New cricket captain has more to do than win

We may never know whether Swisse Ultivites have side effects causing irritibility and obnoxiousness or whether Ricky Ponting was just cracking under the pressure of being a losing captain in a batting slump. Either way, the arrogance Ponting displayed over the last few years lost him and the Australian cricket team some of their biggest fans, including me.

Statistically, Ponting is possibly the greatest Australian cricketer ever – he has made the most Test runs and the most One Day International (ODI) runs of any Australian. He has the most ODI centuries of any Australian and the most ODI catches of any Australian. He is widely accepted to be the best fielder ever (perhaps second only to South African legend Jonty Rhodes). Under Ponting’s captaincy, Australia equaled the record of 16 straight Test wins. And he has won more Tests as captain than anyone, ever.

Yet the tears haven’t flowed for his resignation as they should for a cricketer with such an outstanding record. The way the Ponting led Australian team intimidated umpires by over-appealing and prolonging appeals has bought bad blood from opposing teams and fans. They maintained (and some say increased) the level of sledging on the field even after Darren Lehmann took it to its racist conclusion against Sri Lanka in 2003 and was banned for five matches. As captain, Ponting would hypocritically call foul on opposing teams for sledging or general bad sportsmanship and then allow his team to sledge and stand his ground when he knew he was out. Alan Border was quoted in the Herald Sun today saying that Ponting, “wears his heart on his sleeve”. Although Ponting was an incredibly exciting cricketer and a joy to watch, the belligerent captain hasn’t served the game well and shouldn’t have been selected for the captaincy in 2004.

To be fair, Ponting’s judgment was not always wrong. He did clearly demarcate himself from the racist outbursts of Perth cricket spectators in 2005, stating, “there’s no room in sport for racism whatsoever”. After a call from the Federation of Indian Students, Ponting shot a video expressing his opposition to the attacks on Indian students. With International cricket’s ability to rabidly breed nationalism and racism, cricketers have a responsibility to stand up to racism wherever they can have an impact. The entire team should have been a visible part of the campaign in support of the Indian students and fell short of their responsibilities.

New captain, Michael Clarke, has his work cut out - most obviously to turn around Australia’s fortunes with the bat and ball and try to re-build a young Australian team. Critics say Ponting was no tactician but Clarke should attempt to look beyond innovative field placements in his role. He should have the courage to change the polluted culture of the side. Reject the old traditions of intimidation and sledging (and beer races on board Qantas flights to London if they haven’t already) and lay the foundations for a serious cricket squad that can set the anti-racist, anti-bullying tone for junior cricketers around the country.

Why I Won’t Watch

I had tickets to see the third round Australian Open clash between World Number 12, Shahar Peer, and Flavia Penetta on Hisense Arena but I did’t go. It wasn’t because Peer has a weak kick serve or that her counterpunch style of play is boring, it was because Shahar Peer is an Israeli tennis player.

Peer has no qualms about the Israeli Government’s treatment of the Palestinian people and moreover is a proud former enlistee of the Israeli military. While she happily represents such a regime, I can’t happily support her.

On her military service Peer’s website states, “Shahar and her family strongly believe in the importance of contributing and giving back to the country. Shahar realized the importance of carrying out this service and felt it was her duty as an Israeli citizen.”

Peer’s strong belief in Zionism (that the area of land formerly known as Palestine should be the Jewish state of Israel) is the norm for Jews in Israel. It is likely fuelled by her upbringing, her religion and reinforced by the fact that her Grandmother spent much of her childhood in concentration camps. Her Grandmother’s family all died in the Holocaust except her Grandmother and her Grandmother’s sister.

Despite the appalling persecution of the Jewish people during the Holocaust and numerous other instances throughout history, Zionist Jews have no right to create a Jewish state in Palestine and then proceed to treat Palestinians like second class citizens.

Parallels have been drawn with apartheid South Africa and some black South Africans say that the situation for the Palestinians is even worse. Since Israel was established on Palestinian land in 1948, war after war has been fought between the Palestinian Arabs (originally a majority of the population) and the Jewish Israelis. In the initial 1948 war, 700 000 Arabs were displaced from their homes and became refugees. Over the next 63 years the Israeli government sought to expand the borders of Israel, from 52% of the Palestinian region to 88% today.

The most recent war occurred in 2009 when the Israeli government launched a vicious assault on part of the remaining Palestinian territory, the Gaza strip. The assault killed approximately 1400 Palestinians and injured approximately 5000. From the injured, 1600 were children. In contrast, 13 Israelis were killed during the same time frame. Palestinians’ movements are constantly restricted by a series of armed checkpoints. These Israeli checkpoints also control the Palestinian borders and often block aid supplies to Palestine.

