Sportsmen should always be role models

Sportsmen and alcohol do not mix. Neither obviously do sportsmen and tobacco - or drugs. These have been the traditional dont's for professional athletes. But now it would appear that sportsmen and lewd phone conversations also do not mix. The case of Shane Warne is a case in point.

Well known sportsmen should always be aware of the fact that they are role models for youngsters. In recent times, it appears that some famous cricketers have forgotten this very important aspect of sport. They have paid the penalty for their misbehaviour and Warne is only the latest in the long list.

This is not the first such incident to link Warne and misbehaviour. Not very long ago, he was concerned in an unseemly incident with a little boy in New Zealand. It must not be forgotten that he, along with Mark Waugh, has also admitted to taking money from a bookmakers for providing information.

The latest `phone sex' episode involving Warne and a women he met at a British night club was obviously the last straw for the Australian Cricket Board. The penalty was that Warne was fired as Australian vice captain. Accepting it philosophically, Warne has promised full support to the new Australian vice captain Adam Gilchrist. He admitted that the demotion was disappointing but added that he would get on with doing whatever he could for his country.

If anything, cricket fans are becoming increasingly intolerant of insolent or unacceptable behaviour by the stars. A newspaper poll in Warne's home city of Melbourne involving more than 2000 callers found that almost 70 percent were of the view that Warne deserved to lose the vice captaincy.

Compare this with a not too dissimilar incident 12 years ago. The England captain Mike Gatting was allegedly involved with a bar maid during the first Test against West Indies at Nottingham. The upshot was that he lost the captaincy. On that occasion however opinion was divided with some analysts saying that Gatting was paying the price for his infamous row with Shakoor Rana in Pakistan during the winter. Is Warne too paying the price not just for his lewd phone messages but for his various misdemeanours?

Incidents involving alleged misbehaviour with women is not confined to foreign cricketers. In India, two cricketers facing a similar charge were sacked. This happened way back in New Delhi in December 1961 and those adjudged guilty by a board inquiry were Subash Gupte and Kripal Singh. While Kripal Singh played a few more Tests, Gupte never represented the country again. That was a pretty harsh punishment considering that history has recorded that Kripal Singh was probably the culprit while Gupte's fault was just that he happened to share his room.

Alcohol, drugs, tobacco and misbehaviour with women are not only pitfalls for a sportsman. As recent events have proved, allegations of match fixing is another way in which a cricketer can fall in the popularity ratings. Take Kapil Dev for instance - an icon in Indian cricket if ever there was one. Now, after facing charges of match fixing, Kapil Dev is in the dock. In a recent magazine poll 65 percent were of the view that he was guilty of match fixing and 56 percent wanted him sacked as Indian coach. Such figures were unthinkable not too long ago for Kapil Dev was not only a great cricketer with a clean image but also a seemingly perfect role model.

The lesson is that well known sportsmen should always remember that they are role models for the young. And if they don't conform to certain standards in behaviour, they are likely to lose out in the popularity stakes - and could even lose prime posts. Strictly speaking, the public figure has no private life. Every act of theirs comes under the microscope - particularly those that are controversial. Ask Ian Botham, who faced a suspension from Test cricket in 1986 after having admitted to taking drugs. It may be difficult to always lead a disciplined life but that is the price one pays for success.