Rudd urges cricketers to behave

Rudd urges cricketers to behave
By Peter Veness
January 30, 2008 07:17pm


PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd has called on the Australian Test cricket team to continue watching its on-field behaviour as the row between Australian and India finally calms down.

"It's great if we could see in the future more and more opportunities for greater and greater civility to permeate the veins of the game,'' Mr Rudd said.

His comments follow Governor-General Michael Jeffery's call for a return of grace to the so-called Gentleman's Game.

''(I'm concerned about) the reduction in the grace and the courtesies that are being shown on the cricketing fields,'' he told ABC Radio today.

"While we should be playing the game tough and hard and all of that sort of thing, I think there's also a need to really take care of the fundamental courtesies and good manners.

"Good manners on the ground and off the ground has such a good impact on our other cricketing friends around the world. I think we've got to have a little bit of a look at this.''

Mr Rudd backed the governor-general.

"I echo, very much, the remarks he made earlier today.''

This afternoon, when leaving the same match Mr Rudd was attending, Major-General Jeffery appeared to endorse the behaviour of the players.

"What we saw out here today, if they all take it from there it'll be great,'' he said.

These comments come with tensions still simmering between India and Australia following the racism charge levelled against Indian Harbhajan Singh.

The charge was last night downgraded to that of general abuse with the spinner fined half of his match payments or about $3000.

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