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| A strong appeal |
Whether he used the long handle or the Mongoose Bat, Matthew Lawrence Hayden, better known to the cricketing fraternity as Matt Hayden, pulverised the opposition bowlers and smoted them brutally on the green turf till the day he hung his boots. But the 6 ft 3 genial hunk, always a sport off it, has flew off his handle once again so characteristic of him.
It has rankled Haydos no end that the Australian government in its cricketing wisdom has decided to confer the prestigious Order of Australia on Sachin Tendulkar whose exploits have already become a part of folklore Down Under.
Now Hayden is no alien to the Indian soil and its frenetic fans of the game. Like many others of his country, he keeps flitting in and out of India like a Kangaroo and makes a neat pile of money on endorsements, not to speak of the publicity that comes his way given that he shows up frequently in starred hotels in his dual avtaar as chef.
Hayden rationalises that the award is purely Australian in nature and should be bestowed upon an Australian. On the face of it, it seems a well reasoned and plausible argument, only that it doesn't seem to have occured to his narrow thinking that such an award is and should be an honour to any national and it does more honour to the country that gives it.
If the British with all their colonial mindset can still think it fit in their racist canniness to confer the Order of British Empire (OBE) on Indians, what is so questionable about the Aussie government honouring a foreign national? Afterall, their track record on racism in recent times has been similarly dismal. The honour should be for the work and not for the individual per se. If the Aussies believe that Tendulkar has brought as much cheer to their countrymen as the likes of Hayden with their game and gamesmanship, why should Tendulkar, whom the Don of Cricket simply described as"That Little Fella bats just like me" not be a worthy recipient?
Obviously, nationalism doesn't seem to be weighing on Hayden's mind as much as the "Monkeygate" of the 2007-2008 series in which volatile Harbhajan Singh's earthly Punjabi expletive was misunderstood by Andrew Symonds. As an ugly fallout, Hayden was charged for code of conduct violation by Cricket Australia for calling Bhajji an "obnoxious little weed" and for inviting speedster Ishant Sharma (Ponting's bugbunny) for a boxing bout during an interview aired on Radio Brisbane. Though reprimanded by Cricket Australia, Hayden never admitted his culpability. The Aussie cricketers do not subscribe to any code of conduct. Codes and conduct are only meant for cricketers from the sub-continent. Ask any Aussie and he will wear his pride on his sleeve saying "we play our cricket the hard way." It means the way they find it right.
Probity, like charity, should begin at home. Hayden must ask himself why he allowed himself to be auctioned for the Indian Premier League in the first place. He could have been as sanctimonious with his views saying let the IPL be played by Indians. It's their game. But the lure of greens and renown makes people change their colours faster than a chameleon. Foreign players know that India is a milched cow and jump at the first opportunity to land on the Indian shores to grab some quick bucks and gala time. Not all shoot their mouths off like Hayden has done.
He should let marsupials enjoy their leaps in the Kangaroo court.
