In true stoic fashion, Ian Chappell, Australia’s brutish cricket supremo of the 1970s, felt that a dedicated Australian cricket captain did not let his emotions get in the way of diligent captaincy. No women, no distractions. That meant no car chases, and no dramatic interruptions to the key task at hand: winning matches for Australia.
Surprise for some, even shock, that Clarke should now be Australia’s 43rd test captain. Punter Ponting himself assured the press that he had not been pushed over the ledge by disgruntled members of Cricket Australia: “I can say I’ve had no tap on the shoulder from anybody, and this decision has been wholly and solely made by me and the people close to me, my family first and foremost, and that’s all I’ve got to say about it.”
One gets worried when insistence creeps into such decisions, and Ponting’s emphasis that he was not banished by the selectors is something that political theorists and sign readers will have a field day with.
Recently, the anointed Clarke has been booed in his performances. Cricket Australia found itself having to defend the then one-day skipper in a match against England after receiving the disapproval of what was supposedly a ‘small minority’ at the Gabba.
That the minority was small was because of Clarke’s genuine popularity – if one is to believe the propaganda narrative of the governors. Head of public affairs Peter Young decided to provide a good bit of spin on the matter. “At the fundamental core, when you look at why do sponsors go to him, it’s because their own research shows he is remarkably popular with the public” (The Hindu, Feb 1).
The nature of this reasoning should be obvious: Young would liken the popularity of an Australian skipper to the products he sells in the market place rather than the victories he attains on the ground. The tyrannous nonsense of advertising has again reigned supreme.
Whatever his prowess in product placement, the commentaries have not been warm about Clarke. The Herald Sun (Mar 30) features the following deflating remark: “After waiting five long years as heir apparent to sport’s highest office, Michael Clarke will today become Australia’s cricket captain – it’s just too bad fans don’t want him.”
He has been on the outer of the establishment. Even Ricky Ponting has proven more popular on occasions. Shane Watson has been the more popular choice, if one believes the views of readers of a New Ltd. Survey featuring 8,500 in number. They are not the only ones.
Team members have expressed their dissatisfaction at Clarke, who was, rumour has it, grabbed by the throat by Simon Katich last summer over the singing of the team song. For all of this unpopularity, much of what has been said against Clarke lacks a sound basis.
Various inane statements have been made against the new skipper, and not much about his cricket. People dislike his tattoos, his lure to the bling, his involvement with Ms. Bingle. He oozes working class values, and plays to that.
He has had lean patches with the bat, but this is hardly deserving of a public sacrifice. The criticisms say nothing about his talents, which are very much evident. Given the enormous task at hand in resurrecting what seems to be a ship destined for the bottom of the sea, it might be more fitting to get behind him.
Given the way the Australian public treats its sports stars, that might be asking a touch too much, at least for now. For Clarke, there is only one option: victory on the field.
Share This
Subscribe Here
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment