BIG AL’S WIT AFTER BUMBLE’S DELIVERY

GOOD to see the legend that is Alan Mullally coming back to his quirky self after a tough period, the fishy tale of how he once put a dead shark in Mike Atherton’s bed in Napier, New Zealand, nicely retold in the Daily Telegraph.

It brought to mind one of my favourite ever cricket stories, a highlight of David Lloyd’s UK speaking tour a few years back.

Bumble recalled how, when he was England’s coach at the 1996 World Cup, they and all other teams were required to spend several hours completing the arduous task of signing hundreds of souvenir bats on the eve of the tournament.

England’s turn was scheduled for immediately prior to their final team meeting to discuss plans for their first opponents, Sri Lanka.

Renowned for struggling with the pronunciation of some Sri Lankan names, Bumble had prepared by learning them off by heart this time and, as he went through them one-by-one, he never put a tongue wrong.

So when it came to the time to ask his players for their thoughts on how to play against Sri Lanka’s dangerous left-arm opening bowler, he saw his chance to finish off in style.

“Now then,” he said. “Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas. What do we know about him?”

According to Bumble: “A stony silence ensued until Alan Mullally, who had been so quiet I had forgotten he was even on the tour, chimed in.

“You don’t want to worry about him, boss,” said Mullally, “he’ll still be signing all them f***in’ bats.”