For the first time in 125 years, the MCC has banned contestants from climbing the pavilion stairwell after being mistreated
Given the brutality of abuse from Headingley West Terrace towards Australians in this test match, one wonders what additional impact the rude behavior of several MCC members in the long room on Lorde last Sunday had on cricket's reputation.
For the avoidance of doubt, what happened last Sunday is deeply regrettable, but should be put into perspective. If I were in the Long Room, I would silently stare out the window as the Aussies passed by, seeing no reason to justify the lack of sportsmanship in firing Johnny Bairstow. The pompous reaction of the MCC elite and their membership supporters is rooted in snobbery. “Ours” do not behave like football hooligans: this is the fate of the inhabitants of the Western Terrace. Once upon a time, the perpetrators of such faux pas would have been left in a darkened room with a revolver and a bottle of whiskey, but those times, as the MSS itself constantly inspires us, are gone. If you want to be an inclusive club – and MCC wants to be nothing else – then you end up including a few football hooligans: figure it out, as our American cousins say.
The fact is that – as I wrote here last Monday – although what the Australians did was quite within the laws of the game, it was not in its spirit. It doesn't matter what some ill-mannered people in the Long Room said and did; the British sports community, most of which rather charmingly consider cricket (and most sports, of course) to require fair play, decided that the Australians were cheaters (I wouldn't say a word: “smart practices” could be more appropriate). The rest of their tour will now see ridicule, insults and howls from the audience, some of whom may even be sober, due to that extremely unfortunate moment last Sunday. They probably won't mind: but it's the damage they, and not just what one commentator similarly foolishly called the “red-faced” people in the Long Room, have done to our game. I'm afraid the consequences will be more serious than you can imagine.
But first of all, these are the consequences for some of my comrades in the MSS, who behaved in a boorish way. MCC made a rod for his back, allowing the Sky cameras to hit the Holy of Holies. The violence didn't necessarily happen because the cameras were there: I suspect feelings would still have boiled over. Cameras are always around these days, thanks to the smartphone. With another pompous reminder to the participants who filmed the incident with their own camera that they did so in violation of the “rules”, this is yet another example of trying to put the genie back in the bottle.
The complaint about the “rules” was among those made by Club chairman Bruce Carnegie-Brown in a curious email he sent out to members on Thursday. Mr. Carnegie-Brown appears to have panicked over the impact of boorishness on the club's reputation following last week's offensively politicized and self-serving report on racism, sexism and classism. However, given that no criminal offense was committed, I hope I am not the only one concerned by his statement that “we call on any member with information that could lead to the identification of others involved to come forward with a statement” . Your message will be treated confidentially and there is an option to contact anonymously.” The email contains a special link for those who love weed.
It's an overreaction: smacks of a witch hunt; and while the school honor code as far as sycophants is concerned is undoubtedly exactly what the modern ICC wishes to eradicate, as it stinks of elite public schools, such disagreements are hardly meant to create a happy atmosphere in a club already riddled with cabals and internal feuds. . It's hard to avoid comparison to life in Castro's Cuba or occupied France, where power ruled through a network of hated whistleblowers. In any case, the video evidence shows a large number of offenders. This could be an MCC “I am Spartacus” moment.
Bruce Carnegie-Brown, MCC chairman, pictured in the Royal Box on Wimbledon this week. Photo: ZAC GOODWIN/PA
Besides, the members of the club will not be delighted with Mr. Carnegie-Brown's lectures on manners. It was reckless for him to mount his tall horse when he had to resign last year for insulting MCC members who were late to a video meeting by joking about the way they empty their pouch. It showed his true face and what he thinks about the peasantry of the club. His resignation was rejected by the club's governing oligarchy, as expected. I trust that the members he is now so viciously persecuting, who, like him, will momentarily let their guard down, will be treated with the same forgiveness and indulgence. Otherwise, the low-level civil war in the MCC will escalate.
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