The tragic case of Jesse Ryder, the New Zealand and Delhi Daredevils cricketer who was beaten up in an altercation outside a bar in Christchurch, should serve as a warning to young cricketers as well as the cricket establishment.
Handling success, money, fame and adulation very early in life, which is the lot of cricketers in these days of T20 leagues, is not a simple task.
Ryder’s case is complicated by his alcohol dependence problem, but this may or may not have been a factor in the terrible incident which is said to be an unprovoked attack. New Zealand Cricket has been very supportive of its players. It runs several programmes to help players deal with the real world as well as the media.
Problem players will remain problematic personalities when it comes to interacting with people outside the cricket and celebrity spheres. Cricket boards are even known to run counselling programmes to help curb the divorce rates among players.
Cricket governing bodies have to see gifted cricketers as valuable resources rather than stars to control and discipline in case of breaches of the code of conduct. A lot remains for them to do in an all-inclusive manner if such cases are not to disrupt the game and affect its image. Gifted young cricketers have to be looked after if they are not to descend into the Ryder stereotype.