Historically, Australia has thrown up extremely talented cricketers who are very attractive to watch. As old-timers would say, one could go miles to watch many of them. To me, that would be Adam Gilchrist in recent years. He no longer plays for Australia, having prematurely retired, but remains an electrifying batsman and a sportsman who still holds old values such as ‘walking,’ when he knows he is out, loves his fans and engages in a lot of charity work in this country.

It is dismaying to read Gilchrist has been forced to reconsider his participation in the third edition of the Indian Premier League because of a threat from the Shiv Sena. The radical Maharashtra group has said it will stop all Aussie cricketers from playing in the IPL in retaliation for the racial attacks on Indians in Australia.

Nothing could be more ridiculous, but that is in the nature of politics, particularly so in the politics of the Shiv Sena.

Australian cricketers have nothing to do with what is going on in Australia, or what its political leaders are not doing to stop the attacks. I continue to be a critic of the way Australia as a nation, or as a society, has handled the blatantly racial attacks, but to hold its cricketers responsible for it is silly.

Australia’s cricketers are adored in India not only for their performances but also for their sportive qualities. The latter has emerged in far more positive light since they are playing here as individuals. Many like former Australian captain Steve Waugh fund charities here and generally have been great ambassadors for the game, if not for their country.

In the last two editions of the IPL, the Australian cricketers have been stellar performers. Among them, Matthew Hayden, Shane Watson, Shaun Marsh and Brett Lee. In the last edition, Gilchrist led the Deccan Chargers, which had finished at the bottom of the league the previous year, to a title triumph. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Australia’s cricketers are important to the success of the tournament and the only thing Shiv Sena will achieve is damaging our own prospects.

While on the subject, I continue to be a critic of the way Australia handles the blatantly racial attacks against Indians, mostly students.  Today, an Australian court handed out a three-month sentence to a man who assaulted an Indian cabbie and threatened to kill him. Among other things, the cabbie apparently confessed calling the Indian cabbie “you mother f**king Indian, I will kill you, you f**king Indian bastard.”

Does anybody believe it meets the standards of justice? Is anybody convinced this will deter others?