It is true that Australian cricket is facing a crisis. But to read a column in a national English daily by Sunil Gavaskar, former India captain and opening batsman, that people are happy at Australia’s predicament is uncharitable, to say the least.

He is of the view that when the West Indies ruled world cricket in the 1970s and1980s, their cricketers were admired because they did not resort to sledging and let their bats and the ball do the talking unlike the Australians who during their supremacy were abrasive and insulting to the rest of the cricket world.

The West Indians have been great admirers of Gavaskar as he scored heavily against them. The Australians have never been his admirers and not very long ago he was taking pot shots at them. This is because the Australians have never regarded him highly as a batsman, which has always irked him.

The Australians’ contention has been that Gavaskar scored his runs against them when the team was not at full strength. Also, that many of his centuries were in the second innings, when the pitches had slowed down. More than once has his infamous threat to take the team and concede a Test match in Melbourne in 1981 been referred to when Gavaskar has needled the Australians on some issue or the other, because the latter regard him as one who constantly criticises them with little justification for any alleged small failing.

It is possible that Gavaskar regards himself as some sort of champion for the coloured people of the game against the whites. And while this might fetch him some cheap popularity in certain circles, many of the whites regard him in turn as one without any sort of conviction. In fact, for one who could easily have become one of the most respected cricketers of all time because of his stupendous batting achievements, he is even being seen as a money-making opportunist.

This is, of course, sad, because he had the potential to become the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the International Cricket Council, the Indian version of Don Bradman. Since he has no intention of being either, at least in keeping with his stature as a cricketer, it would be better for him to master the understatement and try and emulate someone as distinguished as Richie Benaud` as a media personality.