Australian cricketer Bert Oldfield is struck in the head by Harold Larwood during the Bodyline series of 1933.
A furious Australian Cricket Board telegraphed their English counterparts,accusing the touring team of “unsportsmanlike” behaviour. The comment didn’t go down well in London –English administrators demanded Australia withdraw the accusation. The tension escalated,ultimately leading to concerns that England would organise a trade boycott of Australia. The situation only settled when no less than Australian prime minister Joseph Lyons,who was conscious of the vulnerability of the Australian economy,pleaded with his cricket board to withdraw the “unsportsmanlike” slur.
It’s one of the most fascinating episodes in Australian cricket history,and a classic example of how,even 90 years ago,sport and politics were deeply intertwined. It’s a story I often think about when the dull and ahistorical refrain to “keep politics out of sport” crops up.
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The issue reemerged recently followingCricket Australia’s decision to boycott an upcoming series in Afghanistan in response to the Taliban-led government’s policies targeting women. The decision has divided the cricket community. While many have congratulated Cricket Australia for taking a stand,others bemoaned it as a setback for growing popularity of cricket in Afghanistan,one of the sport’s most exciting developments.
One of the most interesting things about the decision,however,is that unlike other examples of political intervention from sporting codes,it wasn’t in response to a grassroots call for action. This was a top-down decision made by Cricket Australia executives in consultation with the Australian government. This is significant because in recent years those two institutions have attempted to keep up the charade that politics and sport shouldn’t mix.
Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley denied cancelling the Afghanistan tour in response to its government’s policies was a political decision.Credit:Brook Mitchell
In fact,Cricket Australia’s CEO Nick Hockley has attempted to maintain the notion that politics and cricket don’t mix,despite making one of the most politically charged calls in recent cricket history.