Cricket / Andrew Hughes / 22 August 2010 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market

Open any edition of Wisden and alongside the Laws of the Game, you will find several pages devoted to 'The Spirit Of Cricket'. But in a modern professional game, isn't this just an anachronism? Andrew Hughes thinks not.

Many of the sports that became organised during the Victorian era were developed and codified by men who believed that the normal rules of civilised behaviour should not end at the touchline or boundary rope. Alongside the official rules were unwritten expectations of fair play and etiquette, which the early amateurs were at pains not to be seen to transgress, for fear of being looked down upon by polite society.

It is easy to mock the idea of the Spirit of Cricket, not least because the men who developed and nourished this myth were as likely as any modern professional to engage in sharp practice or downright cheating, if they thought they could get away with it. Sledging of batsmen, arguing with umpires, ball-tampering, throwing and refusing to walk have remained part of the sport since its beginnings.

Still, even if we accept that cricket is no better than other sports in this regard, this does not mean that it should be a free for all. Professionals will always try to bend the rules and test the limits, but even these days, are expected to know when to exercise self-restraint. Inevitably, this will be a grey area. Standing your ground at the crease and waiting for the umpire to give you out is generally acceptable these days, but there remains confusion over whether a batsman should take a fielder's word over a low catch.

Sometimes though, it is clear when a cricketer has stepped over the line, literally in the case of Suraj Randiv. His deliberate no-ball to deny Virender Sehwag a century at the end of a recent one day international provoked an outcry and he was swiftly disciplined by his own board. His actions were pretty much the definition of unsportsmanlike behaviour in that what he did was not technically illegal, but it was clearly unfair. As was the occasion earlier this year when Sehwag deliberately kicked a ball over the rope when fielding to ensure that Morne Morkel remained on strike

Perhaps the most infamous example of unfair play came in another one day international, at the MCG back in 1981. With New Zealand needing a six off the final ball to tie, Australian captain Greg Chappell ordered his younger brother Trevor to bowl underarm and roll his delivery along the ground. Technically, this was not illegal and the game was won, but it was universally condemned in the sport and even the Australian crowd booed their own players off the field.

A benefit of this kind of incident is that it can clarify acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. The Melbourne debacle resulted in a change of the laws so it is now illegal to bowl underarm. The furore over Paul Collingwood's upholding the run out of Grant Elliott in 2008 when the batsman had collided with Ryan Sidebottom was widely condemned at the time. A year later, England captain Andrew Strauss no doubt had that incident on his mind when recalling the similarly dismissed Angelo Mathews during a Champions Trophy game.

Fortunately, the current series between England and Pakistan has so far been played in what is politely called, 'the right spirit' in contrast to previous contests between these two countries. As is their wont, the tourists have veered between the shambolic and the inspirational, but their victory at the Oval has set up a fascinating conclusion to the Test summer at Lord's next week. England are [1.76] to secure a 3-1 win, but with their tails up, Pakistan could well be worth a look at [5.9]