Australian Men’s cricket team coach Justin Langer resigned last week after an extended period of hostility between the board, coach, and the players. Reportedly, Pat Cummins, the newly crowned captain of the Australian side stood his ground and termed Langer ‘too intense’ for the role. Akin to how Anil Kumble was sacked from the Indian Team after Virat Kohli objected to his methods, another current player managed to eject a legend of the game from performing his duties.
The striking similarities between the two incidents prove that Cricket has regressed over time, instead of evolving. The once gentlemen game has now turned into a game of ruffians with political faceless administrators and rowdy cricketers pulling the strings. And if a sport cannot respect its legends, then it certainly doesn’t have the right to call itself a ‘gentleman’s game’.
Test Cricket moulded gentlemen
A simple analogy can help paint the picture. When Test cricket used to be the only one true format in cricket — the players, both batters and bowlers had to cultivate a habit of punctuality and patience.
Jumping down the track on the first ball to loft it over the covers was frowned upon and dubbed an abomination. The reason was simple. The players had to whittle it out across five days and a dangerous shot as a loft on the first ball carried a much greater risk than say nurdling the ball across for a harmless single.
Similarly, a bowler who could crank up deliveries in excess of 145 clicks had to reserve the gas tank. Bowling four-five spells with burst used to be the modus operandi. No one could attempt to go in all at once.
Thus, Test cricket by the end of it cultivated a habit of resourcefulness’. It moulded true gentlemen. You respected the game for what it was. You played the opposition, but you also played the individual. It was a proper battle of wit, stamina, and tactics.
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The regression in the shorter format of the game
Then came the ODIs and the balance was slightly skewed. However, it still remained a good enough format for the players to respect the game. But the same cannot be said about T20 and other shorter formats of the game.
Players are encouraged to throw basics down the drain and try the ambitious, day in and out, even if it comes across as ugly on most occasions. The bowlers, instead of bowling tight lines, looking for wickets, prefer bowling the negative line. Containing the runs is the most prized commodity and impatience is tested.
Unlike cricketers that slog it out in the domestic circuit for an entire season, players with performance/cameos in franchise cricket are rewarded. And once a cricketer takes the game for granted, considers himself bigger than the game, life comes for you. And yes, you rip yourself out of the list of being called a gentleman of the game.
The likes of Hardik Pandya, Vijay Shankar are the perfect example of this dichotomy. Even though Pandya came from rags, the money and fame quickly got to him.
His entire Koffee with Karan escapade is something you may not have associated with any former cricketer. Pandya was not moulded in the furnace of the cricketing factory. Such mediocracy is the reason India has not been able to win an ICC trophy in the last 7-8 years.
The way cricket is set up now
While the different formats brought in their changes. It is the way cricket is set up now that has caused the game to lose some of its charms. The power is nestled in the hands of a few cricket boards at the top. India is the lynchpin with England and Australia being the close allies.
The top political echelons of these boards are hijacked by political guerrillas who only hear the money ka-ching of the corporates. They have their own favourites and as a result, the game and its propagation is not the first line of business.
Read more: Team India 2021: Indian Cricket team seems more divided than ever
Players are soft and play politics
The players are far richer than ever and consequently, they come up with the choicest of tantrums. A minor inconvenience to them can pose a dilemma to the backroom staff as their careers are put on the line. Langer and Kumble found it the hard way.
A coach is supposed to be harsh. No player has ever become great by remaining soft and being mollycoddled by the coach. However, the current generation believes otherwise. Kohli, 7-8 months back thought the same but since then, his world has come crashing down.
Former England cricketer, Kevin Pietersen put it rather succinctly in his tweet, “Langer goes as Aus coach. Cricket is slowly changing into football now as the players become very wealthy & player power is full steam ahead!”
https://twitter.com/KP24/status/1489865287935664128
Cricket is a highly commercialized game and there is nothing wrong with it. However, one should stop calling it a gentleman’s game. Cricket is a form of entertainment, nothing more, nothing less. One can add patriotism as a caveat, but the truth is, these 11 players on the field represent a private entity, not their country. Money drives them. Not the laurels.