I read a nice piece on a newspaper from the distant country. New Zealand. It proved a fastinating piece to read in that it talks about making the cricket field much more quieter. After having read that article, I really cannot help but wonder how will it be? Whether it is really necessary to quieten the players? Do we need a code of conduct the discipline the players? Let me try to analyse shaming cricket’s elite and Michael Vaughan’s stoked.
The thing in that paper that caught my imagination
The New Zealand cricket team is one that plays tough, aggressive yet fair cricket. It started with Brendan McCullum and Williamson has continued with that spirit. It probably is because of the laid back nature of the country. To read that a game between 2 school teams was stopped because of abusive behaviour is really sad. What have the players over the last 30 years have brought the game into? This is the effect of their crass on-field behaviour. If this is the situation in a country like New Zealand, I really shudder to think about the upcoming cricketers in other countries.
West Indies the proof of win but be fair
Cricket was known as a gentlemen game. A game that was played with lot of dignity Back in gold old England, it was known as rich man’s game. A sort of a game only the elite plays. Events over the last 3-4 decades have proved that cricket is anything but a gentleman game. Cricket has increasingly become an unruly sport. The number of instances when players have abused or insulted their opponents or the umpires is far too many even for a database to maintain. This is not to single out an individual or any nation because a majority of the players are anyway guilty of misbehaviour on the field of play.
The West Indies team of the 70s, 80s and early 90s were winning everywhere. The opponents were absolutely fearful of the West Indian fast bowlers. I never heard about the great West Indian fast bowlers abuse their opponents on the field. Partially because they are genuinely good and they do not need to resort to such crass behaviour and partially because they were all genial. This was an era when most of the players were well behaved. There weren’t any extravagant celebration nor were there constant chirps on the field. The West Indian team showed that it is absolutely possible to win despite not being abusive towards your opponents.
The ugly Aussies
The Australian team of those years and the subsequent years changed all that. Steve Waugh who renamed sledging into Mental Disintegration is the architect of horrible and downright insulting on-field behaviour. The Australians had an exceptional team and they did not have to indulge in such things but they did probably because they thought that this is the way the game is supposed to be played. We all know where such a nastiness have led them to. Into the ball tampering scandal of Newlands.
It is really unfortunate that looking at the Australians, some teams like India, Bangladesh, England, Pakistan & South Africa seems to have understood that to win abusing the opponent is the only way. The sooner they realise that it is not the better it is for world cricket.
Furthermore on the paper
The article on the paper wants the volume on the stump microphone to be increased so that everyone can listen to what the players are saying to each other. I do support that and call upon the ICC to take severe action, not fines, but 10-15 games ban for the offending player.
It is time poor behaviour is brought to an end. The ICC must be firm and action must be swift. Fines will never be the answer but match bans will be.
Michael Vaughan is stoked
Vaughan who has lot of opinion feels that England will probably win 2021 Ashes in Australia. He feels that England have given the Australians a severe warning after their performances in Asia. He wants the Australians to get their house in order for them to be able to challenge England. Vaughan may be correct. England have played well so far. They are a slightly different team from the last time they toured Australia. Now, they have bowlers capable of bowling at 150KMPH speeds. A requirement very much essential in Australia. They now have batsmen in Sibley and Burns who play time. However, will any of these make any difference? We will have to wait and see.
The strength of Australia
Vaughan must realise that the exact same team played Australia in England about an year ago and that series was drawn with 2 wins apiece. England must have lost that series if not for a wrong decision against Stokes when 3 runs were required. Smith was unstoppable in that series and Marnus had a decent series. This year, Smith will be much more motivated because the Australians lost a series to India and Marnus is playing really well. Cummins have grown from strength to strength and Warner always does well in his country. Above all, Australians are super inspired whenever they play England. Afterall, this is Ashes that we are talking about. The last couple of series England played in Australia, they were humiliated. Losing 5-0 and 4-0. Unless England find a way to dismiss Australia’s 3 prime batsmen, it will be difficult for England despite their own strength.