The 2021 England cricket summer has so much promise.
For the first time in a year, spectators are allowed to watch Test cricket. There are Test series against New Zealand and India, a World Test Championship final, with lashings of white balls cricket for those who enjoy that sort of thing.
On paper, this should be as good a summer as the 2019 summer, which featured the ODI World Cup and a terrific Ashes series.
Unfortunately, one issue is threatening to derail the cricket – social media comments by players.
Debutant Ollie Robinson was found to have posted some tweets deemed offensive when he was 18 or 19 years old. As a result, the England Cricket Board (ECB) has suspended him from international cricket, pending the outcome of its investigation.
All manner of people have piled onto that decision, including the UK Prime Minister and his Sports and Culture Minister, Oliver Dowden. Plenty of ex-players have also had a say, as has James Anderson who, among other things, made the following comments:
“The language and things talked about (in the messages) are obviously not acceptable.
“He (Robinson) stood up in front of the group and apologised, and you could see how sincere he was and how upset he was.
“As a group, we appreciate that he’s a different person now. He has done a lot of maturing and growing since then and he’s got the full support of the team.”
These are fine words from England’s senior fast bowler – except it now seems he too has been guilty of a similar sort of messaging.
Not only has Anderson allegedly been making inappropriate comments on social forums, if media reports are correct, it also appears Josh Buttler and Eoin Morgan have as well. On top of that, the ECB is apparently investigating a racist tweet made by a current player when they were 15 years old.
Bear in mind all of these instances have come to light in the past week. It begs the obvious question: how many more England players have done something similar?
If there are five players who have posted unsuitable comments, does the ECB assume that’s it, or do they conduct an investigation of all contracted players’ social media accounts?
Ollie Robinson has been suspended by the ECB, so does the Board mete out the same action to others, like Anderson, who have posted comments that are deemed offensive?
Is Jimmy Anderson’s situation far more serious, given he’s a senior member of the team, clearly knows what’s acceptable and what’s not, yet has been caught out in similar circumstances to Robinson?
Ollie Robinson is under fire for offensive tweets. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
It would also be wrong for the rest of the world’s cricketers to feel holier than thou.
Just as other players have committed crimes similar to those which landed Steve Smith and co. in hot water back in 2018, it’s inevitable there will be similar instances of unsuitable messaging from cricketers playing for other nations. Brendon McCullum, for example, has also been linked to the sort of tweets mentioned above.
If the International Cricket Board (ICB) is fair dinkum about cleaning up this aspect of the game, what steps will they take? It would also be interesting to see what resistance they encounter from players and Boards, if they do decide to clean house.
If the ICB leaves it to each Board to take action as they see fit, which is their probable response, what happens if a Board does nothing? I don’t think too many Boards want to investigate because I think they’re afraid of what they’re likely to find out.
We all know about the sensitivities around racism and sexism and the ECB is clearly on board, given the shirts the players wore before the first Test against New Zealand.
That one inexperienced Test player has been accused of going against the standards of expected behaviour is bad enough, but to then include senior players and an England cricket captain makes this an unimaginable mess.
It’s going to take the wisdom of Solomon to come up with a solution that is acceptable to all interested parties. Sadly, I don’t believe such a person exists, certainly not on any cricket board.
I have no idea how this situation is going to be resolved.
It is a huge issue that needs to be addressed but I hope it can be managed in conjunction with cricket matches and not instead of them.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Dinesh D'souza leads the charge there.
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
impartial but realistically establishment I earnestly wonder how that's possible with any media organisation in these woke and 0utraged times Stalin. There are some scribes (and their employers) but they are diminished in capacity and audience. The middle is no longer the middle. Judging from your post I am not as well informed as you appear to be but if the Prime-minister endorses the folly of the ECB's behaviour...
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
Thanks Dave. Well reasoned post...
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
Well that's a typical leftwing response! I have spoken and will not entertain any further discussion on a discussion site, even though I just gave an opinion and no facts! You're right, you shouldn't have started something you were both unprepared for and unwilling to defend!
