It's not often that the cricketing world sinks lower than the depths football manages, but it has done just that in Australia in the past couple of weeks.
To recap; umpire Steve Bucknow makes a couple of mistakes in a test against India. Australia complain Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh called Australian (of Aborigine extraction) Andrew Symonds a "monkey" on the pitch. Singh is banned for 3 matches and India put the squeeze on. The result. Harbhajan is still playing and Bucknor - the most senior, liked and respected umpire on the circuit - finds himself kicked off the tour and back home in Jamaica.
The International Cricket Council clearly caved in when the money-spinning power brokers that make up the Indian Cricket Board sent clear threats to bring their players home. A judge was appointed to hear the case against the Indian spinner, but it won't take place until the end of the tour, so he can carry on playing.
This case follows the ICC's treacherous behaviour towards Australian umpire Darryl Hair in 2005 when he disqualified Pakistan at the Oval for refusing to play. Hair was dumped.
It goes to show that India and Pakistan have unparalleled strength to do exactly what they like in world cricket.
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