Heard it's all been kicking off down under. Cricinfo blocked at work, and BBC is appalling for cricket coverage, so don't have the details.
Yeah, Aussies don't seem to get on with mavericks, especially spinners apparently. Don't know if its a product of a 'never back down' attitude or arrogance by both parties, probably a combination of both.
Remember when D K Lillee aimed a punch at Javed Miandad back in the day and Miandad shaped to clock Lillee over the head with his bat on the WACA. It's been going on for quite some time, probably started off when Ian Chappell was made Aussie Captain and the same thing happens again and again. Ponting, McGrath, Steve Waugh et al involved in similar incidents over the years.
Reminds me of a funny story I read in the superlative cricket book, Golden Boy - Mike Whitney (a minor Aussie test player back in the day and now celebrity) was pissed off with Lillee and Rod Marsh because of their continued petulance and challenged both of them to a fight outside the WACA ground after a day's play in the domestic competition. Neither of these supposed 'hard cases' turned up to the fight, probably due to cowardice.
After reading Golden Boy, my perceptions of people like Marsh, Lillee and Chappell have changed, and not for the better. Pack of arseholes and people like Ponting, who come from the same sort of cricketing school of thought, aren't much better. Wish Viv Richards was still in his prime and playing - you can bet there wouldn't be too many on-field incidents with the Aussies if he was around.
