The Cricket Thread

[Ser Shankalot]

Watched a bit of England v Australia women's world cup match earlier. What I'm about to say may not be on trend, but the lack of athleticism in the England team was shocking. I've seen fitter players playing for the village pub team. If they're not going to take it seriously how can they expect viewers to take them seriously. Terrible advert for women's cricket.

The immediate post before the above quote talks about Warnie RIP as being one of the greatest sportsman of all time, and he was far from an ideal Renaissance model figure.

I don’t know the lady in question, but judging her sporting ability by her looks is pretty archaic.

As a counterpoint from the men’s game, I offer Warnie, David Boon, Botham, Allan Lamb, Merv Hughes. From other sports I offer Shane Lowry and John Daly.

Top female sportspeople are there to compete at an elite level, not to titillate men.

 

[evemccc]

Was there pictures of him and his body shape being posted ? What exactly was being said about Robinson ?‍ - I know he was injured a number of times , and his pace etc dropped through the day so the bowling coach said he needed to improve his fitness to be able to bowl at higher consistent level - but I don’t recall him being body shamed ?

Are you actually serious?!?

Do you or have you followed world cricket over the years, and are you claiming that no male cricketer or male sportsman has never had people online criticising the appearance and perceived fitness of them (‘Body-shaming’ in the language of 2022?)

Inzamam Ul-Haq, Gatting, the real/Brazilian Ronaldo, Gazza, and plenty of others have been ‘body-shamed’ and pilloried for weight — so give over with the White Knight act

It might be boorish / in bad taste or whatever else, but it’s happened plenty to male sports stars also

 

[ColchesterFC]

I don’t recall the suggestions relating to Robinson. If he was ridiculed for being fat I’m sure you will point us in the direction of the discussion.

He wasn't ridiculed for being fat, he was told that his fitness wasn't good enough for test cricket. Just as the lady in the original photo hasn't been ridiculed (at least not by me) for being fat. She is overweight, which is an undeniable fact, and as such isn't as fit as she could be. Mike Gatting was overweight. Inzamam Ul Haq was overweight. Shane Warne (at times) was overweight. Ian Botham was overweight. I'm not body shaming any of those players, I'm simply stating facts.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Are you actually serious?!?

Do you or have you followed world cricket over the years, and are you claiming that no male cricketer or male sportsman has never had people online criticising the appearance and perceived fitness of them (‘Body-shaming’ in the language of 2022?)

Inzamam Ul-Haq, Gatting, the real/Brazilian Ronaldo, Gazza, and plenty of others have been ‘body-shamed’ and pilloried for weight — so give over with the White Knight act

It might be boorish / in bad taste or whatever else, but it’s happened plenty to male sports stars also

Maybe you need to pick your toy back up and highlight anywhere were I have stated that “no male Cricketer or sportsman” has been body shamed

 

[ColchesterFC]

Maybe you need to pick your toy back up and highlight anywhere were I have stated that “no male Cricketer or sportsman” has been body shamed

Isn't being "body shamed" or "body shaming" just a modern day way of saying "someone's telling the truth"? You can't be honest or tell the truth any more without someone sticking a label on it.

If I was to say that Jonny Vegas was an overweight comedian, would I be body shaming him or would I be telling the truth? William Shatner, Marlon Brando, Roseanne Barr have all been overweight during their careers. This isn't body shaming, it's facts. But it's also a fact that none of those mentioned were being paid as sportsmen/sportswomen to perform physically. So is it too much to ask that someone that is being paid to be a professional sportsperson is in the best physical shape that they can be in?

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Isn't being "body shamed" or "body shaming" just a modern day way of saying "someone's telling the truth"? You can't be honest or tell the truth any more without someone sticking a label on it.

If I was to say that Jonny Vegas was an overweight comedian, would I be body shaming him or would I be telling the truth? William Shatner, Marlon Brando, Roseanne Barr have all been overweight during their careers. This isn't body shaming, it's facts. But it's also a fact that none of those mentioned were being paid as sportsmen/sportswomen to perform physically. So is it too much to ask that someone that is being paid to be a professional sportsperson is in the best physical shape that they can be in?

