Sreesanth baffles. Before the start of the fourth day of this second Test, he spent 15 minutes asking the groundsman to clear up the footholds at the Pavilion end. When play began, he was running in from the Radcliffe Road end. A high-velocity beamer, a huge front-foot no-ball and a shoulder-barge capped a wretchedly erratic spell. But he still conjured up gems amid the rubbish. When least expected, a perfectly pitched away-swinger would beat the bat; another would hustle the batsman. Like some random number generator, one ball in ten would surprise.

What Sreesanth could have done with was some introspection. Here was an ideal chance to play second fiddle, an opportunity to sustain the pressure at one end while Zaheer Khan got aggressive at the other. Had Sreesanth made the batsmen play more often, it was he who had the better chance of taking wickets, what with them trying to see out Zaheer at the other end. Instead he turned showman, waiting for the cameras to focus on him, and responding to a few sledges from the crowd. "I think he has a great example in Zaheer," said Rahul Dravid at the end of the match. "Zaheer has been as aggressive as anyone, without going over the top - just performing and getting wickets."

Nobody is asking Sreesanth to mellow down - in fact he needs all the aggression he can summon - but more channelising, and less Bollywood, will be the way to go

Coming from a state that's a cricketing backwater, Sreesanth was bound to be overawed by all the attention. Three years back he was a first-change bowler for Kerala in the second division of the Ranji Trophy; now he's expected to win Test matches. It's a gigantic leap and one that few 24-year-olds can achieve seamlessly. There's a lesson for Sreesanth to learn from Tinu Yohannan, his predecessor from Kerala who managed just three Tests, unable to cope with the expectations. India cannot afford to lose another talented youngster as they did the likes of Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, Sadanand Viswanath, Maninder Singh and Vinod Kambli.

So how does the team get the best out of him? A rap on the knuckles is an easy short-term solution but here is a young lad who needs careful handling. Greg Chappell, it is learned, knew how to deal with him - coaxing and admonishing in equal measure.

Team-mates have in the past been exasperated with Sreesanth's "naatak" (theatrics) but acknowledge that he is a vital member of the side. The good thing is, he has been talking to India's bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad, who rarely bowled a ball in anger during his playing days - except once, when taunted by Aamer Sohail in a high-pressure World Cup quarter-final. "It's a concern," said Prasad when asked about Sreesanth's on-field antics, "but we're trying to tell him not to cross the line. We need to respect the game and the rules. He needs to focus on his cricket rather than the other stuff."

Dinesh Karthik, one of Sreesanth's closest friends in the team, will no doubt understand his situation, having struggled to come to terms with international cricket when he was first picked, before returning far more assured. A chat with Mahendra Singh Dhoni, another superstar from a traditionally non-cricketing state, could help. Seeking out an elder statesman like Anil Kumble, a highly aggressive yet unassuming bowler, wouldn't be out of place either. Nobody is asking Sreesanth to mellow down - in fact he needs all the aggression he can summon - but more channelising, and less Bollywood, will be the way to go.

He is young, aggressive and an exciting talent. It is good to see an aggressive player like him, something of a rarity in Indian teams. At the same time crossing the line is not correct and it is fair decision that he has been fined. At least that would make him introspect and channelize his energy in the right direction. Be assured, we will see an excellent display from the man in the 3rd Test and hope we win 2-0 this series. Best of lucks India.

I feel that he needs to have been fined 100%.
He should be told that he needs to behave. Sledging is fine. Not beamers or no balls. I like the fact that he takes no nonsense from anyone. But going over the top does not help his career unless he can match it with wickets a la Shane Warne.
He has achieved a lot getting into the test team hailing from Kerala. He should be advised not to throw it all away. He neds to be told that the endorsements last only as long as he is in the team. What has happened to Balaji and Irfan?

