International cricket tours occupy a unique place in the sporting firmament. In no other sport do national teams tour a rival for three months or more.

At its best, a slow-burning tour allows Test match cricket (the five-day version of the game) to flourish. Magnificent rivalries between batsmen and bowlers can build up, while team fortunes fluctuate from day to day, match to match. The dark side is that petty rivalries between players, officials and umpires have time to fester - and combust. One such explosion in Sydney this week, following a Test match between Australia and India, was heard throughout the sporting world.