The sport of " gentlemen " !

Horse racing was said to be the sport of kings. Cricket was the sport of Gentlemen.

This very " English " game spread from the home country to the various parts of the world that made up the former British empire. The colonists took it to heart and there is no greater following for any other sport than cricket in the sub-continent and the island states of the world.

But cricket has changed in the past few decades. It used to be a game of decorum. A dismissal brought a quick smile and a clap of hands - and the dismissed " walked " before the umpire raised that finger to signal a decision.

Not today ! The bowling side is quick to shout " Howzat " at even the remotest chance - and batsmen no longer " walk ", but stand their ground and wait for the umpire's decision - and in some cases - for the appeal to go to the remote umpire.

" Sledging " was always part of the game, but it was good natured between the Aussies and their Kiwi and Pom opponents. Today, an element of racism has crept in.
Vicious racist taunts are employed by both players and fans and the use of precision cameras and microphones leaves no doubt that goodwill is at an all time low.

Few games end without claims of " unsporting conduct " and disputes over refereeing. The problem is that money is now part of the game. Players have a reputation to uphold and that reputation is worth huge sums from sponsorship deals.


Match fees provide a large income and players are keen to be seen playing at their best to hold their place in the team. As is usually the case, money corrupts and brings out the worst element in players.

There have been proven cases of match fixing and it is unlikely that racist taunts will disappear anytime soon. It seems that the gentlemanly game of cricket has joined all the other sports where money rules supreme - and the objective is to win at all costs !