Fourth Umpire - Mr. Ricky Ponting

Got this article by mail....



After watching the test match, I feel some rules have to be incorporated by ICC to give the other teams a perfect clarification

(1) Ricky Ponting – (THE TRULY GENUINE CRICKETER OF THE CRICKET ERA AND WHOSE INTEGRITY SHOULD NOT BE DOUBTED) should be considered as the FOURTH UMPIRE. As per the new rules, FOURTH UMPIRE decision is final and will over ride any decisions taken by any other umpires. ON-FIELD umpires can seek help from FOURTH UMPIRE

(2) While AUSTRALIAN TEAM is bowling, If the ball flies anywhere close to the AUSTRALIAN FIELDER(WITHIN 5 metre distance), the batsman is to be considered OUT irrelevant of whether the catch was taken cleanly or grassed. Any decision for further clarification should be seeked from the FOURTH UMPIRE. This is made to ensure that the cricket is played with SPORTIVE SPIRIT by all the teams.

(3) While BATTING, AUSTRALIAN players will wait for the ON-FIELD UMPIRE decisions only (even if the catch goes to the FIFTH SLIP as the ball might not have touched the bat). Each AUSTRALIAN batsman has to be out FOUR TIMES (minimum) before he can return to the pavilion.

(4) UMPIRES should consider a huge bonus if an AUSTRALIAN player scores a century.

(5) All AUSTRALIAN players are eligible to keep commenting about all players on the field and the OPPONENT TEAM should never comment as they will be spoiling the spirit of the AUSTRALIAN team. Any comments made in any other language are to be considered as RACIALISM only.

(6) MATCH REFREE decisions will be taken purely on the AUSTRALIAN TEAM advices only. Player views from the other teams decisions will not be considered for hearing.

(7) NO VISITING TEAM should plan to win in AUSTRALIA. This is to ensure that the sportive spirit of CRICKET is maintained.

(8) THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE: If any bowler gets RICKY PONTING - "THE UNDISPUTED CRICKETER WITH INTEGTIRY IN THE GAME OF CRICKET" more than twice in a series, he will be banned for the REST OF THE SERIES. This is to ensure that the best batsman/Captain will be played to break records and create history in the game of CRICKET.

These rules will clarify better to all the teams VISITING AUSTRALIA.

Umpires guide Aussies to victory in sydney test

Australia won the second test against India, thanks to Bucknor and Benson.
How can you expect a 11 member Indian team to win against a 14 member Australian side (3 umpires, including the third umpire were playing for them).
This is not the only time they received favour from umpires. Chanderpaul once said that "if the umpires do not rule all the 50-50 decisions or even some 40-60 decisions in favour of Australia, most test teams can beat them".
There were a number of decisions which went against us when we batted as well as when we bowled.
Here are some decisions I would like to point out:
Symonds was stumped by Dhoni, but third umpire declared him not out when his foot was in the air.
Symonds was again stumped, but Bucknor even refused to refer to third umpire, when it was clear in the replay that he was out.
Dravid was caught behind when the bat was no where near the ball. Gilly appealed and Bucknor declared out.
Ganguly was caught in the slip(according to the aussies). But no one including the umpire was sure whether it was a clean catch or a one pitch catch. He should have referred it to the third umpire. But he asked Ricky and gave out.
How can Benson ask that question to Ricky when he should have referred it to the third umpire and who is Ricky Ponting to decide whether a batsman is out or not.
Australia can keep winning consecutively as many matches as they want as long as the umpires are in their side.

Happy New Year

Where did the year go?
Suddenly it was December....again- and we realize that with giant strides we started in January and within a blink of an eye, 2007 is on its back.
May this 2008 be a year of blessing and happiness.