As a professional sportswoman in this case she is paid to be the best bowler she can be - not be the skinniest just to satisfy men who think that because she is fat she isn’t good enough physically. Maybe she is at a weight that allows her to perform to her best level and that her weight is having no affect on her fitness and ability - she has been that body shape through out her career and been superb for her country helping them win the World Cup

The initial post that I believe was poor was imo body shaming her for being fat and suggesting that she was poor because of her body shape and posting a picture to enhance that belief .

 

[Ser Shankalot]

So is it too much to ask that someone that is being paid to be a professional sportsperson is in the best physical shape that they can be in?

I believe the point others (incl me) are making is why does it matter? Results should be the yardstick. Every elite sportsperson could improve some aspect of their game - technique, strategy, mental toughness, fitness. Why focus on just weight/fitness without any context of their overall game and on the basis of a single photo?
If somebody posted a photo of one D. Maradona at the height of his powers in the mid 80s, I suppose they also could say what is that fatty doing playing elite football?

 

[ColchesterFC]

As a professional sportswoman in this case she is paid to be the best bowler she can be - not be the skinniest just to satisfy men who think that because she is fat she isn’t good enough physically. Maybe she is at a weight that allows her to perform to her best level and that her weight is having no affect on her fitness and ability - she has been that body shape through out her career and been superb for her country helping them win the World Cup

The initial post that I believe was poor was imo body shaming her for being fat and suggesting that she was poor because of her body shape and posting a picture to enhance that belief .

Interesting that you are the one using the word "fat", while other posters, including myself that have been critical of her, have been using the word overweight. Who's the one that is "body shaming" her? She's overweight. To deny that is to ignore the facts.

 

[ColchesterFC]

I believe the point others (incl me) are making is why does it matter? Results should be the yardstick. Every elite sportsperson could improve some aspect of their game - technique, strategy, mental toughness, fitness. Why focus on just weight/fitness without any context of their overall game and on the basis of a single photo?
If somebody posted a photo of one D. Maradona at the height of his powers in the mid 80s, I suppose they also could say what is that fatty doing playing elite football?

But it's not on the basis of a single photo. Only one photo has been posted but there are many others that support the same point, and a simple google search would confirm this. In the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter. Anya Shrubsole is a very talented cricketer who is performing on the world stage for England. She obviously has the technique, strategy and mental toughness to be an elite performer. This doesn't mean that we can't question other aspects.

Would Diego Maradona have been a better footballer if he hadn't been overweight and shoving a significant amount of Colombian marching powder up his nose? Almost certainly. Would Anya Shrubsole be able to perform at a higher level if she wasn't overweight? Probably yes.

 

[Dando]

Watched a bit of England v Australia women's world cup match earlier. What I'm about to say may not be on trend, but the lack of athleticism in the England team was shocking. I've seen fitter players playing for the village pub team. If they're not going to take it seriously how can they expect viewers to take them seriously. Terrible advert for women's cricket.

Please let us know what
Professional sports you’ve represented your country in

 

[sunshine]

Please let us know what
Professional sports you’ve represented your country in

What an idiotic comment. You might as well leave the forum because you're not a professional golfer.

 

[sunshine]

yeah.

Good post - shows how much the game has moved on at the top level. You won't see that in the IPL.

 

[sunshine]

I don’t know the lady in question, but judging her sporting ability by her looks is pretty archaic.
Top female sportspeople are there to compete at an elite level, not to titillate men.

Where do you get this stuff from? Can't see anybody judging her on looks, nobody making any comments about titilatting men.

Read my post: I watched the game on TV and was disappointed by the level of athleticism. In particular watching Shrubsole try to chase down a ball heading for the boundary was embarrassing for elite level. She is clearly overweight, unfit, and there is no excuse for a cricketer playing in the world cup not to be at peak fitness. The Aussie women seemed a lot fitter and sharper in the field.