He is a very good actor and he always wants to be in the limelight.He is a termendously capable bowler with immense potential to do good on his day as we saw at wanderers last year but he does a lot of gimmicks when he is not actually among wickets.He's young and needs to have a elderly shoulder to keep his spirits under control,this is where a senior player or a coach comes into picture.He is childish and very immature .Hope he converts his energy into a good prospect for the future.

Sreesanth is a genius. Such a unique personality, and here we are trying to put him in a cage. The only criticism he should be getting is with his bowling. The theatrics are essential, and shouldn't stop. One man with balls, and all of the media comes down on him

well he deserved to be baned for a couple of tests along with the whole match fee. Test cricket is not the place to yound kids to do what they want. He deserves what he got and maybe is lucky that Michael Vaughnan did'nt make an official complaint to make matters worse.

Cricket is a gentlemans game. No doubt one needs a lil aggresion along with humour...trying to prove to the world that i am playing hard for my country to win is joke...basically he is a wanna be....sumone who is like a comedian....we have such great legendry bowlers in the past ...none has been this comical...before he embarrases the indian team and India he should either be warned or axed. By saying he is young and plays aggresive and positive we are only making a mockery of him and our country. Coz all play aggresive and for their country with being a joke on the field

I wish he should have been fined 100% of his match fee and atleast 1 test ban as well.

Sree is a natural talented guy with a passion towards the game. Probably he has over reacted at trendbridge due to his frustration. But his behaviour is no way worsr than the Aussies Sledging and Andrew neil of SA. Sree need to be handled and groomed carefully for the sack of Indian Cricket.

Nothing wrong in being aggressive especially in sport and we all(Indians) always wanted to see an aggressive indian fast bowler emerge. Especially after being at the receiving end for sooo long. Even when we had really good fast bowlers they were hardly ever aggressive( who can forget Srinath hitting Ponting on the helmet/jaw and asking him if he(Ponting) was alright only to be told to get the $@#$@# back and bowl).
coming back to our friend Mr.Sreesanth he certainly went overboard with his aggression to the extent that the situation of the match and the cause of his became immaterial to him. Thats really disturbing and it was ugly really ugly to watch. Zaheer bowling fantastically from one end and Sreesanths theatrics from the other. He should be dropped by the management for one match at least.Its not the first time he has been up to such theatrics even in a domestic challenger there were some problems between him and few opposing players. No one can question his ability but his attitude/temperament surely many many questions are there. HE could have single handedly lost that match for us luckily it did not affect the other team members.

Hey Sidharth, What made you think that the acts of Sreesanth as 'Buffonary'?? Common, he let his aggression/frsutration go over him on that instinct but how can you call that man acts like a buffon. I firmly believe his 'Sreesanth's words when he said in another website that he wears his heart on the hand cuffs not even on the sleeves.
Here is a bowler from India with very good potential and takes on the world of sledgers (let it be anybody)in his way.
Let me tell you his antics on the field are as entertaining as his perfect seam up outswinger.
Lets appreciate this chap for being a thinking bowler (remember his 6 ball each one on its own traject just like Fannie de villiers @ wanderes) I am sure nobody from India have bowled like that from India in test matches and I am seeing matches since 1984 quite regularly. So way to Sreesanth..you bowled us over..
Raj

Sree Santh is a great bowler in the making. Aggression is something that's been missing from indian bowling attack. Prasad, the coach, Kapil, Srinath all the best bowlers that never managed to run down the pitch and throw a word or two at the batsmen. Aggression should be backed by performance - but it is understandable to backfire. Remember what happened to Australians in West Indies when the later chased down the record total following all the theatrics of McGrath. Remember what happened to the Pakistanis in Bangalore against India. Remember the jelly beans in the last test. However, aggression has always helped, as evidenced by the success of Australia. I think Sree is right to be theatrical, however needs to back that up with performance. Otherwise he'll enter a negative loop which just leads to more aggression and less performance. The media needs to channelize their priority. They are there to help India grow up not put more pressure on the team.

