Following the fallout from the Sydney test, I’ve reading all the opinions, facts, threats and allegations before wanting to give my own. There is more to unfold from this story you feel and to give a knee-jerk reaction would have been wrong. No one seems to be thinking about the long-term effects “Bollyline” will have.

Then I came across Jonathan Agnew’s article on the BBC website and it is the one closest to the mark. Whilst I do like Aggers’s radio commentary I often find his match reports full of benign platitudes. This was a pleasant surprise.

He quite rightly lays blame at the feet of both sets of players. He is, I think, excessively vindictive towards Australia, and I don’t agree that it solely stems from their side but there is a large dollop of truth thrown in with what he says about Australian cricket.

“Ricky Ponting’s men have trampled all over the spirit of cricket by offering the lame excuse that they are hard”, is a fair comment to a certain degree but they are certainly not alone.

The Australians maybe too aggressive sometimes, but likewise some of the Asian players and supporters can be tremendously precious.

Waugh and Border got it spot on when their assessment that cultural differences played a big part in these misunderstandings and the need for greater understanding between teams which is definately true.

National sport in the modern era however is about tribalism. Players and supporters will defend and support their team to the end, even in the face of contradictory evidence. It is the nature of the beast. A beast that ‘the spirit of cricket’ will forever struggle against.

Where Agnew got it completely correct however was in his defence of umpires:

“As I warned when Darrell Hair was seen off by the Pakistan Cricket Board 18 months ago, the way was opened for powerful cricket teams to dispose of officials when a decision is made they do not like. How dare the game be held to ransom in this way.

But the real fault lies with the players – and it is their behaviour, attitude and respect for the game and its traditions that need urgently to be addressed.

Umpires will always make mistakes – just as the players do (although you wouldn’t believe it sometimes) and undermining their confidence by removing their most senior colleague in this way is unbelievably foolish.

Cricket is truly at a crossroads.

Administered these days by businessmen who have no feel for, or genuine love and understanding of the game, cricket is played purely for money, ego and power for those who control it.

Goodness knows where it will end unless a stand is taken, and that action must be directed by all the countries at all of their players, and not the umpires”.

Well done Aggers.