guilty, page-13

dontfollow

I find this comment unfair and assumptive:

"Michael Clarke, who as a batsman had stood his ground after being caught off a massive edge at slip and who as a fielder had confidently claimed a bump ball catch,.."

He didn't stand his ground on the basis of claiming "not out" - he stood his ground in shock, as it was first ball and he had failed in the previous innings. He explained that in a press conference. It was a spontaneous reaction, he wasn't denying he hit it, he wasn't trying to deny anything, he simply froze.

He didn't claim a bump ball catch, he claimed a clean catch. That's my opinion and Ponting's opinion and mine is as valid as the writer of that article but Ponting's is based on being in clear view. The writer puts his opinion as a fact.

The most compelling evidence to me, and I suggest most observers, is the video and sound provided by Channel 9. The reaction of the Australians is spontaneous, including Clark, and Singh is heard not to deny the claim that he called him a monkey but only to state that "he started it" The claim that it was another word was, to my knowledge, never introduced at the first hearing but was made later.