Why is it that Australian cricketers so often act badly when relating to their opponents?
It seems such a pity that their comprehensive drubbing of New Zealand in the World Cup should have been tarnished with sledging and puerile triumphalism.
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There was an alarming absence of grace in that victory and it’s possible that this, rather than the overall performance of the Australians – which was utterly faultless in every other respect – will become the enduring memory of the occasion.
If it does then the Australian team will have nobody to blame but themselves. And the great Australian cricketing public will have to live with the embarrassment, just as they have to with the shame of the Trevor Chappell underarm.
A surprising number of prominent Australians have been openly critical of the way some of the Aussie players behaved during and after the match in Melbourne and the media rumpus after the final opened up an interesting debate over the differences between Australians and New Zealanders in this part of the game.
The behaviour of Brad Haddin and some of his mates abashed even Peter FitzSimons who knows a thing or two about sharp tactics in sport. Why, he asked, is it necessary to give a departing batsman such a vitriolic send-off? Isn’t it enough just to have got him out? What value is added by the parting trash talk? Good question.
It’s perhaps easier to understand the motivations of the sledgers when a batsman arrives at the crease. Anything that can serve to disrupt his concentration might be worth a shot, but to open up as he departs in misery says rather more about the winner than the loser.
Haddin’s unwitting revelation – fuelled by the liquid joys of victory – that he suffered severe discomfort at the New Zealanders’ “niceness” says a lot about the mindset that Australians often get locked into when they have a big challenge in front of them. Some have simply labelled this boorish behaviour as plain old cockiness. Yet, as any psychologist will tell you, sledging is a very distinct sign of a personal sense of inadequacy.
But why should Australian cricketers ever feel inadequate? Their track record is spectacular. They are a team of proven achievers who you would have thought have progressed well beyond this schoolboy level of invective.
The answer seems to lie at least partly in a sense of national obligation to be seen and heard as tough and ruthless. We see it in other manifestations of the national character – in business, foreign affairs, military policy and in a variety of other threads of identity the imagery is similar.
Don’t mess with us is the message, we take no prisoners. And don’t – as New Zealand has so often discovered to its dismay – expect any favours.
In a way the Australian cricket team suffers from the same oppressive weight of expectation as New Zealand’s All Blacks. There is hell to pay if they are ever beaten. But you will never see an All Black gloating over a win. It just isn’t in the mindset. To do so would invoke a veritable holocaust of disapproval from New Zealanders at large.
Here we see the difference between the two Anzac nations at its starkest.
And yet a more intriguing question lingers: why should Australia’s cricket team stand at the top when it comes to the nation’s sledging stakes? As far as we can tell cricket suffers far less than rugby codes from hoonish behaviour but far more from sledging. George Gregan’s apocryphal “four more years” taunt after Australia eliminated the All Blacks from the World Cup years ago seems rather limp in comparison to the awful invective dished out at the World Cup final.
Will things change for the better as a result? I’m not holding my breath.
Prosenjit
Guest
The overall behaviour is pretty good and it's more obvious when people like sachin and vvs laxman say 'the australians come at you hard but are the most appreciative as well.'
Jack
Guest
Whilst it can be a little unsavoury at times, I think suggesting that a team who just won the world cup and easily accounted for all their opponents once the knock-out stages began are "lacking ability" is probably a little hard to support. Sledging isn't cheating btw - if a player is good enough it doesn't bother them one bit.
Bobbo7
Guest
It's the general behaviour, such as Haddin's classy comments about sledging because he was not comfortuble with playing nice.
Bobbo7
Guest
Correct - there was a reason Cooper was targeted and now that is done. I accept that some fans probably went over the top but for anyone to suggest he was targeted for no reason has little idea of occured in the build up to the WC.
Jack
Guest
I really think people need to get over all this nonsense about Australian "sledging"... As Waleed Aly points out, Australia tends to play its best cricket when it is at its more relentless and aggressive - including sledging. The fact is it isn't a posh-private school game here like it is in England, NZ or South Africa, and so it's necessarily a bit more rough around the edges. But all the same even with its rough edges, Australians are well outnumbered by players from other countries when it comes to on-field misconduct citings by the ICC and most of this sort of complaining is really more a reflection of classic confirmation bias and some hurt feelings by a disappointed Kiwi. The fact that Laidlaw cited Haddin's Triple M comments as "evidence" is pretty ridiculous frankly, and shows a sort of desperation to find any evidence he can to show what good lads the Kiwis are by comparison. Because anyone who'd actually HEARD Haddin on Triple M would have been able to tell he was just taking the proverbial "p".
Zim Zam
Roar Rookie
Well said.
