Some of Australia's legendary athletes have joined the chorus of criticism against the unsportsmanlike behaviour of Ricky Ponting's team in the Sydney cricket Test with India.
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Sport Australia Hall of Fame members, John Bertrand, Herb Elliott and Rob de Castella, now plan to take the matter to Cricket Australia (CA), which they feel is damaging Australia's international reputation.
Hall of Fame chairman, Bertrand, who led an Australian yatch team to America's Cup win 25 years ago, said the group would seek an urgent meeting with CA because Australia's Test team was damaging international relations with its "win at all costs" attitude.
"Sport is only sport. It's not war. Their desire to win at all costs is beginning to blur their moral compass," Bertrand was quoted saying by Sydney Morning Herald.
"We will be seeking a meeting with Cricket Australia to seek to get the Australian team to readjust their behaviour so that they do show respect for their opponents," he said.
Bertrand's views were echoed by world champion marathon runner Castella and Olympic gold medallist Herb Elliott, regarded as one of the world's greatest middle distance runners ever.
"We don't like what we are seeing and hearing at the moment," Elliot said.
Australian Football League hero Ron Barassi agreed with the Hall of Famers and said, "It concerns me that the Australians are regularly being referred to as being arrogant and because it is mentioned so often, you begin to wonder."
