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Losing faith in the game of cricket

4th September, 2010
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Roar Guru
4th September, 2010
39
1477 Reads

Cricket, and I include Australian cricket, is suffering from ignoring the multitude of bad player behaviour, illegal activities, shortsighted decision making and the abandoning of its core values.

Each event chips away at the game’s fibre. If not addressed, each event will eventually have a cumulative and very seriously damaging effect on the fabric of the game.

Despite there being some very good journalism on The Roar’s cricket “space”, it appears that there is little interest, given the low number of contributions.

Let me explain from my own point of view. With a name like LeftArmSpinner, you can conclude that I am, or should I say was, very interested in cricket. However, I am very tired of it.

I played a lot of cricket on three continents. The values of the game were consistent and centred on the values that underpin our society: friendship, fair play, camaraderie, honesty, competitiveness on the field, humour, joy and happiness.

Where are these values now?:

1. The highest wicket taker is a cheat. His action was illegal so the rules were changed!

2. Match-fixers and bribe-takers have destroyed the game’s credibility.

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3. Player behaviour is arrogant, puerile, greedy and churlish. One of the main offenders will be the next Australian Test captain.

4. Players have lost the ability to play Test cricket’s long innings and bowl the long bowling spells that define that form of the game. Now, we are served 50 over game technique but charged Test match prices!

5. The power shift to the sub continent will embed myopic and selfish decision making at the highest levels and exclude the necessary independent professional management required.

Specifically, I am tired of the countless games/tournaments/championships, etc – played in the now three forms of the game. I can’t follow them all. Frankly, I cant even bother following one of them.

Add to that the reality that the Australian cricketers are no longer the admirable and/or colourful individuals that they used to be. Where are the O’Keefe’s or “bowlologist” Fleming, the outspoken/straight talking Chappells, the working class man that is Doug Walters? Alan Border’s tenacity in the face of adversity? Tugga Waugh’s grit and Audi Waugh’s flamboyance? I could go on but it is not necessary.

The current crop has just Katich and Lee in the admirable category. But they have plenty in the idiot category; led by Clarke, add Watson, the young left hand opener from NSW who loves to waft outside off, and Hussey who has switched from admirable to idiot, succumbing to the advertising dollar.

In writing this article, I am struggling to even name the current Test team. I could go to a website but I don’t really care who the current team are and so won’t bother.

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They don’t play games screened on my television or broadcast on my radio. It has now been shown that they don’t play against serious committed opponents. To think that Australian players have not succumbed to the fixer’s bribery is naive – patriotism gone mad and better suited to the hilarious Roy and HG shows. We know that Australian players have been approached because they have told us.

I am very despondent about the future for cricket’s flagship products. Even in an Ashes year, the only thing that will get my attention will be the ABC radio coverage and catching up with my mates at the SCG.

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