Harbhajan-fostering a victim mentality

Over the past few days, salvos have been fired from both the Indian and the Australian teams most notably from the two main protagonists-Hayden and Harbhajan. While the Australian Cricket board has reprimanded Hayden for his "obnoxious" outburst, Harbhajan has had the last laugh in this verbal duel. The Indian media and the cricket board were only too ready to pile on to Hayden's letoff by the ACB and potrayed Harbhajan again as the victim of Aussie ire. Isn't it time we Indians grew up as cricketers and play the game hard on the field rather than succumb to temptations of fostering a victim mentality?

While Hayden deserves to be punished even more than he has, isnt it time we asked if Harbhajan has been a great role model for Indian cricket? Its one thing to show solidarity with a compatriot but a totally different thing to gloss over his weaknesses and foibles. Harbhajan has never been a great one day bowler as we might make him up to be. He concedes nearly 34 runs for every wicket he picks up and so it is time we stop deluding ourselves that he is a match winner in ODIs. Instead we must ask ourselves whether Harbhajan is too much of a distraction for a team that could do well to concentrate on its cricket? Before we start criticising the ACB for its inaction, lets introspect and ask ourselves how many times the BCCI has taken action on Indian players who have stepped over the line? The BCCI has never had the guts to take action against Ganguly, Sreesanth or Harbhajan even if they have crossed the line far too often. The might of the BCCI is directed towards hapless young cricketers who have decided to earn themselves money by playing in the ICL or towards older cricketers who have served the country well in the past. Its time we stopped potraying ourselves as victims of Aussie aggression and start winning consistently on the field.