Robert Craddock: Warner case shows cricket’s fines system is a joke

CRICKET continues to make a laughing stock of itself when it comes to cracking down on player behaviour, says ROBERT CRADDOCK.

Australia v India Picture:Wayne Ludbey Rohit Sharma & Raina argue with David Warner

CRICKET continues to make a laughing stock of itself when it comes to cracking down on player behaviour.

No day proved it more than Monday.

George Bailey received a one-match ban for slow over rates yet David Warner was fined 50 per cent of his match fee for shouting in the face of Indian rival Rohit Sharma.

Which do you think did greater damage to the image of the game?

The fines system is a joke. It barely had an impact two decades ago even when players were earning peanuts.

Now we have this ridiculous situation where players who earn $5 million to $10 million a year are supposed to be rattled by fines of a few thousand dollars.

People laughed at Kiwi great Martin Crowe when he suggested on Monday that cricket should have a yellow and red card system but I have heard far worse suggestions. Until they threaten to suspend players for poor behaviour things will not improve.

Australia's Nick Kyrgios hits a return against Argentina's Federico Delbonis.

ARE WE THERE YET?

IS Australian tennis really on the verge of a major revolution or are we witnessing a gentle uprising?

We will know a lot more about our status as a tennis nation when the Australian Open is completed in a fortnight.

So much has been written about the rising stars sweeping the Australian tennis scene but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

As of last night Australia had no male players in the top 50 and five – Nick Kyrgios (No.54), Bernard Tomic (No.66), Marinko Matosevic (No.81), Sam Groth (No.82) and Lleyton Hewitt (No.87) in the top 100.

That’s called holding your ground but not taking the world by storm.

BATTING FREAK

DON Bradman hit six sixes in his Test career – AB de Villiers hit 16 in one innings yesterday.

What a joy it was to see this master craftsman peel off the fastest one-day century in history.

All of our arguments about batsmen adjusting to different forms of the game just melt away when de Villiers bats. He is as happy scoring 10 runs in a session to save a Test as he is firing bullets everywhere. That is what makes him so special.

Quade Cooper after beating Barry Dunnet in the ring. Picture: Jono Searle

GLOVES ARE OFF

WILL the Reds decision to order Quade Cooper to stand down from a Footy Show fight night rock their Super Rugby campaign?

We keep hearing the Reds playmaker is angry at being told he cannot contest the January 31 fight which clashes with a Reds trial against the Melbourne Rebels in Cairns.

If the Reds are going anywhere this season they need Cooper in a positive state of mind.

You cannot blame the Reds for making the call.

Cooper is one of their most precious assets and you want him fully switched into rugby mode on season’s eve. But just because you win the argument does not always mean you win the war.

Danny O'Brien.

FEELING BLUE

MELBOURNE horse trainer Danny O’Brien is playing a dangerous game in his passionate defence of his integrity in the face of three positive swabs to cobalt.

O’Brien believes Racing Victoria has been hasty in setting a threshold of 200 micrograms for cobalt.

Professional punters who follow cobalt readings have a different story.

They believe that as much as 20 micrograms can make a major difference to horses who, without supplements, return cobalt readings of well under 10.

They believe that a 200 microgram level is way too high and cannot be reached without race-day treatment which is banned. O’Brien has done plenty of talking and has plenty more to do if he is going to escape being charged.