The game's most ill-disciplined players

Bat and ball / Paul Moon / 08 April 2008 / Leave a Comment

Pablo Luna - Moonlighting for Betfair. Pablo picks out Harbhajan Singh, Shoaib Akhtar and Andrew Symonds as some of the worst offenders when it comes to crossing the line of what is acceptable

In a perfect sporting world we should endeavour to create a positive impression for new talent. Successful sportsmen have a moral duty to encourage youngsters with good behaviour and manners. Whilst I understand that to err is human, they should be aware of their responsibility as role models. Alas we do not live in a perfect sporting world!

Whilst rewards and pressure become greater in cricket indiscipline has increased in its seriousness. There are different categories of misdemeanours but the top villain in modern day cricket has to be Shoaib Akhtar, the 'Rawalpindi Express'.

The world's fastest bowler has always been a highly talented maverick. He has a temper and an appalling attitude. Already on a two-year probation for whacking fellow paceman Mohammad Asif with a bat he has been banned from playing cricket for five years for violating the players' code of conduct. He will be ineligible to play in Pakistan or to play for Pakistan anywhere else in the world. The 32-year-old Akhtar publicly criticised the PCB for dual standards regarding awarding central contracts in January this year. The ban effectively ends his controversial eleven-year career, which has been plagued by injuries, discipline problems and a doping scandal in 2007.

There are those in Pakistan who think that speaking out against the policies of the board is not a hanging offence including Zaheer Abbass, Imran Khan and Javed Miandad. What they fail to recognise is that Shoaib has had dozens of chances and there must come a point when it must stop! I love colourful characters but we cannot have open anarchy, hence my lack of sympathy. These shenanigans set a bad example to youngsters and affects performances on the pitch. My colleague Andrew has eloquently profiled Shoaib on: http://betting.betfair.com/cricket/cricket/shoaib-will-probably-never-be-seen-in-a-pakistan-s-060408.html

I believe everyone deserves a second chance but there should be zero tolerance to drugs and cheating! There is no room in sport for drugs whether it is Dwain Chambers taking designer steroids or 'geezers' like Phil Tufnell having a bit of a laugh with a cannabis joint!

The ICC should make all International cricketers sign a charter declaring an absolute condemnation of drugs and a promise not to take them.

Should they do so then they themselves automatically terminate their International career!

Herschelle Gibbs is a wonderful cricketer but should he have lost the right to play after his match fixing scandal with former captain Hansie Cronje? Yes, he did not go through with the plan but the fact that he agreed to cheat was enough. Weeping in front of the Commission Enquiry should not have saved him. Even if I am wrong, a ban of six months was far too lenient! The integrity of Cricket must not be tarnished or damaged but it was then!

Discipline punishments outside the above parameters must have a consistency about them. Players should be held to the same standards. Re-offending should invoke lengthy bans. Racism and violence would be judged Class 1 misdemeanours (1 year to lifetime ban); dissent, over-appealing and umpire intimidation would be Class 2 (minimum of 5-match ban and fine). Pointing to the dressing room, excessive bad language/sledging a Class 3 (1-5 match ban and fine). It should not matter which country they play for or how financially powerful the nation is!

Provocative and wild Harbajan Singh was clearly guilty of racism in Australia recently but regrettably, India condoned his behaviour. The ICC should review it retrospectively as they never provided Harbajan's extensive discipline dossier to Justice Hansen who deliberated on the race case. Only former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq has a longer record of ill-discipline. India should have been admonished over their contribution. The unfortunate and ironic part is that this bad behaviour galvanised the Indians consequently rewarding them!

Fredalo Flintoff's drinking while on tour duty would have been a domestic Class 2. Ponting raising his finger 'out - umpire style' warranted an ICC Class 3 (first offence 1-match ban) warning but his punishment would be automatically doubled (2-match ban) because he was captain! Hayden who was reprimanded by Australia's governing body for his 'obnoxious little weed comment' (towards Harbajan Singh) and Symonds who swears occasionally or the Brad Hogg parentage word fails to get a Class 3 rating from me. I am not concerned in tit for tat politics, we need to tackle real issues and not take out the man in 'sportsman'.