Aussies' mission statement (Must win at all costs)

I found this interesting** :hehe:
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Author Michael Jeh’s tongue-in-cheek take on Australia’s Spirit of Cricket

Mission Statement: Must win at all costs

Must accept umpire’s decision graciously at all times, especially when we nick it and the umpire does not realise. This does not apply when we claim a low catch — do not accept umpire’s decision for these dismissals because our reputation for honesty and integrity is a well known fact.

When given out to a bad decision, must ensure that we look aggrieved and throw a bat in the dressing room to show disappointment or frustration.

Must ensure someone in the team (preferably wicketkeeper) develops reputation for “walking” so that when he appeals for caught behinds that are clearly not out, we can trade on that reputation.

Do not engage in sledging under any circumstances. Refer instead to “mental disintegration, white line fever or gamesmanship” and then we can do whatever we like.

We will decide what constitutes acceptable boundaries of sledging and the rest of the world must agree to our definitions.

Now that we’ve finally got a black player in our team, we must become extremely sensitive to racist comments. Forget everything we’ve dished out for the last 30 years. Thank God for Andrew Symonds (Roy)!

As per above, we must make sure that when we return to club cricket, we practice our sledging so that we never lose the knack. Symonds won’t play forever and we may not have a black player for another 125 years.

What happens on the field stays on the field (when we do it). Otherwise, it must be reported to umpire or to Mummy.

Must take strong stance against repeat offenders like Harbhajan. Of course, we never sledge… well, we never sledge more than once in our lives (no need to write that last bit down mate, it was just a rhetorical comment).

Keep defending any bad behaviour. Forget Darren Lehmann incident in 2003 where he made racist comment off the field and then claimed it was “frustration” and we all said he was a good bloke. Note: Whilst Roy is in our team, must be extra careful about making racist comments that might be heard (still OK to sledge but be subtle).

Must try not to get upset when someone sledges us back. Remember McGrath vs Sarwan incident when we started crude sledging and then got very angry when he came back with a beauty.

Must take extreme care when dealing with situations involving mobile phones, British nurses, Indian bookmakers or nightclubs. Now that Warney has retired and Punter is captain, no need to worry about these things anymore. We’ve just decided that we’re sensitive now.

Must tell Sreesanth, Harbhajan, Nel etc not to try to play us at our own game. We sledge better than them and we can always report them to the umpire if necessary. Note: Thankfully, Match Referee always believes our version of the story when there is no proof.

Must keep referring to international cricket in the following terms: Tough, uncompromising, a man’s game etc. Captain and CEO must continue to paint Australian ‘manhood’ as defined by these behaviours so that young kids will continue to think that trash talk and sledging is the way to become a real tough man.

Must keep reminding everybody that it’s only Test cricket if it’s played on fast, bouncy pitches. If it spins and we lose (eg: Mumbai 2004), it’s obviously not real cricket.

Must ensure we lose the tag of ‘Ugly Australians’. More Indian commercial endorsements should fix that. Note: Added bonus = more money for me.
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Team Goal:
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Must not relinquish moral high ground. Our behaviour standards must continue to lead the world. Don’t forget, this is the new Australia.

(Phew, glad that’s over. This Spirit of Cricket thing is a real monkey on our back. Hey Punter, are we allowed to use that word?)

Michael Jeh is a former Oxford Blue and has played senior club cricket in Australia since 1987. He now works at Griffith University in Queensland. As a dark-skinned, true blue (black) Aussie, Michael’s amusing spoof on Australia’s recent moral dilemma owes a little bit to his own experiences of playing club cricket in Brisbane since 1987. It should be read with a spoon of double standards and a pinch of hypocrisy!

Re: Aussies' mission statement (Must win at all costs)

hahaha well said
the most true thing is the line about the message to the kids, but then again, pretty much all of its true

Re: Aussies' mission statement (Must win at all costs)

Funny. And this is the other side of the story. Got it via email before the Perth test. Enjoy!

