Does the Spirit of Cricket Still Exist?

riffmongous

Just after reading on cricinfo about how a Sri Lankan spinner bowled a deliberate no ball to finish a match versus India and leave Sehwag on 99 (he actually hit the ball for 6 but apparently it didn't count as they only needed one run). And according to Sehwag its not the first time Sri Lanka have done it.
Pakistan's wicketkeeper has to miss the next test because of an injury aggravated by Broad throwing the ball at him in his follow through.

Suleimann Benn seems to have some sort of incident in every game he plays in and then you have the general over appealing, claiming catches, not walking and so on.

So does the spirit of cricket still exist at international level? Or is it just something we mention whenever someone does something against the 'spirit', but no one ever does anything in favour of it?

D3PO

no spirit in the game anymore and its not just at international level.

our match at the weekend the bails blow off and the opposition all go up claiming a wicket. The ball or the batsmen nowhere near the stumps. When challenged about why they were appealing when they knew it was not out one of the opposition retorted "thats what you do" :rolleyes::rolleyes:

TrueDub

Did it ever? Cricket's history is replete with examples of cheating, sharp practice and gamesmanship. The examples given above are all fairly routine.

I'm not saying it's right, in fact I think the exact opposite, but that's the way it's been all along. From WG Grace rebuilding the wicket, to Ian Chapell ordering his brother to bowl underarm, and onwards to the present day, there have always been people who will lower their standards.

riffmongous

D3PO wrote: »

the bails blow off and the opposition all go up claiming a wicket. The ball or the batsmen nowhere near the stumps.

That sounds pretty funny :D What would Dickie Bird have replied to that appeal?

TrueDub wrote: »

Did it ever? Cricket's history is replete with examples of cheating, sharp practice and gamesmanship.

Thats possible, maybe it was all a scam to give cricket a moral superiority over other games?

Assuming it did exist do you not think that things have gotten worse in the last few years?

d'Oracle

riffmongous wrote: »

Pakistan's wicketkeeper has to miss the next test because of an injury aggravated by Broad throwing the ball at him in his follow through.

I smell bovine waste products.
No offence to yourself, but anyone who gets hurt by that should not be outdoors.
I think someone in the Pak Camp is telling porkies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wc_3CGQTHE

d'Oracle

On topic, I think cricket is still BY FAR in better moral stead than most sports.

riffmongous

d'Oracle wrote: »

anyone who gets hurt by that should not be outdoors.

In fairness it does say aggravated, and a well thrown cricket ball certainly can hurt.

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/65734-wicket-keeper-with-10-broken-fingers

d'Oracle

riffmongous wrote: »

In fairness it does say aggravated, and a well thrown cricket ball certainly can hurt.

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/65734-wicket-keeper-with-10-broken-fingers

If he looked like he was even harmed by it I might buy it.

Gordon Gecko

One needn't look as far as Test level for examples of the detriment of the Spirit of Cricket: a certain team in Div 11 are outright cheats and have been every time I've played them: from excessive appealing, falsifying the score (true story) and their umpires giving catches not out and not giving lbws. Teams like that are the cancer of the game and completely undermine the enjoyment of playing and unfortunately there is nothing that can be done about them.

djimi

From my experience of playing in Leinster league cricket there are still a lot of people who try their best to uphold the spirit of the game (such as the captain who called back our number 11 batsman when he was incorrectly given out when we needed 2 runs to win the game) and in general the majority still seem to play within the spirit of the game, but it is becoming increasingly common to find teams and players playing outside what would be considered the spirit of cricket. Bowlers who constantly question every decision an umpire gives against them, batsmen doing the same, teams appealling for everything and anything, umpires calling ridiculous wides and no-balls in games where the batting team umpires the game (we had one game a couple of years ago where the umpires were literally calling one day international wides in a Junior A game; cost us about 30 runs if I remember correctly).

The problem stems from international level. At the top level of the game the onus is on winning at all costs and seeking to gain an advantage wherever possible. Unfortunately this means that rules are going to be bent and broken where teams and players think they can get away with it. A prime example of this was yesterday; I have always thought players to walk when you know you are out, I believe that this is one of the fundamental elemets of the spirit of the game of cricket, yet Andrew Strauss yesterday, despite knowing full well that he had nicked the ball to the keeper and could be clearly seen to suggest as much to Trott while waiting on the referral, stood his ground and waited for the TV replay to tell him something he already knew. How are we supposed to teach young players about the spirit of the game when they see international cricketers not playing within it?

