Aussies! respect this game

It is understandable if you don't respect your opposition, but not respecting the game is a cardinal sin.

Australia, the current world champions, have paid the price for this folly of theirs.

The loss to Zimbabwe in the ICC Twenty20 Championship on Wednesday, reflected a lot on the attitude of the cricketing Wizards of Oz towards the Twenty20 version.

No doubt it was a stunning victory for the Zimbabweans, who never in their wildest dreams would have thought that they could have defeated the Australians.

Had the Australians shown some reverence to this brand of cricket, may be they could have put up a much more spirited performance against one of the minnows of the game.

One felt pity for the Australians, who had taken the field in designer cricket wears boasting of temperature control and aerodynamic properties. Star bowlers like Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken were treated with disdain by the Zimbabwean batters.

This match proved that the Aussies are beatable -- all it requires is some quantity of gumption. The Zimbabweans had that character in huge quantity.

For the Zimbabweans, the victory over Australia -- one of the biggest upsets in cricket history -- has helped score a few political brownie points, too.

All is not well between the two nations and relations between the two hit a low in May when Zimbabwe accused Australia of funding "terrorist activities after Canberra cancelled tour of its cricket team to the African country.

Defending the move then, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said he took the decision to avoid giving a propaganda victory to "grubby dictator" President Robert Mugabe.

But a game of Twenty20 saw Zimbabwe having the last laugh. The Australian cricket team -- known for its bullying image -- is now on the verge of a humiliating exit if it loses to England, which defeated Zimbabwe on Thursday.

Thus Twenty20 is a great leveller. Hope the Aussies have learnt a few lessons from not holding this version of cricket in high esteem. For a cricketing nation that prides itself as the best team in the world, it would have to show its mettle in this brand of the game, too.