Almanac Reading – The ugly Australian: evolution of a cricket species (from “The Cricket Monthly”)

On 25 April 2019 “The Cricket Monthly” published an essay by Melbourne writer Jarrod Kimber.

The by-line asks:

How did Australian cricket come to be synonymous with hostility, gamesmanship and verbal abuse? A year on from Sandpapergate, we explore a thorny subject.

The essay is here:

http://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/1181098/the-ugly-australian–the-evolution-of-a-cricket-species

 

What are your thoughts?

 

Previous Almanac writing on similar topics includes:

Revisiting a rant from Feb 2011, has anything changed? – John Harms – 24 June, 2018

Resistance to culture change: Junior coach’s letter ignored in 2013 – 28 March, 2018

Cheating at cricket: acceptable standards; forgiveness & the false equivalence of #metoo – David Wilson – 28 March, 2018

 

Comments

  1. Excellent work, J Kimber.
    There is simply no justification for carrying on like a pork chop.
    Efforts of the Australian women’s team a strong case in point.

    I saw Konrad Marshall tweet this a link to J Kimber’s story yesterday – in it he suggested that his brothers now actively barrack AGAINST Australia. For the reasons outlined by J Kimber.

    Something in me snapped with Cape Town (the build-up, incident, repercussions).
    Still adrift from the Australian men’s cricket team.

  2. I’m sure i’ve read this article before.

    Maybe it was a different decade, with a different author, different individual players, different specific events. Is there something about Australian cricket that brings out a modern day variant of the cultural cringe? It’s always about the Australians being the baddies, the instigators. I’m so far over this now, i probably shouldn’t care if our players are the instigators. It doesn’t seem to matter they’re always blamed.

    The harsh sentences handed out to Bancroft, Warner and Smith do nothing to placate the vocal cohort who never fail to ‘rubbish’ Australian cricket.Where has been the nuanced debate comparing the sentences meted out to the Australian trio, compared to other cricketing cheats? For those in this cohort please remind me of your reactions when Andrew Symonds was apparently racially abused, with the ACB being as strong in their support of him as a wet lettuce leaf.

    I don’t think the Australians are exemplary on the field. In the last World Cup i found the behavior of Starc and Haddin embarrassing, but are the Australians the worst/only who behave badly ? Time to move beyond the self-flagellation to a more nuanced understanding/discussion of cricketers behavior.

    The Ugly Australian ? Give it a break.

    Glen!

  3. Well Glenl Reading stuff like this makes me choke on my weeties. The extremely harsh penalties handed out to Bancroft, Warner and Smith were a joke. Sure, what they did was not good but players from other countries who were just as guilty were given piss weak penalties.

    As far as [bending the rules] goes, Sri Lankan Murali, the greatest chucker of all time was allowed to keep playing – they even changed the rules so that his action became legal. Apparently he was a”good bloke” but still [he did not bowl within the rules as far as I am concerned]. Not only that but umpires that called him for throwing were not backed by the cricket establishment – disgraceful.

    Over the years i have found displays from many overseas players just as boorish as some of our Aussies – I could name them but i won’t

    That being said, Bancroft and co should not be excused for their downright stupid actions.

    Ed’s note – this comment has been edited to remove defamatory statements. However the same opinion has been retained.

  4. Fisho, i couldn’t agree with you more on that chucker.

    As the great Indian spin bowler Bishen Bedi put it; his wickets should be recorded as run outs. ’nuff said.

    Glen!

Leave a Comment

*