How the cricket crisis gave blokes permission to cry

THE reaction to our cricketers’ anguish has been surprisingly sensitive. And encouraging men to show their feelings might just be the best thing to come out of this mess, writes Seb Starcevic.

YOU can actually pinpoint the moment Australia decided to forgive Steve Smith.

As the former skipper sobbed through an apology at his first press conference on home soil, something changed. In the face of such naked anguish, the public’s fury fizzled.

This was a man who left for South Africa a national hero, the number one Test batsman in the world, and returned home a pariah, stripped of his captaincy. While the sense of betrayal remained, his career — and life — now lay in tatters; even his most ferocious critics were hard-pressed to maintain their righteous rage.

And so it went for co-conspirators Cameron Bancroft and David Warner, along with coach Darren Lehmann. As uncomfortable as it was to watch these once proud sportsmen at their most raw, their honesty — and the outpouring of compassion that followed — gives me hope. Because if nothing else, more men owning up to their mistakes and feeling they have a licence to cry without being ridiculed is how we beat toxic masculinity.

Former Australian cricket captain Steve Smith apologised for his actions in a raw, emotional press conference. (Pic: Steve Christo)

An athlete tearing up after a particularly devastating loss or hard-fought win is nothing new. Ironically, despite being viewed as a stronghold of hypermasculinity, sport has long been one of the only socially acceptable emotional outlets for men.

But this was no ordinary post-match press conference, and Smith’s tears weren’t over his performance in the game. Given the concerns raised over his mental health, it’s heartening to see sports journalists react with surprisingly sensitive reportage. Five or ten years ago, that might not have been the case.

While there’s been no shortage of cricket puns — “SHOW SOME BALLS,” the Courier Mail demanded on a recent front page, while the NT News, who can always be relied upon for headline gold, ran with “WHY I’VE GOT SOME STICKY NEAR MY DICKY” — the treatment of his breakdown has been more soul-searching.

That’s more than can be said for the UK’s Daily Mail, which ran a photo of a distraught Smith with the caption “CAPTAIN CRY BABY”. Could it be that we’re finally learning?

The approach from the UK’s Daily Mail was criticised on social media. (Pic: Twitter)

Indeed, when a prankster from the Kyle and Jackie O Show interrupted his emotional confession as he fielded questions from the press corps, the reaction was one of universal disgust that anyone could make light of such a dire situation or fail to empathise with someone mid-spiral.

In the end, there’s no doubt the ball-tampering saga will go down as Australian cricket’s annus horribilis. But if it leads us to recognise of some of the social scripts and double standards we unwittingly perpetuate — including how men are culturally discouraged from having an ugly cry — then maybe it’s not all bad.

For the latest from RendezView, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.