Ball Tampering Gate: Why So Serious?

My first reaction to the hysteria about the recent ball tampering news was, “Why so serious?” Of course, I don’t condone any form of cheating. But the outpour of morality and sanctity in today’s cynical times is rather pretentious.

For those unaware, three Australian cricketers, the captain Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft admitted to ball tampering after being caught on camera. Smith and Warner have been banned by the Australian cricket board for one year, while Bancroft has received a nine-month ban. The rabid reactions coming from politicians, media and social media warriors are utterly opportunistic and hypocritical. 

Everyone is taking a dump on Steve Smith and company. This is not just Steve Smith’s failure but also the society’s failure on the whole. We live in an era of moral decadence where we are brainwashed to do whatever it takes to succeed in life. Hollywood, television, media and the ubiquitous cynics convey the same notion repeatedly. Gone are the days when Hollywood was just an entertainment industry. Now it has grown into a cult and a sort of a cultural guild. Hollywood needed a change, it turned overly cynical and darker, and so did the society. (Whether Hollywood is inspired by society or society is inspired by Hollywood, is like asking if an egg came before a chicken. Nonetheless, it’s a scientific fact that television plays a major part in brainwashing people.) It’s not just Hollywood but this sensibility comes from everywhere: you have to be brutal, ruthlessly competitive and do whatever it takes to succeed in life. Morals are laughed at. Happy endings in movies are looked down upon as unreal and lowbrow. People have become like how they are shown in highbrow Hollywood: dour, sociopathic and utterly unremarkable. When you make sociopathy a norm and a “cool” trait, how can you expect morality in return?

In the 1972 film The Godfather, Vito Corleone was a gangster but had strong morals. He refused to deal in sex and drugs, which made him numerous enemies and led to an attempted assassination on him. However, now popular culture cheers the professor who manufactures and distributes crystal meth; it also insults those who don’t like the show. The icons have changed. The parameters of morality have changed. This change in sensibilities is bound to reflect in every aspect of life. 

The Australian cricket culture in particular brags about its tough brand of cricket. When a former Australian cricketer like Steve Waugh is deeply hurt by ball tampering, it is ironic. For it was Steve Waugh who created this hyper-competitive culture of bullying. In his successful career, he claimed two catches that he had clearly dropped but went undetected by the umpires. In other words, he deliberately cheated. It was under him that Australia became one of the most notorious, loud-mouthed team. They abused and sledged opponents to get under their skin, for they believed it was part of the sport. It became a norm. When they sledged, the opponents obviously retorted and at times “crossed the line”, much to the displeasure of Australian cricketers. But who’s to decide what’s the line? Wasn’t it inevitable? When you continue to intimidate someone, things are likely to turn ugly. The repercussions were obvious: like the disgraceful incident between Sarwan and McGrath in 2003, or when David Warner punched an English cricketer in a pub, or just this month when a South African fast bowler shoved an Australian cricketer in the dressing room. For someone like Steve Waugh to get in a moral outrage over this is unfortunately hypocritical. To make it clear, I am not a hater of Australian cricket. They were my favourite team in the era of Shane Warne. 

This is not even about Australian cricket but the society itself. Instead of falling into the traps of political opportunism and hyper-moralism, it is time for the society to get into a deep introspection.