When Andrew Strauss was appointed England’s test captain, Andrew Flintoff joked, something to the extent of, Strauss is the butt of change room jokes.
It may have reflected the gamesmanship between the players, but it wasn’t too flattering for England’s new captain.
Strauss, in classic Strauss fashion, did not react to this supposed innocent remark, as that’s just what it possibly was.
Lesser men may have made a mountain out of it. Like why are we even talking about it now?
It’s about timing. It’s about the economy of word, comment, in a flash world of IPL, Strauss is old style. Ballroom cricket almost.
He prefers, at the risk of using a corrupt cricketing phrase, his bat to do the talking. Trouble is, in today’s world, bats do not talk louder than words.
Why else would there be such a clamour for the man, nay the talisman, Andrew Flintoff.
While Andrew F is greater than the sum of his achievements, Andrew S is, and will always be in the shadow of his triumphs.
An IPL contract may never be his. The exaggerated limelight of an Ashes win, one like 2005, where Freddie and KP loomed large over the cricketing world, atop a double-decker, may never be his.
But I doubt that matters much to an everyday guy like Andrew Strauss. For one, his calm of manner makes him stand better on his two feet than float in fluff of clouds.
And here you go for a bored Ashes version
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Absolutely brilliant, NC. KP on hospital bed, Flintoff limping out, Strauss towered over them all. A level-headed captain who did not forget how to put bat to ball and then led with aplomb. Kudos.
they come take the team hostage with their insatiable egos...perform a role or two and world fall upon them without even thinking about the very platform was build by dogged determination of rather normal human being who keeps on doing simple basic things right...
nice read nc...
Both are brilliant players that England will surely miss when they decide it's time.......
Understated achiever. Good post.
Shane Warne – The best bowler Australia has ever produced has opened up his mind to the media. He exposed his discontent regarding umpires. According to the ace spinner barring a few exceptions like Simon Tauter and ASAP Rauf other umpires went awry in terms of performance .Expressing disappointment that the standard of umpiring has deteriorated to the worst extent in the past twenty years of time he opined that though umpiring was a hard job, the performances of the umpires in the Ashes series had been consistently so ordinary. As far as Warne is concerned umpire Billy Bowden whom he expected to deliver correct judgments was also not consistent in performing his duty.
The spinner repents that there are too many instances of such bad judgments, which is increasingly becoming a cause of concern. He directly made a mention of names of umpires Daryl Harper and Billy Bowden, accusing them to be adamant in not confessing their wrong judgments. He also tried to strengthen his claim by mentioning that several players were not having a good opinion about those umpires in their minds. Warne insisted that the umpires should maintain a friendly attitude towards the players by shedding their high-handed attitude Warne also expressed his view repetitively that fifty over match should be withdrawn once for all as if such a change is brought about it would enable the players to spend more time with their families and relieve them from exhaustion.
Som, Strauss too could have made it to sick bay had he got sick of the stars. Not letting Freddie, KP and their check in sized egos get to him, that's some accomplishment.
SP, the stars are meant to shine, not perform.
Chris, I'll miss them too.
Thanks sb.
vijay, why don't you write to us at BCC!
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