I’ve been fortunate to be involved in the writing of books on Waiter Hadlee, Merv Wallace and John Reid over the past few years. While all have been enjoyable exercises in rambling through cricket history and reliving some of New Zealand cricket’s finest moments, the recurring theme has been about behaviour, good and bad.
Hadlee, captain of the famous Forty-Niners, once recalled England opener Cyril Washbrook in a test match because he believed Washbrook had been wrongly given out. You could argue the technicalities of Hadlee’s action, but not the intent. He did not want to benefit from an unfair dismissal, even if the wicket was that of a fine England professional and it was a test match.
Reid is these days the hawk of international referees, patrolling the world’s test and one-day venues on the lookout for infringements of the laws of cricket. He is particularly vigilant when it comes to poor sportsmanship, gamesmanship that is overdone, sledging and ugly gestures.
Wallace was one of nature’s gentlemen. He was a superb batsman but an even better coach and it never seemed to matter to him whether he was coaching players in his team or the opposition. He loved cricket as a game, adored its traditions. Not for him the confrontational aspect that is so commonplace these days.
Besides being a sports journalist, I coach various junior teams in Wellington, from Kiwi to college.
It is amazing to see how quickly youngsters pick up and repeat words, actions and sentiments of their heroes-the New Zealand team.
During this season, I have had cause to repeatedly admonish junior cricketers for charging umpires when appealing, for giving departing batsmen verbal and even physical send-offs, for sledging, for talking as the bowler runs in to bowl. Sometimes I try to explain about cricket etiquette, but concepts such as applauding an opponent’s fine shot, or his 50 are becoming ever most difficult to instil.
I blame these developments on those responsible for running the New Zealand men’s team. It is good to play your sport hard, to strive desperately to win. But there should also be a line that should not be crossed. Jack Hobbs didn’t cross the line. Neither did Denis Compton, Neil Harvey, Gary Sobers, Frank Worrell, Colin Cowdrey or, for that matter, Hadlee, Reid and Wallace.
The term ‘It isn’t cricket’ always used to have real meaning. Not any more. The standard of behaviour that set cricket apart from some other sports is a thing of the past.
It is ugly to watch Craig McMillan wheeling his arm about like a windmill to give a Sri Lankan tailender a send-off. The constant chipping at batsmen by Adam Parore is smart-alec behaviour. ‘ brash and provocative. Dion Nash’s overt physical aggression, to the point of hindering opponents
as they run between wickets, is not what cricket is about.
Since when did cricket start condoning insulting behaviour? What happened to trying to win by skill? What’s wrong with simply batting or bowling better than the opposition?
There is no doubt that New Zealand is not alone in allowing the behaviour of its first-class players to sink to such disappointing standards. I recently read an article in the Sydney Morning Herald in which Ricky Ponting was taken to task for his boorish attitude. Yet Ponting is one of the senior members of the Aussie side and, before Adam Gilchrist’s sudden elevation, was tipped to captain the test team soon.
The English, South Africans, Pakistanis and the others have all had players who pushed the barriers too far. But in this sort of situation perhaps the best bet is to clean up our own act before worrying about what’s going on overseas.
It is the duty of those in charge of the New Zealand team to ensure behaviour is as it should be. Over the past few years, Stephen Fleming, as captain of New Zealand, has been way too silent in this area. If he had been a staunch advocate of stamping out sledging and all the other distasteful actions we see, things would have been different.
Glenn Turner, when he was coach in the mid- 1990s, made a concerted effort to improve behaviour and I applaud him for that. But after Turner’s reign prematurely ended, Steve Rixon and David Trist have been disappointingly content to condone or even encourage behaviour that should never have been defended or encouraged.
Besides the captain and the coach, there are others who could have made an impact. The manager can weigh in. John Graham was so busy defending his players that it seemed he overlooked the need to bring them into line. Jeff Crowe, the current manager, was a very fine sportsman during his playing days, once famously recalling a leading Australian batsman in a test match. But as a manager he has proved weak when confronted with unacceptable behaviour by his team.
Others who should also be in the firing line are the chairman of selectors, and the New Zealand Cricket chiefs. They had it in their power to exert considerable pressure on team management to fix up this poisonous aspect of the game, and have either not done so, or have proved ineffective.
It is pathetic that a referee is needed at all international matches. Imagine having a referee to watch over Patsy Hendren’s behaviour, or that of Everton Weekes, or Brian Statham, or Bert Sutcliffe!
The impact the actions of the test team have on youngsters should not be overlooked. During the 1990s, when Ken Rutherford was the New Zealand captain, he fielded the ball at cover during a home one-dayer against Sri Lanka and fired the ball back to the wicketkeeper, deliberately missing the head of the batsman by only a whisker. Rutherford thought it was a huge joke. So did his team-mates. The following Saturday in Wellington one 12-year-old boy was smashed in the head by a fieldsman’s throw and carted away to hospital for an e-ray. He never played cricket again. The fieldsman defended himself by saying he was only doing what Rutherford had done.
Cricket is a marvellous game. It is unique the way it incorporates ground and weather conditions, batting and bowling and fielding, and is a team game derived of the performances of a group of individuals. We who love cricket should be very proud of our sport. But I for one am sick of having to begin every season with a talk to the next group of youngsters about how to behave, what not to say and an order to ignore the behaviour of the New Zealand team.
Isn’t it time those responsible stood up and said, “Enough"?