“What should they know of England who only England know?” is both rebuff and damning defence raised in Rudyard Kipling’s majestic, albeit jingoistic, poem English Flag.
The British laureate’s foci included both “The poor little street-bred people” who “yelp at the English Flag” and those who rose in defiance of the empire’s hegemonic weight and burdening presence in their lives, the Boer and the Irish rebel. In Beyond a Boundary, Cyril Lionel Robert James reworks Kipling’s challenge with one of his own: “What do they know of cricket who only cricket know?” A student and player of the game of the empire, James provides a comprehensive insight into the impact of cricket on West Indian society - including its quirks, class-stratified colourism - and the struggle for independence.
The skills of individual players and the delectable, participatory approach of Caribbean spectators forms part of the building blocks of a society only a few generations distant from the savagery of slavery and then and now, still living with the trauma of its debilitating consequences. But it is the impact of cricket in terms of how it is played and on the conduct of players within and beyond the boundary of the game that James recognises: “I never cheated, I never appealed for a decision unless I thought the batsman was out, I never argued with the umpire .” This approach, he believed, “became the moral framework of my existence".
In contrast, the teams participating in 2018 Fifa World Cup generally revel in cheating, an argumentative spirit and verbally violent and sometimes physically threatening, remonstration against the decision of the referee. But in terms of a values-based approach, the players from Japan have been exemplary in their behaviour and gracious in defeat.
Despite losing against Belgium in the knock-out round of the World Cup, and with the heightened expectation of a 2-0 lead, the obviously heartbroken team respectfully bowed to the victors and the crowd. They also left their locker room in a remarkably tidy state and a thank you note in Russian.
Commenting on this, a Japanese friend writes: “We have a saying, 'if you finish well, everything is good'.” She added, “There are many meanings to finishing ‘well’.”
Our past, like our sins as noted by the psalmist, is ever before us and, as the fortunes of our teams from Africa waned and eventually declined, we sought out those who were best worthy of our affection and support. So, we look for the team, besides skills and performance, who best represents our take on colonialism or the politics of the day.
For instance, if Colombia had won the match against England any ongoing support for them might have been jeopardised by an indication on the part of their new president-elect, Ivan Duque, that he was favouring a move of their embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
France, given the sizeable presence in the team of players of African descent, is accepted as representing the Motherland. It is interesting that Brazil, given its slave-based association with Mozambique, Angola and the people of the Yoruba, Igbo, Mandinka and so on, does not enjoy the generous, reincorporating embrace into Africa accorded to France. Is it a matter of skin colour and other ways the “African” appearance is characterised if not stereotyped?
Our young-blood, Neymar Jr, has not gone unnoticed on the World Cup stage. He should be encouraged to reflect on the meaning of that "100% Jesus" bandana he wears on occasion when he goes "tekere" when fouled, falling to the ground spinning like a Latin dervish.
He has been a prayer concern of Mariam Ismail Baderoon, “Does Neymar travel with a hair stylist?” she once lamented.
I assured her that I had presented myself to the young man as an example of the consequence of vanity: “Wil djy bles wies?” I had once challenged him.
We almost came to blows 'cos he doesn’t know any Afrikaans and the translator interpreted into Portuguese what I said as, “Djy lyk soes ‘* ghoes.”
* The Very Rev Michael Weeder is the Dean of St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.