The
Sports Psychology Blog
This Sports Psychology blog comes as Andrew Symonds punishes India on Day One at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Cricket: Andrew Symonds - That's Out!
'I
was very lucky. I was out when I was 30, given not out. That's cricket
though. I can sit here and tell you about my bad decisions as well,
but I won't'. The words of Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds,
after finishing on 137, Day One of the Australia-India test.
Symonds was referring to the moment when he was on 30. He edged a ball from Indian bowler Ishant Sharma straight to keeper Dhoni. Catch. Out! But no. Umpire Bucknor inexplicably failed to give the catch. Symonds went on to punish India.
So that is cricket. But is it? What about one of the core values that makes cricket, cricket? Sportsmanship. You edge a ball. It's caught. You don't wait for the umpire. You walk. Why? Because you are out. The bowler has done you.That's the spirit of cricket.
It's great for Andrew Symonds that he made a test century at the SCG. But his innings is devalued. He was out on 30. He may have been the beneficiary of a bad decision, but the game of cricket is the loser. The spirit of the game is more important that any one players competitive values.
International players set the standard for how the game is played. Their attitudes are mirrored throughout the world. Andrew Symonds had a chance to make a mark for one of the game core values. If he had walked, he may have incurred the wrath of some of his team-mates. But more importantly, he would have put the game and its traditions, before himself. It takes a special player to do that.
Note - This is not Andrew Symonds fault. He is a young professional trying to establish himself as an international player. Most players in his position would have waited for the umpire. But that doesn't make it right.
