The continued abuse of Australian cricketers by the Australian public

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LIONS then DAYLIGHT

LIONS then DAYLIGHT

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The continued abuse of Australian cricketers by the Australian public

I've noticed a trend that has crept in during the last few summers with Australian cricketers becoming 'fair game' for all sorts of ridicule and abuse from the public at large, incited somewhat by the media.

Obviously, Shane Watson has worn a fair bit of flak this summer, some of it deserved, but the vast majority of it has been over the top. Reading the comments left on a number of news sites is quite eye opening to be honest, yes I know most of these people are deadbeat nuffies with stuff all going for them but surely as Australians we should be supporting the team as a whole rather then hoping certain players fail and then abusing them?

Ricky Ponting is now copping it as well.

It just seems to me that lots of Australians are terrible losers, in the sense that whenever we lose the team cops an absolute barrage of abuse and ridicule. IMO if you can't handle losing without letting your emotions overflow then perhaps you shouldn't follow the game. If you can't handle losing without calling for a new captain or wanting to drop half the team then go away and let people who actually know the game watch it.

If people think we have a god given right to always hold the Ashes and to win every game by an innings and 300 runs then give the game up, becaus we will lose more then we win in the immediate future and you'll probably end up half mad.

Yes I know people will get frustated, everyone wants to win, and lots of people have grown used to the dominating Australian team steam rolling the opposition. But those days are gone, it's time we actually supported the team rather then whinge and whine about new players or a new captain.

Thoughts?
 
Re: The continued abuse of Australian cricketers by the Australian public

It's just the way the media operates. Build them up, knock them down. The problem is that the general public tend to follow the trends set by the media and it therefore follows through to it's logical conclusion.

Just look at how places like India or Pakistan react when their team loses. Burning effigies and protests in the streets. Mostly whipped up by half wit journalists looking to make a name for themselves.
 
Re: The continued abuse of Australian cricketers by the Australian public

I agree, but the problem is the public take it hook line and sinker.

Im not sure if a similar thing happens in England, but in Australia often different papers run different campaigns during the summer.

Last year there was a campaign to boot Matthew Hayden from the team.

This year there has been a campaign run by The Daily Telegraph in Sydney that Michael Clarke is not fit to be captain due to his social status and off-field lifestyle of glitz and glamour.

In the Ashes summer of 02/03 there was a campaign run by some papers to boot Waugh out while other papers wanted him in.

At the end of the day I get the feeling that some of these journos think they should be picking the team.

However, it is undeniable that there is currently an undercurrent of dislike for this Australian team and IMO most of it stems from the fact of late we have been struggling.

Which leads back to my point, if you can't handle losing then dont follow the game.

Ben Dorries writes some awful articles, stear clear of his work at all costs.

Mike Coward in The Australian writes quaility stuff that is both objective and measured.

I have also been impressed by Michael Atherton's work, for mine, those two are the highest grade.
 
Re: The continued abuse of Australian cricketers by the Australian public

It's hardly a new phenonenum.

I can remember attending tests in the 80's and early 90's and the crowd abuse towards certain players was brutal.

With the possible exception of Greg Ritchie who deserved it.
 
Re: The continued abuse of Australian cricketers by the Australian public

If you want objective and balanced journalism then stop reading Newscorp
 
Re: The continued abuse of Australian cricketers by the Australian public

I agree with you LtD.

The public aren't always affected by the papers. And yet they do everything possible to criticise the team. Lately I have been trying to give compliments to players where it is due IMO because nobody else does, just in general public that is.

India is always a good example. Harbajhan Sing is, in my opinion, an absolute disgrace to cricket. Yet the Indian's will back him to the hilt. Shane Watson does something and everyone (if they didn't already that is) hates him. All of the Indian team are superstars amongst their public and although they have a pretty negative aura around them and other cricketing nations in general dislike them, their public is still aboslutley nuts for them. Same happens in South Africa. West Indies and Pakistan to. England's team is loved more than the Aussie team is. Even when the Aussie team had possibly it's greatest team ever for about 5 years, there was always someone being picked on. Ponting doesn't put a bat pad in, he's criticised and called a bad captain... despite Warne getting a 5fa without a bat pad in and winning the game. Martyn comes under fire for not scoring. Hayden gets dumped from the team and the papers are cheering, he comes back and scores 5 years straight of 1000 runs and the papers don't lift an eyebrow.

Cricket is at an all time low for popularity. This media isn't helping it.
 
Re: The continued abuse of Australian cricketers by the Australian public

Nobody does tall poppy syndrome like the Australians, but your analysis of other sides isn't really on the money at all.

Indian and Pakistani players face far more public scrutiny far more than any Australian player has. If an Indian or Pakistani player costs his team a match, his house gets pelted with eggs or tomatoes. I'd rather have Peter Roebuck call me a half-wit than have my house attacked.

