Sobers jumps aboard the Bazball bandwagon
There were few more entertaining cricketers than Garry Sobers and Mike Procter.
One famously hit six sixes at Swansea off one Malcolm Nash over during a glittering career that saw him become one of the greatest all-rounders of them all and the other was so synonymous with his county it became known as ‘Proctershire.’ So when they came together in London this week for the launch of the Sir Garry Sobers Foundation and spoke almost in awe of what england have done in one extraordinary month of Test cricket it was perhaps wise to take note.
‘I couldn’t believe what I was seeing in the Tests,’ said the great West Indian Sir Garry, now 85. ‘Flashing bats and people trying to hit fours and sixes every ball. It’s got to be good for spectators. It’s certainly not dull and boring.’
Then there was Procter, who electrified Gloucestershire in the Seventies with his very individual bowling style off the wrong foot and would have unquestionably been compared favourably with the Test greats were it not for South Africa’s isolation. ‘Looking back over all the years of Test cricket the initial attitude has always been, “Let’s make sure we don’t lose”,’ said Procter, now 75. ‘Then it’s, “If we can win, we win”.
‘This england team have changed all that. Of course, losing still matters but it’s about going for the victory. It’s been a breath of fresh air and I hope it rubs off on other teams. Test cricket now is about pure entertainment. It’s unbelievable.’
It was refreshing to hear from two senior citizens of the world game who have pretty much seen it all. Admittedly, there was an air of slight bemusement from Sir Garry (left) at batters going along at five and even six runs an over in england’s statement victories over New Zealand and India. ‘I do worry about technique in all this,’ he added. But it was still an authentic endorsement of what Brendon McCullum would rather we not call Bazball.
And it is to be hoped england’s new style will appeal to the beneficiaries of the Sobers Foundation that aims to raise £50million to help talented young cricketers through five hubs in the UK, West Indies, India, Australia and South Africa. ‘Cricket has given me everything,’ said Sir Garry at the launch at County hall also attended by Brian Lara, Joel Garner, Gordon Greenidge, Allan Lamb, John Lever and Farokh engineer. ‘And junior cricket development has always been close to my heart.’
Maybe those juniors who will benefit from the Sobers Foundation will now have a form of Test cricket they can adopt rather than gravitate inevitably towards the white ball.
For more information on the Sir Garry Sobers Foundation visit: sirgarrysobers.org
THE effects of Bazball can already be seen in the wider cricketing world, too. No sooner had Ben Stokes put out a call to arms telling county cricketers they had to play his way to get in the England team comes evidence of a response
from Dom Sibley. The man who epitomised the old conservative ways at the top of the order of the England team reached a 56-ball 50 for Warwickshire against Hampshire this week, scored with his new less quirky technique. The times they truly are a-changing...
A glimpse of england’s spin bowling future could be seen at Taunton yesterday in the form of 17-year-old Rehan Ahmed, who took three wickets with his leg-breaks and sharp googly for england lions in
their tour match against south Africa. First Ahmed made a big impression with 12 wickets in four games earlier this year at the Under 19 World Cup. Then he had a breakthrough Twenty20 Blast campaign with leicestershire, taking 19 wickets in the group stages, and now this. With matt parkinson struggling to make an impression in the absence of Adil Rashid in england’s white-ball games against india, it would be no surprise if Ahmed was soon on the radar of the senior team.