As one who has always held strong views on the subject of growing misbehaviour of players on the field, I must commend the stand taken by the new Chief Executive Officer of the ICC Malcolm Speed in giving top priority to dealing with this `cancer' that is threatening to ruin the image of the sport as drastically as the match fixing scandal. If cricket has ceased to be a gentleman's sport, it is because of the loutish behaviour of the players. And if this alarming trend continues, the day may not be far off when parents will frown upon their children taking up the game. And there can be no more damaging influence on cricket.

Under the circumstances, Speed, who took up his new position in London only ten days ago, has done well in writing personally to each of the ten Test match cricket captains, asking for their support in upholding the highest standards of conduct on the field of play.

In his letter, Speed writes: "There have been a number of incidents in matches over the past 12 months that have fallen below an acceptable standard. It is time to ensure that all of us charged with protecting the reputation of our great game meet the high standards expected. I appreciate that the international game is fiercely competitive and played for increasingly high stakes, but ask that you take all steps available to ensure that your team honours the Spirit of the Game. It is a very important duty that is entrusted to you and one which places a great responsibility on all international captains."

Speed says that there have been a number of incidents in matches over the past 12 months that have fallen below an acceptable standard One would like to think to think that he is being polite rather than inaccurate. For the malaise actually runs over a much longer period. Over the past two decades there have been many unhappy - even sickening - episodes that have sullied the image of the game.

For example, can anyone ever forget the sight of Michael Holding kicking the stumps when an appeal was turned down by the umpire? In the same series in early 1980, Colin Croft barged into umpire Goodall after he had negatived an appeal. A year later came Sunil Gavaskar's infamous walk out incident at Melbourne after an altercation with Dennis Lillee. The fiery Australian fast bowler, already infamous for the aluminum bat incident in 1979, was embroiled in another unsavoury controversy involving Javed Miandad two years later. The sight of umpire Tony Crafter separating the two `warriors' - the one with clenched fists and the other aiming to club Lillee with his bat - was the kind of photograph that brought tears to the eyes of the genuine cricket fan, who all along thought that the adage `it's not cricket' stood for anything unfair and unsporting.

As if all this was not enough, worse was to follow over the next decade. The questioning of umpires' decision became more open, the star players behaved like they were prima donnas and the clashes between the batsmen and the fielders became more and more disreputable. And in 1987-88 the image of the game touched a new low, first with the incident involving Chris Broad who refused to leave the crease after being given out caught behind by the umpire in Pakistan. Then of course in the next Test followed the infamous row between Mike Gatting and Shakoor Rana. Graham Morris' famous photograph of Rana and Gatting squaring up to each other was somehow symbolic of the growing problem that had engulfed the game. By the 90s the phrase `cricket is a gentleman's game' evoked only derisive laughter.

There is little doubt that the behaviour of the players became more boorish as a result of their direct involvement in Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket. Today, much that is attractive or innovative about the game - night cricket, coloured clothing, stump vision camera, white balls, black sight screens et al - can be traced to WSC. Unfortunately bad behaviour can also be traced to this turbulent period in the late 70s. With the tantrums becoming increasingly unendurable and with the image of the game suffering as a result, the ICC had to take urgent steps to curb the cancerous growth and so in the early 90s, innovations like the TV umpire (to help solve dissatisfaction with umpiring decisions), neutral officials (to quell charges of biased umpiring) and the match referee (to take action against erring players) were introduced.

It was reasonably hoped that these steps would act as a deterrent to the players. But based on the experiences of the last decade, it can safely be stated that these innovations have not had the desired effect. Umpiring still remains a contentious issue though hopefully the ICC move to have two neutral umpires to stand in Test matches from next year could have some positive impact. As regards decisions taken by match referees, it must be said that these sometimes have raised more than the proverbial eyebrow. The officials have not been consistent despite the benefit of certain yardsticks. Frankly, too much is left to their interpretations, leading to charges of incompetency and bias. For example, Cammie Smith's decision just to warn Michael Slater for his tantrums in the Mumbai Test against India in February this year when a sterner penalty would have been in order was almost as shocking as the incident itself.

The point to note here is that some of the punishments meted out to the erring players is just not enough. A suspended sentence of two matches, a one match suspension, a monetary fine - all this obviously has no effect on the stars who promptly return to their boorish ways. Perhaps the time has come for harsher punishment to be meted out to these prima donnas. And it is here that Speed's call to umpires and referees to take a tougher line in disciplining players who transgress the game's Code of Conduct is to be welcomed wholeheartedly.

In the letter to match referees, Speed suggests that serious cases of indiscipline are punished with suspensions, rather than lesser penalties: "as a matter of general principle, I would suggest that in serious cases, suspensions are imposed rather than suspended sentences, reprimands or fines. I can assure you that you will have my full support in dealing with matters of this kind." The referees have also been asked to encourage umpires to lay formal charges under the Code of Conduct.

Commenting on the situation, Speed says: "I regard improving the standard of on field behaviour and conduct as one of my most important priorities. I have no wish to dwell on past incidents and accuse no team or individual above another, but action does need to be taken. I am confident that the will exists among players, captains and officials to achieve a rapid improvement, and this will help improve the perception and reputation of the game among its millions of followers worldwide." To which, cricket lovers all over the world will undoubtedly say `Amen'.

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