Cricket’s role in our national leadership hierarchy has always fascinated me. With hundreds of professional diplomats and politicians, the Governor General and our military leaders – we are regularly told that the Captain of the Australian Mens Cricket Team holds the second most important role in the Country. That’s a big responsibility for a professional sports person who is usually in their 20s.
This week, Steve Smith breached that sacred trust and the outrage has been palpable.
The problem is that human beings are fallible. They make mistakes and sometimes catastrophic mistakes. Ergonomists are regularly telling us that we need to acknowledge human error when we are designing systems of work and building design. It is better to have an engineered avoidance of accidents than it is to rely on people to be constantly on the lookout for hazards.
Even highly qualified and experienced managers and leaders are fallible. While we are constantly preached “personal responsibility” for our actions, everyone needs systems, policies and guidelines to scaffold us during periods of intense stress and distraction or even a simple “brain snap”.
In this current controversy, it is an elder statesman of the game, Steve Waugh who has identified this reality. He recently said:-
“The Australian Cricket team has always believed it could win in any situation against any opposition, by playing combative, skilful and fair cricket, driven by our pride in the fabled Baggy Green.
I have no doubt the current Australian team continues to believe in this mantra, however some have now failed our culture, making a serious error of judgement in the Cape Town Test Match.
In 2003, we modified the Spirit of Cricket document originally created by the M.C.C., to empower our players to set their own standards and commit to play the Australian way.
We must urgently revisit this document, re-bind our players to it and ensure the Spirit in which we play is safe-guarded for the future of the sport, and to continue to inspire the dreams of every young kid picking up a bat and ball and for every fan who lives and breathes the game.
A focused and balanced perspective is needed in the condemnation on those involved in this, with a clear and critical consideration to the social impact and mental health of all players.”
Waugh has nailed it. Instead of crucifying the players, we can condemn their actions and set clearer guidelines to remind future players what is expected from them at all times.