Although Peer actively promoted the Israeli military by posing for a photo in uniform in front of a tank smiling and saluting, writing an article for an Israeli local paper and verbally repeating her support for her decision, she says she is for peace. In the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict, actively promoting service in the Israeli military goes no way to advancing peace. Her actions have helped legitimise the Zionist crusade to establish a Jewish state no matter what the cost to Palestinian lives or homes.

There are other Israelis who also want peace but instead of promoting the military, they are refusing to complete their military duty. They are called “refuseniks” and range from groups of high school students who have signed letters vowing not to complete their compulsory military service through to ex-IDF soldiers who refuse to complete future missions in the occupied territories of Palestine. There are also groups of Jewish people inside Israel and around the world who campaign in other ways to stop the Israeli government’s attacks on Palestine.

After the Gaza War in January 2009, protests against Israel increased throughout the world. This caused problems for Peer who was denied a visa for the Dubai Championships in 2009 and was met by protestors at the ASB Classic in Auckland in 2009 and 2010. After support from Andy Roddick who boycotted Dubai in solidarity with Peer as well as Venus Williams who spoke out for Peer’s cause and the Women’s Tennis Association who fined the Dubai tournament a record $300000, Peer was allowed to compete in Dubai the following year. She vows to return again in 2011. However, instead of enduring the same controversy at Auckland again in January 2011, she decided to play the Brisbane International instead.

Peer was by no means the first or only high-profile Israeli sports star to confront Palestine solidarity protests. The Israeli (men’s) Davis Cup team was forced to play in an empty stadium as protests caused security concerns in Sweden in 2009. In the same year the Israeli basketball team had coins and lighters pelted at them from the crowd as they ran on to the court in Turkey. They went back into the locker room and refused to come out again and subsequently had to forfeit the Eurocup match. During the Beijing Olympics an Iranian swimmer, Mohammad Alirezaei, refused to race the 100m breastroke against an Israeli. And in the previous Olympics at Athens, Iranian Judo world champion, Arash Miresmaeili, refused to face an Israeli in the first round.

In another instance, a small group of Palestinian militants looked to violence in their protest, abducting and killing 11 Israeli team members at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Protesting a sports person or a sports event, even in a peaceful way, is often deeply unpopular, especially in a country like Australia where nationalism and sporting pride is rife. Former anti-Apartheid activist John Minto points out that protesting sport “is not a popularity contest” and if it was, in a contest between protestors and the athletes, the public would almost always support the athletes.

This is largely because mainstream opinion offers that sport and politics should be kept separate. The Secretary General of the Israeli Olympic Committee Efraim Zinger agrees, "Our position is that there needs to be a complete separation between sports and politics. In fact, we need sports as a bridge between people particularly during times of tension." Talks were held last week to begin building stronger ties between Israel and Palestine in the lead up to the London Olympics. At the meeting held in Switzerland, Israel guaranteed to lift travel restrictions to allow Palestinian athletes more access to sports facilities.

Up until now, Palestinian athletes have had enormous difficulties in being able to train and compete. Reports tell us that elite soccer players are forced to train on concrete pitches as there is only one real soccer field in the West Bank area of Palestine which is almost impossible to access due to the Israeli checkpoints. In Gaza, one of the few soccer pitches was bombed by Israel in 2006. The Israeli army admitted deliberately aiming at the field. As a result of these setbacks, it is not unusual for Palestinian teams to compete without training together. Team administration have been detained and interrogated at the Israeli border while on tour and three men’s national soccer league players were killed when their homes were bombed during the Gaza War in 2009.

It is hypocritical for Israel to talk about separation of politics from sport and criticise acts against their players at the same time that Palestinian athletes are being affected by Israel’s oppression and Shahar Peer is used to help promote the Israeli Defense Force. Sports and politics aren't separate because athletes don't compete in a bubble. What happens in their communities effects their livelihoods and their ability to train and play.

Recently a boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign was launched in solidarity with the Palestinians urging governments around the world to cut economic, social, cultural and sporting ties with Israel. It is in the context of this campaign that Australians should re-think any involvement they have with Israel such as supporting Peer at the tennis. Boycotting and protesting against Peer’s matches is as much about sending support to the refuseniks and the Palestinian resistance as it is about making a statement about Peer’s role in legitimising Israel’s oppression of the Palestinians.

A similar boycott campaign was carried out against apartheid South Africa and the sports boycotts were regularly the most high profile and controversial solidarity actions in that campaign. The actions gave inspiration to the South Africans fighting for equality and added to the pressure on South Africa's rulers. It is hoped the same might happen in Israel and Palestine.

Howard chalks up another election defeat at the ICC

For those of us who thought we’d never have to see John Howard again after he was turfed out of Australian parliament in spectacular fashion in 2007, the news in January this year that he may be heading up the International Cricket Council came as a nasty shock. It seems that Howard’s $330,000 pension, free travel, office and car that he receives for the rest of his life at tax payer’s expense weren’t enough. Howard wanted his dream job - President of the International Cricket Council.

