Coincidence it might be, but coming in the same week as recent allegations of match fixing by two Australian cricketers were aired by Al Jazeera, Roy
Australia coach Justin Langer
The sudden resignation of Iain Roy, the head of Cricket Australia's Integrity Unit (now there's an oxymoron!) has added further intrigue to a tumultuous few months for the beleaguered Australian cricket family. Coincidence it might be, but coming in the same week as recent allegations of match fixing by two Australian cricketers were aired by Al Jazeera, Roy's hasty and immediate exit stage left is more grist for the mill for local cricket fans who remain deeply sceptical of the reform agenda being promoted by the CA Board.
The announcement of Justin Langer as the new Australian coach was as predictable as the sequence of events that led to the Cape Town cheating incident, the (crocodile?) tears and the contradictory statements that have flowed ever since. The dust has settled, the caravan has moved on but it is still as clear as mud. So much of Langer's first press conference just made no sense when you look past the cliches and the cheap one-liners.
Unlike the end-of-day media scrum at Newlands when Steven Smith and Cameron Bancroft lied about events, this should have been more coherent and sensible. They can't hide behind any excuses about panicking or being rushed. If each statement had been planned, it is either an indictment of their planning or it reinforces the perception that they mistake the Australian public for fools.
"It was ANZAC Day a few weeks ago and one thing about Australia is mateship is really important. Elite mateship within the Australian cricket team is going to be a key value," said Langer.
There is nothing elite about a sporting team that sledges opponents, or resorts to cheating or tell lies in much the same way that there is nothing elite about the brave Anzacs, lambs to the slaughter on the beaches of Gallipoli. Dying alongside your mates is tragic, sad and a complete waste of Australia's sons because it was a doomed mission but to call it elite is to dignify an unnecessary sacrifice. And to draw parallels between a cricket team that cheated and the Anzac heroes who merely followed orders is a big stretch, even for the most patriotic amongst us.
The author is a Brisbane-based first-class cricketer
Also Read: Michael Jeh: It's The Australian Way, You Know!
Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day and apps to get latest updates