Australia succumb to the tyranny of niceness
David Hopps has been dispatched to Perth by the Guardian to cover the aftermath of Bollyline
Andrew Miller
25-Feb-2013
David Hopps has been dispatched to Perth by the Guardian to cover the aftermath of Bollyline. Except, as he's been discovering, there's not a lot of aggro to report. Quite the contrary in fact. The Aussies have been so concerned about minding their Ps and Qs, they've temporarily forgotten how to win a cricket match.
Many psychologists will tell you that niceness is bad for you. Some psychologists even talk about the "tyranny of niceness", the urge that prevents you reaching your full potential. No psychologist is yet on record as saying that niceness can cost you Test matches but, if Australia lose in Perth, Ricky Ponting might well receive a cold call from one.
Australia have occasionally played about as naturally as Pete Doherty at a gig for the WI. Feral appeals have been arrested halfway through. Umpires have received heartfelt apologies for undue enthusiasm. Close-in fielders have politely asked the non-striking batsmen if they are in their way when they clearly are not. They are behaving as cricket would wish them to behave yet they are not entirely comfortable with it.
Elsewhere in The Guardian, Mike Selvey has been musing on the implications of Shane Warne's new favourite sport, Poker.
Well, good for him to get involved in what clearly is a burgeoning market, particularly online. But Texas Hold 'Em's gain is cricket's loss, or more specifically that of Hampshire, the county side he is contracted to lead this coming season as he has done for the past couple of years.
This week it was revealed that he will not be joining them for the start of the season and may miss chunks later on as his poker commitments take over. A contracted cricketer, one of the most famous ever employed by that county, is not going to fulfil his playing obligations because of poker.
Andrew Miller is the former UK editor of ESPNcricinfo and now editor of The Cricketer magazine