Ok..whats the big deal! Team India wanted one or two guys in the team to frustrate England's batsmen..by hook or crook..And, Srisant fit the bill. Even Dravid would have smiled inside to see that beamer and bouncer..Well, if Sreesanth understands that if his theterics is not followed with wickets..he wouldnt find any backers, then it is ok. If he does take wickets, lets take him as another McEnroe..Lets wait to find out!

Sreesanth is an agressive and a splendid Bowler. It was harsh to give him 50% of match. No one took any action in the jelly bean issue which was done against Zaheer. Always INDIANS are treated harshly by ICC. Almost in every match INDIANS are calm and quiet. When Sreesanth bowled a beamer against K.Peitersen, he suddenly asked apology as he had not done that intentionally. At that time Vaughan went to umpire and his expression were very harsh as if Sreesanth did it intentionally. There is lot of racial discremination in Cricet. Indians are treated very badly. Indians should protest against it.

Well we certainly do not want a talent like Sreesanth to be remembered as a clown due to his antics but at the same time we also do not want Srinath like timidity in the field who could only manage a laugh when Ponting showed him his place when he genuinely enquired about his well-being after being hit by a short delivery. Somebody needs to help Sreesanth grow up and tell him that if he focusses his energy in every delivery then all he would need to do is a pause on the pitch and a steely stare to intimidate the batsman and not the stupid beamers and monkey antics.

Sreesanth has to learn & learn pretty fast that the only thing that matters is performance. By resorting to this kind of foolish buffunery he is not going to impress anyone leave alone getting wickets.I do not understand why some of the seniors in the team ask him to knock it off & just get on with the task - that of bowling a good line .
If he cannot get 1 single wicket on a seaming track like trentbridge, then he deserves to sit for the one in the Oval

The problem with Sree is that his aggression makes him look more like a fool rather than a menacing bowler.He belogs more to the Andre Nel school.Another bowler that comes into mind when watching Sreesanth's theatrics is Shoiab Akhtar and he is hardly an ideal cricketer! Having said that i believe that the match refrees all over the world have been particularly harsh on Indians. Ranjan Madugalle is no stranger in this regard.Sree's actions had to be punished there are no two views about it, but then the English were no angels!

I do not think that Sreesanth is intentionally trying attract attention. I think he is still trying to come to terms with the pressures of international cricket, especially being an Indian player where cricket is a religion and players are gods ! But after so many matches with a world class team, it is about time that he learned to behave by looking at such excellent seniors like Dravid, Kumble or Sachin. He needs to learn to be humble but aggressive when required like the three players mentioned above.

Yes he deserves it.Being a new kid of the block does not give him the liberty to shoulder arms with the english captain.after all this is also a gentleman's game and some decorum needs to be followed.he still has a long way to go and trying to ape dennis lillee's mannerisms will take him nowhere.he has to ape lillee's bowling prowess and not his histrionics.ack like a newcomer and mellow down.great bowlers like kapil dev,andy roberts,michael holding,courtney walsh were so gentlemanly but yet fierce when it went to taking wickets.try to be genial like them and show your expertise in the finer nuances of the game.wake up my boy this is international cricket and not silly gully cricket.

I agree with the punishment applied by the match referee. This young man has the talent to become a very good bowler, particually in helpfull conditions,but his behaviour in this match was almost maniacal, he seemed at one stage to be not trying, then acting like a mad man while walking back to his mark, plus all the well publicised antics he produced during the Test.
His spirit must be allowed to continue on the field but he must control it and leaern to grow up and stop reacting like a spoilt child if things do not go his way. If he cant control himself it needs strong management from the team or BCCI to disipline him until he matures. While he is allowed to perform in the present way the Indian team will only get one good display out of him every ten matches and he will be judged as a player of great potential who could not control himself under pressure and as such never developed into the bowler he might have been, which would be a shame for India and world cricket.

No, I don't think he did anything worse than Matt Prior. Prior is rude and disrespectful. He is the one who should have been fined.

