I have a mild interest in the Test cricket, as do many Australians. As a boy my interest was strong. Ball by ball radio commentary was listened to intently wherever it was played in Australia, and if it was in England, I'd go to bed listening to the newly invented transistor radio, usually falling asleep by the lunch break. I'd play cricket in the back yard, throwing the ball against a brick wall and facing up to it with the bat as it returned. I'd play a whole test match in my head that could take hours. The Aussies were my heroes. The Poms the enemy. That was in my pre-teens and early teens.
One of the good things about now being in my seventies is comparing the views I had a young person with those I have now. Cricket has changed. The world has changed. I have changed. There are so many attitudes I had as a young man that I no longer hold. It's sobering. Case in point. As a young man I was a binge drinker. Now I'm a non drinker. Alcohol was seen as something exciting, a way to have fun, unwind, celebrate. Now it is seen as something that stopped me reaching my potential. But telling that to the 20 year old me. No hope.
When I watch the cricket now, the result of the game is of no consequence. As with all sport, the result, (who wins) really has no importance in the real scheme of life. This is a realization developed over more than half a century of observation. The magnification of the significance of winning, is built up by media. A huge industry of commentary, prediction, analysis and opinion. It gets kids in. They consume media, attend games, buy sponsors products. Ex cricketers (and footballers) are commentators, and used in advertising solar panels, air-conditioning and motor vehicles.
I watched the first Ashes test in England with more interest than normal, because Scott Boland was in the team, and I like the guy. I hoped he did well, and because he was playing for Australia, I hoped Australia won. Scott was dropped for the second test. No mindless national parochialism for me, so I hoped England won. They may well have, except for the run out of Bairstow in appalling circumstances. The guy walked out of his crease at overs' end to talk to his captain and was run out because the keeper threw the ball onto the stumps before the umpire called "Over."
Pathetic. I'm not here now to debate it along the lines of "spirit of the game," or the "rules of the game." My opinion is it was weak as piss. I would rather lose with honour than win with shame.
However, I'm not surprised. Australia has an unfortunate historical record. Greg Chappell's underarm. Sandpapergate. Nasty sledging. Warne and Waugh giving information to bookies. It could be argued they should have been banned for life. I think Warne was rubbed out for a year on a drug thing. There's been huge public debate about all of this. One thing is sure, it's all publicity, with politicians weighing in and headlines everywhere. The controversy fuels the media beast and turns a mouse into an elephant.
Gord gave me a book on my birthday, 'Lillee and Thommo', (subt "their deadly reign of terror,") by Ian Brayshaw. Happenstance, I'm reading it now. Back in the day I was a staunch barracker for Australia, cheering every Pom wicket to fall, gleefully watching their batsman squirm in pain after being struck. Now I see the attitude as something sick and ugly. It was following similar ugliness on the 1970/71 England tour when John Snow intimidated and belittled the Australians.
These days the cricketers (and footballers) are multi-millionaires. My youthful illusions gradually disintegrated. In sport, and politics. I was a victim of propaganda in my early life.
There are a lot of people laughing all the way to the bank.
