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Who let the dogs out?

Article Excerpt
Sport is a defining feature not only of how we Australians see ourselves but also how the rest of the world sees us. The fact that we even exist in the consciousness of many is due to the deeds of our sporting teams. Given this, it is unfortunate that Australia's most prominent sporting team earned the description in a recent Age article of a 'pack of wild dogs'.

This summer's cricket contest between Australia and India damaged the game's reputation, as well as the reputation of all Australians. Dissent, bullying and accusations of racism, a graceless victory and ignorance of the implications of it all tarnished the series. Australia won the Test series against India and equalled the record for the number of consecutive Test victories but, despite furious efforts at window dressing, ended the series as the pariah of world cricket. They may be champions of the sport, but they were also champions of bad sportsmanship.

Cricket is Australia's main summer sport in terms of participants, spectators and media coverage. It is a game that ebbs and flows lyrically, is subject to the elements, to the vagaries and agriculture of the pitches it is played on. It is an old game that has survived the demands of a consumer society but it may not do so for much longer: in a world where instant results are expected, a game...

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