That is the question I have been asking myself tonight after I found myself agreeing with a Daryl Harper decision.
The decision in question is Harper’s one to criticise the lack of response from ICC over MS Dhoni’s comments about the umpires performance at the end of the 1st test.
If ICC chose not to get involved just because Harper’s career was coming to an end and they thought what’s the point, then that is totally wrong and incredibly amateurish.
The individual is not the issue here, the issue is the upholding of respect for umpires and officials of the game, no matter what their name is.
Whether that be Dhoni criticising Harper, Ricky Ponting’s verbal assault on Aleem Dar during the Ashes, or Stuart Broad’s continuous over the top appealing and intimidating of umpires, the issue is that the ICC have a duty to protect umpires and to ensure that they are shown nothing but total respect.
We don’t want to see the respect for officials of the beautiful game of cricket dragged down to the gutter levels we regularly see on show on football pitches.
It may seem a bit over the top, but lack of respect starts somewhere and it needs to be stamped upon as soon as it rears it’s ugly head. So come on ICC, it’s time to pull your finger out and put a stop to this, now!
