World Cup 2019: A return to the gentleman's game?

On 14th July 2019, cricket fans witnessed a spectacle that was unimaginable. Even the best sports fiction writer could not have scripted a better story.

The finale of the ICC World Cup 2019 was a treat for the neutral cricket lover, an event to remember for a lifetime. But you couldn't help feel sorry for New Zealand and Kane Williamson, who had to concede the trophy without losing the final.

Much has already been written about the final, so I would like to discuss the other positive aspect of this World Cup: a return to the gentlemanly nature of the game. While the mega event was not short of controversies, one aspect that we were mercifully spared of was misbehaving players.

Since the rise of all-conquering Australians under Steve Waugh with his "mental-disintegration theory", on-field sledging had become par for the course. Waugh successfully used the questionable tactic to go on a 16-Test winning streak. The close-in fielders and the bowler would target the batsmen with non-stop banter, which was often abusive and personal.

The gloves were off, and nothing was off the table. And all of that was 'justified' as a new era of aggressive cricket emerged, where skills with the bat and the ball were as much a part of the game as the ability to handle constant sledging while keeping focus on the game.

However, once Sourav Ganguly and the Indian team stopped the Australian juggernaut using the same tactics, the "mental-disintegration" theory became mainstream. Gradually this extended to press conferences, with mind-games being played against opponents. Nasty on-field and off-field incidents soon became commonplace.

Against that backdrop, the World Cup 2019 painted a different picture. There was hardly any incident where the tempers of players flared up. There seemed to be mutual respect amongst the players.

Even in the highly-charged atmosphere of the India vs Pakistan clash, there was little chatter, and the focus of the game remained between bat and ball. There were many instances of extremely sporting gestures by players.

Virat Kohli requested the Indian fans not to boo his Australian counterpart, Steve Smith, despite his past misdemeanors. This showed remarkable maturity and sportsmanship from the Indian skipper, who was once considered the bad boy of Indian cricket due to his on-field sledging.

Similarly, Ben Stokes requesting the umpires not to credit four overthrows at a crunch situation during the final, showed an extraordinary commitment to sportsmanship over a desire to win at all costs.

Ben Stokes during the crucial overthrow moment in the final

Kane Williamson's silence over the heart-breaking result of the final is testimony to his grace and restraint, when even the most ardent of England supporters felt that the result was unfair to New Zealand.

Cynics may point to Adam Zampa's fine for abusing audibly or Jason Roy's belligerent reaction to his dismissal as celebrating too early. But over such a long-drawn-out tournament, such incidents and their frequency was negligible.

Overall there was a great environment, and there were barely any spats between the players. The spirit of the game was followed, even under testing circumstances.

The conduct of the players during the World Cup makes me hopeful that cricket can move back to being the gentleman's game. If that does indeed happen, England 2019 will be hailed as a return to home for cricket, in more ways than one.