Out of all the media buzz words that have greatly infuriated a disaffected public, the one that irks more than anything else is that misnomer called ‘professionalism’.
What does it even mean anymore? Is it the traditional meaning of the term that implies providing a good or service at cost that supplements a career?
Or is it the notion the term itself can be loosely applied in circumstances that favour the preconceived agenda in which we’re all a part of this, but no one is responsible?
Sadly, Australian cricket has become known for the very quality of mixed messages and innuendo sans commonsense.
It’s really hard to take sides on this one. If you are in the Arthur/Clarke corner, you’re advocating for players to self-reflect on pieces of paper upon their performance, even if said performance involves drinks carrying.
To take this side, you advocate the selection of Xavier Doherty on a tour to India with an average of 80 ahead of Stephen O’Keefe. Or a decently performing Rob Quiney was consigned to human shield to protect a currently struggling Phil Hughes.
Those are just two examples. To continue on this diatribe would be to miss the point at hand.
On the other side, you have Shane Robert Watson – a man who has had more reincarnations than Lord Vishnu.
It is hard to even fathom what Watson thinks of himself, given the selectors’ previous propensity to consider him the centrepoint of Australian cricket.
But given his decision to pack his bags (supposedly to be present for the imminent birth for his first child), Watson himself has epitomised the petulant childishness of Australian cricket.
The tragedy isn’t that Watson has been stood down due to not following team orders – but for being considered good enough to be required to complete such an arduous task in the first place.
So who’s side should we take? We all dabble in talk about professional integrity, but surely there is none if all no one takes the consequences of bad decisions.
Clarke will get all the plaudits for his batting and captaincy, but no blame or penalty for having the gall of picking Doherty above O’Keefe.
Meanwhile, a Shane Watson can count on being picked regardless of performance or fragile fitness. And the criteria for selection for an Usman Khawaja becomes impossible to rationalise.
The naive person in me would like to think everyone wants Australian cricket to do well and that a simple game has become overcomplicated.
But that makes it, well, too simple. What is likelier is every party has decided that Australian cricket can go to hell when it comes to their own self-interest.
How professional of them.
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