ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Durban win obviouslyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  appears to be a flash in the pan whereƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the woes ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the Sri Lankan Cricketers are beginning to seem insurmountable as they teeter towards a second humiliating defeat.

Not only do they have to put up with the intimidations of wimps like Steyn and Philander who don’t seem to know the meaning of the term gentlemanly cricket but alsoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ reflect in all probabilitiesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ their upbringing and the backgrounds they probably come from in how they conduct themselves on the cricket field at times, deplorable at best.

They seem to bring to disrepute the class of other players in their team such as Graeme. Smith, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, etc through their behaviour bordering on racism at times ( laughable as Philander is Black who at times seems to behave like one of his former Apartheid peers!)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ where there is a sneaky suspicion that it comes from being boys of the brigade ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a former Apatheid laced nation but to have to put up with the cape buffalo type intimidatoryƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ behaviour of Vernon Philander and the moronic gestures of Steyn after a delivery seems the limit where its about time the ICC took notice and penalised them!

Neither Philander nor Steyn have any justification for their behaviour involving sledging as well as finger pointing towards the dressing room when batsmen get out! Surely there are more dignified ways to celebrateƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ but of courseƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  perhapsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a tad hard to expect much from these boorish types who should in fact ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ be relegated to playing a brand of intimidatoryƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ cricket played In Papua New Guinea where players are attacked by their opposite numbers on the field which could probably serve them well !

During the time of Arjuna Ranatunga who was truly a brave Sri Lankan Lion none of these types would have been tolerated but then what can be expected of another wimpy captain in the form of Tillekeratne Dilshan who seems to favour rolling over and playing dead and whose batting despite the 73 in the first innings of the current Test seems totally irresponsible ~ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ chasingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  everying outside the off stump and swishing at flies on the legside in a hit or miss contest where more often than not he manages to get a self destructive touch and begins his painful walk back to the dressing room. Not the Dilshan of old surely!

While there is something seriously wrong in the Sri Lankan squad which needs correction post haste,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  great expectations seem to have arisen towards addressing woesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ after the Board Election where the newƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Executive CommitteƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ should apply themselves acquitably to the task whereƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ they whould also address the issue of conduct by opposing players likie Philander, Steyn and anyone else who seems to cross the line between gentlemanly and intimidatory behaviour where the pursuit of justice towards maintaining the gentlemanliness of the game seems imperative and should be relentless.

In essence, thugs like Philander and Steyn whould be given severe warnings about their behaviour or asked to get out of the arena as their monkey pranks apparentlyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ garnered from the primate population of the nation which abounds in it seems painfully visible, at times comical but npnetheless ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a vexation to the audiences who know the precepts of the gentlemen’s game which does not need to be transformed into a circus of performing apes who in all probabilities need to be given game misconducts!!!

Mercifully there awaits the limited over games to follow where Sri Lanka could make amends despite the Test losses and hopefully the Lions will roar again even in some small measure to contain what at times appears to be a gathering of belligerentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Cape Buffalos!