Vaseline-Gate Controversy: When People Need Something to Talk About!

The word Vaseline-Gate would bring to the memories of many the famous scandal named Watergate, but it is neither so serious an affair, neither are the allegations true.  English have it seems learnt the tricks of media pressure on the touring sides quite well from the Aussie press. The media pressure tactics has been a long affair with teams visiting Australia for their home series. Allegations made by the Australian press have spanned not only across the current form of the players but also their personal lives. When probed deep into these scandals they appeared to be made up stories to exert tension on the visiting sides.

Did He Nick It?

Such occurrences have been seen in the English press during latest Indian cricket teams tour of England. There are baseless allegations being made couple of months before the series even started. It all started with the drawn Windsor Park, Dominica where Dhoni’s men didn’t press for victory. The English press seemed to be more concerned about Indian teams urge for victory! Have they forgotten the times when Nasser Hussain asked Monty Panesar and Ashley Giles to bowl outside leg stump just to keep Sachin Tendulkar quite? Wasn’t that negative tactics, but so what when British do it, it’s smart!

Coming to the Vaseline-gate, it was a brainchild of an ex-skipper of England, Michael Vaughan. In order to draw attention, he quietly tweeted that V.V.S. Laxman, one of the top test batsmen in the world had used Vaseline coating on his blade just to escape the hot-spot technology. Even after repeated replays and use of hot-spot technology it could not be proved that Laxman had nicked the ball. So what could be the reason? Oh yes let me think something extravagant and blame the Indian team of cheating, that would get me into the limelight thought Vaughan and he made allegation against one of the gentlemen that the game has seen in the recent years.

Michael Vaughan: Just for Name?

When contradicted by the ex Indian players doing their broadcasting duties in UK such as Sourav Ganguly and Sunil Gavaskar, and threatened that Laxman could even sue the ex English skipper, Vaughan withdrew from his claims. In his next tweet he accused the Indians of not understanding his joke.  But the fact that Vaughan had himself made a jest out of himself.

Hope the next games are played on the field and not far from the pitch!