The captain’s blog: The gamble
July 4th, 2008 by Edward Craig in Club cricket and tagged barnes, ed craigThe phone rings and I don’t recognise the number. “Hello.” A thick Asian accent.
“Hello”
“If you pick me for the game this Saturday, you will not get relegated.”
That’s the first thing he says. No name, no cricket CV, just a guarantee on non-relegation. Barnes may be desperate but picking players in the first team on the back of a 16-word phone call is beyond even us.
“I am a good batsman, I have scored a hundred against Barnes in 2000 and now I want to save you from relegation.”
It’s the hard sell.
I tell him to slow down, what’s your name (Jaff), where are you from (Karachi), where have you played before (Eastcote and North Middlesex). He’s just finished exams and is now looking for a club. It all sounds a bit fishy.
But he did guarantee non-relegation – and that’s dangling there desperately.
Ignoring the sensible side of my brain, I agree to have a net with him on Saturday morning before the game. He will not play this Saturday.
We have that net and, to give him his due, he looks a decent batsman. But it is only a net and he is wearing black shoes and chinos. He also bowls a little offspin.
“Do you want me Saturday?” I’ll think about it.
Losing draw against Shepherds Bush. Game taken away from us by a six ball 26 at the end of their innings. It is better than a loss and feels like a win.
Monday’s selection meeting: “Hello, Jaff?”
“Yes?”
“You free Saturday? We’re playing Richmond.”
Non-relegation. Guaranteed.
Edward Craig is deputy editor of The Wisden Cricketer
Posted in Club cricket |
July 4th, 2008 at 10:54 am
If he plays that well in black shoes and chinos, think how well he’ll play when more conventionally attired.
July 6th, 2008 at 7:50 am
[...] The captain’s blog: The gamble The captain’s blog: The gamble Posted in July 3rd, 2008 by Edward Craig in Club cricket The phone rings and I don’t recognise the number. “Hello.” A thick Asian accent. “Hello” “If you pick me for the game this Saturday, you will not get relegated.” That’s the first thing he says. No name, no cricket CV, just a guarantee on non-relegation. Barnes may be desperate but picking players in the first team on the back of a 16-word phone call is beyond even us. “I am a good batsman, I have scored [...]
July 7th, 2008 at 9:18 am
There is no man more dangerous in cricket than the one in the black trainers.
July 31st, 2008 at 11:59 am
So what’s been happening at Barnes over the past few weeks.
August 13th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
i want to apply for uk club as a crciketer ….
what is the procedure for that??
what are the requirements??
i am club crciketer in pakistan…
my age is 21 years and iam a wicketkeeper batsman
August 13th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
i want to apply for your club as a cricketer ….
what is the procedure ??
what are the requirements??
i am club crciketer in pakistan…
my age is 21 years and iam a wicketkeeper batsman
August 15th, 2008 at 9:53 am
[...] the gamble? It didn’t pay off. If you remember, a bloke rings ups, demands to be in the 1s, saying [...]