THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary - March 27, 2018 - Topic 2
Scuff and buff: on the
ball-tampering controversy
Cricket is a sport, but it is also a code of
honour. The phrase ‘it’s not cricket’ refers to any act that is not fair. That
it has been called ‘a gentleman’s game’ suggests that it is held to high
standards. Yet, like a few other things wrong with the game, ball-tampering
remains one of its murkiest secrets. The seemingly innocuous application of
saliva and sweat, and more interventionist acts such as pressing chewed
lozenges, throwing the ball hard on the surface, the use of nails or abrasive
dust from the turf, and in some cases the use of bottle openers have plunged a
knife into the game’s heart even as they enhanced many a fast bowler’s ability
to extract reverse-swing.
This past weekend, Steve Smith’s Australian team went
one step further on that road to infamy, prompting its opening batsman Cameron Bancroft to scuff the ball with a yellow tape laden with dirt-granules from the pitch during the
course of the third Test against hosts South Africa at Cape Town’s Newlands
Ground. The act, caught on camera, and the subsequent admission of
guilt by the fielder and Smith have tarred them
and their fellow accomplices in the leadership group, including vice-captain
David Warner and coach Darren Lehmann. The entire episode has also raised
questions about the manner in which a powerhouse such as Australia goes about
playing its cricket.
The fracas highlights the perils of wanting to
win at any cost, an unfortunate ‘call-to-duty’ that now finds favour in most
cricketing units. In fact, ball-tampering has been attempted by most
international teams. Responses from ‘guilty’ players have ranged from
injured-innocence to grudging acceptance of complicity. In this case,
Cricket Australia moved fast, forcing Smith and Warner to step down
from leadership roles. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull publicly
questioned the team’s approach to the game. And Rajasthan Royals replaced Smith
with Ajinkya Rahane as its captain for the forthcoming Indian Premier League
season. The International Cricket Council, for its part, imposed a one-Test ban
on Smith, and fined him 100% of his match fee. Bancroft got a 75% fine. But is
this enough? Clearly no. Not surprisingly, the overwhelming feeling among the
game’s greats and the larger cricketing community is that these measures are no
more than a gentle slap on the wrist. Bancroft’s act wasn’t a spur of the
moment initiative; it was a pre-meditated action thought up during lunch break
on Saturday. Smith, Bancroft, Warner, Lehmann and whoever else orchestrated
this despicable move deserve firmer punishment. Sadly, a series which South
Africa currently leads 2-1 will now be remembered for trash-talk and a
nefarious attempt to alter the shape of the ball. Whatever this is, it’s not
cricket.
Vocabulary
Honour: high respect; esteem.
Example: His portrait hangs in the place of
honor
Synonyms: distinction, recognition, privilege, glory, kudos, cachet
Murkiest: dark and gloomy, especially
due to thick mist.
Example: The sky was murky and a thin
drizzle was falling
Synonyms: dark, gloomy, gray, leaden, dull, dim, overcast, cloudy
Lozenges: a rhombus or diamond shape.
Example: The windows with the lozenge
pattern of leading are all found in pictures thought to have been painted in
the late 1650s.
Chew: bite and work food in the
mouth with the teeth, especially to make it easier to swallow.
Example: He was chewing a mouthful of toast
Synonyms: munch, chomp, champ, crunch, nibble, gnaw, eat
Abrasive: showing little concern for
the feelings of others; harsh.
Example: Her abrasive and arrogant personal
style won her few friends
Synonyms: caustic, cutting, biting, acerbic, rough, harsh, hard, tough
Subsequent: coming after something in
time; following.
Example: The theory was developed
subsequent to the earthquake of 1906
Synonyms: following, ensuing, succeeding, later, future, coming, to
come, next
Fracas: a noisy disturbance or
quarrel.
Example: There were fights and fracas where
I saw guns, knives, baseball bats and the rest, but nothing I couldn't handle.
Synonyms: disturbance, brawl, melee, rumpus, skirmish, struggle, scuffle
Innocence: the state, quality, or fact
of being innocent of a crime or offense.
Example: They must prove their innocence
Synonyms: guiltlessness, blamelessness, irreproachability
Wrist: the joint connecting the
hand with the forearm.
Example: For example, the nickel found in
some jewellery may cause eczema on the ear lobes, wrists , and around the neck.
Nefarious: wicked or criminal.
Example: The nefarious activities of the
organized-crime syndicates
Synonyms: wicked, evil, sinful, iniquitous, egregious, heinous, atrocious
