Coaches must teach and insist on the Spirit of Cricket

The International Cricket Council's vision for cricket is that it should captivate and inspire people of every age, gender, background and ability while building bridges between continents, countries and communities. Central to this ambition is promoting the Spirit of Cricket, an ethos on how the game should be played and viewed both on and off the field.

When the current Code of Laws was introduced by MCC, in 2000, it included, for the first time, a Preamble defining the Spirit of Cricket. As it says: "Cricket is a game that owes much of its unique appeal to the fact that it should be played not only within its Laws but also within the Spirit of the Game. Any action which is seen to abuse this Spirit causes injury to the game itself". The Preamble goes on to explain the roles and responsibilities of captains, players and umpires in respecting and upholding the Spirit of Cricket.

As coaches, managers, parents, schoolteachers or spectators what do we expect from our players? What do we want from cricketers at the top level? Do we want them to accept the Spirit of Cricket and play fairly or do we expect them to take every opportunity to deceive the umpires, the opposition and everyone watching? When asked these questions, most, if not all, lovers of the game will say that players should “play hard, play fair”. If that is the case it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that present and future players are aware of what this means.

The Spirit of Cricket is explicit in putting ultimate responsibility for the way in which the game is conducted into the hands of the captains. The preamble states:
“Captains and Umpires together set the tone for the conduct of a cricket match.”
“The Captains are responsible at all times for ensuring that play is conducted within the Spirit and traditions of the Game as well as within the Laws.”
“The Umpires are the sole judges of Fair and Unfair Play.”

Cricket is different from other team games in that the umpire or referee is expected to work through the captains of the teams to instil discipline and control. In cricket there are no yellow or red cards, as in rugby, football or hockey, with which an official can dismiss a player from the field. The Laws make it clear that “the major responsibility for ensuring the spirit of fair play rests with the captains.”

There will be many situations where the captain feels the pressure of the position. No book is better than Mike Brearley’s Art of Captaincy as a training manual, amongst many other things, which should be read by all captains. This alludes to the numerous responsibilities of the captain. Are we, as coaches, managers, teachers and administrators, doing our bit in preparing captains for their responsibilities? Although an understanding of Fair Play starts at school or in junior club teams and needs to be taught from an early age, it is the high-profile matches and the first-class cricketers who set the tone which will be followed consciously or subconsciously by players in lowlier games. There is therefore a huge responsibility placed upon international players and, in particular, the captains to play cricket according to the Spirit of the Game. Managers, coaches and administrators should insist upon it and should be clear in their expectations. Past players are often very clear in giving their views, even if at times these views are not welcomed by the present generation of cricketers.

As Mike Brearley says, captains are, of course, expected to help select, then lead and motivate the team. On the field they set fields, change bowlers, analyse the weaknesses of opponents, maximise the strengths of their own team, keep alert at all times to opportunities to press home any advantage and do their utmost to win. They are also expected to ensure that their own batting, bowling and fielding (or wicket-keeping) does not suffer from any lapses in concentration and that their own position in the team is merited by their personal results. Off the field they have to prepare themselves and other team members and pre-empt possible rifts between players in the dressing room that might damage team spirit. They must communicate with all members of the selected team, with players who may have been dropped or who were close to selection, in addition to discussing their tactical thoughts with and listening to coaches, managers, committees and everyone else who invariably has ideas to put into the mix. We do expect a huge amount from our captains at every level of the game. On top of all of this, the preamble to the Laws demands that captains maintain a spirit of fair play. This is where captains must be able to maintain their composure and react to difficult situations in a balanced way. It may be one of the hardest parts of the role, but this is when the best captains stand out, whether they are men or women, boys or girls.

What do we expect captains to do in the following circumstances?
1) If, when the captain is the non-striker, a batting partner hits the ball in the air to backward cover and stays at the crease, when the fielder claims to have caught the ball and there has been little doubt that the ball carried.
2) If a close fielder in their own team claims a catch that the catcher and several others know has bounced before being caught.
3) If one of their bowlers is illegally tampering with the ball, which is starting to swing on a flat pitch.
4) If a fast bowler has received a first warning from the umpire for bowling too many short-pitched deliveries at a number eleven batsman and is furious that the team is unable to take the last wicket, despite the fielding team all being convinced that the batsman nicked an earlier delivery.
5) If they know that one of their close fielders has been verbally abusing batsmen, out of range of the umpires’ hearing, in order to destroy their concentration.
6) If an opposition batman is inadvertently knocked to the ground by the bowler while running and is therefore unable to gain his ground before the bails are removed. Most coaches will remember that this happened at the Oval one-day international this year between England and New Zealand.

In the vast majority of cases there will be no television cameras and so there can be no recourse to a slow-motion replay and the decision of a third umpire. In any case, the Laws are explicit in stating that the match is in the hands of the captains and the players, guided by the umpires on the field, who are only authorised to intervene in certain situations. In the dressing room it is extremely difficult to be involved in an incident which happens in the heat of the moment, although a schoolteacher or coach might be in a position to intervene quickly from the boundary in a junior game. Would we expect a different reaction from the captain if the game were televised? More importantly, should we expect the captain to react in the same way whether or not there is promotion or relegation at stake in the match?

