I hear people talk about the spirit of cricket and would say it means different things to different people.
I’d like to ask what in your opinion is the spirit of cricket?

The ideal of fair play is an English one, that also resulted in the English legal system devising the Courts of Equity which is also based on fairness. English and subsequently British legal systems were much more focused on the rights of the individual than those on mainland Europe.
Of course ideals are not always translated into reality but the spirit of cricket is about fair play. The commercialisation of the game since the 1970s has made it much more cut throat which has led some to question if the spirit of cricket still exists. A famous incident was Stuart Broad in the 2013 when a shocking umpire error saw him clearly edging the ball and being caught and being given not out. Many thought he should have walked but that feeling was by no means universal. The spirit of cricket would have dictated that he walk.

This is an interesting one because cricket is a game where we keep score and typically there is a winner and a loser - obviously there are drawn games (and on rare occasions ties). I always think about "spirit" and "sportsmanship" in a similar way. That is to say that conducting yourself along the lines of the rules and with good grace at all times is paramount. That is an individual standard but it goes without saying that cheating or seeking to gain an advantage in ways that aren't universally accepted, are a no go area. That's why if you did a survey following sandpaper-gate, (this is a guess of course), you might find that cricketing public (and us players), felt hugely let down, embarrassed, and simply couldn't believe senior players and coaching staff (which ones we really don't know) could allow that to happen. So a straw poll might reveal huge disapointment in the actions of for example David Warner (the ball warden), skipper Smithy for evidently walking past a standard that he was ambivalent about or prepared to accept, and then poor old young bloke Bancroft who despite having the most red ball runs for two years never gets picked or mentioned as a viable batter in the Test side......) and wghat abouyt the coach and administrators who were happy to pick perhaps the 5th or 6th best WK because he "had good chat" over a fine gloveman like a Nevill or a Peirson etc... but I digress! Did that incident pass the pub-test on spirit of cricket or sportsmanship? Absolutely not. There's not many arguments there - although some hard-core people tell you "everyone cheats so why shouldn't we?!".. if that is your attitude, it's a race to the bottom situation isn't it? But back to spirit of cricket... Cricket is a mental game (played in the head as much as physically) and I accept different players have a different attitude towards the way they conduct themselves and their approach to team mates, success, failure and of course, the dreaded opposition! Getting on in years and playing loads of Vets 40s and 50s cricket around NSW and Australia, the great irony is the lasting friendships you can make in cricket and how many of them are forged with opposition, who you once hated, feared and were highly circumspect about! That is certainly my experience in being involved with Port Jackson Vets Cricket - a loose conglomeration of guys representing greater Sydney in State comps for the Port Jackson club... Recently I saw an aftermatch speech by a Queensland grade and sometime Shield legend - I won't embarass him by naming him as I don't know him well anyway - but have played against him occasionally over the years. Anyway here was a guy, entering early middle age, body fairly broken from 1000's of hours of cricket in Qld and around the place, whose main message was; "forget what just happened out there, the best thing is we are here, enjoying each others company playing a game we've all grown up with and love. The best thing is the men's shed aspect and the fact we can compete out there, and now settle in and slap each other on the back, get to know each other and speak some bullsh*t." They were very prescient words I felt from a guy that has achieved pretty much everything in cricket - way more than myself I hasten to add. So the way you conduct yourself is a good roadmap for life really. Be prepared to listen and learn and conquer those head noises! To answer the question after that long-winded diatribe... Spirit of Cricket for me, is all about having a sense of fairness, accepting that many things on a cricket field are not linear, it's not a game of 'fairness', you have good days and bad days and sometimes, you bowl well, get flogged and drop catches and sometimes you edge your way to 50 or bowl half-trackers and take a bag of wickets! And no-one is any different really. So accept with good grace that you're out there making fiends and influencing people and don't be remembered as a bad sport or a pr*ck - life is way to short.

It’s certainly not what I saw recently in a Sydney premier grade game. Batsmen ambled through for an easy single last ball of an over. One didn’t quite complete the run but began some gardening. Wicketkeeper grabbed the ball, removed the bails, howzat. Finger up, out under the laws of the game. There followed a two minute huddle during which the umpires apparently urged the captain to withdraw the appeal, but no, the “out” stood. Some of the fielding team were clearly unhappy with the decision. So when is the ball “dead”? To me, as soon as the batters have no intentions of running. After a delivery passes through to the wicket keeper, at what instant is the ball then dead? But there’s been some sort of happy ending, or karma, the batter in question two weeks ago featured in a 220 run undefeated partnership to beat, yes, the very same opposition.

The Spirit of Cricket is multi layered and should apply to all facets of the game, not just the one you may be involved in.
It should be a personal behaviour, that comes as second nature. It should be something that has you to thinking at every moment, "is that in the spirit of the game. I believe this comes from how you played the game from your first involvement, and the people that were around you, and provided the example and guidance to ensure you enjoyed the game, and also, that the whole experience for all involved left them with a lifelong love of the game.
It should be a community and club behaviour, and where ever you play or are involved as a parent, coach, manager, administrator or volunteer, you should be creating an environment that allows for enjoyment and development for everyone, regardless of ability, age, sex or cultural background.
A Sydney Premier Cricket club I have 38 year history with presents a Spirit of Cricket Award named after my father in law, for the player who displays these values over the course of the season, not just one act. The award itself is indicative of what spirit of cricket means. My father in law was born in an era of gentlemen, and although not a great player, he played local B Grade for many years, he enjoyed his cricket and team mates immensely. Regardless of what level he was playing he always respected his opponents, the match officials, and any volunteers involved in preparing wickets or providing afternoon teas.
His behavior served in his personal life as much as it did in his sporting life, and he taught me many things about the right way to treat and respect anybody I would meet in my life, and to this day, I use him as an example in my business, personal and sporting life. Ultimately, we have to remember that cricket is just a game, and can be serious for some, but for most it is about the love and enjoyment of playing a great game with their mates. Keep the spirit alive.

A tough question, one I think we all may differ. Cricket is a tough,competitive sport. I love this game and every time I take the field I’m doing all I can to win.
The Spirit of cricket for me is simple
• play hard
• play fair
•respect the umpires decision (umpires make mistakes but their never wrong)
• enjoy your team mates successes
• respect your opposition
•respect the history of the game
• above all respect yourself and remember no one man is ever greater than the game