I can’t believe it’s come round again so quickly. Another cricket season is upon us and with that it is back to reality and back to business. No more swooning on foreign beaches and topping up the tan or earning millions in the City - this is it! Time to perform and be counted. It only seems like yesterday when my team-mates and I were swapping a bit of changing room banter over the latest scandal in the “News of the World”, while Owais Shah was crashing another boundary through the offside.
“Alright dog? Good winter?” is the first greeting I hear upon my return to Lord’s. ‘Dog’ is a friendly term of endearment that our beloved wicketkeeper, David Nash, uses to greet anyone from his missus to, given the chance, the Prime Minister! Over the long winter you miss the characters that make up a cricket team. Nothing quite compares to the wit and repartee that is exchanged among the boys and without it the season could be a tiring and unenvied task.
Pre-season can be a tough old slog, given the early-season weather and the encapsulating feeling of being surrounded by netting in the all-too-familiar MCC Indoor School. It is either that or dressing up like the Michelin man as Middlesex make their first attempt at getting some outdoor practice. Trust me, it is never fun when you are fielding at backward point with freezing winds screaming across the out-ground in North London and Andrew Strauss drilling a succession of thunderous cut shots. However I don’t think there are many in the world of professional cricket who can boast a fielding practice in the snow at Lord’s, as happened on the weekend before last. This was certainly a first for me and, I’m sure, the twelve other I shared the experience with!
It is great to be back doing something I love. Strapping on the pads and hitting that first sweet shot is the reason we players get up every morning as we strive to further hone the technique that will hopefully bring us success this season.
The great thing about playing a seasonal sport is that you do get time to yourself in the winter months, although it isn’t one long holiday. Players might spend these quieter months working on their fitness or making some technical changes to their action. Some of us do go abroad, combining a holiday to chill out with some valuable practice – and the lucky ones will be on tour with England. Others stay at home to try their hand at something else - perhaps a job in the city or writing a book like our Middlesex captain Ed Smith.
Whatever way we spend the winter, it can be a very important time for a sportsman if used correctly. The season is long and the amount of cricket being played means that come the autumn it is good to take some time off and turn your attention elsewhere. If you look at footballers, they play almost the whole year round and although their wage bracket is considerably higher, there isn’t much respite for them.
I suppose this leads me on to one of the many issues facing not only English cricket but cricket globally at the moment. With the advent of the highly lucrative IPL and ICL, players are of course inclined to take up the huge financial offers made to them - and why shouldn’t they? Like football, perhaps this is an opportunity for cricket’s best players to cash in and make some serious money in a way that has never been possible in the past.
For England players like Pietersen it will be interesting to see what developments take place. The system of 12-month ECB central contracts means that at the moment England players cannot play in the IPL or ICL. The knock-on effect is that the first-class counties may switch to 12-month contracts to ensure they keep full control of their assets. The IPL also poses a big threat to the overseas player system. With so many of the big names playing in India, the lure of the pound in county cricket for top overseas professionals is not what it used to be. Why would a top international come to England for a whole season, only to earn far less than the sum he could be paid to take part in the IPL for just a few weeks?
The cricket administrators have many pressing issues to think about and it will be interesting to see how the IPL affects cricket at all levels. With the profile of cricket being higher than ever, it does however make this a fantastic time to be playing the game professionally.
Our first run outdoors in freezing wet conditions was something of a foreign affair. It always takes a while to get back to grips with the pace of early-season conditions. Feeling the sweat on the gloves, the spikes getting caught up in the sticky soft wickets as the first attempt at an attacking shot goes by, the bruise on the index finger as you mistime that first catch in warm-ups, knowing that it will be about the only thing that will remain with you for the next six months. This is what the first month of pre-season games is all about.
Key batsmen need time in the middle to see a few overs go by and bowlers want to make sure that the extra strength and speed they’ve gained over the winter hasn’t altered their run-ups. So for us playing two warm-up games against Essex and Surrey proved invaluable as everyone is pushing to show coaches and captains alike how they can be a sure selection.
It is great to be back with the Middlesex team, having a bit of banter and sharing in the excitement of the new season. So far Toby Radford and Richard Scott have been incredibly organised and therefore practices have been that much more productive. This allows us as players to get on with our own individual development approaching our first championship game against Leicestershire on Wednesday. I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences of the season this year as our batsmen pile on the runs. Oh and if you’re lucky enough you might get called ‘dog’ by a small bald wicketkeeper called Nashy!
Comments
Posted by: Jon Lever at April 15, 2008 3:00 PM
Saw your mate Nashy on Sunday at The Parks in Oxford. His 100no means he has timed things right for the start of the season. I wish you well this season Nick but hope my Lancs team can finally fulfil their ambition. Looking forward to the 20/20 - always a good occasion in the Lords sunshine.
Posted by: K. B. Gopallawa at April 17, 2008 1:11 AM
Are there any bowlers similer to Sri Lanka's new sensation Ajantha Mendis - who bowls the Carrom Ball - a ball flicked by the finger as would a Carrom player. On the same token do you believe the term Carrom ball - gaining popularity among fans would gain currency as the Doosra? Whoever coined the term has to be creatively brilliant and we must thank that person for enriching the cricket lexicon.Let us know what Nick and readers of this blog think of the term Carrom Ball.
Posted by: Seaxe Man at April 17, 2008 5:52 PM
Thanks for that Nick. An interesting read as to what goes on, on the other side of the boundary. You did of course see snow on the Everest climb. Had to be a surprise to see so much of it at Lord's in April though.
Post your comment
The Contributors
James Foster was still a student for Durham University when he was called up to the England A squad in 2000-01, before progressing to full
international honours the following winter. However, he broke his arm in the nets early in the 2002 season which allowed Alec Stewart back into the side and he has played just one further Test, at Melbourne in 2002-03. But two strong seasons have put him back in the frame and he was part of the England Lions squad during the 2007-08 winter tour to India. He was appointed
Essex's vice captain in 2007.
Nick Compton, grandson of the legendary Denis, was raised in South Africa before moving to Harrow as a teenager. Like many young South Africans, he excelled at handball sports and, although he took some time to
cement his place, he's been a consistent and elegant batsman at the
top of the order for Middlesex ever since. This winter, instead of
spending it in the gym, he and Graham Napier trekked in the foothills
of Mount Everest to stage the world's highest ever cricket match.
Will Smith was 22 when he sparked Nottinghamshire's interest with a fine 156 for Durham Universities in 2005, and it was enough to earn him a
contract and three games with the county in their Championship-winning
season. A strong opening batsman, he had to wait until 2006 to hit his
maiden first-class hundred following a winter in which he had double
hernia and shoulder operations. He joined Durham in 2007 and has a
range of curious nicknames: Posh Kid, Smudge and Jiggy.
Web Feeds