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MEDIA RELEASE
From the International Cricket Council

Malcolm Speed has this morning announced several changes to the playing conditions for the forthcoming 3rd test in Perth between Australia and India. These changes include:

  1. India must win.
  2. The umpires shall be nominated by the Indian team. It will be acceptable if reserve Indian players rotate as umpires.
  3. During the game all appeals shall be referred to the Indian management team and the Indian media contingent prior to any decision being made. (This includes where an Indian player may appear to the naked eye that they have been bowled.)
  4. When the Indian team is batting the boundary rope shall be moved inwards 20 metres.
  5. Australian bowlers shall bowl under arm.
  6. India must win.
  7. Any time Ricky Ponting is on the field he shall be restrained in a full length strait jacket and muzzled.
  8. Any Australian spin bowler must advise the batsman in advance what type of delivery is going to be bowled.
  9. At any time Andrew Symonds is on the field he must wear a gorilla suit and accept any sledging in the light hearted manner that this is intended.
  10. India must win.
  11. Harbhajan Singh will be cleared on appeal and be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
  12. Indian batsman may be permitted to use larger bats.
  13. Australian batsmen may use a bat every fifth over.
  14. Australian fieldsman should praise every batting attempt by the Indians by saying "Good shot chaps." Apart from this Australian players are not permitted to speak.
  15. During the lunch and tea break both teams shall get together and have a cup of tea.
  16. India must win.

The ICC and the BCCI hope that all Australians will understand these minor changes are intended in the best interest of the game.

The ICC would also like to announce that Steve Bucknor has been appointed as the ICC's new cricketing ambassador to Kazakhstan. The ICC wishes Steve all the best in this important, newly created role.

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Re: Aussies' mission statement (Must win at all costs)

And this is the reply to above e-mail, received before Perth test.

From the International Cricket Council
For immediate release *(especially in Australia)*

The ICC have announced several changes to the playing conditions for the forthcoming 3rd test in Perth between Australia and India. These changes include:

  • Australia must have the 17th win AT ANY COST.

  • Ricky Ponting will continue to officiate as the fifth umpire on field and will adjudicate on any contentious catch, on what he thinks is a contentious catch.

  • During the game all appeals against Australian players will be referred to Bruce Oxenford(Third umpire), who reserves the right to give the batsmen not out if there is a reasonable doubt, like any of the three stumps still standing.

  • Australian batsmen(especially Michael Clarke) will decide whether they will leave the pith or not even when it appears to the naked eye they have been bowled.

  • When the Australian team is batting, any shot that clears the pitch area will be considered a boundary.

  • Australian bowlers can bowl under arm(as in the past) when they feel the situation requires it.

  • Australia must have the 17th win at any cost.

  • Any time Ricky Ponting is on crease the TV cameras will focus only on Indian players and stump microphones will be turned off so he can abuse the opposition and their families as much as he likes.

  • Any time Andrew Symonds is on the field he should accept any sledging in the light hearted manner, just the way he has been sledged all his career even when he minds his own business without uttering a word.

  • Australia should have the record AT ANY COST.

  • Andrew Symonds will be nominated for the 'Victim of the Year' award due to the injustices he had to endure when he didn't even provoke any of the opposition with his "Light Hearted remarks".

  • Australian batsmen can use bats made of any material(even Steel).

  • An Indian batsman will be considered out if the ball touches any part of his bat or body, especially if Gilchrist appeals(because we all know he walks!).

  • All stump mics will have a red and green lights, indicating when they are on or off. When the light is red, the mic is on and Australian fieldsman should praise every batting attempt by the Indians by saying "Good shot chaps". When the light is green, the mic is off and Australian fieldsmen can abuse the opposition to their heart's content.

  • During the lunch and tea break both teams shall get together and have a cup of tea. Indian team is supposed to leave anything that happened on the field right there while Australian team reserves the right to complain if any of there abuse is returned.

  • Australia must have the 17th win AT ANY COST.

The ICC and ACB hope that all Indians will understand these minor changes are intended in the best interest of the game.

The ACB will also like to announce that it will award Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson with honorary Australian citizenship on Australia Day, to recognize there great service to Australian cricket in ensuring a 16th straight victory.