"Schizophrenic" behaviour means that there is a dual personality. Is this evident of Malaysian Cricket Association (MCA)? I ask this question because of the strings of "flipping and flopping" decisions they have made and in particular to the recent game between Federal Territory (FT) and Selangor.
This is not only related to the incident between the Umpires, FT players and a key MCA official but also the aspect of who won the game. A few days after the game, an MCA Committee decided that the game should be awarded to FT, notwithstanding the fact the Umpires had called off the match due to certain circumstances. For the story see my blog dated 3rd September 2008 titled: MCA - Lack of Professionalism.
Based on the initial decision, FT should have been the Champions of the National League. Then the "schizophrenic" behaviour of MCA came into play and they reversed the decision. As a result they became runners-up. Obviously MCA may have had their reasons but their "flip flop" action does not speak much of them. The 1st Committee that made the decision were all members of the MCA Exco and what is peculiar is that the Chairman of Competition Committee for health reasons requested a fellow Exco member to be the acting Chairman. Yet, when the Committee met, he participated in it with the acting Chairman and the Vice President who is in-charge of Development.
Despite the presences of MCA "heavyweights" in the Committee, strangely MCA decided that there is a need to reconsider the matter. Strange as it may seem, MCA changed their mind and the overall results also changed. The question is WHY ?
Speculation on the matter points to the incident relating to the 2 FT players, the key MCA official and the Umpires. The FT players and the MCA official were conducting verbal assaults
on the Umpires when they made their initial decision on the match and thereafter the final decision. The onslaught of verbal abuses thrown by the FT Captain and a Senior player showed the total lack of sportsmanship and discipline. The matter became absolutely chaotic when the key MCA official also joined the arsenal of "verbal garbage" which they were directing at the umpires. I am told what was very shocking is that one of the Umpires is a full time staff of MCA. One wonders how this MCA official can face the staff as he had humiliated him and his colleague.
People who were present felt that the other FT players were "dumb founded" while the Team Manager was in a state of shock as though he was shot by a "stun" gun. Any visitor to the field that day must have gone back thinking that cricket cannot be a gentleman's game.
Days later despite the Umpires' report and the Team Managers' report, MCA had the audacity to discuss the matter at the Finance Committee meeting. I wonder whether this was done because MCA was looking at what liabilities they have to face for the ugly behaviour of their key official. The only explanation is probably MCA have strange ways of doing things. Whatever it may be the initial information was the whole matter had been resolved and that is the end of the story.
Fortunately or unfortunately, Federal Territory Cricket Association (FTCA) is made up of professionals i.e lawyers and their conscience dictates that the whole fiasco at the ground needs to be investigated. FTCA felt it was only proper an inquiry be held and I think this must have shaken the backbone of a few people including the MCA official. It is about this time that MCA decided to review their earlier decision on the game. At the same time the issue of the FT players and Umpires was also being revisited by MCA. Why the sudden change of mind by MCA?
Anyone who had been following what has been happening in MCA over the last year would realise that the philosophy of "I scratch your back and you scratch my back" is the way things are done in MCA. FTCA seems to have departed from it notwithstanding the fact that the MCA official has very close connection with most of the FTCA office bearers. This is the price FTCA has to pay for the professional basis of running their Association including having to tolerate the "flip flop" decisions relating to the national league.
FTCA must be admired and congratulated for doing the right thing. They are bringing order and discipline to the game rather then allowing it become a "cancer" to sports. I salute the officials of FTCA and I hope others would take a leaf from FTCA's book and follow suit.
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12 comments:
Dear Gandhi,
Now I guess the reason why articles on cricket garnered more comments than the hockey ones in your blog. You seem to able to provide news and views that are not available in the mainstream media. The NST reported that FTCA appealed against MCA's decision on declaring first FT - Selangor match as 'no result' although you reported as otherwise in the 9th Sept article.
You also mentioned that FTCA's office bearers' professional background's conscience pricked them to call for an inquiry relating the outburst of the FT's players and official. Why then did the NST reported that FTCA appealed on MCA's decision?
If what you have reported is true, then now the world knows how competent MCA is. Don't have to be a rocket scientist to know why the sport is going nowhere in this country.
To the loyal followers of the blog,
I may not be as involved as all of you are in the game. But i did hear the word go round so i picked up from there and from this blog i must say, which can be a very entertaining source.
Why are all of you harping on something which in the first place should not even be an issue. Maybe thats why we are all in Malaysia. This blog is making this whole thing sound like a crime or shall i say a murder that was committed on the ground.
I think all of us are forgetting something. This is sports and the umpires/players feelings and emotions are not made of glass. And its something which is not to be considered in a game. Grow up. Thats all i have to say. Forgive if i am making the umpires or whoever cry by saying this, but im jsut giving my opinions just like all of you. I may not be on your side of the boat and that may make me a criminal after this but then again, i really do not ponder much on these things. So no hard feelings.
The FT players and officals may be wrong for the way they behaved. No doubt about that. What seems to be the question here is that, why are the umpires taking this to heart when they are just another figure in the match. Isnt it all part of the game. Correct me if i am wrong, i may be because knowing the story and being part of the game is entirely different. But its a game, its a sport, what makes it indifferent. You want to take them to court all because they passed comments on the poor rulings of the umpire. Come on...who are we fooling here.
