ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
Cricket’s greatest all-rounder since Jacques Kallis has been banned for 12-months with a further 12-months suspended today after the International Cricket Council discovered the player hadn’t reported approaches from bookmakers.
Bangladesh Captain Shakib Al Hasan will not play in the upcoming and pointless T20 World Cup and will instead take some time out.
The reaction from the cricketing world has been mixed.
Many former players and commentators of God’s summer game have called for greater punishment, while others say the punishment fits the crime.
One of Al Hasan’s most vocal supporters is Cricket Australia, who have labelled the decision ‘over-the-top’ and ‘heavy-handed’.
Speaking candidly and firmly to the media earlier this morning, Cricket Australia chairman Earl Eddings said now is the time for the Bangladesh Cricket Board to show mercy.
“The punishment handed down by the ICC is already enough,” said Eddings.
“We can only hope the Bangladesh Cricket Board doesn’t smell the blood in the water and bow to pressure placed on them by the local media to crush Al Hasan’s bones into dust,”
“Cricket Australia hopes cool heads will prevail.”
When asked by our reporter if this crime against cricket was greater than the ball-tampering saga of yesteryear, Eddings said they were like ‘av gas and kerosene’.
“You can’t compare them. They’re completely different. Entertaining a bookie for a few weeks isn’t half as bad as taking a bit of sandpaper out onto the pitch and attempting to rough up a ball,”
“Any fool knows it’s easier to shine a ball than make it rough. Squeeze a dollop of sunscreen on your pants at drinks and use that to shine the ball. Anything! We punished those boys for what they did in South Africa not for what they did but for how fucking dumb they were to get caught.”
Eddings then refused to answer another question before heading back inside.
The Advocate would like to note at this point that Eddings pushed on the front door twice before realising it was a pull door.
More to come.
