48 hours: No catch shames Bravo and Lara

If anyone needed convincing that the spirit of cricket was already dead in the water, they only had to witness Dwayne Bravo's hero-to-villain transformation yesterday morning.

Having just scored a century against England in the penultimate pool game of the Champions Trophy, the West Indian then blotted his copybook by claiming - and receiving the benefit of the doubt for - an outfield catch that never was.

Some things you simply don't do in cricket - and faking catches has always been one of the mortal sins; the sort of thing that cuts to the basic values of the game and asks pertinent questions about one's honesty.

People who have played cricket to any level will tell you that it's impossible not to know that you've scooped up a ball on the half-volley as Bravo did yesterday, rather than catching it cleanly above the turf.

Those who have attempted to disguise such details - like Australian wicketkeeper Greg "the Liar" Dyer, have usually lived with tarnished reputations for the rest of their careers, and it will certainly take a long time to forget Bravo's effort.

It happened at the start of the 38th over of England's chase, when Bravo ran in from long-off to attempt a catch off the bat of Michael Yardy. Television replays showed he wasn't only unsuccessful, but that he would have almost certainly known he was.

Rather than inform the umpires of the situation or immediately signal that he didn't effect the catch, the talented all-rounder shyly rolled the ball away and within seconds was accepting the congratulations of his skipper Brian Lara.

In a tournament that, ironically, had been dedicated to the spirit of cricket, Bravo's duplicity instead represented a victory for the cowards and swindlers of this world and deserved, at least, a dressing down from the match referee.

It's true, it could be asked why Yardy effectively walked rather than staying on the field and pushing the envelope, and why umpire Simon Taufel didn't immediately head upstairs for verification. But that's not really the point.

Born of a time when most decisions depended on honesty rather than television replays, the principle surrounding dodgy catches has always been simple and straightforward: inform the umpire when you're unsure. To say nothing and let the batsman perish, as Bravo did, is blatant cheating.

As for Lara's involvement, it just added up to another unseemly contribution from a man who has given the West Indies plenty of runs over the years, but absolutely nothing in the way of integrity or character.

This is the player, remember, who arrived in New Zealand last summer and immediately decried the criticism dished out to his side, saying it was difficult to accept from a country with such an inferior cricketing pedigree.

Lara could have, should have, checked with Bravo to ensure that all was well with the catch, but instead appeared to be one of the main influences in letting Yardy depart.

It's about time someone reminded Lara of the opening clause in the Code of Conduct, which holds captains responsible for ensuring their teams play within not only the rules of the game, but also the spirit of it.

If Lara really believes he's bigger than that, and it would be no surprise to learn he does, then it's clearly time for the rest of the cricketing world to take heed and treat him accordingly.

On the strength of yesterday's effort, his word stands for nothing, and neither does his name.

High

The Kiwis' four point win over Great Britain at Jade and, particularly, that magical 80m solo effort from fullback Brent Webb.

Low Point:

A personal message to the cloth-head at Sky Television who continues to omit Manchester United games from the weekend schedule (despite the fact they lead the Premiership) ... I hope you're stricken with warts.