Cricket culture has a bright future

AUSTRALIA’S toxic cricket culture has filled columns and columns of copy since the nowinfamous ball-tampering scandal broke in South Africa.

We have seen the leadership of our country’s top cricket side decimated and in tears as the timeline of Australia’s descent into cricket disgrace has been analysed far and wide.

From the moment the Bancroft images were first screened, my cricket-loving household ran through the seven stages of grief: shock, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, testing and acceptance ... stopping for quite some time on anger.

But a quick scan through my photos over the weekend reminded me that not all cricketing culture is toxic, and we should be looking to our young cricketers on our path to acceptance.

This time last year we were touring Sri Lanka with a team of local under-16 cricketers. The group was made up of players of a mixture of ages and backgrounds — some boys who had previously played together with others who had not. Similarly the families who made up the touring party had varying amounts in common but had been pulled together by the fact their sons were talented cricketers who were up for an adventure. A fixtured tour game at an orphanage prompted many families to take along excess sporting equipment to donate to those less fortunate. But it was the boys’ response in the face of true poverty that was particularly life-affirming. As the tour progressed, our players were continually moved to dig into their own kit bags whenever they saw disadvantage. Balls, gloves and even one expensive cricket bat were given to opposition players or passionate villagers. Sometimes the touring bus was asked to pull over when players saw a young cricket fan on the side of the road. One player gave away the shoes on his feet. Players literally took the shirts off their own backs.

In most cases, these local boys were witnessing true poverty for the first time — and their response was instant and sincere.

These young cricketers weren’t the ugly Aussie tourists you often hear about, nor were they entitled, spoiled teenagers. In the oppressive heat and through at times stressful circumstances, the young players showed generosity and humility and came home from the experience better human beings.

We are not all cheats, liars and sledgers. Australia’s cricket culture might be toxic at the very top, but if Geelong’s young cricketers are any indication, there is plenty of hope for the future.