Open mouth, insert foot, sell book

Adam Gilchrist and I share many things (those that know me know what they are, those that don't probably need not know) and I have always had the highest regard for him. We all knew that he'd be one of the first to pen an autobiography after retirement, and the Aussie gloveman did not disappoint.

However, he has raked up an old issue that should have been left untouched - the Sydney Test fracas between Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds. It is Gilchrist's autobiography and he is welcome to give his side of the picture, but what gets me is that he was not involved in the Sydney fracas having been too far to hear (or not hear, depending upon whom you want to believe) Harbhajan respond to Symond's chatter. So, if he was going to write about the incident it should only have been to cast some fresh light on the episode.

When the reports first came out it appeared that he did have something new to add - that Sachin Tendulkar lied to protect his team-mate. However, in light of the severe criticism he has come under since the story broke, Gilchrist backtracked faster than he ever moved on the cricket field. In the end, if we are to believe him, we are back to square one. In that case, what did he actually accomplish with all this? I would have respected him even more if he had stuck to his guns and professed to saying all the things he said and not hid behind the age-old "quoted out of context" and "misquoted by sensationalist media" excuses. Perhaps the fear that he could lose out on the retirement fund (aka IPL purse) has a big role to play. One of the statements in there was about how the BCCI held the sport to ransom during the aftermath of the Test. Surprisingly, no one in the Board is bringing that aspect up. Surely, it cannot be because he is the captain of the Deccan Chargers and one of the prime selling points of the IPL, is it?

Then why did Gilchrist do this? Where is the upside to this? Ah yes, he will sell a few more copies of his autobiography. I was going to purchase it when I first heard about it, but not any more.

Sorry, Gilly, you lost more than just a reader in the past few days. You lost some of the respect I have for you.