Respect is dead
Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about swearing at batsmen and arguing with the umpire. But respect is too often fear in disguise.
At the peak of his powers Shane Warne was a great spin bowler in Test cricket. Towards the end of his career as an Australian international he became a great user of respect.
With a reduced armoury of just a leg break and slider to call on, he used a clever combination of supreme confidence, dominant personality, reputation and bluff to scare batsmen out. He was a master of such tactics and it got him a lot of wickets a bowler with a lesser reputation would have missed out on.
And this happens every week at lower levels too.
You must have played in the game where the whisper goes round that the opposition have a star ringer in the side. Perhaps frighteningly quick bowler is having a game at your level to come back after injury, or you remember last year's game where the star batsman hit your bowlers to all parts.
You start playing the reputation and not the ball.
And when you do that you give the opponent the advantage.
The alternative to respect, of course, is to disrespect everyone.
If you are a bowler, you hate every batsman and want to send them on your way so you can get your feet up. If you are a batsman you consider every bowler to be unworthy to deliver to you.
You know it's only a matter of time until you show how much better you are.
You see, this kind of disrespect is born from self-confidence.
And confidence comes from knowing your game. From knowing what works for you and knowing what your job is.
That way there is no fear and no need to give respect to anyone, whether they really deserve it or not.
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Comments
I sometime felt this thing, but this is very hard to disrespect any powerful sport personality.
I understand what you are trying to say but your choice of the word "respect" is unfortunate I feel. Rising to a challenge is a key element of sport and there is no better feeling than winning against 'superior' opposition. And you are not going to achieve this if you are intimidated by a team from a higher division or player with experience at higher standard.
However, all players should show due respect to all other players. Our season has been marred by the pathetic behaviour of young players running amok without guidance or restraint from their clubs. They show little respect for their team mates let alone the opposition.
Lacking fear has nothing to do with being disrespectful.
great post Gilly. totally agree on both parts.
Hi there,
I agree with the 'unverified' Don. We have seen a marked downturn in on-field behaviour towards opponents and umpires at all levels of recreational cricket over the past few years and the 2011 season was the worst in my memory having had 45 years of playing and administrating cricket with the same club.
It doesn't help when the cricket on TV and the commentators frequently mention that fielders are 'getting in the batsman's ear'; we see blatent dissent - in close up - by bowlers when umpires turn down LBW appeals; there is a focus at the end of an over on who is 'brushing against' who and so on.
It is about time that the powers that be and the cricketing super-stars behaved better, as it is all too easy for young players, who haven't got the wit to know the difference between 'banter' and 'abuse' to cpoy what they see. Just look at recreational foorball matches in the park to see what effect the professional game has on the amateur equivalent. It is disgraceful and needs to be stamped on now. In my view this kind of 'direspectful' behaviour is exactly one of weakness in character and not that of self-confidence.
I do accept that as a player you need to develop confidence in your own ability, as a batsman, bowler or fielder and use that as a potent weapon in the match situation. Actions always speak louder than words in my book.