Cricket Australia fails the test again on Australia Day

The dread of causing offence over Australia Day – particularly to some of its more politically correct players – has led the sport to become paralysed with fear, writes Tim Blair.

Just like some of its current players, Cricket Australia doesn’t know how to play a straight bat. Its defensive stance is all over the place. Its footwork is terrible.

And that’s because they’ve scared themselves into thinking a perfectly playable pitch is in fact an absolute minefield.

Australia Day should be a doddle for Cricket Australia to deal with.

It’s a national day of celebration for all of our people, and a public holiday, and it happens in summer, so the obvious idea for a mob like Cricket Australia should be to host a cricket game.

It was such an obvious idea that cricket’s previous administrators probably locked in an Australia Day game even before they scheduled the Boxing Day Test.

Patriotic Aussies can’t celebrate our national day at the cricket this year, thanks to Cricket Australia. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

But this summer, for the second year in a row and for only the second time in 31 years, there will be no major cricket game on Australia Day.

One suspects the dead hand of wokeness is guiding this decision. Wokeness has form in this regard.

After all, four years ago Cricket Australia actually dropped the term “Australia Day” from its marketing campaigns.

Beach cricket, however, will still be allowed

This was a little like removing the words “yes” and “no” from a cricketer’s calling vocabulary. Deprived of clear communication, you tend to end up stranded and dismissed.

And that is Cricket Australia’s current position. Fear of causing offence – particularly to some of its more politically bolshie players – has led the sport to become immobilised.

There’s a cricketing term used to describe batsmen who score heavily when everything is in their favour, but who struggle when thing get tough. They’re called “flat-track bullies”.

It isn’t a term of admiration, so it’s therefore perfect for Cricket Australia.

They’ve cashed in massively on the Australia Test team’s success, but caved in when it comes to repaying the Australian public underpinning that success.

Under an old-school regulatory authority, like cricket’s often-tyrannical former Board of Control, players might be directed to make themselves available for Australia Day matches or else be banned from accepting multi-million dollar contracts in, for example, the Indian Premier League.

There’s no need to go that far, but seeing as they’ve given themselves the day off on January 26, players and administrators should go to suburban and regional backyards and parks to observe how ordinary Australians celebrate their national day.

They play cricket. And they’d love to watch it, too.

Originally published as Cricket Australia fails the test again on Australia Day