Thats jsut how i see it. If the umpires are not ready to take critiscm, if they are so easily shattered by comments and opinions, i think they should be sent for further course to upgrade themselves, not only game wise but mentally and emotionally. This scenario is very similar to me lashing at my child because she misbehaved, then she gets upset and locks herself up in the room. Thats what it reminded me of. I think this whole thing is so immature and all of us, the umpires, MCA officials, players and everyone here needs to grow up. Thats the bottom line. What are we toddlers?
Mr.Gandhi,
I think you have got the whole episode wrong here by putting this article up with an intention of bringing out MCA's incompetence and in the mean time showering praises to FTCA for being an association who have done themselve proud without knowing the full story.
FTCA was depressed to get the 3 points from the match against Selangor and went all the way through the Hon. Secretary of MCA (who is only fit to talk but not walk the talk) to bend whatever rules possible to get the 3 points.
First of all, pls check on the result of the match first which was decided by the umpires and pls also check how in the world can 3 or 4 men claiming to be the competition committee revoked the umpires decision and award the match to FTCA. and also pls get the whole story from a reliable source before posting it.
I for one wouldn't want to spend half a day writing the chronicles of the event i would rather be doing something more fruitful.
By putting this article up,
You are now sounding and acting exactly how MCA has been going about doing their work... by only: 1. Listening to one part of the story
2. Getting the wrong facts and news from the wrong people
3. To busy on trying to hit on a specific party but along the line, the truth and other involved parties look like villains and in the wrong.
Sad to say, you are losing / have lost the plot here...
The Game is Bigger than Everybody!
To Comment no: 2,
It is understood that we are all grown-ups not toddlers. Your daughter may whine just because you scolded here. Have you used the 'F' word on your daughter? Definitely, no! We are not arguing on the decisions on the laws. Laws are very clear cut.
You picked up words here and there. Are you sure you picked the right things?
The umpires feelings are definitely not made of glass but certain malicious words can pierce through their hearts.
Is it part of the game when players and officials use 'F' umpires, 'F' umpires mothers, 'F' umpires grandmothers?
I wished that you were one of the umpires on that receiving end. Be happy that your daughter just locked herself up. What would have happened if the umpires had retaliated at that moment. The umpires knew their standing and carried themselves well. Not making any issues during the 2 days match but just reporting after that.
Anonymous 11.15AM,
What you have commented just reflected your own self. Do you know what really happened before you posted your 'matured' comments? Please tell me which sports where abuse can hurled at each other, players and officials included? Know the truth before shooting away like a toddler. The umpires tolerated the abuses, probably restrained themselves even after the match and conducted themselves in a mature way by putting down everything in black and white and let the relevant authorities to decide.
You sounded exactly like an ostrich-stancer.
To the 2nd comment,
Ha ha! The 5th comment just took the word from my mouth on you! There was no issue because ppl like you don't know what is going on or prefer not to know. How shameful of you to put the blame on us for being in Malaysia?! Go read the poem by Martin Niemöller although don't know whether you are matured enough?
Dear Anonymous 7:52 PM,
You still dont see what Comment 2 meant by immature and yet you are harping on something which is totally irrelevant. In comparisons like this, you do not directly compare both situations. Which father would use the F word on his daughter. He is trying to tell you that both the situations are very much alike. One in a child, and the other in the umpires, grown adult umpires.
Now, are you certainly sure that those exact remarks were passed or are you blowing it out of propotion. We need facts here my friend, not things we personally like to hear.
Piercing through their hearts? What is this? Oh no, what should we do, they are heartbroken? Come on, dont you watch sports. Do you watch football? Players say F you to the referees when senseless decisions are made. You dont see the referee sitting and weeping on the field now do you?
If you cant take all that in and digest it, then do some other job, play some other role which doesnt require you hearts to be pierced or feelings to be crushed. Players sledge each other in a game, they dont beat each other up because they are hurt? In tennis grand slams, players lash out at the umpire at a certain decision, and all the umpire does is stick to his decision knowing that its rite and be firm about it regardless of wat the players have to say. Im just giving you exmaples here.
So you know what, maybe cricket isnt for umpires here, maybe they should move over to chess where 2 people sit down and play a very intellectual game without involving verbal communication. This is just absurd.
The poem of Martin Niemöller is very straight forward and does not require a higher level of maturity to understand it. But, what do you understand from that? Dont just quote because one line of the poem appears to be significant. Read it again, and then you will realise that the whole poem applies to every single person living in the world. And for those exceptional cases, it doesnt apply only because they get joy out of bringing people down, thats the motive. Thats cyrstal clear. That is their only intention. But if you want to abide with the poem, and feel glad about this because you are somewhat practising what it says, you should. Do what you think is right.
Comment 11.46 AM,
Congratulations for finding the poem and reading it. You must be some genius to say one line of the poem was quoted and then you interpreted the gist of the poem. I wonder who are the people who got joy of bringing people down? You started the ball rolling by saying what's the big fuss of criticising (I shall not use the word abuse)the umpires after all it is just a sport? If it was not an issue, why then the affected association needed to appeal? I am not blindly supporting the umpires but I am basing my comments on the original posting by Gandhi.
There is more to this than what is being reflected here. Well, basically i think we are only getting one side of the story.
Dear Mr. Gandhi,
So are you still sticking to points in the article you posted??
The words "f#ck Grandmother" were not used. The exact phrase expressed to the umpire was "Who did you award the game to? Your Grandmother?"
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