Lets get some perspective here. Does anyone think such an extended fuss would have been raised had the bowler been Australian, South African or English? And, does anyone think the same fuss would have been made if Sreesanth had taken, say, four wickets in each innings? The point is, for all Sree's antics, he resembles an Aussie quick on a bad day at most, but problematically, he didn't do the bit about resembling an Aussie quick on a good day. If Sree takes wickets, everyone will stop talking about him. But of course, he might only take wickets in the numbers he should if he can calm down a bit. Concentration isn't just for batsmen.

How should a young Sreesanth react when he is playing against Prior and Vaughn? A captain taking part in on field bantering and bordering a cheat.A beamer or two would have been more fitting. Oh was the umpire Tauf--- neutral or was he an extra for the English?

I do not think Sreesanth's relatively small physique supports his excessive on field behavior as a bowler. He has a diminuitive body. Hence he should focus more on reverse psychology such as a rye smile after beating the bat instead of a shoulder rub or a stare. Shoulder rubs & stares are mostly for imposing personalities like Merv Hugues.

All said he is a fine talent, and sure to go places if he puts his art in claiming the wickets and sure we need him to be aggresive but there is a line for everything and he is the best person to put that in perspective not to cross it. I wish him good luck for his career. Why ban him when we see the Aussies, English, South Africans and at one piont even windies were a big show off on the field. If the kid does some on a given day why blame him and call a ban on him.... that's unethical and un-accepted.... but different ppl see things from different view so these are my views personally and others dont get offended.

Regards

Sreesanth is an excellent bowler.The difference is that he looses his cool when he doesn't get any wickets. And thus looses the composure sometimes. He may need to channel his aggression better, but he doesn't need to change anything else.He is doing fine as he is now and it is good that the Indian team has somebody to ruffle up some feathers in the other team. Every team has someone and Cricket would become less interesting for the absence of personalities, like Sreesanth. He deserved the fine this time, as he did go overboard, but he is young and will learn from experience,as to when to talk and when to let it go.

Discipline and self control are important in any sports. One is not to react even when pushed. It does not mean accept everything, including insults in a playing field. Some English players did cross the limits of acceptable norms and Zaheer Khan is justified in milding reacting. But Sreesanth went over the limit. He needed to be shown where he gets off. 50% fine is justified and it is hoped Sreesanth understands and tries to correct himself. He can be an asset to the team.

what are u guys talkin about that he is a naturally talented and genuise ? I havent seen anything spectecular from him yet...rmr SAMI from pakistan came and had hatricks in the beginning...you get wickets to your name and do the gimmicks

Sreesanth should have known this was coming. He should focus on what he does in the game and not get into a situation where the opposition gets on his nerves which was exactly what happened in this game. This is what the opposition expects with their sledging and thanks to Zaheer who kept a level head, India won this test.
I am looking forward to the next test just to see what Sreesanth continues with, and the least you can expect from him is a couple of key wickets.

I think Sreesanth should be banned for atleast a couple of tests - India cannot afford to play guys who think they are indispensable but are actually freakin retarded.

i dont think it is fair to say that he should be banned or fined all his match fee. the barge was hardley a barge, yes he could have chosen to miss Vaughan but he didnt he walked into him, i would not call that a barge. as for the no ball i believe that was intentional in trying ti intimidate but he knows that he has done wrong now and no doubt is working on his problems but i think it is good to see some agression from the indians. england need a bit of roughing up every now and then, usually they only get real agression from the Aussies and South Africans. i believe the media has blown some thingsa out of proportion like the jelly bean incident and the beamer that Sreesanth bowled. ok so it was dangerous but no-one got hurt from it, K.P just got woken up a little, he never got hit. Sree is very talented and i really hope we see alot more of him in the future.

Why is it that one Indian fast bowler ruffles a few feathers & gets hammered from everyone for doing so,while the rest of the world cricket's fast bowlers have behaved in worse ways and noone's even said a word!For one,let us Indians finally enjoy having at long last "aggressive fast bowlers" in a side traditionally stacked with spinners for years!Secondly,the English probably thought they weren't mentally tough enough to cope with sledging and just take it "lying down".Not this side,though, which has given back with interest.With a upcoming tour to Australia this summer,I feel this Indian team is just getting warmed up!And there's plenty of curry still to dish out!!

