Danish Kaneria looks to be a fine bowler, but he should have been fined for the send-off he gave Damien Martin in Melbourne. It's was no surprise he's been pinged in Sydney.
Michael Clarke embarked on his first Test innings at the SCG buoyed by the cheers of a 35,000-strong home crowd. Thirty-five runs later, Clarke departed to a profanity-laced send-off from Danish Kaneria - a taunt that cost the Pakistani leg spinner his entire match fee and earned a reprimand.
After deceiving Clarke in flight, allowing wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal to complete the simplest of stumpings, Kaneria apparently told the 23-year-old batsman to "f--- off" as he strode from the playing surface. The taunt was promptly reported by umpires Billy Bowden, David Shepherd and Steve Davis, who referred the matter to match referee Ranjan Madugalle.
At a post-match hearing, Madugalle deemed Kaneria's actions serious enough to warrant a level two breach of the International Cricket Council's code of conduct, resulting in a $2000 fine and a severe reprimand. Danish had already committed 25 per cent of his match fee to the victims of last week's tsunami disaster in Asia.
After the Melbourne test Mike Coward wrote a piece on Kaneria. But made no mention of the Indian's tendency to carry on like a clown.
You don't have to think very hard to imagine the response if it was an Australian doing likewise.
APART from Danish Kaneria's wife of a few months and a few social intimates, not a soul knows much about his taste in suits, cars, aftershave, motorbikes and then some.
In stark contrast to extroverted paceman Shoaib Akhtar, whose life on and off the field is the stuff of soap opera, Kaneria is quietly making his way in the cricket world.
Of course, he is a fine leg-spinner quietly perfecting a range of complex and subtle skills that will serve him well in the future.
While Shoaib's visage will adorn newspapers everywhere again this morning on the strength of another five-wicket haul yesterday from a variation of runways, Kaneria also took five wickets and deserves the highest commendation.
I was at the SCG on Day 1 (in the Members no less, I love my friends) -- very disappointed the streakers waited until yesterday to get busy. Never seen one at a sporting event, it's a personal goal of mine.
Posted by: Amanda | Tuesday, January 04, 2005 at 01:06 PM
What's more, the telly refuses to show them and the radio voices start honking on about other stuff.
Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen a streaker either.
Posted by: Tony.T | Tuesday, January 04, 2005 at 01:11 PM
Maybe we could get some of the players to streak. Anyone got a spare bowler hat?
As to Danish, obnoxious behaviour is a good sign in a cricketer, particularly a slow bowler. It shows they are trying hard. I think Spanker Roebuck had a theory about slow left arm bowlers and their weird private lives.
Posted by: SB | Tuesday, January 04, 2005 at 01:26 PM
Spanker's the one with the weird private life.
Posted by: Tony.T | Tuesday, January 04, 2005 at 01:30 PM
I don't think I've ever seen bad language referred to as "French" without being preceded by "Pardon my.."
It's not legitimately French unless he told him to Le Fuck Off.
Posted by: Adam 1.0 | Tuesday, January 04, 2005 at 01:50 PM
Or ...
"Va te faire enculer"
http://www.insultmonger.com/swearing/french.htm
Posted by: Tony.T | Tuesday, January 04, 2005 at 02:02 PM
"I think Spanker Roebuck had a theory about slow left arm bowlers and their weird private lives."
Are you refering to Cloy Knot?
Posted by: Big Ramifications | Tuesday, January 04, 2005 at 03:01 PM
Anagrams are tish.
His final years were overshadowed by two allegations of sexual abuse involving young girls, the second only months before his death from cancer. Cleared of both charges, he was nevertheless forced to sell some of his cricket memorabilia to meet his legal costs, and while the second court case was pending his wife died of a heart attack.
Bit fucking grim.
Posted by: Tony.T | Tuesday, January 04, 2005 at 03:06 PM
What's fun about legitimate foreign swearing?
Posted by: Adam 1.0 | Tuesday, January 04, 2005 at 04:48 PM
The dopey accent you try on.
Posted by: Tony.T | Tuesday, January 04, 2005 at 08:02 PM
Perhaps he should learn Danish to send the batters off with. It would certainly fool the 3rd Umpires. Kaneria has got, what we could call, a personality, and he wants to impose it on the opposition. The aggressive type of leggie. Only he isn't patently good enough yet to use it. Yet.
What IS Danish for ***k off anyway ?
Posted by: Brett Pee | Wednesday, January 05, 2005 at 02:21 AM
Skrid!
Posted by: Tony.T | Wednesday, January 05, 2005 at 12:29 PM
Tony, you are indeed worldly knowledgeable-must be learning something from the 1000's of differing lango's spoken in Melbourne these days.
Posted by: Brett Pee | Thursday, January 06, 2005 at 02:40 AM