World Cup 2015: 'Spirit of cricket' talk of the town

CHRISTCHURCH: The anecdotes flowed, so did the wine, and cricket felt truly happy and old-school. In a far corner of a desolate Gloucester Street in sleepy Christchurch, four cricket experts were debating whether the 'spirit of cricket is alive'.
Noted cricket journalist Stephen Brinkley and former England opener Nick Knight spoke in favour of the motion while Stephen Fleming and famous Kiwi radio commentator Bryan Waddle were against.
While Brinkley opened it up with British eloquence and references to Andrew Flintoff walking upto Brett Lee to console him after a two-run win in the dramatic Edgbaston Test of the 2005 Ashes series, Fleming came up with his own experiences where he felt the spirit of cricket had been compromised. He referred how Steve Waugh, time and again, refused to walk after nicking and admitted the way New Zealand, under his captaincy, intentionally slowed down in a run-chase against South Africa to throw Australia out of a Tri-series.
There was no mincing of words, no suppression of truth; it was all out in the open. Fleming came up with a gem when he referred to a Basin Reserve Test when Javagal Srinath hit him on the helmet. "Srinath muttered something in half Hindi half Tamil which I thought to be an abuse and said something back to him.But Srinath, at the end of the over, asked me, 'Fleming, I was asking are you OK?' I stared blankly at him and he politely asked again, 'are you feeling unwell'. I didn't say anything, but I knew that I had done something that was not in the spirit of cricket."
Knight, too, came up with his stories and he defended Sachitra Senanayeke, who had Mankaded Jos Buttler in an ODI in England. "I was commentating in the game and I knew how many times he was warned. Buttler had scored a century in the earlier game and the Lankans had warned him. Not for once the spirit was compromised, which was debated so much."
There were references to Don Bradman, the Aussie gamesmanship, WG Grace and the more recent David Warner incidents, but it was all in good humour.