Et tu, Tendulkar?

If you are a great Tendulkar fan (like me) and can't countenance any criticism whatsoever about the little master (again, like me) then you should read no further.

Because, in the following paragraphs, I am going to play the Devil's advocate. For me, there is no greater sight on a cricketing field than Sachin in full cry. Whether he is conquering bowlers with his awesome batting talent or mesmerising batsmen with his assortment of deliveries, there is a magnetic force about his play that compels you to watch. The minute he gets out, I feel a void in the cricket. It's almost like I am suffering from instant withdrawal.

Which is why, I feel more than a little let down by the master blaster. A hero like Sachin Tendulkar should be like Caesar's wife, above all suspicion. I can't for a moment imagine that a player of his stature and such vaunted cricketing acumen would be ignorant of the rules. What he did was blantantly against the rules of cricket, and there can be no two ways about it. I, for one, believe there's more to it than meets an eye blinded by adulation for Sachin Tendulkar.

According to Sunil Gavaskar, Mike Denness should have taken into consideration the way Tendulkar played the game for 12 years. By the same token, did we pause to think about Hansie Cronje's conduct on the field before we judged him?

A lot of people will tell you that Tendulkar merely violated the letter of the law and not the spirit of the game. Don't let them kid you. As far as I am concerned, there is no spirit left in the game. It's dead, buried with Caesar and his wife. Cricket has become like any other competitive sport. Just take a look at the way the Australians and South Africans play their cricket, and you will know what I am talking about.

At times like these, it is only the rules, put down in cold letters from time to time by a body we have chosen, that can protect a game from degenerating into chaos. And, whatever else he did wrong, I can't fault Mike Denness on his decision to penalise Tendulkar.

Of course, the rules have to be applied evenly. From the feedback I have received to my article on racism, more than 90 per cent believe that the rules are interpreted with a bias against teams in the sub-continent. The blame for this lies entirely with our boards.

Without India, the cricket world would lose more than half its paying public. Add Pakistan and Sri Lanka to this, and you would know the magnitude of following in these three countries is unmatched anywhere else in the world. Cricket, without these teams, would just not be cricket.

India, according to an article I read, contributes over 70 per cent to the ICC coffers. I am sure, Sri Lanka and Pakistan would make up another 10 per cent, if not more. So, where does all this leave the sub-continent?

It leaves it in a position to dictate terms. Not to lie back and take all the unfairness that is heaped on it. So our boards have to take a tough stand. They have to say enough is enough. They have to call for more fairness in decisions and a more even interpretation of the rules. With the kind of money and bargaining power we have, I really don't see why this should be such a big problem, unless, of course, these issues just don't figure on the board's agenda.

There was also a lot of talk on ESPN about how Indians have always played the game in gentlemanly fashion. There was footage of Srinath apologising to Ponting and getting a mouthful in return. But the point is that it has nothing to do with sportsmanship. It's got more to do with the way we are. As a people, we are more tolerant and accommodating than our brethren in many other parts of the world. It's a cultural and historical attribute. On a playing field it comes across as third world diffidence.

Which is why we find a Ganguly -- brash, aggressive, pushy -- a little hard to stomach. What we need are more Gangulys who will give as good as they get and not turn the other cheek.

Finally, I think Tendulkar is a lucky man. If Mike Denness had nailed only the little master, there would have been a lot more embarrassment in the Indian camp. But the match refree, in his infinite wisdom, bundled the Tendulkar decision with five patently unfair suspensions. Instead of embarrassment in the Indian dressing room, there is outrage in the cricketing world. And, instead of the spotlight being on the shy, almost self-effacing genius, it's on Denness the Menace.

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Mail Ashok Hegde