Oh it’s crying time again ….. Tears will not wipe out Cricket Australia’s woes – An opinion by Aubrey Joachim
The Musketeers have spoken. The first was heartbroken that his hard earned spot in the Australian national team was given away free to another player. The (former) skipper was saddened over the effect his lack of leadership and undisciplined weakness had on his ‘old man’ and mum, and the last and most truant musketeer was sincerely apologetic to his wife and two daughters. Of course there was the token ‘written-for-them’ apology to Australian cricket fans, the cricketing world, kids and so on. However, the genuineness of their remorse must be judged by carefully observing the point during each of those apologies when their voices choked and the flood of tears gushed. Were those tears for us the cricket fans, the gentleman’s game, the Australian nation or for their personal considerations? Watch the press conferences again.
There was another tearful camera-fronting episode from none other than a man who encouraged his charges whom he coached and the Australian public “to send home crying” the English Ashes captain of a few years ago. Well, who is crying now all the way home from Jo’berg – and a million dollar pay packet? It was the same boof-head who during his playing days hurled racial abuse at a Sri Lankan player. God has cruel ways to meek out justice and humble the wicked. My hunch is that the firings and the tears are not over. Cricket Australia CEO is still avoiding the inevitable guillotine. While the captain and vice-captain scuttled the ship, the CEO must take responsibility for the flawed organisational structures and toxic culture.
Of course the Australian cricket supporting mobs are not immune from blame. They encouraged the boorish behaviour as long as their ‘heroes’ humbled the opposition by hook or by crook. Therefore is a reciprocal apology a fitting finale to all that has happened – fans apologising to the musketeers? Will the mob change? One thinks not. Already the tears seem to have done the job. Even high profile commentators are referring to the three musketeers as ‘champion blokes’, ‘a decent young man’ and wishing them back into the team with comments like ‘the punishment is too strong’, ‘they will be accepted with open arms’. When will they learn? The most important question is ‘Will the wider global cricketing community accept these truants?’
The ‘Ka-boom’ show needs a bit more review. For a person whose macho and rustic on-field behaviour made him the ‘attack dog’ of the Australian team, his arrival home brought out the true coward in him. Walking out into the waiting throng of journalists at the airport this thug hid behind his young daughter and wife. If there is an overwhelming reason not to select him for any Australian team again it is that the opposition will have a whole new litany of sledges to serve up to him. His arrival to face his organised press conference was equally comical. What made him think that a kiss and a hug of his wife as he entered the chamber would appease the questioning mob? Was he playing to the gallery? It might have worked for the older listeners of talkback radio, but not with the journos.
As for cricket Australia it was another emphatic ‘fail’ for their PR performance at the Sydney Cricket Ground shutting down questions and playing watch dog. With nothing being said it said everything! It certainly ended up as a Conn job! And oh, will there be sponsorship opportunities from tissue manufacturers?
