Dickie Bird: 'Why I weep for Cricket'

If a man saw the woman he loved being abused, it would make him angry, hurt and miserable. Well that's how I feel after what I saw at Headingley.

I saw the love of my own life, the game of cricket, being abused and trampled into the dust and the experienced has left me feeling brokenhearted and desperately sad.

I'm not the type who goes around feeling sorry for himself because life and especially the game of cricket has been wonderful to me.

But after seeing that poor steward lying there hurt while people ran on the pitch blowing hooters and waving flags, I'm terribly depressed about the game - and that is something I never thought I'd hear myself say.

The amazing thing about it was that I'd been laughing and joking with the Pakistani fans as I walked around the ground. They were asking for my autograph and wanting their pictures taken with me.

The atmosphere was lovely and friendly and I was shown nothing but kindness. Then I see all those people behaving like that, with a total lack of respect for the game, or for anybody but themselves - and I feel my heart sink.

On this occasion it's the Pakistanis in the spotlight but the real problem, for society as well as cricket, is not to do with colour, race or creed. It's to do with respect and that is what I'm feeling so depressed about. Nobody seems to respect anything or anybody any more.

People don't respect the police, teachers, parents or their elders. They certainly don't respect cricket. You only have to look at the last couple of seasons to see how far down the table umpires come for a bit of respect.

And what's the cause? Money and selfishness. No-one's interested in standards or responsibilities. They are only interested in what's in it for them and attracting attention to themselves.

That's what it was all about on Sunday. People wanting to be the centre of attention and going where they had no business being, in order to achieve their aim. The game was ruined for a lot of people by this behaviour but that didn't matter. So long as they could say to their mates: 'Did you see me on the telly yesterday?'

Perhaps that sounds funny coming from me because everybody knows that I've made a nice few bob from my book, which sold a million copies, and I'm not exactly unknown to television or the papers.

But I've never made a penny out of doing anything to damage the game. I've never tried to promote myself at anybody else's expense. Anybody who knows me will tell you I'd have played for Yorkshire and umpired England for nothing except the pride it gave me.

I could have made a fortune from Kerry Packer or the other rebel tours when a lot of the top people in the game were queuing up to take the money and I was under a lot of pressure to go over as well. But I was worried about the effect it might have on the game of cricket so I stayed out of it. I put principle before money and self. The game would be a lot better if a few more people felt the same way.

Don't get me wrong. I like the comforts that money gives me but that's only because I can look in the mirror and catch my eye without feeling uncomfortable about the things I've had to do to earn it.

People think money is the be-all and end-all but it's not, and if people keep on putting cash in front of the respect and enjoyment I was brought up with in the game then cricket will soon be on its last legs.

I'm an establishment man, always have been and always will be.

I believe in the traditional values of courtesy, loyalty, respect, self-discipline and consideration for others - the things I learned from my Mum and Dad.

What we saw at Headingley only went to prove how far things have gone in the opposite direction. For Heaven's sake, we don't want fences and tear gas and so forth on our grounds, but it'll come to that if something isn't done. Personally I couldn't bear it. It would be the final straw.

People are asking me what the alternative is and I can only think of one thing. Stop turning the television cameras on people who misbehave and giving them the attention they're after.

You can bet the bad lads who kicked that steward and caused all that trouble aren't feeling any regrets this morning - not with their pictures all over the papers and on the television.

They'll be feeling pleased as Punch. Giving them publicity is rewarding them for spoiling things for everybody else.

Cricket is the best game in the world. That's why it brings a lump to my throat when I hear of people doing things to damage it and why I felt close to tears on Sunday when I saw all the things I hold dear about the game being abused.

DICKIE BIRD has donated his fee for this article to Stephen Speight, the steward injured at Headingley on Sunday.