G’day Australians. It’s your national coach Justin Langer, here to demystify the concept of Elite Honesty in my trademark unhurried tone.
Ever since a picture of this motto was posted on social media from inside Australia’s change room, there’s been a torrent of feedback. People have been accusing me of lazily combining two random and disparate words, but I reckon they’re just insolubly hairless.
The facts are this: Elite Honesty will turn around Australian cricket’s reputation of arrogance, and anyone who doubts this would never understand because they’re probably not a professional Australian cricketer.
Those who mock Elite Honesty must realise Australia is vastly different nowadays. Usman Khawaja is reverse sweeping to save Test matches and Allan Border is approving. Shane Warne is on The 7:30 Report and its not even as an offender.
This is why we need Elite Honesty.
But what exactly does this uncomfortable marriage of words mean?
Elite Honesty is the latest in Australian cricket’s Elite Collection, sitting alongside elite mateship, elite collapses and elite follow-ons – and it’s a term I adopted from my dear friend Matt Hayden.
I’ll never forget the day he first shared it with me as it was right after he copped a heavy knock in the surf.
As he slowly regained consciousness on the sand, Haydos continually muttered it to me: “Elite Honesty, Elite Honesty.” In saying that, he could’ve been saying “Meat Odyssey” – the big fella is always thinking of new dishes.
Either way, once he repeated it 25 more times, I knew his concussion had answered Australia’s dot ball problem. And what I was having for lunch.
From this point on, I decided Australia would live by the edict of Elite Honesty. It didn’t need a meaning, because I was going to put it on a poster.
I decided Australian cricket would be rebuilt with Elite Honesty – not lying to relatives about your weight, leaving your internet history intact, and West Australians – lots of West Australians.
(Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
Elite Honesty is better than regular honesty and it’s player pacts and stuff too. It’s respect for opponents, like shaking hands and sledging out of range of stump mics. Not walking after you’ve edged it though.
They also say Elite Honesty draws upon the honesty of the elites. I’m not sure what that means, but I guess it implies Australian cricket is like the major banks. This definitely works if you think about low-interest rates.
But at the end of the day, Elite Honesty is fundamentally about performance. It was no coincidence Marcus Labuschagne forgot to ground his bat after borrowing my iPhone charger without asking.
Whichever way you interpret it, Australian cricket’s grim brand will be restored with Elite Honesty. That, and heaps of other cool new livery.
Poor livery has nobbled this country’s cricketing culture for too long. I’ve always maintained nobody would’ve tried to cover up cheating if a wall told us not to. It’s as culpable for Australia’s demise as executive bonuses and Pat Howard.
So get on board with this team. Invest in Elite Honesty and gratuitous wall posters of Elite Honesty, and enjoy the pleasant, sanction-free victories as they roll in. Just don’t ask what it means.
Believe me, if Australian cricket can smash a perception with anything – its elitism.
With only two wickets in four games leading into the game, the Aussie paceman finished with 3/28 as his Knight Riders recorded an eight-wicket…
Test great Steve Smith is to play for Washington Freedom in the second season of Major League Cricket as the Australian influence in the…
Nathan Lyon has revealed his disappointment that Australia's cricket chiefs have prevented him from playing his first full season of county cricket in England…
Some of you may have watched the recent Fox Sports Series 'A Brief History of Australian Cricket: the Eighties'. If not, I’d definitely recommend…
Nathan Lyon's spell with English county Lancashire has been halved as Cricket Australia looks to protect the fitness of the star spinner. The Australian,…
Cricket Australia insists Optus Stadium can replace the Gabba as the men's Test team's new fortress after handing Perth the first match against India.…
