Published: Aug 05, 2015, 01:59 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 05, 2015, 01:59 PM (IST)
No sledging! No send-off’s! No altercation! No umpiring controversies! No pot-shots at the opposition at press conferences! Good on-field behaviour! Very good!
It is not what we expected when the Ashes 2015 started in Cardiff nearly a month ago. Both teams have hardly whispered a word to each other. England had promised they were looking to follow in the footsteps of New Zealand and stick to a ‘Gentleman Game’ approach and eradicate the banter on the field. They have stuck by it.
Well, almost. On the second afternoon at Edgbaston, Jimmy Anderson started a barrage of verbals against Steve Smith and David Warner. Smith might have said a word, but Warner refused to cave in. The umpire stepped in and that was it. Anderson have wavered from pre-Test strategy of ‘not sledging’ the minute he stepped out of line it he needed to be punished. The cricketing gods must have been watching, because the next time he could come close to batsmen, his series was over with a side strain.
In midst of all the balls that have beaten the bat, there is bound to be frustration and fast bowlers on both side have released it all by saying few words. But it has been nothing like the ‘broken arm’ incident. At times Mitchell Johnson has given advice to the English batsmen on how to hook his bouncers. But led by Joe Root, they have retaliated with a cheeky smile or simply turned their backs.
Even a mischievous tactic of trying to disturb Ben Stokes’ habitual sliding of the bat over the crease at end of each over by Nathan Lyon has been dismissed with, ‘it was something stupid’. The Aussies even smiled about it and left it at that.
Warner, the chief instigator has acted like a choir boy. He has never trespassed into the opposition space, physically or verbally. Even when his integrity was questioned in the press over not applauding Joe Root hundred, he responded in a pleasant manner with a logical reason. There was nothing submissive or aggressive in the response.
Stuart Broad, the non-walker, even trusted the word of fielder on a catch. Yes, he was called back, but only on umpire’s decision. Broad, the villain, has smiled even while facing the thunderbolts from Johnson.
After the summer of cricket that has past, it is nice change to read and focus only on the cricket. Last summer, there was more written and discussed on the verbal banters than the actual game. It was ridiculous. People had forgotten about contest with bat and ball.
Perhaps other teams can follow New Zealand’s heavenly path. Perhaps one team has to shy away from it for the sake of cricket.
Apart from Anderson, only other man oppose to such path was Brad Haddin. Before the series he had stated ‘we will play our way’. Just like Anderson, the cricket gods seem to have ended his Ashes campaign. Or perhaps that is core reason why majority of the current team members have opposed Haddin axing.
Whatever the reasons, it is simply nice to have engrossing cricket without all the baggage that we have become accustomed to in the recent times. Behave, boys, and let the bat and the ball do all the talking. It is what we all want to see.
(Gaurav Joshi is an Indian-born Australian who played with Michael Clarke in his junior days. He coaches and reports for a Sydney radio station. Over the years he has freelanced for Australia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and is a regular on ABC cricket show Cow Corner. He is the author of the book “Teen Thunder Down Under” – The inside story of India’s 2012 U19 World Cup Triumph)
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