YOUR SAY

On The Spirit Of Cricket

It is the members of the Marylebone Cricket Club, rather than the Australian cricket team, who demonstrated the greatest disregard for the Spirit of Cricket on the final day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, wrote RITAM MITRA.

Bob Jones wrote: Great point - rules made by them, now they’re crying.

Dash Ahead wrote: Lords.#JustCricketHooligans

Ian Donaldson wrote: Perhaps Stephen Fry, as president of MCC and eloquent speaker, could/should release a statement calling for calm and asking for some decorum at Headingly. Perhaps the chairman and/or executive of ECB could release a statement defending the laws of the game and asking for mature reflection on a legitimate dismissal. Perhaps all the English commentators who have no problem with the stumping…Strauss, Atherton, Hussein, Morgan, Butcher, Bell et al…could release a joint statement asking the cricketing public to accept the umpire’s decision, and move on.

Dave Boyd wrote: Keep walking, Johnny.

Stephen Bennett wrote: Well written, but sadly this will fall on deaf ears. The MCC, along with many of the English press and senior members of the English team have brought shame on their country.

Murray Macdonald wrote: My understanding of the Spirit of Cricket is that whenever another law doesn’t cover a particular circumstance, then play continues based on a “fair go”.

Yaegan Doran wrote: One of the many beautiful take aways I got from CLR James’ Beyond a Boundary was his anecdote of realising that after years of having it drilled into him in Trinidad about the spirit of the game and the way it should be played, was that once you got to England, the upper class players actively refused to abide by it - the spirit of the game was for the colonials, not the masters. Also, great article!

Raka Mitra wrote: Nicely written!

David Jenkins wrote: I suspect that behaviour comes from a position of always considering yourself as a 'better' and convincing yourself, based on centuries of selfserving bias and propaganda that, somehow, only the British 'play fair'. After all, they still think that the only reason behind the British Empire was to bring civilisation to the primitive masses.... and trains, of course! The best bit, as you have suggested, is their total failure to see the irony in their behaviour. You got to love it....

Sam Troutman wrote: Great article - hard to believe any professional sportsperson would refuse the opportunity to advance their cause legitimately and in accordance with the laws. Based on the footage the fact that only 3 members of MCC are being suspended is a farce as well.

Paul Senior wrote: Speaking as a biased observer... "that's not cricket" seemed a reasonable view to take. A little boo-ing by the MCC to remind those that crossed this line is hardly the same.

Virosh Poologasundram wrote: Well said, Ritam. Notwithstanding each person’s thoughts on the ‘Bairstow incident’, I think we can all agree that the behaviour of the MCC members that Sunday afternoon was the most deplorable aspect of the day.

Peter Bycroft wrote: Very well said, Ritam.

Pier Paolo Parisi wrote: Inzamam - unrivalled master of the comedic run out - would thoroughly approve of JB's dismissal.

Sam Kronja wrote: Jolly good… what impresses me about the MCC Members and the crowd at Lords is that they are so modern, progressive and don’t get bogged down in stereotypes.

Rishabh Patel wrote: Great post.

William Cathcart wrote: No one is disputing that the reaction from some of the members was sub-par but this narrative along with others seems to be a distraction from the fact that the decision from Pat was very poor. Given the state of the game, the importance of the match and the fact that many have not forgotten about South Africa one would assume a more sensible decision was made.