Let's Talk Squash - SUSPENDED

th0mascricket · Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 3:57 pm Post subject: Alistair Walker

Crikey, grabbing your opponent by the neck and getting disqualified is not in the handbook. He'll be hammered for that, i shouldn't wonder. Perhaps wrong to speculate, but it seems hard to imagine he'll get away with less than a 3-4 month ban.

can_squasher · Prolific Contributor Joined: 25 Jul 2007 Posts: 56

Does anyone have amore detailed account of what happened?
The report was a bit confusing and didn't really shed light on the whole conduct match thing, just that he was disqualified.

Pedro · Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:11 pm Post subject:

I have no idea as to what actually happened but any kind of physical abuse should warrant much more than a three month ban. If that had happened on the street it would be assault which is a criminal offense no matter where you are.
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stevecubs · Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:27 pm Post subject:

I can tell you that "it was a match which proved to be difficult in respect to a great number of 'traffic' decisions needing to be made."

The final point - which was reviewed on the tv monitor - finished like this:

"Walker hit a drop to front right and Mosaad pushed through his back. They parted, and as Walker moved past him mid court he pushed Mosaad lightly back with the flat of his hand to the top of his chest."

Inappropriate, warranted probably a stroke, but probably looked worse from the angle the ref had.

Knife · Newbie Joined: 05 Sep 2007 Posts: 8

i am totally on ali's side here. perhaps he shouldn't have pushed him, but mosaad's court beaviour is simply disgusting in general. he just doesn't clear the ball. and asks for far too many lets in the opposite situation when he doesn't want to play the ball.

Adrian19 · Prolific Contributor Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 230

I watched the walker-gaultier match and it looks like walker moves and clears really well. Mosaad's a big guy isn't he... is he known for blocking or anything like that?
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Run-away-from-danger Boy · Prolific Contributor Joined: 29 Jun 2007 Posts: 140

I read somewhere that the ref was very biased aganist Walker. No excuse for Walker to do what he did, but obviously frustration set in.

My question is that if the referee was openly biased towards Mosaad, who is holding the ref accountable? This is a major tournament, so who is policing the quality of the refereeing? (I do not expect an answer - I know nobody is, but it is something that the PSA should be doing.)

Pedro · Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:14 pm Post subject:

I'm glad to hear that the incident may have been blown out of proportion a bit, Walker seems to be a very fair and honest player so I was surprised by the initial reports. I wonder......was the ref Egyptian? I believe the PSA has a rule regarding players being refed by fellow countymen?
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Calsquasher · Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 10:57 pm Post subject:

Behavior like that is never justifiable, no matter how bad the ref is. Peter Nicol must have seen oodles of terrible refs in his time and never pushed his opponent like that. Besides, if the ref is making terrible calls, why take it out on your opponent? Its the ref's fault for not punishing his misdeeds.
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Z · Prolific Contributor Joined: 15 Aug 2007 Posts: 85

will say only two things here :

1) Not everyone on the tour is like (or can be like) Peter Nicol. His behavior on the court was exceptional

2) Secondly, if the ref was indeed being biased (and/or egyptian) then I believe Alister has a case to make. I remember Martin Heath commentating on some match and he mentioned "in Egypt, very few decisions go against Egyptians". This could be an indication of the egyptian referees reffing egyptian players, but on the other hand Nasser Zaraam, the egyptian world referee is the best referee in the game in my humble opinion. I think this matter needs to be looked into more carefully and people should avoid oversimplifying the situation.

Adrian19 · Prolific Contributor Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 230

What the hell?... Who keeps deleting my posts? What was wrong with my last one????
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Canuck · Prolific Contributor Joined: 28 Aug 2007 Posts: 123

People suggesting a ban of 3-4 months should think back to the incident where Plamer slammed Power into the side wall during a SS Finals match. He didn't even get penalized the match, let alone a ban for even 1 tournament. That was about as violent an incident as I've seen in a professional squash match, so let's not get out of hand in suggesting that Alister be severely punished.

I'd like to see the video rather than one person's first hand reporting of the incident before casting judgement, even if that witness is the highly reputable Framboise.

Adrian19 · Prolific Contributor Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 230

Flash · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:43 am Post subject:

Canuck · Prolific Contributor Joined: 28 Aug 2007 Posts: 123

Well, Power was ready to fight (and lose, to be sure) against Palmer immediately after that incident, but Palmer didn't want to...probably because he knew he had stepped over the line to begin with.

Palmer might be one of the most solid, but I think Anthony Ricketts would have won in a fight against any squash player on the circuit. There was an intensity in the way that he carried himself on court that even "the Marine" couldn't match, I reckon.

But those two would probably be the last men standing if the top 50 decided to settle tournaments via UFC instead of squash.

Flash · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:28 am Post subject:

Adam Hildred · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:49 am Post subject:

manus · Prolific Contributor Joined: 12 Jul 2007 Posts: 202

th0mascricket · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:47 am Post subject:

Steve,

Given we have a reporter on the ground, can't we get a bit more on this? Some quotes from the players and/or a bit more investigative jounalism e.g. views from those who saw it, etc. etc. All we've had so far is fairly perfunctory reportage.

Cheers

Tom

stevecubs · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:56 am Post subject:

It was a physical match with some contentious decisions, a bit of barging and a shove that was probably penalised too harshly ... no need to make a big deal over it.

seshadri · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:58 am Post subject:

I hope someone puts up the incident on youtube, so that we can judge for ourselves what exactly happened and why
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th0mascricket · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:41 pm Post subject:

How can you say it was no big deal, he got disqualified from the match? Tell Alistair Walker it was no big deal. I've not seen this happen in years. Jeez, this sort of stuff that should have sports journos licking their lips.

Run-away-from-danger Boy · Prolific Contributor Joined: 29 Jun 2007 Posts: 140

I agree with Th0mas. How can this just be swept under the carpet? This is a very rare occurance - a highly ranked PSA player getting disqualified during a match.

It was an ugly incident, but no one there seems to want to talk about it. Is it the old "ignore it and it will go away" syndrome? Surely there are photos, maybe a video - why weren't the players interviewed? The spectators, some fellow PSA players? The ref maybe? The sponsor reaction? Will we hear what comes about in terms of a penalty? Call a spade a spade. Tell us the details, ask questions... Why continuously brush over incidents like this and try to make it as if everything is peachy rosey? Maybe the incident was blown way out of proportion but we would like to know that too. Was the referee cheating? Was it biased? These are issues the PSA should be looking into, and not turing a blind eye as if nothing happened.

Calsquasher · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:36 pm Post subject:

swiftfoot · Prolific Contributor Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 81

I know the top players are there to be scrutinised but in my opinion over many tournaments they do well to hold their anger in check at what is commonly excepted, poor reffing standards. Not saying that applies to all refs though.
Then there is the anger at what goes on between opponents and it is accepted that some players just do not get on. off and on court. Hisham Ashour and Adrian Grant???

All of this aside, I have seen fisticuffs on court at amateur level and aguments taken into the bar. Also people laying into each other in car parks. Anyone with any squash stories of this nature?