It is a dark time for cricket. Steve Smith, one of its top players, was complicit in that breakdown. David Warner, one of its ‘characters’, was the ringleader. And some might say that Cameron Bancroft, one of the young ones, succumbed to peer pressure. Still others will say that there are only victims in this entire fracas — the game of cricket and its fans.
At a personal level, though, it is troubling to see how everyone seems to be behaving as if this is just Australia’s problem. Yes, the current controversy is all of their own making. But can all the other countries come forward and honestly say that they have never been guilty of doing at least some of the things that Australia is being accused of?
There are many who say that this entire controversy has come about because of Australia’s ‘win, win, win’ attitude. A win at all costs mentality means that you can sometimes lose sight of right and wrong in the ‘heat of the moment’.
But doesn’t almost every team that wants to be the best in the world have the same attitude? South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada’s behaviour was being discussed a Test back. Before that India skipper Virat Kohli was the constant focus. Bangladesh’s boorish behaviour was in focus during the Nidahas Trophy and Sri Lanka’s Niroshan Dickwella was being censured for his behaviour while batting. Wasn’t Stuart Broad going full tilt at Smith in December last year?
Haven’t almost all countries at one point or another been guilty of trying to artificially alter the state of the ball? Hasn’t someone from each country been caught? Ball tampering, by almost all accounts, is acceptable. However, what isn’t acceptable is being caught. South African skipper Faf du Plessis laughing off his own ball-tampering charge from last year by saying that shining the ball and scuffing it up are two different things is unacceptable. Both incidents cheated the game and its fans. And both incidents had intent. It was the thought, not just the act.
So why does it suddenly seem like Australia are the only guilty party?
This quick dissociation from the problem by all the countries can be problematic. On the face of it, Australia are guilty of ball-tampering; guilty as charged. And the punishment that the guilty have received is justifiable. As one sees it, it isn’t even too extreme. One year away is enough — it hurts them. It hits their pockets. And if you cheat, you should be prepared to pay for it if caught.
But at the same time — as ICC CEO Dave Richardson said — this is also a chance for the game to hit the refresh button.
“The game needs to have a hard look at itself. In recent weeks we have seen incidents of ugly sledging, send-offs, dissent against umpires’ decisions, a walk-off, ball tampering and some ordinary off-field behaviour.
“The ICC needs to do more to prevent poor behaviour and better police the spirit of the game, defining more clearly what is expected of players and enforcing the regulations in a consistent fashion. In addition and most importantly Member countries need to show more accountability for their teams’ conduct. Winning is important but not at the expense of the spirit of the game which is intrinsic and precious to the sport of cricket. We have to raise the bar across all areas.”
Sometimes, you need a trigger to get up and get things done. Sometimes, you need a kick up your backside. Think of it as you may, this just might be cricket’s wake-up moment. This should be.
There is a school of thought that athletes are role models and can trigger imitative behaviour. You watch them, you like them and then, you want to be like them. You ape their batting style and their behaviour even when it may not naturally come to you. Which is why some grow up wanting to be like Sachin Tendulkar, the nonchalance of Brian Lara might be for some others and the brashness of Ricky Ponting might appeal to more. Still more might prefer VVS Laxman’s quiet steel or Michael Holding’s deadly stare. Bishen Singh Bedi’s playfulness (applauding the batsmen after he was hit straight down the ground) has its own takers. To each their own. But we need to give them the right examples.
This does not assume these superstars will, at every moment, be behaviourally correct. They will, like all of us, make mistakes, mature and grow from them. But an attempt to be better than what they are currently has to be visible at all times. Again, this doesn’t mean that they have be less competitive but surely there are other ways of being just as competitive. Punching someone or abusing isn’t cricket. It is a brawl.
A steely stare, a century on a difficult wicket will do the trick just as well as an expletive or showing the finger. But it all comes down to conditioning. We see our idols do it and we feel it is okay for us to do the same. Winning is fine, but it needs to be done right too.
Cricket is a not a big sport — the number of countries that play it at a high level is incredibly small — but it has a distinct feel to it and it needs role models who can maintain that feel. Athletes have both an incredible opportunity and responsibility to use their power for good and that is why all cricket-playing countries need to realise that Sandpaper Gate is not just about Australia. It’s about everyone. And it’s time for a fresh start.
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