LetteroftheWeek
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I WAS at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1961 when I came across a strange experience – a group of Australians barracking fiercely for the other side.
This was the West Indies, a team which had captured the heart of all cricket lovers for the way they played the game.
And not just them: in this marvellous series, which gripped the entire country, the Australians too played their part.
Fierce rivalry, yes, but also chivalry and deep respect. The example set by two incomparable leaders, Richie Benaud and Frank Worrell.
What, I wonder, would they make of this miserable, cheating, sledging mob now? PC WILLSON, MIAMI
I THINK we all need to take a deep breath and gather our thoughts and consider supporting these players, this team irrespective of their actions.
I am by no means condoning them but Steve Smith put his hand up which is more than most. They’re a young group of blokes with the amount of pressure put on them to win most of us couldn’t bear and definitely not comprehend.
Some politicians we continually vote in cheat and mislead us daily and do they put their hands up when caught out? No.
The media is clearly out to crucify them.
They were caught out, cameras everywhere – were they that stupid or was it something else? Only they know that.
Why don’t we let the governing bodies make the decision and as for us, put yourself in Steve Smith’s shoes at the moment and if you are completely honest with yourself, he needs our support.
C’mon Australia we love winners, we mock our losers. Perhaps it’s a damm good time we have a look at ourselves.
We all make mistakes and when we own up to them we must first learn from them and then work hard and get respect. RADISH
AUSTRALIA breeds great scientists but only a few years ago we did not have a Science Minister in Parliament. It clearly reflects the lack of public interest in education.
In a multicultural world there is no longer need to fight over territories but newspapers, television and radio reward violence and wars with much coverage and we make enemies of countries which have free school and higher education and send them bombs which increase global warming.
Little coverage or financial support is given to our scientists who constantly come up with great ideas to save our planet while hackers and ASIO steal their inventions and give their ideas to large companies not paying tax here.
The truly brave and generous people who fight for the environment (on which we all depend for survival) often at great personal sacrifice, are blamed for poor government decisions.
The media should reward both university and citizen scientists and we might actually survive into the future. A SUTHERLAND, ROBINA
THE Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has revealed massive deficiencies in the rollout of the NBN across regional Australia.
The independent survey from the ACMA has found that one in three households are left without phone or internet services when connecting to the NBN.
What’s worse is that more than 10 per cent of households continue to be without services after more than a month. This is a far cry from what NBN Co and the Government claim.
Put simply, this is not good enough for business or households
who rely on these services for work, study and online transactions. It is a shocking indictment on Malcolm Turnbull and his second-rate copper NBN which is just not up to scratch.
Labor has long called for action to improve people’s experience of connecting to the NBN.
The Government must update Australia’s telecommunications consumer-rights framework to include real consumer protections and guarantees.
In 2018, it is absurd that our Universal Service Obligation provides rights for phone boxes but not a household internet connection. That it guarantees access to a telephone but not essential broadband services.
It’s time the Government get serious about this problem. The Government needs to act and act, without delay. They cannot continue to bury their heads in the sand on this matter. Doing nothing is simply not good enough. STEPHEN JONES MP, SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS
THIS whole sorry debacle has been blown all out of proportion.
Ball tampering in cricket has been going on since time immemorial.
The last “gotcha” was when lozenges were used to “treat” the ball. They got caught out, the relevant player was fined and game on, that was the end of it.
Smith, who only had to keep shtum, on the other hand had to be the biggest tittle-tat of all time and not only put himself in the frame but other players and the coach. Onya Smithy. You deserve to be grounded from playing cricket, forever and a day just for being plain stupid. PETER MOY