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Does English cricket have an image problem?

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
Um, well, the problem with this article is that the "poor little England, just a bunch of nice and unassuming blokes" narrative its trying to get across isn't really compatible with the fact that the team's vice captain and another senior player were filmed out late at night beating some guy to the floor in a drunken rage.

The Woakes stuff is neither here nor there. Yeah sure he's probably a fine bloke, but who cares? The fact that the ECB and entire team as a unit look like a bunch of halfwits and thugs has nothing to do with Woakes himself being alright.
 

Woodster

International Captain
Um, well, the problem with this article is that the "poor little England, just a bunch of nice and unassuming blokes" narrative its trying to get across isn't really compatible with the fact that the team's vice captain and another senior player were filmed out late at night beating some guy to the floor in a drunken rage.

The Woakes stuff is neither here nor there. Yeah sure he's probably a fine bloke, but who cares? The fact that the ECB and entire team as a unit look like a bunch of halfwits and thugs has nothing to do with Woakes himself being alright.
No, the Woakes part of it is irrelevant I agree, the rest of the article makes several good points for me. I will never buy that Root, Cook, Moeen, Woakes, Malan, Stoneman, Foakes, etc, etc, are yobs or thugs or that there is a drink problem! Yes some of them like a beer and in Stokes' case he was stupid to have put himself in the situation he found himself in, but the fall out from that and a nothing headbutt is utterly ridiculous! If those lads had thrown a bottle at them, attacked Hales, or tried intimidating two other blokes, they got what they deserved, end of story, they must've known the risks and potential repercussions when they were behaving like idiots!
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
Yeah, but the moral and legal implications of this are kind of irrelevant so are as image is concerned. At the end of the day, Stokes' behaviour has made the entire thing look like a complete shitshow. And it's not just this incident either, you don't have to go much further back to find other instances of embarrassing and stupid behaving. That whole urinating on the pitch incident was another one. These are not the behaviours of good wholesome people, they are the behaviours of neanderthal dullards.

In any event, even if the team etc. aren't a bunch of morons, they're perceived as such, and sometimes perception is as important as reality.

Edit: @ Woodster
 

Woodster

International Captain
Yeah, but the moral and legal implications of this are kind of irrelevant so are as image is concerned. At the end of the day, Stokes' behaviour has made the entire thing look like a complete shitshow. And it's not just this incident either, you don't have to go much further back to find other instances of embarrassing and stupid behaving. That whole urinating on the pitch incident was another one. These are not the behaviours of good wholesome people, they are the behaviours of neanderthal dullards.

In any event, even if the team etc. aren't a bunch of morons, they're perceived as such, and sometimes perception is as important as reality.

Edit: @ Woodster
I agree that the perception of the team isn't great, but surely that's because people would rather read and believe stories that contain something 'juicy', when in fact the truth about many of these are indeed rather dull and not worth the paper they're written on, but where's the fun in that ?

As Geroge says in that article, Strauss and his people could have done a better job at nipping these things in the bud, especially the Bairstow incident, rather than completely changing their beliefs and enforcing a curfew that comes across as an admittance there has been some wrongdoing and misbehaving, when in reality it all seems much ado about nothing, as per usual.
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
I agree that the perception of the team isn't great, but surely that's because people would rather read and believe stories that contain something 'juicy', when in fact the truth about many of these are indeed rather dull and not worth the paper they're written on, but where's the fun in that ?

As Geroge says in that article, Strauss and his people could have done a better job at nipping these things in the bud, especially the Bairstow incident, rather than completely changing their beliefs and enforcing a curfew that comes across as an admittance there has been some wrongdoing and misbehaving, when in reality it all seems much ado about nothing, as per usual.
Apart from the fracturing the eye sockets of civilians, pissing on pitches, being out at 3am during series, and mocking disabled children. Yeah, nothing to see here.
 

Woodster

International Captain
Apart from the fracturing the eye sockets of civilians, pissing on pitches, being out at 3am during series, and mocking disabled children. Yeah, nothing to see here.
Fracturing the eye socket of someone who was clearly looking for trouble, if reports are to be believed. Pissing on a pitch? Seriously? Being out at 3am, like I said previously he was stupid to get himself into a situation where something like that can occur. The impression of Harvey, while it may have been a joke was also ill-advised.

We do seem to be focusing on one individual here, I’m not for one minute saying he’s blameless, but don’t fall into the trap that much of the media are setting into dramatising scenarios to make them sell!
 

quincywagstaff

International Debutant
Haha, that article is brilliant and absolute peak George. England's Number One Fan has never quite understood the role of a journalist. Have a hot cocoa George and get a good night's sleep. It will all be alright.
Yeah, it's become quite embarrassing now, probably because he clearly detests Oz cricket culture and media and it's become toxic in his columns.And on Twitter he's still going down the line that Stokes was a "hero" for his actions.

I wouldn't mind this so much if he was consistent in his views but compare with the Warner/Root incident in 2013 where he suggests Root was generous in not getting the police involved! I usually enjoyed listening/reading Dobell's views but this last few weeks have seen him descend into partisan hackery.
 

Woodster

International Captain
Yeah, it's become quite embarrassing now, probably because he clearly detests Oz cricket culture and media and it's become toxic in his columns.And on Twitter he's still going down the line that Stokes was a "hero" for his actions.

I wouldn't mind this so much if he was consistent in his views but compare with the Warner/Root incident in 2013 where he suggests Root was generous in not getting the police involved! I usually enjoyed listening/reading Dobell's views but this last few weeks have seen him descend into partisan hackery.
Not sure how you can compare the Stokes situation with the Warner/Root incident?! I’m sure Root wasn’t looking for trouble and abusing some innocent bystanders!
 

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