 

[sunshine]

As a professional sportswoman in this case she is paid to be the best bowler she can be - not be the skinniest just to satisfy men who think that because she is fat she isn’t good enough physically. Maybe she is at a weight that allows her to perform to her best level and that her weight is having no affect on her fitness and ability - she has been that body shape through out her career and been superb for her country helping them win the World Cup

The initial post that I believe was poor was imo body shaming her for being fat and suggesting that she was poor because of her body shape and posting a picture to enhance that belief .

There is a huge amount of projection in this post. The bits I've highlighted have been raised by you, not me. My post simply mentioned a lack of athleticism.

She is paid to be the best cricketer she can be. However watching her field she was clearly slow, unfit and cost the team runs. Cricket requires lots of different skills - some of them are difficult to improve - but basic fitness should be a given at elite level. She is by definition not the best cricketer she can be.

 

[sunshine]

It may lack the power and brutality of the mens game at times but most top ladies players would definitely earn a place at a lot of mens sides, even at a top level.

You've got to be joking

There are some decent women players out there, but the gulf is vast. It's really not right to compare with the men's game.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

It may lack the power and brutality of the mens game at times but most top ladies players would definitely earn a place at a lot of mens sides, even at a top level.

Not even close. You would have to drop a long way down the pyramid before any female cricketer, possibly bar a keeper, would get a game in mens cricket. The gap is vast.

 

[Leftitshort]

Why isn’t it possible to watch womens cricket (football/rugby etc) without comparing it to the mens game?
I’m watching India v Pakistan & enjoying it for what it is.
I’m not going down the weight rabbit hole but would you be bringing it up about a bloke? If your take away is that’s is not mens cricket & some of the players are a bit chunky, maybe just don’t watch?

 

[evemccc]

I’m not going down the weight rabbit hole but would you be bringing it up about a bloke? If your take away is that’s is not mens cricket & some of the players are a bit chunky, maybe just don’t watch?

..?

-Ashley Giles aka ‘Wheely Bin’
-Inzamam Ul-Haq
-Monty Panesar
-Gatting ‘if it was a cheese roll it wouldn’t have got past him’ / ‘he looked like someone had stolen his lunch’
-Robert Key

It took all of 10 seconds to think of these examples in the men’s game where cricketers have been joked-about / criticised for a perceived lack of fitness - to claim otherwise is patently false

It would seem clear that the more money and exposure in the women’s game, the more incentive or likelihood of the women’s game improving - whatever that looks like…not really controversial I don’t think..?

 

[Leftitshort]

..?

-Ashley Giles aka ‘Wheely Bin’
-Inzamam Ul-Haq
-Monty Panesar
-Gatting ‘if it was a cheese roll it wouldn’t have got past him’ / ‘he looked like someone had stolen his lunch’
-Robert Key

It took all of 10 seconds to think of these examples in the men’s game where cricketers have been joked-about / criticised for a perceived lack of fitness - to claim otherwise is patently false

It would seem clear that the more money and exposure in the women’s game, the more incentive or likelihood of the women’s game improving - whatever that looks like…not really controversial I don’t think..?

Yep but it’s not used as a stick to hit the whole game with. That’s the point & I don’t recall someone being moved to post specifically about rob keys weight?
The narrative is, womens cricket is rubbish & the players are a disgrace to professional sport. Just don’t watch it then

 

[Billysboots]

I feel absolutely certain that, if her weight was having a significant impact on her performances, someone in the England set up would have said to Anya Shrubsole during the fourteen years she has been representing her country at the highest level that she needed to lose a few pounds. Perish the thought that those in charge of the diet, fitness and conditioning of elite level sportswomen might just have more of a clue about Shrubsole than the armchair experts contributing to an online golf forum.

And has anyone even stopped to consider the possibility that Shrubsole’s weight might be aligned to a medical condition? Nah, thought not.