Cricket / Paul Moon / 17 March 2010 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market

With Brett Lee announcing his retirement from Test cricket and a return to the international fold in the shorter formats looking unlikely, Paul Moon tells us why the loss of the paceman is bad news for the game beyond his wicket-taking abilities.

Although the 33-year-old Australian fast bowler Brett Lee had recently retired from Test cricket, he hopes to regain his place in Australia's Twenty20 and ODI teams. Michael Clarke, the Twenty20 captain, has since hinted that is unlikely to happen citing the present embarrassment of pace riches available.

A veteran of 76 Tests, 186 one-day internationals and 17 Twenty20 internationals, Lee has been a marvellous competitor and ambassador for Australian cricket. He is the fourth highest wicket-taker in Test cricket for Australia (behind Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Dennis Lillee). Cricket lovers everywhere have not only acknowledged him as an outstanding athlete, but as a key part of Australia's success over the last decade.

In sport, winning counts but the manner in which teams conduct themselves is also important. Good sportsmanship sits fondly in the memory for longer but regretfully the win-at-all-costs attitude that seems to have engulfed the game of late, has eclipsed that. While it's not always easy to maintain good sportsmanship in the heat of battle when the stakes are so high, standards of behaviour have declined and the new money and the pressures associated with it are only partly to blame.

In recent years Australians have struggled with good manners. They wrongly believe this compromises competitiveness. Boorish behaviour has become the norm, devaluing the baggy green cap and their wonderful accomplishments. Currently there is a debate down under exploring these types of concerns and many realists accept there are leadership issues.

Lee dispels the myth that you cannot play tough and fair at the same time. He believed he could back his own ability without showing arrogance - a rare trait for an Australian fast bowler. He understood the need for etiquette and dignity when he said, "I know there are kids out there who look up to me and I realise what's important." He has since conducted his career and life accordingly.

It is relevant to understand the intrinsic nature of the Aussie but to the neutral the perception is that they prefer aggression to grace. They have been accused more than once in recent years of 'breaching the spirit of the game' and they have been called bullies. If a worldwide poll were taken, few would agree that the Australians make good ambassadors for cricket.

There is a view that poor behaviour off the field of play is somehow more excusable than on it. There are degrees of culpability but the net result is the same, it blemishes and disrespects the game. Cricket Australia (CA) must share some of the blame. They have aided and abetted poor behaviour and sanctioned the hard-edged approach, which is what created the culture. Along with Pakistan, they show a distinct lack of class and are the principal villains in cricket today!

The worst offender in recent years is the enigmatic Andrew Symonds, whose sour attitude to the public and his team-mates fell way short of what is required and reflected badly on the team. But others were excused and even encouraged. And we're not talking about fringe players here, we're talking about the top senior players. Matthew Hayden (colourful language), Ricky Ponting (gamesmanship) Glenn McGrath (conduct) and even Shane Warne (off the pitch activities) are just some that have sullied the name of Australia in the past few years. The shame about this list is that they are all great players and do not need 'mental disintegration' to help them! Now that Adam Gilchrist and Brett Lee have retired there is not a statesman in sight.

Cricket will be poorer without Brett Lee but no one should be worried for him, his wide appeal and marketability has made him extremely rich. Currently he is struggling to overcome an elbow injury and has been unable to feature for Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League so far.

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