The Mature Underwear Model
August 7th, 2008 by Michael Jeh in Australia, Future of Cricket, ICCFor a man who has just done an underwear commercial and dates a supermodel, Michael Clarke’s recent comments about a split in world cricket shows a surprisingly mature and thoughtful side to the man. I say “surprising” because whilst Clarke is many things – flamboyant diamond ear-ring, dyed blonde hair and a reputation for expensive tastes in cars and girlfriends – underneath that boyish veneer is a man of some substance.
Don’t forget that Clarke is one of the few genuine superstars of the game who has eschewed an IPL contract for the time being, concerned that it might distract him from his commitment to Australia. That’s a pretty brave and mature thing to do, especially for someone who has often been mistaken for a show pony. Likewise, his sage observations about the long-term dangers facing world cricket.
Despite his flair and style, Clarke has a mature head on young shoulders. His batting reflects that, often prepared to dig in and rescue the middle order, often prepared to “bat ugly” in order to resurrect a bad start. When batting with Symonds or Gilchrist, he is content to play second fiddle and let his partner do the entertaining whilst he provides the stability and rudder. That’s impressive for a young man who knows he has the shots to match the best hitters but is prepared to bat unselfishly for the team.
His recent comments then should come as no surprise. Here is a young man who clearly has something to offer the game as a thinking statesman. His concerns about a split in world cricket, drawn along parochial ethnic lines where power blocs vote as one in exchange for supporting votes in other matters, hint at a mature head on young shoulders. Here is a captain-in-waiting, prepared to confront serious issues that many of his more senior brethren from all countries have skirted around, lest they upset their paymasters.
Clarke is indeed right to be concerned. Cricket has much to fear from the East-West divide that is drawing a clear fault line between blocs of countries. Without taking sides, it is clear that decisions are being made which are more about brinksmanship and political expediency than what is right for the health of the game. Decisions are no longer being judged on their individual merits. It is now a matter of counting the numbers and compromising one outcome in return for a crucial vote on another battlefront.
This may indeed be the brave new world that cricket has become. When politics and money come together, it is naïve to expect good policy. The fact that countries are now manoeuvring their positions based on some fairly entrenched cultural relationships is a worrying sign. The Champions Trophy issue in Pakistan will be a crucial test of where the future of cricket is headed in terms of the problems that Clarke is alluding to. I will address this in my next blog.
Clarke is right though. Unless cricket can quickly see beyond the clan mentality that binds the wolf packs together on either side of the East-West divide, there is every chance that cricket will split down the middle. Clarke’s pack stands to lose most from that battle but I think his fears extend beyond that narrow focus. Perhaps the ‘Pup’ will teach the old dogs some new tricks after all.
August 7th, 2008
[…] Don=92t forget that Clarke is one of the few genuine superstars of the game= who has eschewed an IPL contract for the time being, concerned that= it might distract him from his commitment to Australia. That=92sa pretty b= rave and mature thing …Posted from By Michael Jeh […]
August 7th, 2008
Interesting. Ultimately, though, I think both sides need each other and will find a way to make things work despite this so-called divide.
Is there a link to what Clarke actually said?
August 7th, 2008
[…] The Mature Underwear ModelFor a man who has just done an underwear commercial and dates a supermodel, Michael Clarke’s recent comments about a split in world cricket shows a surprisingly mature and thoughtful side to the man. I say “surprising” because whilst … […]
August 7th, 2008
@JT
http://content-www.cricinfo.com/australia/content/story/362923.html
August 8th, 2008
Hi JT,
I can’t find a link but I wrote down his exact words on the day it was first reported. He said this on a Sydney radio show. “It’s a concern for us, a concern for cricket and we can’t afford that [split]. Cricket in general can’t afford it. I think it will be the end of cricket if that ever happens and I really hope that isn’t the case.”
Your pragmatism may win the day. I hope so. I fear though that the looming issue with the Champions Trophy may exacerbate those tensions further. I hope you’re right though because cricket doesn’t have enough global depth to survive a split.
August 9th, 2008
While appreciating Mr.Clarke’s feeling about the impending split in world cricket, I feel as a man of cricketing integrity whether he is fit to comment. His sporting spirits displayed along with his SPORTING TEAMMATES at Sydney will ever remain in the memory of cricket fans like me. The GENUINE CATCH to dismiss Ganguly and faking ignorance after a genuine edge to Dravid will lost for ever and the UNSPORTING CLARKE’s IMAGE will remain for ever.
August 10th, 2008
Fair point Venkatesh. I can see that the Sydney Test (2008) will take a long time to be erased from our collective memories, for all the wrong reasons unfortunately. If Clarke (and Symonds, Ponting, Harbajhan) had their time over again, I suspect they’d all do things differently. Having said that, I have to admit (despite myself) that I was surprised and impressed by Clarke’s grasp of an important issue with regards this matter.
August 10th, 2008
Venkatesh, it’s about time we cut Clarkey some slack - most of us would have done the same thing in the moment.
August 11th, 2008
JT, your comments smack of an awful amount of commonsense and pragmatism. I’m enjoying it.
By the time the Clarke incidents happened, tension were running high in Sydney and most of the players were caught up in that whirlpool of emotion and patriotic fervour. In the cold light of day, a few days later, most parties would have probably acted differently but the fact is that it happened and the domino effect was in play. Umpires and players had a pretty poor game and when both factors coincide, trouble brews. I’ve played in so many games where one early error just leads to a series of incidents that keep snowballing and even sensible people get caught up in the moment. Maybe this is what happened in Sydney.
August 16th, 2008
JT and Michael,
I diagree with you that patriotic fervour added to the tensions in the Sydney Test. If the referral system had been introduced at that time, India would have won the Sydney Test handsdown. Ponting, Symonds and Hussey would have dismissed cheaply and India would have won by an innings. The incidents that happenned in Sydney will never be erased from my mind. After that test, my only hero in that test was BRETT LEE, who is always play cricket as a game and a real sportsman.
August 16th, 2008
Venkatesh, I think most of us can agree with your Brett Lee comment. His behaviour consistently proves that playing it hard does not necessarily mean that you have to lose the basic decencies of life. Agree too that Sydney Test was not an edifying sight but we’ll never know what the final result would have been. Too many imponderables. Maybe someone else would have scored a hundred or done something brilliant. Suffice to say that India had the worst of the umpiring results in that game but that was just one game. It still didn’t excuse the behaviours from all parties, umpires, match referees, ICC, administrators, CEO’s included. Cricket was not the winner.