Cricinfo - Double standards over Lara and Sehwag

We have received a fair amount of feedback on the decision to fine Virender Sehwag while Brian Lara, who was involved in long delays and some overt displays of frustration, got off without so much as a warning. Here are selection of your views

It is ironic that Sehwag is the one to suffer again! I am referring to the India-South Africa series in South Africa, when Tendulkar was caught tampering with the ball and at the end of it, Sehwag was handed a one Test ban. Lesser mortals like Sehwag have to face the music while people like Lara and Tendulkar can get away with anything whether they are guilty or not. That is the ICC for you. Why don't we rename them the Inept Cricket Council? Abdul Gafoor

I can't understand why people are blowing this way out of proportion. We dont even know what exactly happened during the conversation between the umpires and Lara, that we can judge his reaction. And he is human; he has the right to feel a little frustrated in the given situation. I agree maybe a fine should have been imposed, but we don't know if the umpires said something to spark such a reaction. We have never seen transcripts of the conversation, only a vague description that that he was talking to the umpires. And Lara offered a piece of advice to Dhoni (he did not force him to), it was Dhoni's choice to walk, it shows the respect and trust his peers have for him, after all Lara is famous for walking. You should be able to trust the opposition's word, when the umpires and technology cannot help; now THAT is in the spirit of the game. It's good to see a captain backing his players. Its poor rationalization, to try tarnish the image of a man who has given so much to the sport and its spectators, for an incident that simply shows his dedication to his players.Ashok Venugopal

Lara has always been exemplary in fairness to the opposition and has always walked even when the Australians claimed `catches' that were grounded, going off the word of the fielders. In this game, any idea of `Lara Aura' or `Lara Country' was nullified by several poor decisions by the umpires that went against the West Indies. Lara finally vented and spoke on behalf of his team - in his capacity as captain, after the umpires again failed to act correctly and decisively at a time when the West Indies were trying to win the game. Maybe most of the fingers in this case do not need to be raised by the umpires, but clearly pointed at them for their inept performance and failure to apply the rules of the game. Anthony Bisnath

Sehwag fined but nothing for Lara after his disgraceful antics. It shows the total folly of the ICC's match referees and the fact that their cost cannot be justified. Lara is untouchable in the Caribbean. I never thought I would long for the day when Chris Broad was in the match referee's seat, but at least he would not have run scared of the local hero. Simon Hobbs

Leave Lara alone. It is not his fault that two incompetent umpires cannot make a proper decision. Jason Williams

Lara should be removed from his high horse and penalised for such bad behaviour. It will set a perfect example for teams worldwide, that rules are rules, and punishment will be punishment, no matter who you are. Sofie

I watched Mahela Jayawardene fined 20% of his match fee for knocking a stump over in frustration - at himself, not any official or opponent - at getting out to a wide half-volley. A day later Lara acts like a spoiled schoolboy when things did not go his way and the ICC officials came down on him like ... well, like they had had their spines removed. If some players are above the law, then fine. But at least the ICC should tell us so we can stop trying make sense of daft decisions from daft and remote officials. Stuart Ballinger

Surely the umpires and match referee should also be fined for being completely inept? Sandeep Bolia

The captain of the opposition team walks away without even so much as a symbolic slap on the wrist for an unsporting behaviour, bordering on the rude, and a relatively less offence does not go unpunished. Don't they have anything in the Code of Conduct for that one? Where were the ethics? Or is it "Lara Country" or "Lara-Aura" at work? Maybe both. Akhil

How did Lara disgrace the game? By standing up for his team-mate and his word. Huh? I'd rather have a captain like him than anyone. Did he deserve to be fined after the incident? Absolutely. Blame the spineless ICC match referee, Jeff Crowe, for not taking any action against him. Dinesh Selvaraj

Lara, certainly, disgraced the spirit of cricket. He should have been fined, but he was not. This just shows that Lara get away with anything he does at his place. Alnawaz

Lara's reaction was very poor for a player of his standing, but the situation was created by poor umpiring. The three umpires should be rapped over the knuckles for their appalling handling of the situation. Had they made an immediate decision Lara may well have shaken his head and got on with the game. Warren Miller

It is time to review the match referees. You need consistency in their decisions. Like all other jobs, the incompetant ones should be sacked. Venkata Jampala

Lara showed his frustration visibly yes, and based on the Jayawardene incident from day before, he should have been fined. Personally for me, I'm West Indian and I prefer a strong captain like Lara, than a captain who just sits around. Kevin Allman

It's foolish to even expect anything rational from these Match Refrees. There have been so many instances, when in the same match a player from one team is let off without any punishment for a grave offence, while another player from the other team is punished for a smaller offence. Narayanan Subramanian

Why wasn't Brian Lara fined heavily for his behaviour. Lara was heckling Dhoni to walk when the umpires did not give him out. To add to that, he showed utmost disrespect to the umpires by asking Dhoni to walk. Is Lara the umpire? To add insult to injury, he snatched the ball away from the umpire and was seen arguing for the most of the ordeal. Virender Sehwag was fined 20% of his match fee for over appealing, a crime that most would conclude petty when compared to that of Lara!! Lara has disgraced the game, authorities and fans by his actions. Eshwar Dookran

Lara is a very bad example. I had very high respect for him before this incident - now I will never give him any respect. Ponniah Thevarajah

Double standards over Lara and Sehwag