular batsman of ‘you lucky bastard’ offensive, to players in other teams it’s not,” he explained.

Border felt Gavaskar had missed the point and overlooked the fact there were different cultures at work.

“I think he is drawing a long bow blaming our cricketers for misbehaving. While I do admit words are said out in the middle, we play the game hard, but fair”, Border asserted.

Lehmann also joined the fray to criticise Gavaskar.

“I’m pretty disappointed with Gavaskar. His remarks only hurt David Hookes’ family and friends and tarnish Hookesy’s memory,” Lehmann said.

“A man of Gavaskar’s stature in the game of cricket should know better. His outburst about David Hookes was totally out of order and in bad taste”, he said.

“As to what he said about the way Australia goes about playing the game, he’s overlooked the fact there are officials who are empowered to take action if someone is out of order”, he added.

Lehmann also went on to say that he had lost respect for Gavaskar.

“I came into the international arena a few years after he had retired. He was a player I admired - not any more,” Lehmann said.

Though Cricket Australia did not come out with any public statement, media reports claimed it was miffed with the comments made by Gavaskar, who chairs the high-profile ICC Cricket Committee.

Former all-rounder Peter Sleep alleged it was Gavaskar’s ploy to “stir the pot and upset the Aussies”.

Earlier, Australia captain Ricky Ponting started the counter-attack. Ridiculing Gavaskar as “Mr Perfect”, the combative Aussie also pointed out that the former Indian opener himself had threatened to walk out of a 1981 MCG Test along with opening partner Chetan Chauhan following a controversial umpiring decision.