Although Howard’s bowling action resembles Monty Burns and he has no cricket administration experience, when the Cricket Australia board (which includes Howard’s former Defence Minister, Ian McLachlan) came knocking looking for someone to stand up to the clout of India, Howard, being a self-confessed cricket tragic, was more than happy to oblige.

Unfortunately for Howard and Cricket Australia the racist policies he pushed as a politician have come back to bite.

In 2007 Howard banned the Zimbabwe cricket team from touring Australia in opposition to Mugabe’s regime. Although not hypocritical in itself, when you consider that in the 1980’s Howard opposed economic sanctions against apartheid South Africa, it is no wonder that the nations involved in the ICC are dubious.

While Prime Minister, Howard called Sri Lankan cricketer Muralitharan a chucker even though repeated scientific tests proved that his bowling action was legal. Howard also chimed in on a controversial match between Pakistan and England, supporting Australian umpire Darrell Hair in his decision to award the match to England amongst ball-tampering accusations.

It is not clear which objections caused some members of the ICC to block Howard as no official explanations have been given. From his harsh stance on asylum seekers to his support for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, any number of Howard’s racist policies may have been factors.

Howard’s lack of cricket administration experience was unlikely to be the reason he was blocked. The newly appointed ICC President from India, Sharad Pawar, is also a politician who has a limited cricket background.

In the end only the three “white nations” on the ICC supported Howard’s nomination – England, New Zealand and Australia. Six nations - India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, South Africa and the West Indies signed a letter in opposition to Howard’s appointment. Zimbabwe did not have to offer an opinion since no vote was taken.

It is no wonder Howard felt well qualified to take up the reins of the ICC since its history is steeped in racism. Australia, England and South Africa established the very white Imperial Cricket Council in 1909. South Africa was disallowed membership from the 1960’s but Australia and England continued to run the ICC together as its only foundation members, having veto over all decisions of the ICC and displaying an elitist view towards the other nations. After several years of applying Sri Lanka was the first country to be allowed full membership in 1981.

Howard’s rejection has caused an outcry amongst Australian sports commentators who believe the move is “disrespectful” to Australia and a power-play by India. While certainly a power-play on all sides, Howard’s rejection is far from disrespectful. The Indian press are right in pointing out that it was insensitive for a country like Australia with a long history of racism, including recent inaction around the attacks on Indian students, to nominate a candidate with Howard’s record.

The ICC’s Presidential appointments operate on a rotating basis. This year it is Australasia’s turn to nominate a candidate for Vice President for the next two years who will then be appointed President for the following two years. Australia and New Zealand have been told by the ICC to find someone else. Let’s hope they accept the objections of the other cricketing nations and keep Howard watching from the sidelines.

Origin Star Quits Over Racist Sledge By Assistant Coach

Rugby League star Timana Tahu has quit the NSW State of Origin team after assistant coach, Andrew Johns, made a racist comment during training.

While leading a team training session analysing video footage of Aboriginal player Greg Inglis, Johns reportedly told NSW players, “You must shut that black c… down.”

It is believed that Tahu privately simmered over Johns’ comments for two days before he decided to quit the NSW team in protest. While Tahu is being hailed as a hero, and rightly so, Johns has quit his coaching role and apologised.

Rugby League players have rallied around Johns, criticising his comments but reassuring us that he is not a racist. It’s time for these players to get real - if John’s actions don’t make him a racist then I don’t know what does.

Tahu isn’t the first Rugby League player outraged by racism in the game. Anthony Mundine fought a drawn out battle to pursue Barry Ward for racist taunts he made in 1998. Ward was eventually fined $10 000 by the sport which was later halved. Mundine was outraged. In 2009 after a series of similar racist sledges against other players, Mundine called on the ARL to take more action to stamp out racism in the sport.

Although players like Mundine have stood up time and time again and lodged complaints against racist slurs on the field, Tahu’s resignation has shone the spotlight well and truly on racism in sport and commentators are predicting that this will be a watershed moment for League.

It is no surprise that racism is alive and well in sport today. Sports players’ behaviour reflect society’s and with the continued discrimination of Aboriginal people by the Rudd Government including the expansion of the racist Northern Territory Intervention, racism is alive and well in Australian society. By continuing discrimination from the top, racist comments like those from Johns are legitimised.

Tahu joins a long list of courageous sportspeople including Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Tommie Smith and John Carlos who have stood up against racism and made an impact in the wider community.

With Tahu’s protest making headline news around the country, let’s hope that his actions inspire others to stand up against injustices, even if it takes courage and sacrifice.