Sreesanth should understand that sledgeing has been accepted as a mind game. There is nothing wrong with it if you are as lethal as some Aussies. I think Sree should be made to see the video of this silly act over and over again. Maybe then he will focus more on cricket and less on drama

Sreesanth has made enormous leaps in his short but memorable career thus far; his aggression and over-the-top "theatrics" as they were so rightly labelled, are perhaps qualities he believes he needs to possess. The seniors, the bowling coach, the team management, all need to stress upon young Sreesanth that he has a talent which doesn't really require additional weaponry, especially not in the form of sledging. I genuinely believe that the beamer and the enormous no-ball were both accidental, and I have no doubt that he truly regrets both incidents. He's very young and impressionable and requires a firm but kind hand to lead him through. Indian players, and people, are traditionally too sensitive to respond to arrogant attempts at discipline, as Greg Chappell found out. My only concern is that Sreesanth's theatrics hinder his ability to bowl steadily. He is a fantastic talent and has such an obviously fantastic ability to bowl, and bowl well. He should calm down, be assured that his place isn't under threat in the team, and be made to understand that his role is not of a matchwinner, but a fastbowler.

50% fine is a bit over the top. Actually, any fine would have been over the top. To put things in perspective, if the match referee would have dealt with all the incidents equally, it would have made much more sense. However, the match referee chose not to extend the courtesy of issuing fines to other offending parties.

The match had its share of problems... the biggest one is that the English team thinks that they are on par with Aussies and indulging in sledging etc. they would be able to destroy other teams. The main difference is that Aussies have skills to match the verbals whereas the English don't.

Indians are learning to be aggressive especially the young brigade. This is needed now a days as the game has become more of a battle.

Com'on guys!! give the lad a break. He is young, will get mature as he goes along. As for 50% match fee fine, it was hard fought test match, with fevers running high on both side, a stern warning from match refreem, with one more test to go, would have been more than enough in this case.

50% of the match fee? I don't think the match fee is that big an amount to matter to a modern day Indian cricketer, but the message is the right one. If you have undone half of your good work by your stupidity, no harm in that signal coming through through the fee.

Sreesanth actually seems like a wise guy out to fool everybody. Those theatrics are all just for fun from a very intelligent guy. His bowling being all over the place is something else, though. That can be sorted, but the "drama" I am sure is just a matter of him figuring out how much he should be dishing out. See, it unnerves the opposition and gives him an extra dimension that others don't know much about. But if any batsman gets bothered enough to do something stupid, all the better for India. He will assemble himself, or else all the wisdom in the rest of the team's experience will be a waste. If he spends some time with Kapil Dev, that would set him right, for sure.

Sreesanth has not done anything that much wrong as compared to Aussies, Proteas and Pakistanis, When he takes wickets nobody will fault him and when he doesn't get wickets in one match, everyone are complaining him. When Sachin, Sourav or Dravid scores century and if failes in the second innings no one will complian about their ability. After all its a game. Sree is very aggressive towards his game. Try to build him for the future. He is not so bad as Akthar, Nel, Mc Grath etc...He will prove him in the Third Test, that who he is.

I think Sreesanth needs to introspect, but should not be carried away by the media criticism. As someone suggested how about the Australian sledging, South African scorns and British arrogance ?. They are not punished. Is the world still expecting Indian players to accept whtever is thrown at them?(Including "jelly" beans at a muslim). I think India players have never been aggressive and they are only learning how to do it. It is just a teething problem and once they learn how to be aggressive they will do it properly. Go on Sreesanth, but do it properly like McGrath.

