The Guardians of the Spirit
The guardians of the spirit of cricket have made a decree
Cricket needs an exorcism. The game is haunted by a spook called the spirit of cricket, which supplants the laws of cricket, according to its guardians. The notion that what is in the laws of the game cannot be against the spirit of cricket is misguided and naive, again, this is according to the guardians of the spirit of the game.
Alex Carey's dismissal of Jonny Bairstow is against the spirit of the game. For those that missed it: Carey stumped Bairstow after the latter wandered out of his crease before the ball was dead. Bairstow is a habitual wanderer from the crease. This is something Carey picked up on, and he punished Bairstow for his penchant for leaving the crease.
On the other hand, it would have been well within the spirit of the game if Bairstow had succeeded in his attempted stumping of Marnus Labuschagne when the latter wandered out of the crease.
In both instances, the wicketkeepers were operating within the rules of the game. There was no chicanery, both keepers just did what is in the rule book. You see, the spirit of cricket depends on who is doing what to whom. At the end of the day, as it is with 'the line', it is up to the guardians to determine who is and who is not playing the game in the right spirit of cricket.
The Australian cricket team was the guardian of ‘the line’ until 2018. No one remembers when the Australian cricket team appointed themselves the guardians of ‘the line’, but their run went on for at least a couple of decades. For years, Australian players spoke of ‘the line’, headbutting it, but never stepping over it. The problem with the Australians and ‘the line’ was that only they knew where it was.
In March 2018, David Warner accused Quinton de Kock of crossing ‘the line’, which led to the near-physical fight that was diffused by a half-naked Faf du Plessis. According to Steve Smith, “Quinton got personal and provoked an emotional response from Davey. Those things aren’t on and you can’t be getting into someone’s personal life like that.”
Warner echoed Smith in his press conference. But, there was one problem with Warner’s defence. Several people with access to unfiltered contents of the stump mics said Warner had led an hour-long attack on de Kock on the field. Warner took potshots at de Kock’s family members - referencing de Kock’s mother and sister, and even called him a bush pig.
Warner’s verbal assault did not end on the pitch, he was caught on video accosting de Kock after they had left the field. Then, the normally reticent de Kock replied with a comment about Warner’s wife. Warner and Australia, as guardians of ‘the line’, decided de Kock had crossed it. From that point onwards, anything Warner did was justified. They had the moral high ground.
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As guardians of the spirit, English cricketers, fans and their grandparents are miffed at Alex Carey’s run-out of Jonny Bairstow. Never mind what the laws of cricket, as codified by the MCC say - in this case, Law 20.1.2. As the moral arbiters of the sport, England gets to say what is and what is not within the spirit of the game. And there is nothing quite as ‘spirit-of-cricket’ as sitting on your high horse and looking down your nose in the judgement of others.
Jeremy from Twitter thinks the Australians are cheats for executing the run-out and not withdrawing the appeal. A long-lost relative of mine who lives in the UK and is more British than the British got in touch via social media and is parroting all of Piers Morgan’s takes on the matter. They are all pontificating.
Stuart Broad, who doesn’t walk after he edges a ball, hitched himself onto the highest horse he could find and wrote an article in the Daily Mail pontificating on his disappointment with the Australians.
Carey’s actions were so abhorrent that Baz McCullum cannot see himself having a beer with the Australians soon. This is the same McCullum who did what Carey did at least three times as New Zealand’s wicketkeeper. To be cleansed of the shame they have brought upon themselves, Geoffrey Boycott wants Pat Cummins and his team to make a ‘fulsome public apology’ for Bairstow's dismissal. Maybe the Australians should also shave their heads and wear a scarlet letter on their shirts when they play the third Ashes Test.
Rishi Sunak, the English Prime Minister, shook his head, wagged his finger and expressed his disappointment through his spokesperson, "The Prime Minister does not believe Australia's actions were within the spirit of cricket." Sunak also feels that the sight of Nathan Lyon hobbling out to bat, despite being injured is more in keeping with the spirit of the game. Never mind that Lyon was risking aggravating an injury.
Sunak’s idea of what is within the spirit of the game is in keeping with Victorian attitudes towards cricket. After Queen Victoria ascended to the throne, many adopted the game as a metaphor for Britishness and fair play. Notions of muscular Christianity, and toughness and redoubtability became as prized as moral rectitude. Of course, fair play was what the Gentlemen decreed as fair play.
That’s why Lord’s gentlemanly membership and whoever else paid the right amount to be a gentleman and member during the Test at Lord’s was impressed by Lyon. They gave him a standing ovation for risking life and limb for their entertainment. They also booed and harassed the Australians in the Long Room for the Bairstow dismissal because Carey desecrated Lord’s, the home of cricket, with his uncouth dismissal.
The irony of it all is that Carey performed the stumping at Lord’s, the home of the spirit of cricket; where one of cricket's greatest players - greater than Bradman in some quarters - WG Grace is immortalised by a statue and two gates. The same Grace whose name is synonymous with English cricket, the greatest gentleman to wield a bat. The same Grace who ran out Sammy Jones, ala Carey, in a Test when Jones went down the pitch to do some gardening thinking the ball was dead.
It was fair play when Grace did it.
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Thanks for reading. Until next time… - CS
