By IANS
New Delhi : Santhakumaran Sreesanth, who has often been criticised for his over-aggressive behaviour on the field, has won over Adam Gilchrist with his improved attitude.
Sreesanth kept his cool and did not invite trouble during the recent acrimonious tour Down Under. That had Gilchrist gushing on Saturday and he said the fast bowler’s exemplary on-field behaviour is a message to the players of both teams.
“What a change he (Sreesanth) was from the last time we played in the Futures Cup in October. It shows that he has reflected upon and learnt from his mistakes,” Gilchrist said Saturday at the India Today conclave.
“He has shown what a young player can do to in trying not to go overboard and restrain oneself. We can avoid trying not to get into the boxing ring,” Gilchrist said.
Sreesanth has in the past been involved in many on-field skirmishes and earned the reputation of being a troublemaker.
India and Australia had a torrid southern summer starting with the Test series with issues of sledging and gamesmanship of cricket rearing its ugly head. But when others lost their heads in the heat of the cricketing battle, Sreesanth, who joined the team for the ODI series, stayed calm and never crossed the line.
Gilchrist was not the only one bowled over by Sreesanth’s conduct. Writer and columnist Peter Roebuck was equally effusive about the way the fast-bowler carried himself during the series.
“There is a lesson for everybody to be learnt from the way Sreesanth conducted himself in the series. He got on with his bowling and never bothered to get into what was happening in the middle,” he said.
Gilchrist also said youngsters should learn from Sachin Tendulkar who had been the best ambassador of the game in the last decade.
“If you talk to him (Sachin), he will score 100s and 200s. Young Indian players should learn from that and reflect what is right and wrong and what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour.”