Cricket has a long history; its roots provide an interesting mosaic of human behaviour over the centuries it has been played.

The noble origins of the sport as a genteel game of rules, laws and traditions played by gentlemen, displaying their conduct rather than their cricketing prowess, led to the familiar traditional branding, 'the gentlemen's game'.

Looking back, winning certainly was masked by a complex social web as the age of chivalry transposed its medieval principles of knighthood upon the game. Rules of engagement were highly respected laws defining behaviour in a world where honour and the moral high ground defined victory. In this way many battles were forfeited in waging an honourable victory - these wars were often interjected with tea-breaks on the battlefield.

'Players who once fell on their own swords in honour are now being paid to behave normally'


Fast-forward to Australia circa the 21st century. Although winning is important, it has not become the primary motivation for the game; it is image that has replaced honour as the goal. The world has itself become the game and cricket itself is merely another marketing opportunity. It's the culture of marketing versus the marketing of culture.

In this professional era of cricket, the last of its old world principles has just been commodified. Players who once fell on their own swords in honour are now being paid to behave normally. The IPL has introduced the Fly Kingfisher Fair Play Awards and this provides for the pecuniary rewarding of players for showcasing their proper behaviour ahead of now customary 'bad boy' antics. This Pavlovian reward system must truly be cricket's final frontier.

Proteas' fans have joined the worldwide cricketing community in dismay at this prostitution of cricket largely aimed at the wayward Aussies. The moral fabric of the game is in decline and fans who have witnessed this move on the heels a most acrimonious India vs Australia tour highlight that it's no coincidence that Australia have been at the helm of the sport during this decline.

It is worth noting what Graeme Smith, the young South African captain, often refers to as the Proteas' brand of cricket, which is definitely not Australian.

This might be a great sales ploy to distinguish his brand and this is further indication of the significance of marketing within the new age of cricket, where Australia are marketed as the 'bad boys' of the game.

It is going to be interesting to see how they respond to the financial incentives designed to re-fashion their image. If they respond positively, they might be infringing upon the Proteas' brand of clean-cut fairness.

For the Aussies, the 'hard and fair' slogan of cricket now more than ever might prove to be 'hard cash is fair'. Whatever the intent or outcome, paying Aussies to behave is just not cricket!