As one who used to dream of playing cricket for Australia and who still wishes he could play, it was disappointing to hear Ricky Ponting's assurance that the Australian team would continue sledging its opponents. His promise that they would not attack or ridicule the person hardly justifies the practice. My disappointment, which may not be shared by all, is based upon a number of considerations.
Firstly, it is a denigration of the Australian cricketers themselves. It says to me that they are not good enough to dismiss batsmen by sheer skill. To rely upon sledging, which is simply a euphemism "for putting the batsman off" is to cast doubt upon ones cricketing skills. Are they the world champion cricketers or sledgers?
This win at all costs attitude sadly gives the game a more important status than it deserves. When a team's worth, and more seriously a nations that condones sledging, is dependant on winning at cricket, something is drastically wrong. When this is the case we are setting ourselves up for despair and depression. Even worse we are not helping each other cope with loss in life. Life, like cricket, involves winning and losing, highs and lows, success and failure, in and outs. One of the greatest joys of life is to have found a basis for living that can cope with loss, that focus' attention on us as human- beings not human-doings.
Another downside of a sledging mentality is that it is the same as starts world wars or marriage breakdowns. One team sledges and the other team feels it has to retaliate to create a level playing field. Whilst it takes two to tango one person can help to stop the war. In other words it makes sense to heed Jesus' advice to love and forgive even enemies.
And what does the proud sledging of our national team say to the many watching and admiring young eyes all around Australia. Juniors copy the big boys in everything else- it is unrealistic to think they will not emulate their heroes in putting opposition batsmen off. What happens on the field will inevitably creep into the classrooms and family rooms of our nation.
The final difficulty of course is that in denigrating other people we are denigrating God who has made us all. Alarmist! Some will feel that I am. "It's only a game or everyone does it", others will say. And that's just the point at issue. We adults have a responsibility to provide good role models, part of which will be to demonstrate that games can be played in ways that respect ourselves and one another. Once respect is lost we all loose. Winning any sporting contest at all costs only demonstrates that we are losers. God has made us for better things.
Rt Rev Peter Brain
Bishop of Armidale
Courtesy of The Armidale Express