These are all questions that we should be asking ourselves, if we are responsible for the teaching or coaching of the game. Is the Spirit of Cricket clear in its instruction? The wording of the preamble to the Laws, which most players will probably not have read, could not be clearer in some of these situations in question:

The Spirit of the Game involves RESPECT for:

Your opponents
Your own Captain and team
The role of the Umpires
The game’s traditional values

It is against the Spirit of the Game:

To dispute an Umpire’s decision by word, action or gesture
To direct abusive language towards an opponent or Umpire
Indulge in cheating or any sharp practice, e.g.
a) appeal, knowing that the Batsman is not out
b) advance towards an Umpire in an aggressive manner when appealing
c) seek to distract an opponent either verbally or by harassment with persistent clapping or unnecessary noise under the guise of enthusiasm and motivation of one’s own side

The Umpires are authorised to intervene in cases of:

Time wasting
Damaging the pitch
Intimidatory bowling
Tampering with the Ball
Any other action that they consider to be unfair

In an ideal world we would all agree on the answers to the questions above, but cricketers are all individuals and there may be a variety of responses to these situations. The fundamental point behind the Spirit of Cricket is RESPECT. If we accept this, the responses from the captain to the situations above are relatively easy:

1) If one genuinely respects one’s opponents, there should be no reason for not accepting an opponent’s word that the ball has been caught and therefore no reason to stay at the crease. The captain should feel duty-bound to intervene. Although this is not the question raised, it may also be relevant to ask whether it makes any difference if the ball has carried, not to backward cover, but to the wicketkeeper.
2) It is against the Spirit of the Game to cheat; therefore captains should not accept fielders in their team who blatantly cheat by claiming a catch that has not reached them without bouncing.
3) The umpires are authorised to intervene in cases of tampering with the ball, but the captain should not stand by and let it happen.
4) The umpires are also authorised to intervene in cases of intimidatory bowling. However, captains should be controlling their bowlers, so that the aggression, which is a necessary part of bowling fast, does not spill over into too many short-pitched deliveries.
5) It is against the Spirit of the Game to direct abusive language towards an opponent. The umpires are authorised to intervene in cases of any other action that they consider to be unfair, so both captains and umpires should condemn this practice.
6) In the final situation there is no real reason for an umpire to intervene, except in an advisory capacity. Although the collision was in all probability an accident, it is a situation which places the batsman in an unfortunate and unfairly disadvantageous position through no fault of his own. Most captains have an understanding of their options, one of which is always that an appeal may be withdrawn. Umpires only give their run-out decisions following an appeal. The initial decision not to withdraw the appeal at the Oval resulted in a most unpleasant atmosphere between the teams and the need for an apology, which fortunately was forthcoming publicly at the presentation ceremony.

In some cases it has been argued that the umpires are present to make decisions and therefore everything should be left to them. It has also been argued that batsmen may receive correct and incorrect decisions against them and therefore they should not do anything until the umpire’s decision has been given. There is no doubt that many players believe this, if we are to judge by watching some batsmen at all levels of the game. Is this what we believe to be the Spirit of the Game? Is this showing respect for the umpires and our opponents? Is this approach engendering the atmosphere in which we want to play our cricket? Will this make cricket a better game? My view is clear, but the game is in the hands of those who coach and play it today. Perhaps we should include with these two groups of participants the cricket press and media, who also have a huge influence over spectators, readers and followers of cricket.

Let us go back to where we started. The Captains are responsible at all times for ensuring that play is conducted within the Spirit and traditions of the Game as well as within the Laws. It is the responsibility of coaches and managers, schoolteachers and administrators to guide and monitor captains, support them in difficult times and insist on their understanding what their role demands in different situations. As is stated in Law 42.18 (Players’ Conduct), “In the event of any Player failing to comply with the instructions of an Umpire, criticising his decisions by word or action, or showing dissent, or generally behaving in a manner which might bring the game into disrepute, the Umpire concerned shall in the first place report the matter to the other Umpire and to the Player’s Captain requesting the latter to take action.” It is not the umpire who is responsible for the discipline on the field; it is the captain, even if, on occasions, it may be necessary for the umpires to point out those responsibilities.

Ultimately, the game of cricket will change through different generations. Anyone who has been a schoolteacher will know and expect that “children will be children” and will always set themselves against authority. Equally the teaching profession knows that “teachers must be teachers” and react accordingly. So with sportsmen, there will often be the temptation to try to gain an advantage by means of gamesmanship, occasionally leading into cheating. The cricketers of today will often see a situation in a different light and react as their emotions take them. It is the responsibility of today’s coaches, managers, teachers and administrators to protect the universal truths of the game and explain convincingly to those in their charge what they expect from them and, most importantly, what the Laws expect and what the Spirit of Cricket demands. The success of the Spirit of Cricket initiative depends upon the willingness of players, coaches, officials and administrators at all levels to embrace the concept and apply it in their approach to every game.

This article began with the International Cricket Council’s comments, so let us return to part of the ICC’s definition of the Spirit of Cricket.

“Cricket enjoys a unique mix of attributes in international sport. It is underpinned by rich traditions and high values; it is played under a guiding principle of respect; it evokes passion, commitment and excitement; it is truly multi-cultural, it stands proudly on the world's sporting stage, it is a sociable game that forges deep long-lasting friendships; it is a team sport that combines skill, strategy, endeavour and athleticism; above all it is a game that means many different things to many different people and provides endless joy to those that it touches.”

Those rich traditions and high values will only survive if we are all vigilant and do our best to preserve them.

Roger Knight
24 September 2008