Confession of a SA Cricket Fan
I must confess, Friday I briefly felt an emotion I never thought I would ever feel.
The match – Australia vs South Africa at the WACA in Perth Australia drove another stake through Aussie hearts.
It was with shock that I realised that I actually felt sorry for the Australian cricket team and Ricky Ponting for the first time ever.
What has the cricket world come to when the Aussies emit pity from opposing supporters?
Anyway, there they were on 65/4, looking slightly like a beaten side with over 20 overs to go.
The swagger gone! Toughness – gone! Sledging – gone!
All that was left were the Hussey brothers fighting for respectability. Imagine that! The Aussies trying to save face.
Defeat by 39 runs in a one day match is as bad as defeat by 139 runs which not even the once mighty Aussie commentators could spin.
I steeled my heart right then and there with mental images of past defeats to the then all swaggering, tough, ruthless, sledging Aussies – the Waugh twins, Ponting himself, Matthew Hayden and a whole host of others dating back to Alan Border’s days as captain.
And that was only the team.
Then there were those most biased of cricket commentators on Channel Nine – Bill Lawry, Ian Chappell, etc. who were broadcast to the entire cricketing world – with only Richie Benaud left to add a dose of respectability and fairness.
Worst of all were a few Australian supporters, who before and after a day’s play gathered at the nets to further deride the opposing team – something I saw first hand.
So I only felt a tiny pang of pity for the state of Australian cricket, because no doubt they will come back in a year or two and be as annoying as ever.
Meanwhile I hope our South African team keep playing well and continue having a good team team spirit and carry a bit of humility with their new found confidence.
We know as much as everyone is lauding them now, by tomorrow the rest of the cricketing world will be trying to take them down.
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