D3PO

Gordon Gecko wrote: »

One needn't look as far as Test level for examples of the detriment of the Spirit of Cricket: a certain team in Div 11 are outright cheats and have been every time I've played them: from excessive appealing, falsifying the score (true story) and their umpires giving catches not out and not giving lbws. Teams like that are the cancer of the game and completely undermine the enjoyment of playing and unfortunately there is nothing that can be done about them.

pretty sure I know the team your on about and it isnt just their Div 11 team either.

boksmashoffice

, I believe that this is one of the fundamental elemets of the spirit of the game of cricket, yet Andrew Strauss yesterday, despite knowing full well that he had nicked the ball to the keeper and could be clearly seen to suggest as much to Trott while waiting on the referral, stood his ground and waited for the TV replay to tell him something he already knew.

Strauss is a cheat. He never walks and refused to let Smith have a runner in a 1 day game when he was cramping up.

Danger_dave1

boksmashoffice wrote: »

Strauss is a cheat. He never walks and refused to let Smith have a runner in a 1 day game when he was cramping up.

Smith was not fit, he was tired, he wanted a runner. To call Strauss is a bit over the top, bit unsportsmanlike no to walk, but to all the South African batsman walk when they nick ? its disappointing that few players in international cricket walk anymore. Who does? Peterson recently walked against Pakistan, but who does it consistently ?

riffmongous

I don't think anyone walks consistently anymore, Gilchrist was probably the last and I'm sure he had his moments.

I was watching the football tonight and Defoe blatantly hand balls and scores a goal and gets away with it and at half time Giles refuses to call him a cheat, saying something like 'well it happened in the heat of the moment.. its up to the ref to do his job'. I think this is the sort of attitude that's started to creep into all sports at all levels, at least we have the referral system but I think its sad that we can't rely on cricketers to do the right thing anymore. And does it not bother the players when a video of them cheating comes up on the main screen?

Renno

The fascinating thing with URDS is how if it going to affect players "honesty" in the medium/long term.

You have to think that it's going to be hugely positive in that respect. Strauss has been rightly chastised for not walking last week. The embarassment that he must feel would hopefully mean he won't do the same if it happens this morning.

Similarly, doesn't it mean that bowlers and fielders will stop appealing for absolutely everything - if they don't back it up with a review, at the very least they look like poor judges.

It is then too much to ask that if this happens at Test level, then the imporved behaviour will slowly trickle down to club cricket? If the arguement is used that bad behaviour from international players (Broad!!) is picked up by kids, surely the reverse is true.

d'Oracle

riffmongous wrote: »

I don't think anyone walks consistently anymore, Gilchrist was probably the last and I'm sure he had his moments.

I was watching the football tonight and Defoe blatantly hand balls and scores a goal and gets away with it and at half time Giles refuses to call him a cheat, saying something like 'well it happened in the heat of the moment.. its up to the ref to do his job'. I think this is the sort of attitude that's started to creep into all sports at all levels, at least we have the referral system but I think its sad that we can't rely on cricketers to do the right thing anymore. And does it not bother the players when a video of them cheating comes up on the main screen?

That has been a part of football for a very long time now.
Football has been drenched in poor sportsmanship for a suitably long time to disregard it as influential on other sports, imo.

riffmongous

d'Oracle wrote: »

That has been a part of football for a very long time now.
Football has been drenched in poor sportsmanship for a suitably long time to disregard it as influential on other sports, imo.

I disagree, you can see the influence of football has only started to creep into GAA recently.

d'Oracle

riffmongous wrote: »

I disagree, you can see the influence of football has only started to creep into GAA recently.

I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I laughed when I read this.

GAA never had good sportmanship, it has always silently condoned thuggery and cute-hoorism.

The only reason people say this is cos its on TV so much now.
Ever wonder why rugby doesn't get blamed for the decline of sporting values?

People have Openly cheated at rugby in every game I have ever watched.
That is no exaggeration.

riffmongous

d'Oracle wrote: »

GAA never had good sportmanship, it has always silently condoned thuggery and cute-hoorism.

This is getting a bit off topic (and I hope its not moved to the GAA forum since I don't think the comments will be too appreciated:D) but while GAA has definitely had the values you mentioned players pretending to be hurt after slight contact is a pretty recent addition imo.