Sports

In the Ashes jubilation, we forget the vitriol levelled at new players

Related Story: Mitch Marsh is back, but does his recall make sense?Related Story: We made a huge mistake: cricket fans say sorry to Ashes hero Shaun Marsh

It is fair to say the selectors nailed it as the nation celebrates the Ashes victory, but they faced a tirade of abuse and criticism for making some bold calls in the lead up to the third Test.

Tim Paine, the Marsh brothers and Cameron Bancroft have all played significant roles in regaining the urn.

Shaun Marsh has averaged almost 75, while Paine has been a strong presence behind the stumps and averaged 43 with the bat.

Mitchell Marsh celebrates maiden Test ton at the WACA

Mitch Marsh produced the knock of his life in the first innings in Perth, scoring 181 and Bancroft has been solid in his debut Test series.

But when the squads were first named, critics, experts, and conspiracy theorists piled it on to both the selectors and the new players.

Paine was plucked from obscurity, Shaun Marsh resumed his place as national whipping boy and Bancroft was allegedly part of an elaborate plot by a "biased" WA coach, Justin Langer, who had too much influence on the Australian team.

"All I was saying is what I saw," Langer said. "Shaun Marsh is literally in the form of his life, he has been for WA.

Shaun Marsh levitates after scoring a century in Adelaide

"He got a hundred for Surrey in his last game of county cricket, he played amazingly well for us at the start of the season, so I said that.

"And how well have they done? It has been brilliant. Three-nil up in the Ashes, all our boys have had an impact."

Social media pressure for selectors

Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith walk off the WACA after day four

It has never been an easy job being an Australian cricket selector, but in today's digital age everyone can have a voice via social media.

Twitter and other platforms started as a pretty cool way to interact with players on what could essentially be a one-on-one basis.

But while athletes seemed to embrace it at first, most have become very selective with what they do and how they engage on social media.

A lot have abandoned it all together.

Mitch Marsh admitted he does not get involved as much as before to avoid the trolls and keyboard warriors.

"I went through a stage where I read everything, Facebook comments and all that sort of stuff," Marsh said in the lead up to the Perth Test.

"At the time, it made me feel pretty shit, to be honest."

'Stay off Twitter': Langer

Langer's advice to his players is pretty simple — avoid it.

PM's XI captain Justin Langer

"I just think there are that many mean-spirited people out there, and they can say whatever they like, and all it does is become a distraction and you can take it to heart," the coach said.

"If I was on Twitter I would get so punchy. I imagine they [Shaun and Mitch Marsh] get sad, but I would get punchy because Mitch and Shaun are the nicest blokes in the world."

Perhaps Indian great Sachin Tendulkar had the right idea when he explained his philosophy to Langer in the changerooms in Adelaide during their playing days.

"I don't read the newspapers, I don't watch the TV, I don't listen to the radio, I just put my music on. I know how I am going," Tendulkar said.

But if players are avoiding social media, those who miss out are the fans.

In a digital world where teams and sports are increasingly controlling what is delivered to the public, social media is one of the few places left where fans can get a real and authentic experience.

Denying fans this interaction makes for pretty dull viewing.

Original Article

[contf] [contfnew]

ABC .net

[contfnewc] [contfnewc]

The post In the Ashes jubilation, we forget the vitriol levelled at new players appeared first on News Wire Now.

Related Posts