Praise for India, censure for SA

SA's decision to pull out has incurred the wrath of local media, with a daily calling them 'spoilsports' and 'chicken'.

South Africa's decision to pull out from the Unitech Cup due to security concerns has not been taken kindly by local fans and media, with one newspaper calling them "spoilsports" and "chicken".

HT Image

On Thursday, three days after a bomb blast in the capital killed seven people, Daily News called them "spoilsports" in the main article on its sports page titled "South African cricketer chicken out - shame".

"One cannot understand the South Africans' indecent hurry to skip the tournament, considering the fact that the Interim Committee (of Sri Lanka Cricket) even bent backwards to promise them the best of security," it wrote.

It pointed out that it was ironical that South Africans are making a hue and cry about security when it was not safe to venture out even in broad daylight in places like Johannesburg.

The daily also praised Indian team for not following suit.

"Indian and Sri Lankan cricketers, unlike their South African counterparts, look relaxed at their team hotel, cracking jokes and hanging around the lobby of the Taj Samudra hotel where the two teams are staying."