“Don’t give it if you can’t take it.” The current Australian cricket team are the custodians of Australian cricket’s rich culture of extraordinary, courageous, fiercely competitive but fair on-field play and poise, and class off the field.
But this team, like several in the current era, have been exposed as lacking the class of their forebears.
The Australian team are bullies and the worst sort: they can dish it out but they can’t take it. This mix of behaviour is a clear indication that they are not strong and inwardly lacking confident in themselves individually and as a team.
It is this inner strength that all great players and teams have. Langer and Gilchrist had it when they scored a match winning partnership against Pakistan and the odds, in Hobart years ago.
Bradman and his ‘Invincibles’ had it.
Just last week, we saw graphic vision of a younger, smaller child bullying, harassing and assaulting an older, bigger child to the point where the older child reacted, picked the bully up, and threw him to the ground like a rag doll.
The Australian cricket team has gone from feared bully to bashed up, rattled and exposed bully.
Brett Lee is normally so intimidating with both the speed and intent of the ball and the inner confidence that allows him, in the heat of battle, to produce his trademark wry smile at the batsman when one has missed the outside edge. But even he has become overly demonstrative on the fall of a Pakistani wicket in the most recent CWC game.
The Australian underbelly has been exposed. Expect all quarter finalists to have noted this and be preparing how to twist the knife more in the upcoming battles.
I suggest that the Australian cricketers should reacquaint themselves with their national heritage by revisiting their own cricket forebears, watching “The Man from Snowy River” or observing the quiet but steely courage that Australians have shown in adversity throughout the history of this wide brown land.
Go_the_Wannabe's
Guest
Having seen and watched both sides of the equation, I really prefer "cool and undemonstrative" to "petulant and immature". The Windies 70's team were my heros.......so cool no matter what happened. Bjorn Borg will be remembered as one of the greatest ever tennis players......and the coolest. Bring back cool.
Nambucco Deliria
Guest
Interesting that you don't want your sportsmen to speak in cliches. "Give me a break" "it's the nature of the beast" "forever and a day" "storm in a teacup" All in one five line post. You would appear to be the Emeritus Professor of talking in cliches...
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
first, there is sledging. if you sledge, then be prepared to take it when it comes back. mcgrath could give it but couldnt take it. second, there is tantrums. Haddin, Ponting and the others. firstly, the tantrums are dumb and second unbecoming of a player representing their country. third, I don't remember other eras throwing tantrums. the bradman era players were gentlemen. the chappell and waugh era were too smart to give their opponents the pleasure and satisfaction of knowing that they had succeeded in annoying them.
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
Will, losing? are you accusing me of not being able to take losing? nope. not at all. Bullies are bullies. Bullies lose it when given their own medicine. just check the recent videos of the kids at school!! the initial bully is now wanting the whole thing to go away!!!!!!
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
Berra, with you all the way. and it is dumb because it gives your opponent a window into how you are actually travelling emotionally. just look at the the best golfers and tennis players, steely but undemonstrative.
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
Qlder, it was not their cricket results, it was their behaviour. just watch the footage. gentlemen at all times. no tanties!!!!!
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
sheek, Me too. enough is enough.
Viscount Crouchback
Guest
Will is quite right. Are these Australians any worse behaved than their predecessors? Hardly. You should read Mike Atherton on his introduction to Test cricket back in the 1989 Ashes series. He couldn't believe the levels of abuse and aggression. Likewise, what was Glenn McGrath if not a bully? Ditto, Shane Warne. These modern Australians are no worse behaved: they just aren't as good - and it's their lack of success that inspires all this criticism. As Will says, people just don't like losers.
whiteline
Guest
Played a few games have you Will?
fisher price
Guest
Steve Waugh is also mature and quite intelligent.
JohnB
Guest
If that happened, maybe it would more reinforce that this is a 50 overs competition, and that the better team does not always win one day games.
Lolly
Guest
Yes, in fact, I'd say that if the Aussies win again the standard of international cricket is pretty lousy at present.
Lolly
Guest
I partly agree with this. I'm horrified by how little it takes for players to even get a Shield contract. And the fact that Mitchell Marsh and Starc are in the A squads having done stuff all at first class level is ridiculous. Why haven't they had to fight and show real results to get these spots?
berra boy
Guest
and of course i meant you don't have to be a sook to NOT be a robot ;)
berra boy
Guest
which is exactly why the cricket culture sucks ;) you can be a robot without being a sook.
Will
Guest
Give me a break mate. This is professional sport. Emotions sometimes spillover; it's the nature of the beast. These things, and worse, have been happening forever and a day on the cricket field. For mine, I'd prefer to see that then boring robots that speak in cliches. Total storm in a tea-cup.
berra boy
Guest
this kind of post has been written so many times over the past few years (decade?). Nothing changes, as each new generation comes through they behave like the past. It's just what cricket in Australia has become and the cultural change away from bullies and sooks will take too long for me to care about it. Good luck Usman - hope you keep your refreshing wit and self-awareness - so rare for an Australian cricketer...
berra boy
Guest
that's hilarious - "throwing the ball into the ground shows passion" - it shows petulance and immaturity from a person in a leadership role - it was so terrible it was funny!
Rhys
Guest
hahaha - well said. I'd happily support the Irish for a while, but they don't get the chance to play a whole lot.
Will
Guest
What a load of trash. FFS, compared to the 70's the cricketers today are well behaved. Throwing a ball into the ground is nothing; shows the passion that goes into the game. I suggest that some people just can't take losing.