Disciplinary action must be taken against any cricketer irrespective of his colour and creed , if he has done something wrong. I am not trying to defend Sreesanth for his behaviour. He is punished not for the beamer or bouncer but for shouldering Vaughan and rightly so. But players from Australia, England and particularly from South Africa are rarely punished. See how ill mannered is Andre Nel.I remember five of our players were taken to task in South Africa, a totally biased decision.
Finally, Behavior wise and performance wise Sreesanth does not deserve a place in the third test. We must play two spinners in Oval and the vote goes in favour of Pawar

Sreesanth needs to control his outbursts. I do not think his behavior except throwing a beamer was beyond norm. The rules of cricket as applied to by the match refrees currently ought to have let him off the hook. I am amazed that the poor behavior by the English players is lost in a crack and forgotten & even condoned (They tend to be defended in the English press). Instead our press are too crtical of our players.

SS shall return to perform admiringly in the next test.

S

Hi Sree...a message for you...an admire of your seam bowling and aggressive attitude..but hang on..dont you think a steely attitude like Waqar's is more lethal...that stare,,the side on glance ,,,(why not get that reverse yorker going like his)...then celebrate like the two W's of the neighbouring country after the fall of a wicket..Now go get a haircut first,,,a clean shave and pop in a chewingum n then train you guns at the batsmen...relax, pause, smile a little..you know it that you are a matchwinner...just dont forget to keep on proving that match afer match..thats it.amen...hoping to enjoy your bowling always..

I cannot think of any other Indian cricketer who has been 'physical' with an opponent in the field, nor do I recollect any thing like a beamer from any Indian bowler. Our cricketers have been gentlemen always and this image needs to be protected. Atherton is knowledgeable and when he feels that the beamer may have been intentional, Dravid needs to sit up and take notice. Pity, since he is reportedly, talented. He has left the Indian team management with Hobson's choice.

As the saying goes one should learn from one's own mistakes if not you're down the wrong path and I cannot see his captain Dravid, and team mates as Kumble would standby to allow things to deterioate to such an extent that this talented and aggressive fast bowler like the kind of Sreesanth to go down that route. What needs to be done more by these so called elite officials is to be more consistent for too often rash judgements and disciplinary actions are taken against the less established players probably less'elite' than themselves.

One more burst of temper tantrums from Seesanth could put his career in jeopardy.

here is my view of the whole thing. People jump to conclusions, I think the issue got blown over because of the beamer. My personal feeling He did not bowl that intentionally. Things happen. he apologized immediately after the ball and that is enough for any one. Now what does irk me is the fact that Englsh team condones the jelly bean tactic which essentially means that Zahir was cheating. I think that is what bothered him when he started brandishing the bat. But over all it was a very enthralling game and let us leave it at that. It is easy to second guess but actually very difficult to play there in front of all those people

Media love to exploit Sreesanth's situation. He is energetic, not afraid to stand up for him self. We need that kind of sportsman. I believe the beamer was an accident, no ball was an accident. For a pace bowler it is not unusual. Give hime a break, he will be fine.

Leave Sreesanth alone , India needs someone who
can look the opposition in the eye and be agressive. Its nice to see someone in the Indian team who can deliver exactly that.Once he matures and becomes more consistent in his match winning ways all other matters will be overlooked.the opposition is complaining as they cant digest the
fact that an Indian player is dishing out a dose of their own medicine.

Sreesanth received the correct punishment. It seems to me Greg Chappel's coaching methods might have influenced him. Chappel did insist that players have a sense of competition among their team mates. Maybe Sreesanth took it too far trying to out-perform Zaheer and RP Singh discipline by showing on-field aggression. Or he just had a bad dream the night before.

The game is above the individual however talented and brilliant the player is. Indian officials and senior players should get him into line advice him to play the great game with dignity before he becomes another player who will be remembered for his on field boorish behaviour. One can be aggresive on the field without resorting to ungentlemenly actions.

