BAMBOLIM
A cricket legend in his own right and a fielding great beyond compare, former South African cricketer, Jonty Rhodes believes that there is no team out there that is innocent when it comes to ball-tampering. He was in the state for the Goa Fest on Friday as part of the Leadership Summit programme at the starred hotel at Bambolim. Following are the excerpts of a free-wheeling chat with the South African cricket legend.
TG: How can cricket act as an instrument of social change?
Jonty Rhodes: I think sport in itself. It is not just cricket. Cricket has been an incredible area break, especially in South Africa. You see in sport coming from a single-raced dominated Government in a multi-racial democracy sport has played a massive part in uniting people. I have seen it first-hand that sport can play a part. The biggest issue I often think from a cricketing perspective is what is happening now at Associate level teams are no longer all invited to the ICC events and only one or two will come through. What sport has done in many of those countries. It is great to see Afghanistan qualify. Everybody knows how powerful sport is and what a change sport can make in people’s lives You can see first-hand. These guys are not professionals. They are suddenly getting great contracts, few of them at the IPL. They are taking other teams by surprise. They have a real passion for the game and I think the amazing is that they all are grateful for what cricket has done to them. It has made a big difference in bringing people together. Sports certainly have a role. You cannot remove politics from sport. It is in every country, similar situations in different scenarios.
TG: It is given to understand you intend to contribute to the society in the Wellness sector. How do you intend doing so?
Jonty Rhodes: My wife and I at home with our children we do not use traditional medicine. We do not have ayurvedic medicine in South Africa but we have homeopathic medicine. We treat our kids only with homeopathic medicine. We also believe in preventive rather than just treating cause and symptoms. We make sure that our kids eat super foods, activated organic food. We believe in enhancing and empowering their own immunity to deal in any age. We all need bacteria. A lot what we see in Wellness and Health point of view in people, are misunderstood. People misunderstand the concept of fitness. You have to look at a Bollywood star with six-pack, bulging biceps or certain size figure, it is not that. It genuinely starts in the circumstances that you find, meal-wise what you are putting in your body. Secondly, it is the work environment. Stress-wise, I have seen in India is the big concern for me. You have to think long-term. India has a very young work-force that is available. The tendency and big concern is the over-supply of well-qualified, corporate people. You use them for five years, suck them dry and get someone else in their place just as qualified. My drive now is towards Wellness and less about going to the gym which you do not have time for. It takes two to 2 and 1/2 hours to commute in the morning, work 8-9 hours in office, two hours on the way back home, eat on the road, in a work environment. Small changes to your current existence can make you healthier as opposed to looking fit on the outside. That will be my focus going forward is away from cricket but still around activity.
TG: Cricket has been sobriquetted as a gentlemanly game. That said, do you think the punishment meted to Steve Smith, David Warner was a bit lenient? A life ban is more ideal?
Jonty Rhodes: Cricket is no longer a gentleman’s game. It is played by kids, women, men. I think that cricket being called a gentleman’s game is a misnomer, the first hypocritical statement we have to deal with. It is played by everybody. It has come from the colonial past where gentlemen who did not have to work played against others. From my expert, I think the punishment has been dealt by the ICC or the regulating body of the game. Obviously there are different levels of suspension for different misconducts on the field and off the field. They deemed a one-match suspension (Steve Smith, David Warner, Cameron Bancroft) was good enough.Cricket Australia and their Government imposed a very severe ban. I think it is pretty tough what they did. It is legitimate for sure a lot of teams try to get the ball to reverse swing but not so blatant with their cheating. South Africa has been caught before. Faf du Plessis has been fined for scratching or shining the ball on his (trousers) zip and so has Vernon Philander (using his fingers and thumb in scratching the ball). No team out there is innocent.
