In an excellent article on ESPNcricinfo Jarrod Kimber described an impending clash between India and Australia in the World Cup Semi Final as the battle of the bullies. It was a good read and I found it difficult to find any fault with his sentiment.
However, at the end of his article there were approximately 180 comments all praising his work and many of the ones that I read stated that while Indians play as gentlemen of the game, Australians are brash and no one likes them, er, us.
I’m not disputing that our cricketers are hyper competitive, in your face type characters who skirt the line of how one should or should not behave on the field and how one should treat ones opponent. They are aggressive, relentless and yes they are brash at times and I think it is because that’s what they think being competitive means. This facet of their play could certainly make them unpopular with opposition players and supporters, and arrogance from an opponent leaves a long lasting sour taste in your mouth when they have given you a beating – and for the most part Australia have been beating teams for a long time now.