“I hate [insert opposition team name]”.
“They’re full of s*?# blokes!” “Lets $*#? these *!#?s up!”
A bit full on for you? Welcome into the dressing room of a grade cricket club.
Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft deserve their punishments. They have made their mistakes, and they will pay for it dearly. But you can’t help but feel a bit of sympathy for them. It all starts at the grassroots level. They’re simply a product of their environments.
From ball-tampering to aggression and sledging, this is now the image of Australian cricket around the world. Australian cricket is in crisis, “heads must roll” says Warnie! The culture is toxic and we’re too angry. We’ve ‘head-butted the line’ one too many times.
But the buck doesn’t stop at the national side. While Cricket Australia, the coaching staff and the players themselves are responsible for failing to rein in the side’s behaviour, the Australian cricket team is, in reality, an extremely talented team of grade cricketers. Head down to our local oval over any summer weekend, and you’ll witness this distinctly Australian cricket culture played out around the country.
The send-offs are vicious. The sledging personal and vile. ‘The Grade Cricketer’ has it right when describing the alpha culture of Australian cricket where you stand over your opponents and belittle and attack them to break their concentration. The image of Warner’s verbal tirade against Aiden Markram following the runout of AB de Villiers in the first Test against South Africa could easily have been mistaken for a pit bull ambushing a visitor into your new home.
But this was just to get under Markram’s skin. Remember, we play hard and fair!
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Up until the Ashes, Australia were picking a wicketkeeper purely on the basis that he could talk garbage to the batsmen all day. Picking a bloke because of their sledging ability – if that’s not a grade cricket approach to selection, I don’t know what is!
Nice Gary!
I’ve played in games where our opening bowler, as he walked past the umpire back to his mark would be noticeably driving his nails into the ball. In another game, a player went to retrieve a ball from a construction site that was covered by a large tarpaulin sheet, the wind suddenly blew the tarp to uncover him scraping the rough side of the ball along the concrete pavers.
Sandpaper doesn’t sound too bad now!
This win-at-all-costs mentality isn’t confined just to the Australian dressing room. It’s something systematically ingrained within Australian cricket culture.
Maybe the ‘Cape Town Three’ can be the forces for change that Steve Smith spoke about. By accepting the sanctions imposed upon them and with only premier cricket to return to, maybe Smith, Warner and Bancroft can not only bring about change within the national set-up, but within the pathway that develops the young men that come to represent our country.
John
Guest
I'm surprised anyone is surprised about Ozzie cricketers behavior.Has been that way for 40yrs that I know of.Just a reflection of Australian society with the bad language and behavior.Anyone remember the abuse that GREAT Kiwi fast bowler got by Australian"supporters" when they chanted" Hadlees a wh...er."Who's surprised???????
Basil
Guest
remember the ocker crowds accused of calling the saffer players kaffirs?
Brett
Guest
Your suspicions also constitutes as social media gossip.
Basil
Guest
that's a good point, abusive language is a breach of ICC code of conduct, yet the umps and match ref do nothing, that is if one is to believe the claim of ocker sledging being esp relentless, personal and vicious. Maybe it is it a conspiracy of silence to protect the ockers?
Basil
Guest
confirmed or just more social media gossip? Actually I suspect the de kock sledge to warner might have been a pre-planed tactic by the saffers, unless you believe it was a mere coincident that it occurred off the filed of play.
John
Guest
Most of these are form a book titled "Why are you so fat?" - a book about cricket banter
Clyde
Guest
How does anyone know what was said when Smith and Warner specifically asked for the stump microphones to be turned down.
Clyde
Guest
Why should parents let their 6 and 10 year old kids be subjected to such abuse on and off a sports field? Who is teaching these kids where the line ends?
DavSA
Guest
Well the recent developments where the Aussie side are to be stopped from sledging but allowed light banter . Warne to Cullinan " Hi Darryl , I have been waiting for you for 2 years now." Cullinan to Warne " Looks like you spent it eating " Merv Hughes " Next time I will bowl you a F#$% ..g piano . Maybe you can play that " Rod Marsh to Botham " hows your wife and my kids "? Botham to Marsh " wife is fine , kids are retarded ". Ok I know these are well known old news sledges but ...could they also be ...Banter?
DavSA
Guest
Ha Ha , hope Warner pronounced it right . Actually a Bosvark is so ugly it is strangely cute . De Kock in a lighter moment should have thanked Warner for the compliment .
BrainsTrust
Guest
The umpires could have stopped foul mouthed sledging along time ago, they have the discretion to do whatever they like. If you went to sledge with foul language before the 60's you would be in massive trouble. Brian Close was suspended for calling a gentleman by their first name in the old days. Thats because Brian Close was from the working classes and it was not allowed. Brian Close was also chosen to open the innings which he never did before against the West Indies in 1976 at the age of 45 after Tony Greig famously said he would make the Windies grovel. Imagine what would have happened if Dave Warner had turned up in those days, after the first delivery he would be escorted to the nearest jail cell.
fp11
Guest
Waugh never said that. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/jun/14/the-spin-cricket-email
Keeper
Guest
I like intelligent and relevant sledges like Steve Waugh to Herschelle Gibbs when he dropped a catch - hey Herschelle, you just dropped the world cup! Has anyone heard any other clever ones.
Simoc
Guest
Well there was plenty of video of Warner calling deKock a ***** sook as they left the field and then going berserk when he got a response. Apparently when Warner talks it's not personal but when he gets a response it is. That's the roving line in the sand.
Brett
Guest
The rules are the stump mics are turned off inbetween overs. This is when the intense sledges occurr, and only the players hear it. That's why us fans don't hear any of it. Anyone who has played grade cricket and higher knows what it's like out in the field.
fp11
Guest
Warner didn't call him a bush pig. Apparently he called him bosvark, which in Afrikaans means bush pig. This is from a mate of mine who is from SA.I don't think I can believe this claim though. I can't see Warner learning a word of different language. At the same time he always seems very committed to sledging the opposition, so maybe he went an extra mile while in South Africa. Regardless of what he really called de Kock, Warner's behaviour was encouraged from the top. As Warnie said more heads need to roll.
Wal
Roar Guru
As a bit of a follow up though, I don't think the behaviour is confined to Cricket or Australia either though. Some of the rubbish in Soccer matches both junior and senior is deplorable. And having grown up in NZ a few of the Rugby Union supporters in my old hometown of Christchurch are disgusting,
Wal
Roar Guru
Never mind Senior Grade cricket I was gobsmacked when my sons under 12's team were confronted with sledging this year. Varying from silly stuff like singing or whistling while the ball is being bowled or lame sledges that could only be learnt from their parents - to trying to intimidate a batsman into walking when given not out. That doesn't come from a 10/11-year-old. Some neanderthal parent teaches their kids that rubbish to "gain an edge". What edge exactly is needed in a non-comp B grade under 12's match I have no idea.
jameswm
Guest
He called de Kock ugly and a bush pig - non-stop - for about an hour. And he kept going at at it when they were walking off the field.
jameswm
Guest
I had a game like that when I was oldeer. G9d sledged every ball for 3-4 hours. It was 3rd or 4th grade and I was even the captain. I realised after that it's just not fun any more. Contrast with the 3 Aussie 10km runners waiting for the last placed lady to finish, or Rohan Browning's class and humility after missing the 100 final by a fingernail.