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The story goes that the great Dr WG Grace, upon walking to the crease one sunny day, was immediately bowled by some presumptuous young upstart of a bowler.
Turning to his stumps, he carefully replaced the bails, turned back to the bowler and growled, “These people have come here to see me bat, not see you bowl.”
With that, the doctor continued his innings.
This was heroic behaviour on Grace’s part, because he understood the fundamental truth that though technically a batsman who misses a ball which then strikes the stumps, dislodging the bails, is out and must leave the field, there is something that matters more than the ‘rules’ – the good of the game.
It was true that the punters had stumped up their sixpence to see the mighty beard bat, rather than the callow nonentity fling his leather, and so there could be no doubt that the good of the game had been advanced by Grace’s refusal to bow to so petty a consideration as the Laws of Cricket.
WG Grace
Sometimes it seems as though Grace’s noble spirit has gone out of the game. It was therefore refreshing to see this week that it lives on, in the hearts and minds of Kagiso Rabada, Cricket South Africa, their multitudinous legal team, and the ICC’s judicial commissioner Michael Heron QC.
And, of course, the many fans and commentators who lauded Heron’s decision to slash a couple of demerit points off Rabada’s sentence for misconduct, thus allowing him to play in the third Test at Newlands.
How wonderful, they cheered, that Rabada has been let off and therefore can play, allowing us all to see the world’s best bowler in action. What a wise decision the learned Mr Heron has reached, and how beneficial it is for the good of the game.
Just as Dr Grace understood that the technicalities of the rules paled into insignificance compared to the good of the game, so we lovers of cricket understand that although technically, the umpires and match referee of a Test are tasked with disciplining players and ensuring there are consequences for bad behaviour; and although technically, achieving an improvement in player conduct is unlikely without a genuine deterrent for misconduct; and although technically, before the Rabada verdict the entire cricketing world was wringing its hands wondering how ever we could put a stop to the obnoxious boorishness of cricketers, while the same cricketing world now considers trying to put a stop to the obnoxious boorishness of cricketers the act of officious prigs trying to ruin everyone’s fun…
AP Photo/Themba Hadebe
Although technically all that is the case, the good of the game must come first. And the good of the game can only be served by Rabada playing. As ICC chief executive David Richardson said:
“This is perhaps an opportune moment to remind all players of their responsibilities to maintaining a standard of behaviour which sets a good example to players at all levels of the game, especially the young players.”
How right he is: now is the perfect moment to remind all players that they have a responsibility to maintain a standard of behaviour that includes hiring expensive lawyers if there is a chance they might be punished for their behaviour. Hopefully, players from both teams will set an example to young cricketers that they, too, should fight tooth and nail against any attempt to punish them for violating a code of conduct.
After all, young cricketers must be afforded the opportunity to watch Kagiso Rabada bowl, and if they were deprived of that opportunity for two Test matches, it could harm their development irreparably.
That is why Heron’s decision was such a magnificent one. He examined the evidence, weighed the competing arguments, thought deeply on all the complex issues involved, and once it was clear to him that if Rabada missed the rest of the series, he would be really bummed about it, realised there was only one course open to him.
And so the bails have been reset, for these people have paid to see Rabada bowl, not to see Jeff Crowe suspend. With such reverence for the good of the game, Doctor Grace must be smiling down upon us all.