Inzy's dismissal at Peshawar for obstructing the field has drawn widespread comment and a lot of people have weighed in. Let me first describe what happened. Inzy played a Sreesanth delivery to Raina at mid off and was a couple of yards outside the crease when Raina threw the ball to Dhoni trying to run Inzy out. It was not a super fast throw and Inzy could have turned back to the crease on time. Instead he just stood there, outside the crease, and played the throw with his bat. The crucial thing here is that he was outside the crease and played the ball back intentionally. If he had turned back (as he should have) and got hit in the back while getting back to the crease it would be fine.  Instead, he just stood there and played the ball back, making no attempt to get back to the crease. That is out.

Inzy could not understand why he was out and admitted not understanding the rules at the award ceremony after the match. Suffice to say that an international player of his experience should know the rules, particularly since he was himself wrongly given run out  a few weeks ago. So much for all the 'preparation' modern players go into before a match. If you watch the tape of him walking back to the pavilion you can lip read some choice expletives being mouthed as he walks back. That does not look like sporting behaviour to me.

Writing in his column yesterday he said, "If one surveyed the laws of cricket, the umpires' decision was certainly according to the rules but, somehow, this law is something that I am not able to comprehend" - full marks for honesty there. He then goes on to say -  "In my role as the Pakistan captain, I would say that the appeal from the Indian fielders was against the spirit of cricket. Certainly, there are several modes in which a batsman can be declared out, but many of them are not in the spirit of the game. I would not have imagined that Rahul Dravid and his team would do such a thing. I am not bothered about my dismissal but an appeal made in an unsportsmanlike manner by the visiting team can have an adverse affect on the relations between the two opponents. I have surely asserted on my boys not to make much of the Peshawar incident. However, in my personal opinion the appeal was not made in a sporting manner. Instead, it just might have left a bad taste in the mouth."

Had he at least admitted once, that he was wrong in playing the ball back it would make his statements look more balanced. I have always believed that professional teams should give or expect no quarter from their opponents on the field and be friends off it. Inzy is trying to make a virtue of his mistake.

Inzy Bhai, place your hand on your heart and tell me which one of your players would not appeal if Sachin had done the same at that stage of the match. I remember the match in Kolkata when Shoaib Akhtar had wilfully obstructed Sachin running to the non stricker's crease and he was given out as a result. I do not recall you calling him back. Sportsmanship is certainly a virtue you expect only of your opponents!

Let's not drag history here. When Shoaib bowled that beamer at over 90 miles an hour to Dhoni, nobody from the Pakistan team apologized. So much for sportsmanship. At least Sehwag did apologize to Inzy at the end of play at Peshawar when he really did not have much to apologize for.

Michael Holding, who was commenting on TV during the episode also labelled the appeal 'unsportsmanlike'. Well Mr. Holding, some of your bowling in the Carribean in the pre helmet era  has been described by your colleagues as anything but sporting. It has been quoted as  intending to "wilfully hurt and maim". You were a great bowler, but a lecture on sportsmanship, from you, is difficult to stomach.