Quote:Former Australia cricketer Dirk Nannes has made an impassioned plea for the national side to improve their on-field behaviour after decrying the failure of any member of the home side to shake Ross Taylor's hand after the conclusion of his epic 290 at the WACA Ground.
Nannes referred to the failure to acknowledge Taylor as "horrendous sportsmanship", and went on to expand his comments later in the day. While conceding the episode was not much in isolation, Nannes said this lapse was simply another moment to add to a "library" of incidents that did not reflect well on the sportsmanship of the Australian team.
"In isolation what we saw today is probably nothing, and at the end of the day yes they're going to congratulate him off the field and it'll all be fine," Nannes said while commentating on ABC Grandstand. "I think what rubs me [the wrong way] is the general trend that's happened with Australian cricket over the last number of years and the way they go about their cricket.
"The biggest thing that's irked me is the way Australia carry on on the field and as an Australian cricketer you sit there, shake your head sometimes and say 'stop carrying on', and it gets hidden or disguised or brushed off as being hard cricket.
"But playing hard cricket isn't about carrying on like an idiot on the field. Playing hard cricket is about always being up for the contest, determination, playing hard, playing skilful, never giving an inch. And they're values as an Australian that you're proud of about your cricket team. But it's also about humility and dignity and sportsmanship."
http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v-...41415.html
I don't think Nannes is saying anything out of line or that isn't readily apparent. I think Smith made his intentions clear that sportsmanship was not going to be high on his agenda as captain with the way he treated the Stokes obstruction decision this summer.
I give a lot of credit to Pakistan during their recent series with England. They couldn't wait to rush up and shake the hand of Alastair Cook after his double-century.
