Last Updated on 20 minutes ago by Charbel Coorey
Greg Chappell, one of Australia’s finest batters, has called for the public to stop making cricketers moral role models. In his column for cricinfo, the former Australia captain argued that the role of cricketers is to provide fans with memorable moments on the field, rather than set a guideline on human morals.
Chappell’s piece comes in light of the nightclub saga featuring the ECB, Gus Atkinson and Ben Stokes. He, fairly, argues that cricketers are human beings and should be treated as such. They did not sign up to set the standard for the general public to follow.
“A cricketer’s contract is an agreement to perform on the field – not a vow of abstinence, sobriety and perpetual politeness,” Chappell wrote. “When we force them onto a moral pedestal, we set them up for a fall, judging them by standards the general public could never hope to maintain.”
Trouble awaits when we expect perfection – Greg Chappell on whether cricketers should be viewed as role models
Chappell referred to some of cricket’s biggest characters including Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie, Keith Miller, Shane Warne and Lord Ian Botham. He argues none of these players were saints, but what they achieved on the field should be what they are remembered for.
Chappell also criticised the role of cricket boards in attempting to maintain behaviour. If players are not punished by law, then they should be allowed to play. Earlier this month, Stokes and Atkinson were found to have done no wrong at a Chelsea nightclub, but were still left out of a Test match due to a curfew that was later found to be ambiguous.
“Cricketers should be admired primarily for their cricket. If a player performs on the field and respects the laws of the land, their private life should remain just that: private,” wrote Chappell.
“Cricket boards, chief executives and integrity units are not shadow judiciaries. It is not their job to pass moral judgement on lifestyles, late nights, or personal indiscretions that violate no actual laws.
“When sporting bodies try to act as arbiters of private morality, they inevitably end up mired in hypocrisy. If a cricketer breaks the law, let the legal system handle them like any other citizen. If they are not punished, let them play. Selection, not curfews, should be the ultimate arbiter.”
Chappell finished with the excellent point that if a cricketer’s every move is being watched, we risk a generation of players not willing to speak their minds. The spotlight shines even brighter with the explosion of social media, with public figures at the mercy of smartphone cameras.
Chappell himself has faced controversies, both as a player and coach. The underarm incident of 1981 is still spoken of to this day, but the former Australia captain is one of Australia’s finest. In a tough era for batting in the 1970s and 80s, Chappell finished with 7,110 Test runs at an average of 53.86, including 24 hundreds. This includes 1,400 runs at an average of 56.00 against the mighty West Indies.
“Cricket is not a church. It is a magnificent, unpredictable contest played by brilliant, imperfect people. Let’s enjoy it as such,” he concluded.
