If the fallout from the Australian cricket team’s failure to qualify for the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup on home soil has shown us anything, it is that the average Australian appears to be a little less enraptured by their national men’s cricket team.
With a chance to defend the trophy at home, the team failed dismally; comprehensively smacked by New Zealand and unable to put decent margins on Ireland and Afghanistan in an attempt to scrape into the knock-out phase via the back door.
No shame there really, with T20 cricket the flukiest of all and the small moments playing out so much more significantly than during ODI or Test play, where the bash and brawn is less valuable than the brains required to compete and conquer the longer forms of the game.
In short, T20 is something of a a crap shoot and for cricket purists; a crap crap-shoot that sees the skills and traditions of the game thrown out the window and replaced by Americanised brutality and bravado that appeals only in the short term.
However, the vast sums changing hands in the shortest version of the international game ensure that Cricket Australia invests heavily in the success of the team that represents it, with the corporate realities of modern cricket potentially seeing the ‘hit and giggle’ contest as the source of revenue that allows the longer forms of the game to even exist.
Especially as the modern attention span continues to shorten.
So sad is was then to see the paltry crowd of 18,672 at Adelaide Oval to watch the Aussies tackle Afghanistan in what was the knock-out match of all knock-out matches.
Friday night mind you, with excellent weather in the Adelaide area and the chance to nestle in for a full days’ cricket with New Zealand playing Ireland in the entrée fixture.
Like many, I was stunned at the poor turn-out.
Yet, should we be at all surprised by the reality that fewer Australians than ever are committed to attending matches in support of their national team?
Is it any shock, considering the going’s on across the last 10 years, that concerning Test attendances have raised eyebrows or that a general decline in domestic attendances at BBL matches is the current reality for the powers at be?
Many have been turned off.
Players’ whipping sandpaper out of their whites was never going to pass quickly or Teflon-like, captain’s threatening to shatter the limbs of opponents did not sit comfortably with decent people and players requesting that men from foreign shores “Speak English” in the heat of battle bordered on a lesson in racism 101.
With the historical legend of the ‘Ugly Australians’ always lingering, the recent past has done little more than exacerbate the universal and international opinion that the Australian cricket team is and will always remain a collection of bullies.
Anyone not of the view that some Australians have become less drawn to the national team as a result are simply not thinking or naïve.
Perhaps the Adelaide crowd figure and the pervading questions around the commitment, integrity and resilience of the current T20 squad are nothing more than a parlaying of the growing disinterest and dislike of the national team, creating an unfortunate absence of the feelings they once evoked in us.
(Photo by Brook Mitchell/Getty Images)
Glenn Maxwell’s absurd comments that followed the Australian’s final Super 12 match against Afghanistan were a far cry from the spirit of the team we once supported passionately; miles from the desperation and commitment displayed by men who broke bones, vomited in battle and gave more than any athlete should be expected to give.
Listening to SEN radio in the aftermath, with Gerard Whateley taking a mountain of calls post the reality that the T20 trophy was to be passed on elsewhere, an underlying message emerged that there had developed a disconnect between Australian fans, the T20 format and the men wearing the green and gold.
That is something almost unthinkable to some, yet perhaps a reality born of a lingering disrespect for etiquette, the opposition and the game of cricket itself, one that the Australian cricket team has sadly participated in over an extended period of time.
Whilst some will disagree, the T20 World Cup crowd data and the rather cold and seemingly less-caring public response to Australia’s demise prior to the semi-finals, suggests that Australia is less in love with cricket than ever before.
Perhaps there is just too much cricket, maybe T20 is to be exposed for what it truly is, or the game is simply destined to take up a lower rung on the Australian sporting ladder of relevance.
Mitchell Hall
Roar Rookie
The Cape Town incident was when i broke up with the side and have never come back. Everything that attracted me to the game is in now disrepair. 50 over cricket is at its lowest ebb. The West Indies team has been weak for 20 years. The Australian team, well i can't warm to any of the on field personas. I just don't like anyone in the side. The all time great commentators of Tony Greig, Richie Benaud and Tony Cozier have sadly passed away. The schedule is so jam packed there is no resonance.
Mitchell Hall
Roar Rookie
Nothing more cricket administrator than killing off a golden goose.
