Another 💣 goes off for Cricket Australia

[western royboy]

'Someone must have known': The cricket tour from hell that left a dark mark on a generation of rising stars

Jamie Mitchell was a cricketing star on the rise in the 1980s. But since returning home from a tour of India and Sri Lanka, broken in body and mind by his experiences, Mitchell has been searching for answers on what happened.

www.abc.net.au

you cannot imagine the effect this has - an Investigation should have been launched when it happened but like clerical abuse it’s covered up and supposedly “good people” stay silent

I hope Jamie gets what he deserves and CA as well

 

[Gough]

Russell Jackson does it again.

 

[Jinglebells32]

'Someone must have known': The cricket tour from hell that left a dark mark on a generation of rising stars

Jamie Mitchell was a cricketing star on the rise in the 1980s. But since returning home from a tour of India and Sri Lanka, broken in body and mind by his experiences, Mitchell has been searching for answers on what happened.

www.abc.net.au

you cannot imagine the effect this has - an Investigation should have been launched when it happened but like clerical abuse it’s covered up and supposedly “good people” stay silent

I hope Jamie gets what he deserves and CA as well

Absolutely horrible stuff. It hits close to home for me, as something similar happened in my youth in elite junior sport. How do these type of people get roles working closely with juniors?

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Harrowing reading.
This s**t really does ruin lives.

 

[CliffMcTainshaw]

What a nightmare. Mitchell was outstanding as a junior and looked like he was the next big thing. I always wondered what had happened and unfortunately, now I know. Very hard to read.

 

[The hands of stone]

Terrible reading doesnt even sum it up

 

[footscray1973]

Halbish and Richards convenient memory loss is disgusting - they should be hauled up to testify under oath. I imagine they'd be sh1t ting themselves as they're well aware of the cover up. If Taber knew, then you can bet your bottom dollar they are well versed in it. Their comments in that article are despicable, and quite probably complete lies.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

This is as dire as it gets. What a devastating story. It was not just Mitchell but untold numbers of Indian and Sri Lankan kids who would have been damaged.

Yet again the then ACB, now CA, has proven itself nothing more than filth.

Kudos to Zesers for calling it then and still doing so 35 years later.

 

[CrazyJoeFevola]

I feel sick. This is horrific. Not just for the poor bloke but the probably the hundreds of kids lives he’s ruined on the way. I was on the ‘pathway’ late 90s/early 00s. Hatch Shield, Dowling then on the fringes of state underage squads. Even then you were warned who to avoid. Pretty rife.

 

[footscray1973]

This is as dire as it gets. What a devastating story. It was not just Mitchell but untold numbers of Indian and Sri Lankan kids who would have been damaged.

Yet again the then ACB, now CA, has proven itself nothing more than filth.

Kudos to Zesers for calling it then and still doing so 35 years later.

Exactly. The article is damning when it comes to nailing CA for not signing up to the redress scheme. And Halbish saying it is the current CA with responsibility is buck-passing of the worst kind. AFP should be getting full access to ACB/CA archives, and interviewing all concerned. And locking up that rock spider Bitmead and defacing the grave of McKenzie. Absolute filth, and thrived because people lacking in character looked the other way, and still do.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

We would hope this is all a one off moment, but we know it is not. The terrible abuse Rod Owen and others suffered shows both our winter and summer sports have been hunting grounds for the lowest of lives.

 

[footscray1973]

'Someone must have known': The cricket tour from hell that left a dark mark on a generation of rising stars

Jamie Mitchell was a cricketing star on the rise in the 1980s. But since returning home from a tour of India and Sri Lanka, broken in body and mind by his experiences, Mitchell has been searching for answers on what happened.

www.abc.net.au

you cannot imagine the effect this has - an Investigation should have been launched when it happened but like clerical abuse it’s covered up and supposedly “good people” stay silent

I hope Jamie gets what he deserves and CA as well

I hope the reputations of those responsible at ACB/CA are completely trashed. They KNEW, they still know and yet deny. They are as culpable for Jamie Mitchell's current mental state as the actual perpetrators.

 

[footscray1973]

We would hope this is all a one off moment, but we know it is not. The terrible abuse Rod Owen and others suffered shows both our winter and summer sports have been hunting grounds for the lowest of lives.

Agree, but what I find just as reprehensible is those in power then who knew, and now try and cover their own ar5es. Halbish and Richards trying to blame each other, but Taber's comments would suggest it was widely known in cricket admin circles. It is disgusting on so many levels. All those young lives damaged, when it was ultimately preventable if people of good character with a conscience had acted

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

I hope the reputations of those responsible at ACB/CA are completely trashed. They KNEW, they still know and yet deny. They are as culpable for Jamie Mitchell's current mental state as the actual perpetrators.

Running and then covering up what was tantamount to a child sexual assault tour is a new nadir for the ruling class boys who have always run cricket.

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

Russell Jackson does it again.

In a world of crap journalism he's keeping it to the standard it's supposed to be.

 

[Gough]

Running and then covering up what was tantamount to a child sexual assault tour is a new nadir for the ruling class boys who have always run cricket.

There was a sad inevitability to this story. Every other sport is facing up to these sort of allegations, our beloved game was always going to get caught up at some point too.

 

[Van_Dyke]

Russell Jackson does it again.

what an absolutely fantastic journalist he is, does top class work with so incredibly harrowing stories.

 

[Van_Dyke]

There was a sad inevitability to this story. Every other sport is facing up to these sort of allegations, our beloved game was always going to get caught up at some point too.

and an equally sad inevitability that there’s every chance that there’ll be more of these stories from our game. can only hope that those involved and CA gets what’s coming to them and takes it seriously

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

The recollections of Bitmead hanging about the showers watching dicks, recalled a teacher/coach (at one of the so called 'elite' schools) always positioning himself in the showers after footy or cricket practice. He would eye the kids off with working hands in pockets.

The same bloke would (with a few other teachers) also persecute the small handful quota of Jewish kids.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

There was a sad inevitability to this story. Every other sport is facing up to these sort of allegations, our beloved game was always going to get caught up at some point too.

For me the worst thing Gough is how long it is has taken for this to find a public voice.

 

[Truckosaurus]

How many lives have these men ruined? Let what little justice is possible after all these years be done swiftly and mercilessly.

 

[footscray1973]

How many lives have these men ruined? Let what little justice is possible after all these years be done swiftly and mercilessly.

It's not just the actual perpetrators though. I'd take "these men" to include the complicit administrators who were well aware of the danger they were, in this specific case, sending a bunch of 16/17/18 young men o/s in the hands of 2 dodgy individuals.

Like the Catholic Church and other organisations, the enablers should face recriminations as well, at the very least by having their names dragged through the mud by complicit association.

Apologies for banging on this line, but I'm a little militant about all associated parties facing legal consequences, for personal reasons.

 

[Father Jack]

There's probably a number of old coaches out there sweating that they'll answer the phone one day and find it's Russell Jackson from the ABC just wanting to ask a few questions for an article he's writing.

 

[anchor man]

What an horrific article.
Once again it goes to the people being left in charge of children within sporting organisations. Not just Australia wide, but world wide.
How do these organisations allow these type of people to be in control of our youth?
Surely there must be a sports wide enquiry about the matter.
My heart bleeds for this man and others who share the same pain.

 

[Freo Big Fella]

Having played more club cricket than club footy, the most horrifying thing for me with his one (as opposed to Russell's earlier stories on Muir and Owens) is how true it rings when it comes to the stories long-timers tell about coming up as a junior in that era.

Plenty of material been swept under rugs right across the country when it comes to this stuff - but the coverup from CA/the ACB here is particularly disgusting.