England and South Africa are much the same as Australia, and having a go at professional athletes is what sells newspapers.

As for the West Indies, I don't think most people care enough about cricket any more to get in an uproar about an underachieving player.

Maybe we are too harsh on our cricketers (or indeed all of our professional athletes), but to say it's a bigger problem in Australia than anywhere else in the world is just not correct.
 
Re: The continued abuse of Australian cricketers by the Australian public

Well I'm happy to be proven wrong because I my knowledge of other countries have come through the media and they make it out that every other team is the best in the world.

I am talking more about the general public in Australia though.

When I go places, there are people being drawn away from cricket to watch and play NRL and NRL only. Cricket has really started to lose interest. Down on the cricket field people drive past and shout abuse about the game. They are bogans, but they are still the general public.

Australian's in general just don't really care anymore. The team loses once so they barrack for the other side. Even I fall into the trap. Not like in other sports where someone screws up the side's fans will defend him and the team no matter what, making excuses. I now sit and watch the TV willing Siddle to screw up to get him out of the team. In other sports the viewers will on there team and all of their players. Sure they get angry at them but it's not as if they get pasted in the next newspaper.

It's why I don't read the paper and stay amongst small groups when talking about cricket.
 
Re: The continued abuse of Australian cricketers by the Australian public

The treatment of Hayden was an absolute disgrace this time last year, he was almoust hounded out of the side by the media and it became a sideshow everytime the big fella went to the crease.

Surely he would have been a better bet then Phil Hughes during the last Ashes series, someone at the top who could bunt the bowlers straight down the ground.

Still reckon he could pad up tomorrow and do a half decent job.
 
Re: The continued abuse of Australian cricketers by the Australian public

I totally agree. I almost killed some people over the Hayden controversy. What made it worse is he is my favourite player of all time.

If you knew what his career was like you would understand. He had huge highs and huge lows. His highs were bigger than his lows. One innings would be the difference between the two. I remember when he was out of form in 2005, one innings a bit later where he was dropped 4 times allowed him to wake up and he made 155 if I remember correctly, pasting the bowlers everywhere. Then off he went and scored a few billion runs in the next few games.

Every time, though, it was the ODIs that brought back his form well and truly. He would get dropped from the Test team, go to the ODI team and just work on hitting it hard. Then it would come across and he would be back in the Test team. When the selectors had been forced, seemingly by the public, to drop Hayden from the ODIs (despite not having the evidence as he had played few ODIs and had in those he had played he had scored reasonably well) I knew straight away he was a goner. The next day he announced his retirement. Then a few months later he is the leading run scorer in the IPL and is the best T20 batsman in the world IMO. Just as I thought, the shorter form (much shorter in this case) would bring back his form.

He could pad up tomorrow and make a hundred.
 
Re: The continued abuse of Australian cricketers by the Australian public

The main campaign this summer and has been for nearly 6 months is "Get Hughes back in the test side"

Hey, it worked, no wonder the media run with things when they can so obviously influence the selectors as there is no other logic for the selection
 
Re: The continued abuse of Australian cricketers by the Australian public

LIONS then DAYLIGHT;383277 said:
Cameron White a better bet then Hughes Edward?
Click to expand...


Why pick White as a comparison? he bats at 5.
 
Re: The continued abuse of Australian cricketers by the Australian public

Chris Rogers is the most in form opening batsman in the country by a long way and then you have Jaques with the test runs and now back and fit, both better choices as openers
 
Re: The continued abuse of Australian cricketers by the Australian public

LIONS then DAYLIGHT;383277 said:
Cameron White a better bet then Hughes Edward?
Click to expand...


Good lord you windbag.

Regardless of the site you never stop with the C. White love/obsession.

Ridiculous call.
 
Re: The continued abuse of Australian cricketers by the Australian public

eddiesmith;383280 said:
Chris Rogers is the most in form opening batsman in the country by a long way and then you have Jaques with the test runs and now back and fit, both better choices as openers
Click to expand...

I don't think we are in the hunt at the moment for openers Eddie.

Fact remains, on the whole, we have a fairly ordinary side that is capable of sporadic moments of brillance but on the whole we would struggle to beat anyone other then Bangladesh and Zimbabwe at the moment the way we are playing.
 
Re: The continued abuse of Australian cricketers by the Australian public

I think the batting line up is fine.

The only thing wrong is a lack of teamwork and unpredictable collapses. You cannot blame any one batsman, so there is no use dropping the man in worst form when you have the men in best form failing for an innings as well. You have to stick with them and let them work as a team and get used to each other. There are still some players who have never batted with another member of the team so give them a season and I think this side will be churning out the runs.
 
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