The dropping of Andrew Symonds:

Aussies pay dearly to maintain discipline

Richard Dwight

It is widely acknowledged, that the game of cricket in recent decades, has come to be regarded as a very lucrative happening all round.

More especially in the shorter versions of the game - where quality is sacrificed for speed and a positive result emerges within the specified limited overs.

This quickfire action appeals mostly to the young and not so young, who converge in their thousands at venues.

All of them in turn do help to swell the coffers, which must surely go to warm the cockles of the organisers and yet others.

Prize money, cash awards, perks and other facilities have become far too attractive to be treated lightly.

They do seem to dominate the thinking of cricketers and the winning at all costs does appear to be the 'Be all and end all' of teams. So much so, that the display of sportsmanship, of noble qualities and that of virtue, has become an embarrassment, to be out of alignment within the highly modern world, which is moving fast by the day and hour.

Drastic changes

For the aforesaid reasons, teams are wary of making drastic changes in the composition of the team, lest it turns out to be detrimental to the team's performance.

Viewed in this light in all its entirety, the world of cricket was made to stop for awhile, to reflectively have its bearings and perspectives aright - when on the eve of the international Twenty20 World Cup cricket tournament the Aussie Cricket Board took what must have been a rare, few and far between action, by dropping its key player, Andrew Symonds from the side.

The Board had to resort to such a line of action, because the often wayward Symonds was guilty of a serious breach of discipline. A decision of this magnitude was by no means easy, on the contrary it was a costly one.

For the mercurial Symonds was a fine hitter of the ball, a wily spinner and an excellent fielder - a three in one cricketer. And of course the realisation, that his absence could have a demoralising effect on the team and what's more by his match winning performances could well determine the course of victory for the side.

Discipline

Notwithstanding all this, the Aussie management hit hard in the name and cause of discipline.

To the management it was not the trophy or the tournament that mattered, what was important was discipline.

And so the management did not flinch or waver, but at the most opportune moment struck hard while the iron was hot.

Deterrent

Not so much to serve as a deterrent to Symonds, whose playing days were well nigh over, but to the up and coming youngsters of Australia.

True the Aussies lost out on the Twenty20 World Cup that has now moved over into oblivion. But the reassuring, heartening blow struck to instil discipline, will surely seep into the hearts and minds of the impressionable young, to live on.

There is yet another matter concerning Aussie cricket, that we wish to refer to and that is the growing tendency of the very senior players in Australia - on reaching their peak, with good cricket left in them, retiring on their own volition, to make way for the young. The names of such cricketers who come swiftly to mind are Shane Warne, Glen McGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden. Senior Cricketer's from other countries would do well to emulate them.