The real SC
Roar Rookie
What you have said here is spot on. Until 2005, many English fans were able to access to watch the cricket for free via BBC and Channel4. And look what happened in 2006 - the cricket was shown exclusively live behind a Pay TV. When they moved the cricket to Sky Sports, the cricket sport would suffer and that people without access losing interest. And this was why money puts ahead of fans. As what I heard on the ABC radio, greed will kill sport and many fans will walk away from the sport they love.
Clear as mud
Guest
Marmalade. For brains.
Clear as mud
Guest
Get Channel 7 on. Kapp is in the form of her life, no more stylish batter around
Marmaduke
Guest
Imagine if it had tackling, you might even get three foreigners interested.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
It's fun hearing the yanks on our game.
Clear as mud
Guest
I am not a fan of reaction videos on YouTube generally. But there’s been two recent guys on my feed. One is a Scot, the other a Yank. Both 20-30 years. Both erudite. Both sports mad. Both absolutely in awe of AFL, coming to it late. It’s athleticism. It’s skill. It’s brutality. It’s high marking. They both reckon there is nothing like it in the world I mean, we all already know. But it’s kinda nice to get external validation sometimes, too.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
It's a lifestyle.
The problem with Cricket is India - their Board and their Fans. Their Fans just love this T20 rubbish. And it is not surprising when you have a billion people who are in a growing middle class with the most exciting thing in their life up until now, has been hoping the monsoon rains come to keep their crops growing. Now they get the glitz and glamour of T20 and can actually afford the tickets. They know no better, and think thi T20 is the bees knees. Cricket Fans around the rest of the world cannot stand T20, but the problem is they are far outnumbered by Indians. What Cricket needs is for India to fall out of love with T20. Lets hope that happens, but it won't be for a while.
You nailed it mate. Brilliant summation.
Tycoch
Guest
I don't think we have lost our love of cricket but we are frustrated by Cricket Australia, the Australian selectors and preaching players. The weather forecast for Melbourne on Sunday afternoon/evening is dreadful. Has Cricket Australia made any contingency plans? Probably not. The World will laugh at Australia if the final is a washout or reduced to the farce of 5 overs of Duckworth-Lewis
Clear as mud
Guest
Yes. Do what you like. And accept the criticism and enquiry. Like everyone else on here. You’re the expert, the author. You have the floor. You agree with a post that presumes that behaviour now is the same as behaviour in 2017. Just plain wrong. A litany of situations - name a few. Evidence before them - show some.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Vague whim? Yeesh, I think the litany of uncomfortable situations is a little more concrete than that. And in any case, people are allowed to connect with the Australian cricket team in any way they see fit, based on the evidence before them. Me included.
Clear as mud
Guest
Do you have the same sort of illogical reasons for not liking them? You basically pot player after player here or the whole team collectively on some sort of vague whim and then go “oh, they have an image problem”. Forgeddabout it
Clear as mud
Guest
That was just bizarre. Absolutely bizarre. Everyone who bats up top in ODI scores runs. Head can’t buy a run. What if England run through him? Just bizarre? And completely unquestioned Surely we can all agree that all selectors need to be sacked no matter who they are
The real SC
Roar Rookie
Cricket used to be good to watch back in the days, but going into 2010, Australian cricket is slowly on the wane. The problem is that the cricket australia only cares of making money than fans. When Foxtel/Seven replaced Nine as the cricket broadcaster, crowd numbers were down as well as attendances. The problem was that Limited overs Internatinals are shown behind a paywall. Unfortunately, not everyone has Foxtel and cost of subscribing to Pay TV is very high. This was exactly what happened back in UK in 2005. The sport will decline without free access. A few months ago, I heard on the ABC radio that someone mentioned about Greed in sport. Greed will kill sport. Many sporting organisations puts profits first than fans. When greed happens, sport will suffer and fans will lose interest with this code.
Clear as mud
Guest
it certainly has been over-estimated
Grem
Roar Rookie
I believe you, but it sounds more like a game primary school kids would play. I personally prefer the longer version of the game over 5 days - whether it’s Sheffield Shield or tests.
Clear as mud
Guest
there is already 10 over games. 9's will work fine.