It’s been a big day for… Listening to...

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It’s been a big day for… Listening to...

Cricket

Steve Smith Is Every One Of Us Who Has Ever Felt Like We’ve Let Our Parents Down

There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’ve disappointed those who care about you the most.

As someone whose passionate disinterest in the sport of cricket knows no bounds, the last week has been a weird one.

I have a television, I’m online, I work in media – so I have not been immune to the barrage of reports and the never-ending news cycle concerning the Australian cricket ball-tampering scandal.

There’s been no escaping the saga, and Lord knows I’ve tried.

I’ve done my best to ignore the reports and the coverage, because as many have rightfully pointed out, the unwavering number of truly tragic events happening around the world and in our own backyard every day, are so severe you’ll never want to leave the safety and sanctity of your bed again.

With that in mind, I’d rather just say ‘unsubscribe’ to the whole cricket commentary.

BUT… and here’s my big ‘but’ of the day…

After watching Steve Smith break down in tears during his press conference, where his father clutched his shoulder from above in support – I couldn’t help but feel a pang of emotion.

Not necessarily because I felt bad that this privileged young man was caught doing the wrong thing and was now faced with the gravity of the situation as he bawled his eyes out on national television, but because it wasn’t until Smith mentioned his parents that he actually broke down in tears.

That’s what got me.

As someone who has never watched a full game of cricket in my life, this story has still managed to capture my attention because suddenly, it’s human, and it’s relatable.

https://twitter.com/IKKsays/status/979314087027879942

Feeling like you’ve let your family down is always horrible, and that feeling can happen at any age whether you’re 12 or 45.

But when that deceit and disappointment is highlighted on a national and international scale, and you’ve thrust your family into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, the amount of time, energy, and strength needed to come back from that is not easily found.

It takes time. And support.

As a child and then later as teenager, I wasn’t the easiest person to deal with.

And while I got away with a lot, I was also caught out a lot.

But it was never the punishment that upset me, it was knowing that I had let my parents down.

When I would lie to their faces about sneaking out, or when I would instead try to sneak boys over and was always caught (thanks for leaving the toilet seat up, dude), and even later in life when I got my first tattoo after more than 20 years of my father pleading with me not to – it was knowing that I had upset them that really crushed me.

Smith wasn’t the only one emotional when referencing their families in light of the situation.

When Darren Lehmann resigned after Smith’s press conference, it was clear he had been crying.

Again, it wasn’t until he mentioned his wife and kids that his voice started to tremble and his eyes welled up.

The support of family is unlike anything else in life – there’s no one that will have your back like those that have been with you from the start.

Steve Smith wasn’t sitting next to Cricket Australia’s CEO James Sutherland during the conference – it was his father, Peter, who was by his side.

Steve’s genuine outpouring of emotion was raw, and hard to watch whether you’re a fan of cricket, a cricket hater, an older fan, or a young one.

It’s hard not to feel sad.

For Steve, there isn’t just one road to redemption.

He’ll need to seek forgiveness from the Australian public, from his family back home, and most importantly, he’ll need to make peace within himself.

We all make questionable decisions throughout our lives, and the crux of moving on and starting fresh with our friends, family, or even the world, lies in forgiveness.