Monday 1 August 2016

Talking Down Club Cricket

At the age of 40, I stopped playing Premier League club cricket as Captain for Billericay CC in the Essex leagues. We had built a team from almost scratch in a 6 year period thanks to the fantastic vision of Irishman Morrow McIlroy, who had come from Malahide CC. He convinced and then helped drive change at what was a village club, into one of the leading cricket grounds in the South of England. 

Billericay CC today boasts county standard cricket strips. It started with a postage stamp ground before selling up to move a mile across town. It was a challenging time for everyone at the club. But what made it work was developing a great youth system (where Jon Walford, Damian Brandy, Nathan Batson and Paul Walter had benefitted) and a 1st XI full of players who had played high standards of cricket up to First Class level. This helped drag the club up by it's bootlaces. 

The 'banter' we had at the club was terrific. And the hard fought matches we played, were played out with a mutual respect for our opponents.

Turning 50 a while back, encouraged me to consider playing again, notably for the Essex Over 50s and a move to the lovely town of Halstead - a sleepy North Essex location - it was a chance to give a bit more back to the area I had relocated to. 

What I hadn't been prepared for sadly, is the 'sledging' that happens on a Saturday - at far lower levels than I had been used to playing as an adult cricketer.

Stepping down the levels is appropriate. The future of any club is the youth. But what isn't appropriate has been the verbal abuse dished out by many players of the field. 

Much of it has been far from 'banter'. When this chat degenerates into either personal and foul abuse (because that's all it is) you seriously have to question playing cricket at all. There has been some seriously dreadful abuse of umpires too. Even this year we have had a batsman refusing to walk off off being given out and calling the umpire a cheat. We have had players accusing other players of cheating and calling them 'match fixers'. We have had  aggressive appealing for decisions that clearly are not out, yet the reaction by those players has been nothing short of disgraceful when given not out. Batsmen, who having been dismissed, then being 'sent off' by opposition players unnecessarily. Effing and blinding overtly, appalling language directly aimed at players loudly, even use of the C word..... Saturday cricket has moved away from amusing banter and into verbal abuse and bullying.

Yet the level of cricket just isn't worth it.

It's average Saturday afternoon club cricket. It's not even high quality. Often time, those with the worst abuse are the players who think they are so wonderful. This would be funny if it wasn't so sad.

And I think sad is exactly the right phrase.

Twitter has given idiots a voice. Saturday abuse has given idiots something to shout out, believing they are untouchable. Yet much of the abuse would never happen in the workplace or in any other situation.  So what fulfils people's petty lives is often trying to make themselves sound better than they are. And an abuser of the highest order, is very often a player who has never achieved anything of note. I don't know whether it's frustration for them, a feeling or worthlessness or the realisation they will never amount to anything on the cricket field - but these 'weekend warriors' - often scattered around different clubs yet all chummy together, delight in their little narrative. Petty, jealous and most likely lacking in something - most of them are wannabes. They watch cricket on TV. They follow big names on twitter hoping to get noticed. They post pics of themselves with mates as they've seen the 'stars' do that. There is definitely a culture of celebrity, or need to be noticed, they are trying to associate with. it spills out onto the club cricket grounds. And if those people stopped for a moment and could see how they sounded and looked, they would be embarrassed. If of course, they were smart enough.

Having said ALL of that the vast majority of players on a Saturday are really decent. I have enjoyed great contests during the past few years. I have seen some great young prospects in opposition sides. And as a coach and county scout, it's often good to play against this talent. I recommend players upline. I will also chat to good youngsters and say well bowled or well batted to them, finding out their name for future reference.

My worry though is what influences they are being exposed to. 

When I grew up at Hutton CC, my environment was having a brilliant coach in my father and two brothers who played professionally. I started in the 1st XI at 13. I was surrounded by super elite club cricketers who played hard and appreciated good cricket. As we grew into a formidable team we trained hard, played tough and drank long into the night with the opposition. The social side of the game was as important as the match. That's why banter was friendly and funny, rather than abusive.

The standard was high, so were expectations.

Club cricket today - certainly the way it's played out - is a pale imitation of that time. It's just a fact. Nothing can be done about there being far less good cricketers around the club scene. But what can be done is how some of those players behave and act. Because abusive sledging is not cool. 

It might simply be indicative of the time in which we live. Celebrity culture. Desire to be known or noticed. The twitterati mentality. Or a dumbing down of standards.

Umpires have a difficult job. They regularly intervene nowadays in on field spats. Many of the older umpires bemoan how cricketing and behavioural standards have simply fallen through the floor. It's no wonder umpires are less and less keen to stand out on the field each Saturday. Players have almost made certain situations untenable.

Whether those abusive players are smart enough to realise or understand this, I highly doubt. These are the same people who complain about everything that umpires do and how shocking decisions have been. They are the same people who take 'dubious' photos of themselves and post to social media. It is definitely a culture they want to live in. And it's disappointing to realise they are the very ones who are ruining the game at it's very core. 

I don't envy good young cricketers coming through such crass club cricket. Yet I feel that good players will find their way of making it despite this negative influence. Talent should always out. Good players will always go on and be good players.

I just feel sorry for the rest of us who want to play the game in the right spirit, play for fun, play hard yet fair, compete regardless of whatever level we used to play, and also who understand what good cricket actually is. That you don't need to clap every run. You don't need to shout out "great shot" to an edge for four. You don't need act like someone who doesn't understand the game and shout things out, just because you believe "being loud" is what is important in the field or from the boundary watching.

This 'classless cricket' is taking over what was once a great game. I am very pleased I had my career as I come towards the end of even bothering with club cricket. I can see why the vast majority of ex-pros turn to golf or simply don't even bother to get involved anymore. It's easier to spend the day doing something more meaningful and fun than to listen to banal, idiotic chat from people you wouldn't normally even spend a few moments talking to about our great game. 

Morrow McIroy had a wonderful dream. He lived long enough to see that dream fulfilled. If he was alive now, he would be saddened to witness what some of club cricket has become.