Rob back chasing runs
HE SPENT 27 YEARS AWAY FROM THE GAME – AND NOW CRICKET GOLD COAST’S OLDEST FIRST GRADE PLAYER HAS A POINT TO PROVE, AS RHYS O’NEILL REPORTS
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URFERS Paradise batsman Rob Pook believes in setting goals high.
Returning to first grade cricket aged 51 after nearly a three-decade absence?
Yep, the Englishman’s bar was impossibly lofty for 2017/18.
The oldest player in the Kookaburra Cup’s top grade this season, Pook is proving a point to others – and himself – as he recaptures the form that had him play seven seasons of professional cricket in England.
That spell at Essex ended in 1990 when, two years after a sojourn at Surfers, Pook retired.
At 24 he deemed his cricketing future stagnant. He returned to Australia, met a local and had two sons.
Now, nearly three decades later, the sporting love has resurfaced.
“(Retiring) was a decision about if I was going to go on and play at first class level for the next 10 years, but I wasn’t good enough,” he said.
“It (quitting) was easy to do because I’d fallen out of love with the game.
“But it was hard afterwards to not be good at anything.”
A lifetime later, Pook put his hand up to return. Why?
“The boys had moved out and I had no interests,” he said.
“The only thing I was excited about was cricket.
“I did the full pre-season training and there was a bit of rust and physically cricket is very different now and I had to get used to that change.
“But it’s the highlight of my week now. I can’t wait to get to training and I can’t wait to play each week.
“I wasn’t sure if the body would hold up this season but I’m already looking forward to next year.”
Son Aaron has floated around Surfers’ higher grades in recent years, adding another incentive for Pook.
The pair’s appearance in one first grade game earlier this season is understood to be the first father-son combo for the club.
“It was wonderful and that was half the reason I started playing again,” Pook said of lining up alongside his offspring.
“My other goals were to get into first grade – I’d been good and now I was crap – and I’ve ticked that off.
“My last one was to make big runs; I’ve chipped in this season but haven’t got a big score.
“I’ve got one month left to do that – you have to set high goals.”