England cricketers have drawn sharp criticism for their jelly bean prank in the second Test with former players describing the incident as 'juvenile rubbish'.
NOTTINGHAM: England cricketers have drawn sharp criticism for their jelly bean prank in the second Test against India with former players describing the incident as "juvenile rubbish" and calling for stern action against such gamesmanship.
The players deplored the England team for behaving in such a "juvenile" fashion, especially when the hosts were slumping to defeat.
Former captain Nasser Hussain said a Test match was not a place to play such childish pranks.
"This sweet thing was pretty childish. It is a Test match. It is not a place for childish pranks. This is drivel," Husaain said referring to England players' scattering jelly beans around the wicket when Zaheer Khan was batting.
A fired up Zaheer waved a bat against Kevin Pietersen thinking he was the culprit and then came back with vengeance to claim 5-75 in the England innings.
Former England coach David Lloyd described the whole episode as a 'crap' in an otherwise entertaining showdown on the field.
"This is juvenile rubbish. Both teams have played really well. Let us just cut out this crap," he was quoted as saying by 'The Daily Telegraph' on Wednesday.
Another former England captain Geoffrey Boycott felt the players needed to be acted against for their behaviour.
"The International Cricket Council is to blamed for not telling the umpires to be much firmer with the players," he wrote in a column for a British paper.
England coach Peter Moores admitted it was a learning experience for his team and hoped such incidents would not be repeated in the future.
"It got out of hand. Everyone has learnt something from it and hopefully we won't see it again," Moores said.
But England opener Alastair Cook, the prime suspect in the incident, refused to agree that the incident had any bearing on the result of the match.
"I have to say I am disappointed by the way the great 'Jelly Bean' saga has been blown up out of all proportion. I am also disappointed to find myself accused in some quarters of supplying the offending sweets, particularly as I am a Fruit Pastille man myself.
"The suggestion that it could have affected the final result is quite ridiculous," he said.
He was supported by captain Michael Vaughan, who said "there was a time when it may have gone over the line. I don't think that the line has been crossed. It was two teams who wanted to win."
The International Cricket Council has, however, decided to take no action against either side for the incident and other examples of "sledging" - verbal abuse of opponents - during the match.
"The matter must be raised by a player to the match umpires who will in turn report it to the match referee," an ICC spokesman was quoted as saying by the 'Daily Mail'.
"The issue is whether or not they have acted in the spirit of the game. If the match referee deems it necessary, the matter will be referred to the ICC and a code of conduct hearing would be held.
"There was an incident a few years ago in a women's Test match where 'Love Hearts' sweets were thrown onto the pitch while England players were batting. There was no code of conduct hearing because no player reported it," the spokesman added.
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