If the International Cricket Council is still in need of a pep-up in the lead-in to the 2015 World Cup, to be staged in Australia and New Zealand, it may have found the perfect person to deliver it.
Like many cricket fans, I read with interest last week that former Kiwi captain Martin Crowe was hoping to pull on the pads once more and wield the willow – in first-class cricket no less – at age 48. Good on him, too.
CricInfo.com and other New Zealand news outlets reported on May 19 that Crowe stated on Twitter: “call me mad, but just having an urge to put the pads on, don the headband, take guard and bat in a first-class match. Would [Auckland] consider it?”
“Every now and then you find yourself drifting along…I needed to do something to stay on top of things,” he told Sriram Veera.
“It’s a little bit of fun but it’s based on the need to get off my butt. When you get to my age, you need to do something. Physically, I am a person who needs more than going to gym. I need to fire myself up. I don’t like swimming, cycling, or lifting weights. I can’t climb, I can’t run – why not bat?”
“It’s a serious goal to get fit but it’s a fun and light-hearted attempt to see if a 48-year old can play and at what level. Unless you try you will never know.”
Crowe also cited Saurav Ganguly, Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne as players who can still contribute strongly on the big stage.
“Why don’t I take a bat in my hand and see what happens when summer comes around,” he said.
At the same time it could be fun because here in New Zealand the batting is in a little bit of decline and it will be a good way to see where the techniques are at.”
It’s been 15 years since he’s played top-flight cricket. Pah. Non-issue, I say. Club games first, then Auckland, then Central District – in that order, apparently. And if he’s good enough, why not a return to the national side?
Dylan Cleaver of the Auckland Herald called it “the most improbable comeback in our sporting history”.
But here’s where the 2015 joint hosts could really cash in. Picture a 10-team tournament – still presumably the ICC’s preferred option – but with a golden oldies’ XI slotted into the fixture list in place of say, Zimbabwe.
Or, if that fails, why not spice things up, substitute-style, by requiring every nation to include one over-age (as in over the age of 40, in the recently-retired basket) player in their squads.
Casting an eye across the original squad lists from the 1992 era – nay, from that very World Cup tournament – who would you have in such a team? How about a final 14 from this lot?
A Comeback Kings’ XI (minus the pun-jab): Steve Waugh (Australia), Alec Stewart (England – wicket-keeper), Phil Tufnell (England), Ravi Shastri (India), Imran Khan (Pakistan), Martin Crowe (New Zealand – captain), Dipak Patel (New Zealand), Allan Donald (South Africa), Jonty Rhodes (South Africa), Aravinda De Silva (Sri Lanka), Andy Flower (Zimbabwe), Roger Harper (West Indies), Carl Hooper (West Indies), Brian Lara (West Indies)…
Crowds would flock to see their heroes in action once more – and you know what, purely in skill terms, I’d say that some would be capable of showing up today’s youngsters a bit as well.
And that’s why I’d like to see how this moment of pleasant madness from Martin turns out.
Who else is going to start a “Go Crowe’s Crew” petition to the ICC with me?
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