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
If I told you that Madonna spoke with a German accent, and you doubted me, it would be unreasonable for me to expect you to trawl through countless videos of Madonna not speaking with a German accent trying to find a video where she did. The onus is on the person making the claim. Therefore, yes, I would like a link. Others have commented that there's videos of him stumbling and mixing up names. Referring to opposing George Bush, as a senator, he's opposed two of them. It's all about context. And tripping up stairs as an indicator of senility? Please... Everyone trips over. Everyone. None of this is a critique of Biden, positive or negative. Everyone can come to their own conclusions. And I'm not going to respond to any more comments on this thread because although I did respond to Kerry's remark, I come onto this site to talk about sport and it was a mistake to start an argument when I didn't need to.
moaman
Roar Guru
For the record, let it be shown you didn't answer my question. Obviously, we have all said and done things we regret. But not all of us use or have used the N-word. That is past the line of easily-overlooked. Btw, how do you know he has "repented and seemingly cleaned up his act?"
Paul
Roar Guru
TB, There is this part about Values from the Cricket Australia website, that covers aspects of player behaviour on the field. I'd imagine there has to be some similar form of words built into all player contracts for off field behavior as well https://www.cricketaustralia.com.au/about/our-values/spirit-of-cricket
Paul
Roar Guru
When I was 18, I did all manner of things that someone, somewhere would consider to be insulting. More to the point I'm very confident you and the rest of the world did as well. The issue for me is whether a person made a mistake, identified it was a mistake and learned from it. Robinson admits he did err and has learned from that. Does that make his actions/words at the time acceptable, no, but how much of a penalty should he have to wear for comments made so long ago, especially when he's repented and seemingly cleaned up his act?
Paul
Roar Guru
I have no idea, Don Alfonso. I've never used Facebook, so am not sure how it works
moaman
Roar Guru
Tell me, Paul, did you regularly use the N-word to insult people (as Robinson reportedly did) and would you think looking back that that was ok because you were 18 at the time or that it was 9 years ago? I am also curious about what Brendan McCullum is supposed to have tweeted? There is a case of 'Apples and Oranges' comparing what Robinson has done and Anderson's tweet (for example) in my opinion.
Don Alfonso Lampard
Guest
Do employers checking FB have to make an FB friend request?
Stalinski
Roar Rookie
Go and learn some political history & then come back & debate like an adult. You can start by naming some of the lefty media you mention & not the examples I have pointed out for you.
Rossi
Roar Rookie
Very centrist! Centre far left more like
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
Greatest minds in the world, names please?
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
Mate, he gave you an option to look for yourself, surely you research, come back and counter him? Isn't that how journalism used to work? Or did you want him to provide the link to make it easier?
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
One thing is for sure when you open a can of worms, you will find worms, not worm! I assure you, there are just as many worms in the front and back office as on the playing field and if they want to show their virtue in the current climate then it is more than having awareness Tests and wearing shirts, it is a full airing of all past and current comments made in ALL forums by past and current players, coaches, support staff and administrators. THAT'S what a purge is and make no mistake that is what the ECB is signalling. One young player can not be a scapegoat today for what authorities accepted yesterday, if they believe the change is paramount.
Davico
Roar Pro
If you think this is just a left thing then your delusional!
Davico
Roar Pro
What can the ICB seriously do to stop teenagers posting dum s%$# before they are first class let alone International players? We would all like youngsters to be perfect BUT we have all made mistakes or done things we regret when we were young and this whole thing of going back to punish people for immature mistakes really needs to be reigned in. I am in no way excusing it, but punishing someone for being a D’head when they were a teenager seems a bit excessive. Such is the sewer that is social media. It seems to have made the world a FAR worse place than it has made it better!
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Reporting that those agencies know about the insurrection does not imply, infer or otherwise indicate my support for those regimes. Don’t go near a fire Strawman.
Marty
Roar Rookie
Totally agree, but if they were smart they wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place so I wouldn’t bank on it.