Ban Ranatunga for life, says senior umpire
AFP
27 January 1999
MELBOURNE, Jan 27 (AFP) - Sri Lankan cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga
should be banned from international cricket for life after his conduct
last weekend, former Australian Test umpire Lou Rowan said Wednesday.
Rowan, a veteran of 26 Tests in the 1960s and 70s, said Ranatunga's
conduct in the one-day match against England in Adelaide last Saturday
was disgraceful.
``I thought it was disgraceful ... I'm convinced now it was the worst
conduct possible,'' he said in a television interview.
``If I had my way, he would be scrubbed from the game now and be done
with it.
``Cricket was going a long time before Sri Lanka entered the game.
``While Ranatunga might be king in his own country, he doesn't amount
to too much here.
``He does not have the right, in law or morally, to dictate to anyone
how to dictate the game of cricket.''
Ranatunga will appear before an International Cricket Council panel in
Perth on Thursday to answer a charge stemming from the game under a
clause of the ICC Code of Conduct.
It calls for captains to be responsible at all times for ensuring play
is conducted within the spirit and laws of the game.
Ranatunga argued heatedly with and waved his finger at Australian
umpire Ross Emerson after Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was
no-balled for throwing, with Ranatunga at one stage allegedly prodding
Emerson in the chest.
``There's a lot of events in history where that type of conduct has
resulted in some painful injuries - not to the person being jabbed at,
but the person doing the jabbing,'' Rowan said.
The retired umpire was at the centre of several controversies during
his career, including the Sydney Ashes Test in the 1970-71 when
English captain Ray Illingworth led his team from the field because of
a crowd disturbance.
At one stage last Saturday, it appeared Ranatunga would lead his team
from the field.
Rowan, who backed Darrell Hair four years ago for first calling
Muralitharan for throwing, said umpires would be loath in future to
call anyone for throwing.
``The umpire has to adjudicate on every delivery - he (Emerson) saw one
delivery that didn't pass his scrutiny and he called him,'' Rowan said.
``If anyone wants to walk up and throw the ball, I don't think anything
can be done.''
When asked what his reaction would have been had that happened, Rowan
replied: ``Make sure you've got your aircraft tickets -- there would be
no loss.''
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