By IANS
Sydney : At a time when the Australian cricket team is under fierce criticism from all quarters for their unsporting behaviour in the Sydney Test against India, Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) chief executive Paul Marsh came out in support of the beleaguered team saying that the accusations are hardly in line with the cricketer’s charitable behaviour off the field.
“Much has been said and written about the Australian cricket team this week. As the representative body of past and current first-class cricketers in Australia, the Australian Cricketers’ Association has been inundated with letters, emails and phone calls from all over the world. Many have been positive but just as many negative,” Marsh wrote in his column in the Sydney Morning Herald, Friday.
Marsh said that the issue had reached a point where parents of the captain of the Australian cricket team have been subjected to threatening and abusive phone calls by anonymous callers.
“The events of this week have led to the Australian team being labelled arrogant, unsporting, disrespectful and, worst of all, liars and cheats. But these facts (of their charity work) are hardly in line with the accusations being thrown at the Australian team this week,” he added.
“Off the field, Australian team members are outstanding contributors to society. Ponting and his wife Rianna have raised in excess of $3 million for the Children’s Cancer Institute of Australia in just four years through fund-raising initiatives.
“Adam Gilchrist has been a patron of Ronald McDonald House for more than eight years, is an active Ambassador for World Vision, helping impoverished children in Australia and India, and just two weeks ago raised in excess of $130,000 for the McGrath Foundation during the Boxing Day Test,” said Marsh.
Marsh also said: “Matthew Hayden is an active ambassador of the National Breast Cancer Foundation, raising money and awareness through the use of his pink bat grip. There are many more examples.”
Marsh went on to add that the players manage to find time to meaningfully contribute to many worthy causes despite the fact that they are away from home for most of each year.
“All involved in Australian cricket have spent significant time this week reflecting upon the events of the Sydney Test match. In return, we ask the public to also reflect on the events of the past week and consider whether the Australian team really are arrogant, unsporting, disrespectful, liars and cheats or if, as is the case, they are ultra-professional, hard but fair, passionate, generous, successful and examples of what the majority of Australians strive to be.”