Zim Zam
Roar Rookie
Haha, good point. Yes, if the Aussie players gloated half as much as I do when Australia win, then you'd have a fair point Bobbo, but you can't realistically fault their post-match celebrations for anything more than being over the moon enough to neglect to praise their opponents every second sentence. And let's face it - the Black Caps had a fantastic tournament and if they had beaten us I think I could have gotten over it quite comfortably within 24 hours, but you could only heap so much praise on them for their performance in that particular game without it being token cliches, it wasn't their best cricket. The Aussies - well, the ones that weren't interviewed by Warnie - said what they honestly could: New Zealand had being the form side in word cricket for the last six months, had brought it all to a brilliantly-played home tournament, McCullum had been inspiring, and they were thrilled to have been able to win against a team that was very hard to beat. Surely you can't say fairer than that?
Bamboo
Guest
You're the only South Pacific nation without one mate. I wonder why?
David
Guest
Absolute crap .. Crowds all around the world are hostile to other teams .. We are talking the PLAYERS sledging not crowds . The South African crowds are very hostile to the all blacks etc . However the abs and the boks always catch up for a beer after test matches . Great respect between them . The abs never have a beer with the Aussies ... Why is that !
Prosenjit
Guest
Lyn it's slightly sad to think you'll be discriminated for being female.can't be the way and your point is spot on if you meant the world cricket by 'we'. :-)
Lyn Lenow
Guest
I have always said that sledging is a sign of a person lacking ability. I am female so I will probably be ignored by most. But really, does insulting somebody else make you feel good? What you are saying is We / I can't win without cheating. You are not good enough to beat the opposition? Come on just play the game and show the world we are above that sort of childish, low life behaviour.
mattyb
Guest
+1,we were lucky to get out of jail after that passionate in your face display.
mattyb
Guest
Dimfoil,Australians may be overly confident but we do tend to talk about how good we are AND how good an opposition have been as a rule.For the entire CWC I have read rubbish stories about Aust.Australia get out of jail by beating Pakistan by 6 wickets with 20 overs to spare,NZ have a better sporting history than Australia because they have won an Olympic gold in shot put.And now this rubbish (again).If our players act boorish,or our crowds we admit that.We don't do stupid dances,in our opponents faces before a game,and we are proud of that.All teams sledge.Anderson from Eng got in a push and shove in the rooms off the field of play against the Indians,we don't go that far.And the Kiwis need to sort out the match fixing stuff before getting to holy. Australia are not popular because they win,often,full stop.
Dizzy Tangles
Guest
It's the kiwis who are still living with Trevor Chappell and 'that' ball. We've moved on from that long ago. You guys should too. Silly Aussie hating article...... Get over it puleeeez!
mattyb
Guest
Bamboo, And what one nation calls a pre match dance,others may say a whole team of 'tossers'.
Nick
Guest
Shot yourself in the foot here mate. Both the All Black coach and Captain made it clear that Quade bashing should end. You're completely in the wrong here
gangoolies
Guest
Poor kiwis. Not only do they get belted in the final (proving that hype is no substitute for skill), they have to deal with everyone moaning about how they got bullied by the bigger, tougher kids. It's all just too funny.
Jerry
Guest
http://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/icc-world-cup-2015/cricket-world-cup-final-australia-v-new-zealand-match-could-be-odi-swan-song-for-several-players/story-e6frf3ju-1227282322672 "After touching down in Melbourne, Vettori admitted it was “pretty obvious” Sunday’s match would be his last ODI"
AlanKC
Guest
Keep changing the frame of reference to suit your argument old bean... This has, until your last piece of nonsense, had nothing to do with any supposed send off which is another story all by itself. I'll stand by Ronan's article where he refers to "stuff that never happened"... Having said that, my mum would laugh at you and certainly wouldn't carryon for weeks afterward.
Upfromdown
Guest
Pie Thrower this is where I see similarities as well. The article and the conversation about the way Australia plays the game has been driven by the NZ media and the NZ fans (as well as some Australian fans and media) and has not been mentioned by the NZ players. So this whole debate is about what the public thinks. Notwithstanding I have no problems with the send offs and sledging being questioned, as it is not a good look at all, but the holier than though attitude of articles like this is unbearable. Especially when you look at some recent history in NZ cricket with regards to match fixing - 2 guys have been done - compared to Australia. So whilst the likes of Warner, Haddin are renowned and condemned for their sledging and competitiveness at times it pales into insignificance with what some of the kiwi cricketers have done. I will look on with interest to see if the next kiwi sportsperson or coach who steps out of line gets torn apart by sections of the NZ media.