Database Records

But we're not talking about the players themselves and what they think we're talking about the crowd and crowd behaviour and I can tell you for certain that people in the crowd want to see batsmen hit. I don't know where you sit at the cricket but from where I do people were calling out for it to happen......and not just in Sydney. 

They had to retouch his portrait in theLong Room because his ball bag was too big.........lol

I get the first part, but even if people think he should have been banned for longer (which is RIDICULOUS considering the punishments handed out to people before him), there is a time to at least shut up. I disagree totally with the second part, as would most of the players you mention. And I'm not being ******* naive. I love seeing batsmen ducking for cover (danger is an inherent part of the game) but the ultimate goal is to use a hit to the batsman (or the idea of a hit) to put doubt in their mind so you get them out. And there is a big difference between hitting someone on the arm, shoulder, fingers etc or a glancing blow to the head and someone getting KO'd like Smith did.  And anyway, even if there is a desire to see someone hit, that is still VERY different to actively booing someone coming back from a hit.  The game is about taking a hit and showing the courage to come back. Booing someone for doing that is disrespecting the game. The GREAT thing about cricket - until now - has been the respect that people - teams and fans - show the oppositon. I've been at the SCG when the whole crowd was literally cheering every time Lara hit a boundary, they were in that much awe. But in the past few years there has been WAY too much focus on the battle - even with those stupid CH 9 documentaries with that voice over: "Ashes Battles blah blah". And things like the Aussie administrators putting up that giant hand on stage showing 4-0 when we won the Ashes. A lack of respect for the opposition and the game. If there is one good thing to come from Newlands, it is that the Aussie team and administrators have started to respect the game again. Let's see if the other countries follow suit (and our fans too).