Consequence-Free Play

SP on champathons, unfair criticism of Jofra, weak men and the Manosphere

Is Jofra Criticism Fair?

The Australian animal stirred when Steve Smith first champed Jofra Archer, then took him for four, then six, to cap the Gabba Test. Generational divides were set aside as players, commentators and internet morons piled in to join the champathon. It was a visceral shot of emotion for a home team otherwise defined by its quiet commitment to basics in this Test; Smith briefly revealing the heat smouldering beneath the team’s still exterior.

Archer’s increased effort amplified perceptions of personal weakness, with his 150km/hr speeds begging the question: where was this when the game was live? That’s in contrast to the Perth Test, where many felt he bowled too slowly in the corresponding second innings. We simply ask for the right speeds at the right time, and we will be the arbiters of when that is.