Ifully agree with the 50%match fees fine imposed on sreesanth after his rather childish and obnoxiosbehaviour during the 2 nd test. He should realise that hes representing his nation and a lot of young impressionable kidz r watching.he should let his performance speak , afew wordz here vand then with the opposition are ok ,but he simply went over board.he should be debarred from one test .

Agree that he is young, a bit raw at times, possesses great talent.. But the fact of the matter is that, because he unsettled the English batsmen(`threw them off their games`) especially Pietersen, the other bowlers could easily get scalps of English batsmen. It would have been really silly if it was wayward on both ends. The strategy was ´on one end mentally unsettle & other end metronomic bowling to take wickets`. And it worked. I agree with Justin Langer, when he wrote in BBC to shut off the stump camera, and give both players some freedom. As far as SreeSanth goes, well he must start producing wickets on his own. Indian selectors like their batsmen better(not even one bowler in A contract), bowlers are expendable.

sidthart you have no reason toc all his antics as boffoonery. fast bowlers should be aggrresive(nel, mcgratg) on field.This intimidates a bastman. Body language is vital in cricket and not too many India players are aggresive and show that killer instinct. shreeshanth is the first pacer to show that along with his fiery bowling. he should be told to be aggresive within the rules; coz thats what i think fuels his bowling nh bacting( rember he spit venom after hittin nel for a 6)tell me one indian who has this killer,aggressive intent in say past 15 years of our cricket

Well I think he did not play the game in the right spirit and he should be fined more than 50% if thats possible, nobody should play cricket to attract the cameras, if he is doing it he is not playing for the country instead he is playing for the cameras.This kid needs a break and should be taught how to bowl,especially the no ball which he bowled was horrible I have been watching cricket for nearly 25 years now and I havent seen such a no ball being bowled, thanks Mr.Sreesanth for letting me to see the unbelievable happen with ur over stepping, you can be aggressive but over aggression might put a full stop for ur career.Atleast learn from your mistakes

Sreesanth needs a wake-up call! The 50% match fine was appropriate. Playing for India means that his behavior on and off the field needs to be exemplary. He will be well advised to seek therapy on impulse control. Think of the superstars of cricket like Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Ian Botham - the Cricketing World enjoyed their aggression chanelled through cutting edge competitive spirit and outstanding performance, not ill advised theatrics. Playing for India is a privilege, talent and ability will get you there but it takes character to keep you on there.

common guys atlast we have got a bowler who can threathen a batsman....has ever a batsman in test cricket said he is afraid to face a indian fast bowler...atlast sri has achived it & we should be proud of it...calling cricket as a gentlemans game is all bullshit...you can see the way the game is being played now by the aussies & other team its no more a gentlemans game...wish him al te best & hopes he achives more in the 3rd test...

Siddhartha,

My dear! I love you for all that you write! But you got it dead wrong right at choosing the title 'bafoonery'.. gimme a break! Why cant you and so called 'idealists' see that he was only retaliating for what happened to Zaheer and the chief architects of that jelly debacle (peterson) and who will stand up for such a thing? Dravid? Sachin? Gimme a break! Go Sree Go!
I just hope Dravid shows some balls and not sit Sree for 3rd!

Cheers!

I have seen Sreesanth as an unassuming bowler, when he played in a tour match against New Zealand on tour of India, about 4 years back. He was very quiet, and bowled his outswingers accurately.
After he was selected to play for India, things changed. On the tour to South Africa, the 'Nel" incident was celebrated by the media. Probably this got the young man to think that it is the right way to behave. But man, has he gone overboard!
Sreesanth is a bowler with average abilities. He has had his moments of success, but has underperformed on many occasions. He had a tour of West Indies when he bowled badly and unimaginatively, once having figures of 0/97, and doing nothing of note on a few other occasions. He still bowls straight and swings the ball out, a good thing against right handers. But he finds it hard to adjust against left handers, by bowling his inswingers, which will be outswingers to the batsmen.
A bowler of such limited talent cannot afford to behave irresponsibility. In other words, he is the John Mcenroe of cricket, minus the exceptional talent of the latter.