Mark Richardson: Cheap shots will never be my game

Even when you're in the media you still get savaged by them. Chris Rattue's column in the New Zealand Herald - 'Cricket's new commentators blur the lines' - had a slap at me and Chris Cairns for not being nasty enough to our old team-mates.

To be honest, when I first read it I was well annoyed. But I remembered, as a player, that I and team-mates would sometimes pick up coverage of a test match from some cricket media and think: "What game was he watching?"

All I can say to Mr Rattue is that I wonder which columns he read and which commentaries he was listening to. I've regularly made the point that New Zealand and individuals didn't measure up to Australia.

As a recently retired test cricketer, I've been asked to provide insight into proceedings beyond the obvious and what is recorded in the scorebook.

I have a closer understanding of the inner workings and feelings of the Black Caps than those who observe from a distance or have been out of the game for some time. This is, you could say, my competitive advantage and value to my employers.

Why, then, is an international sportsman expected to dish out the dirt on his past team-mates or coaches the minute he leaves the game? Is this my only use now? Cheap shots! If this is what the audience wants, then shame on it.

We could all see Iain O'Brien was short of the mark, Stephen Fleming was struggling for his best, John Bracewell's record is under scrutiny and the Black Caps are unable to match it with the world's best. Would anyone care to know why or would you rather I just put the boot into the dog while it's down?

Criticism is easy, constructive criticism is hard. Our performance against Australia does not warrant a public lynching of the players concerned, the issues go far deeper.

It also amuses me that Mr Rattue's 'particular favourite' commentator is a man who would rather indulge in cynical humour than objective analysis.

The trend has been to fast-track recent players into the 'box' to complement the old hands and add insight into the modern game. I'm so glad that I spent extra hours in the nets earning the right to talk the finer points of the game. In later years, with a little experience, I might also develop the ability to construct a sentence correctly.

In the meantime, I will leave it to Mr Rattue and others to provide the glib dismissals and cynical condemnations which do little other than dismiss and condemn.



- HERALD ON SUNDAY