Okay, time to put my cards on the table. Did you know I narrowly missed scoring a century at the Eden Gardens on not one but two occasions? It's true. I was not out in both innings, missing a ton by the narrow margin of 77 runs the first time and 67 runs the next dig!So, as a former cricketer and an ex-cricket writer, I've been following a pre-World Cup discussion with great interest.
I was intrigued when former Pakistan skipper Imran Khan - who knows a thing or two about the game - called for Shane Warne to be shoe-horned out of retirement, put into Australian colours once again and wheeled out for the current Cup campaign.
So I was digging around ten minutes ago to see what sort of reaction it had evoked. That's when I discovered Toby Forage's cricket blog at Fox Sports Cricket. It's datelined Thursday March 1 and this is what it says, about a reader poll on Imran's suggestion. ``I expected you all to think the former Pakistan captain had lost his marbles. I was wrong. So, in short, can someone tell me, is Australia’s cricket in such a dire state that it needs to call on an old guy that no longer wants to play the game to save itself from further embarrassment than has already been heaped upon it by England and New Zealand? From close to 1000 votes, more than 70 per cent of you say yes. I’m amazed.''So am I. Let's settle on a compromise. I bowled leg spin for one schoolboy season, when there were too many quick bowlers around and I was trying to earn selection. So if there's a crisis, I could learn how to sledge, learn how to gel my hair - and I could catch a flight to the Caribbean to bowl leggies for Australia. How about a poll on that suggestion?
9 comments:
Hi There!
You left a messgae telling me to leave a URL to my photo blog. the link is this:
http://www.storybookphotos.blogspot.com
I just don't get it.
Warne & Co. were playing world-class cricket until yesterday - today they're considered 'old crocks'. Wonder what happened in those few hours?
I absolutely defend their right to quit at the top, but I think they need to step up to the plate now that their country needs them.
On the other hand - let 'em stay at home. England's chances have just improved!
How about Ramadin and Valentine?
We really haven't seen cricket played like these two have...but then, I may be prejudiced or just getting old? I say give the retiree a chance, after all, he may come with another century--just goes to show how much the mother country depends on our colonials!!
To quote one of my favorite movies (as a kid, anyway):
Cricket? Nobody understands cricket. You gotta know what a crumpet is to understand cricket.
If you recognize that, I'll give you kudo points, which can be redeemed for absolutely nothing.
Anyway, I did understand cricket for about 20 minutes when I was in England for about 6 weeks. I liked it then, but somehow lost all my comprehension when my feet touched American soil again.
Hi Scarlet,
Thoroughly enjoyed your site and have left some advice as a comment. Good luck and let me know how your work is progressing. There are some great shots there, but the more you take, the more angles you'll explore and the better you'll get. Good luck.
David
Hi El Tel,
Yes, there's alarm over the old crocks. I can just see the headline now ...
Alarm crocks
Cheers
David
Yes, Neil,
They were an awesome pair - I think my Dad watched them play a Test match once. No wonder they had a calypso written in their honour.
David
Hi Bart,
You've got me curious, now. I'm not going to Google it. I'll try and work it out.
Was it `Dead Poets Society' by any chance?
If you understood cricket for 20 minutes, you doing a lot better than half the world!
David
Naw, it's nowhere near as highbrow as Dead Poets Society. Think way more kiddiecentric. But not too much because there was needless violence.
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