Every controversy has opposing camps. While it is natural to glide almost unconsciously into one of them, it is prudent to know and possibly appreciate the other side’s argument. The Don Bradman-Jack Fingleton rift is one of the most intriguing chapters in cricket history.
Bradman’s exploits are well heralded in print and visuals, but not much about the vulnerable side of his persona has seen daylight. So when I laid hands on Fingleton’s biography, the first reaction was that of finding hidden treasure, only to get the other side of the story.
The ‘dressing room leak’ during the Bodyline series of 1932-33 exposed the bitterness between Fingleton and Bradman. That was neither the first nor the last of their altercations. The book provides insights into the circumstances and events that influenced Fingleton. It also throws light on how relations between Fingleton and Bradman deteriorated. In all fairness, Bradman might have had frailties in character which Fingleton detested.
However, as reading gathers momentum, it appears that the narrative may have actually ended up depleting credibility of Fingleton’s reasons to resent Bradman. Like any biographer, Greg Growden’s loyalties are obvious on every page. A certain degree of bias and spite can be expected, but at times the author strains the limits of prejudice.
Often when a sting was inflicted, the incident was preceded or followed by phrases like “it appeared that…”, “it was rumoured that…”, “… but Fingleton did not believe…” Such descriptions weaken the authenticity of allegations. The overdose of an opinionated approach dilutes the plot.
There are sporadic references to ethics of reporting and broadcasting, which may make the current generation either marvel at or disbelieve the good old days of media discipline. The book contains a lot of anecdotes, interesting but not necessarily true (I dare to take the liberty of judging by relating the comments with certain events which I have seen).
However, like I mentioned at the beginning, it is more about looking at the other side of the coin. If one chooses to ignore Growden’s shortcomings, the book contains an abundance of information. For sheer research value and a fair hearing to the anti-Bradman brigade, “Jack Fingleton: The man who stood up to Bradman” is a good read.
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