The last thing what Australia needed

Well with the super eights finishing on a high note, the stage is needless to be said set for the grand semi finals no doubt which would be not grand than the finals of the tournament. No semi finals has so far been more grand than the finals of the tournament and this is no exception. However, as far as Australia is concerned, this is the last thing that they needed atleast in a world T20 tournament. By someone's grace in addition to their own efforts, Australia have so far been unbeaten in this tournament. But, as everyone is aware of, the semi finals of a mega tournament is altogether a different game altogether.

Not only in the world T20 tournament but also as far as the shortest version of the game is concerned, Aussies have so far found to have taken a set back which happened to be worse when the most successful Australian captain Ricky Ponting decided to quit from the version but continue to play in the other two formats of the game. Australia are the only team to have lost a match to Zimbabwe in a T20 world cup. No matter that there have been the West Indies team which have lost to Bangladesh in the initial stages of the inaugural world T20 tournament.

The world can never forget the way the Aussies were at the receiving of the West Indies and Sri Lanka in the group stages of the second world T20 held last year which was shocking to the entire cricketing world needless to be said. And this year for the Aussies to have come out without losing a single match on its way is indeed excellent. This is all the more expected for, it was their bad time that made life miserable in T20 world cups. One can recall the way the Australian team was bundled out for 163 in Champions trophy 2002 by Sri Lanka and they not only emerged victorous in the world cup that followed in 2003 but also thrashed their opponents.

But, Ausses will always consider it unfair to face Pakistan in the semi finals. England or Sri Lanka would have been preferable but of course not Pakistan. Australia might have defeated Pakistan in the only T20 game that was played as a part of the Commonwealth Bank series late last year and more recently in the initial round robin stage of this world T20. But still, Pakistan are not at all welcome as an Aussie for me. If at all there is any team in the tournament to beat the Aussies and in the process stop the unbeatable streak of the same, it can be none other than Pakistan and for Australia to face the same Pakistan in the semis is an uninvited guest one can say. So boring!

Unlucky Rohith!

Well it is really difficult to decide whether Rohith Sharma is to be considered unlucky or is the ICC rightly justified in fining the mentioned Indian batsman for showing dissent towards the umpires' decision. As far as my memories go, this is the second time that Rohith Sharma has been fined for showing dissent towards the umpires' decision. The first time I remember Rohith Sharma showing dissent towards the umpires' decision was way back in late 2007 in the Commonwealth Bank tri series involving Sri Lanka, India (obvioulsy) and Australia (which is obvious as well). That was in the game against Sri Lanka at Brisbane.

Then, Rohith Sharma was fined 10% of his match fees when he showed reluctance in heading back to the stands when the main umpire raised his finger against the batsman regarding which Rohith Sharma was far from being convinced. And suporting Rohith Sharma, the video replays showed that Rohith Sharma had not even touched the ball in that particular encounter. That was the initial stage of Rohith Sharma's career and that match would have been a full stop in his career had the Indian batsman not shown reluctance in heading back to the stands. This was even worse than the 10% fine imposed on him.

One such poor performance by a youngster is more than enough for his cricket board's selection committee to sack him with dozens of other youngsters more eager to make it to the playing eleven. And, one can quite understand Rohith Sharma's anxiety when he was shown the doors with no mistake of his. And, this time once again Rohith Sharma has found himself in shambles when he once again did the same mistake by not willing to head back to the stands despite the onfield umpires raising his finger against the wishes of the batsman. This time as well, the umpires were more than convinced by their error than the batsman's doubt.

This is one such area in the game of cricket where the benefit of doubt does not go to the batsman. Instead, the benefit of the human error of the onfield umpires most of the times favors the bowlers who would be having a wicket against their name and the fielders who would be having a catch or a run out against their name. However, hardly any batsmen are found to be punished like it has happened for Rohith Sharma or may be that I have hardly come across a batsman being unlucky one for falling prey to a wrong decision and two for facing a penalty. If you readers come across such a scene please let me know.

Baggy Green gets its due

For the first time since 2006-07, the year Australia switched to the Baggy green uniform which was until then sun yellow, Australia managed to not only win the series but also wipe out the opposition as though it was dust on a smooth wall. It was in the Commonwealth Bank series 2006-07 that included England and New Zealand when Australia wore the baggy green for one dayers. And also was the season since Commonwealth Bank took over the sponsorship of the tri nation one day tournament that is held in Australia every year. Until then, it was known as Victoria Bitter series or in short the VB series.

And, since 2008-09, the policy of a tri nation tournament was scrapped for reasons best known by cricket Australia and was converted into a bi-lateral series divided into two halves. But, the moment Australia switched to baggy green, all sorts of disasters started. And these disasters were even worse than losing a series. For, Australia were in the driver's seat throughout the tournament and only lost the finals of the Commonwealth Bank series. In 2006-07, Australia were found winning 7 out of the 8 games played against England and NZ in the league stages only to lose the finals 2-0 to England.

Then, in 2007-08, it was India & Sri Lanka along with Australia who participated and Australia won 5 out of the 7 games played, with a loss each to Sri Lanka and India in the league stages. Once again, it was Australia who lost the series after India won the two finals in the best of three. Then, in 2008-09, the tri nation tournament was converted into two bi-lateral series' against RSA and NZ, with the former being won by South Africa 4-1 and the latter being leveled 2-2 in the five match series that were played. There, Australia did a mini South Africa.

Finally, in the current Commonwealth Bank series' that involved five match bi-lateral series' against Pakistan and West Indies, Australia not only won the series but also whitewashed the opposition completely. Australia failed to lose even a single one day or a T20 game against both Pakistan and West Indies. All that could not go well with Australia was the 4th one dayer against the West Indies which was abandoned due to rain. Or else, Australia could have well boasted of a 14 match unbeaten streak in ODIs after winning 5 ODIs against Pakistan, 4 against WI and 2 against India last year.