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Hello, welcome once again on the Front Foot. A reward for all round us Smith and Bartson gaining Black Cats contracts is Joe Root, England's best ever batsman and it comes at a time that the Messiah gets another role in England cricket. Brendon McCollum, England's white all coach boy. England have really found a star in terms of their haven't they. Jeremy gaddyloadds well, they certainly seemed to be happy with his performance.
Don't they. I mean the Test side wasn't doing very well was it when he took over? Was it one from seventeen or something like that? They had one with Joe Ruters cap'n. So that wasn't too hard for Brendan to change. You'd have to say, but his you know, the results and his style. I think they won nineteen out of twenty eight. I think I read somewhere, So that's all improved. And it's actually been the white ball
formats that have imploded, haven't they in England? You know, they had that awful ODI in India where everybody beat them, and then they had that average performance in the T twenty. So it's kind of when McCullum originally arrived, it was the other way around, wasn't It was the red bull struggling and the white ball was yards that won everything and so on. Now it's flipped on its head, so he may see that as a chance to make a
bit of a more of an impact. And you know, the other point I would think about that he's got the job at a time when Morgan's team as being kind of dismantled, isn't it. It's being seven and renewed. So you know, Morgan's out and Maine Ali's out, and Bearstow and Jason Roy and that bowler, Liam Plunkett, they're all gone and in becoming all those new guys we talked about last week, you know, Bethel and Moseley and Jordan Cox and all that lot, so you know he
may help Josh Butler as well. Josh Butler, I don't know, how how do you see him? I always see him as a wee bit burdened as a captain.
Yeah, he doesn't look as though he's enjoying himself to a certain extent. He does when he's in and runs and being able to accelerate the team performance. But you know, there seemed to be just a sort of a mismatch between he and Mott, the previous coach, and he may well be able to fit in because I think he's the McCullum style, isn't he. He's a go get him, take every opportunity you can, don't be scared. And I think he's a McCullum type player, isn't he.
I think by instinct he is, and that he's overburdened a little bit by all the all the figures and all the you know, suggestions and so on that might come his way. And I think Brendan will allow him just free him up a bit, don't you think. And the other thing. The other thing, I think that some of the players, you know, that they will now with
him being white and red ball. They'll get a common message, you know, a constant kind of similar message over both the red ball and the white ball, and players quite like that. When you do get you know, say, the red ball are going really well on the white ball, aren't You're always kind of got players looking over the fence, you know, saying, gee, I wish I was in there, and what's wrong with our one? You know, comparing coaches.
So that will stop all that. I think the only question is, of course the old one is a schedule too tough? Will it allow it? Will he is it too much? And will he need somebody else, you know to help him? At times?
I think he's got fairly good back up. They seem to have a lot of people around well, I've got a lot of people around the Test team, and they seem to have a lot of coaching and support staff around their white ball team. Gee, we've done a good job for overseas coaches, haven't we. You know, we've we've shunted Brendan McCullum off. We didn't want him. We've got
rid of Daniel Vittori. We didn't want him. Jeetan Patel, well, he was here and then shot back to England as quickly as he retired, Stephen Flemm making millions of the coach and we've got a great job for world cricket.
Don't it, Shane Bond. Yeah exactly. So it's been spinners and fast bowlers and batsmen and hitters. It's been all sorts, hasn't it.
And I hope they do.
I've said that before. I hope they do in the end come back. And certainly, to be fair, I think Fleming and Bond have done a little bit at times, haven't and maybe for Tory but with particular tournaments. But yeah, you're right. It's part of the player sort of moving around and coaches move around too.
Yeah, I censored under you know, the current structure of a World cricket that their skills and other skills. You know, we look overseas to bring people into contract for coaching jobs and so forth, so you know, it's the current way. We were warned of that and it was pretty obviously coming to the fore. So, you know, interesting to see
McCollum putting his feet up on the stand. He sits in those nice comfortable chairs as he watches the game, doesn't look too worried about what's going on in the world, feed up and enjoying it chatting with these team players. Good luck to him. Contracts well, we've talked about contracts a bit recently. Nathan Smith and Josh Clarkson have received contracts now they are available after Conway and Allan opted out of central contracts. Smith and Clarkson all round US
Conway and Alan batsman. Nathan Smith said his response to the offer from New Zealand cook Att took him no time at all to agree to after a tough season with Worcestershire. He had to come home early because of injury.
Yeah.
I think I played eight four day games and ten weeks or something like that, so on the back of a home summer, so it was Yeah, the workload was high. That such a valuable experience. I loved my time, loved my time there and be keen to go back.
So you must have come home or come away from that pretty happy with what you achieved in terms of performances.
Yeah, I think so. Yeah, I think just sort of the form just rolled on from the home summer. Really, you know, my body was in good shape. Just love playing for them as well. They a great bunch of guys and that sort of goes a long way as well when you go into a new environment and they're good people. So yeah, just just love the experience.
Really, you talked about your body being in good shape. You've had problems in the last few years, haven't you. So you're really getting over a major injury break, didn't you.
Yeah.
I suppose the last couple of years, barring the last six months, the eight en months before that were they were challenging. You know, a couple of back stress fractures. It's quite testing times, but I think through that you sort of learn a lot about yourself. It gives you a little bit of perspective as well, and it's a hell of a lot better playing than I spent a lot of time sitting on the couch watching a lot
of guys play. So it's nice to you know, have a sort of a prolonged period of playing consistently, and you know, I think that's probably it's probably why the results are so good, you know, just playing all the time.
Can you pinpoint any area of your game where you think you've improved or have tried to improve?
I think probably just on the back of on the on the back of being fitter and stronger. I think I've probably gained a little bit of pace, and the consistency of the pace is there through sort of second and third spells. I think that's probably why I've started taking a few more wickets. Maybe it's just that consistent pace throughout the day has helped.
For me.
I think moving forward, I think it's probably probably the consistency in the batting that's gonna It's gonna take me to the next level. So that's been a big focus over the last twelve months.
And the other thing is that's probably a tough question to answer. Do you have a preference for the format of the game or is it just all your preference in terms of every format.
Oh yeah, I love I love crickets, so all formats are great. They have their own little niches. But for me, I'm a purist, so I love the long format of the game. It's probably a format that I've had the most success in so far. So that doesn't say I'm not I'm not trying to become an all three format player. I definitely think I can play all three formats. So yeah, for me, it's just about trying to stay on the park,
stay fit and hopefully perform for whoever I'm playing for. Yeah, I think I think probably had a strong domestic summer last year and then continued continued again for Worcester over the over the winter. So probably just the form in the last twelve months. I'd say that's that's the goal anyway, to try try about seven and a Test team. I think what sets me apart from from other seamers potentially having that batting there that can add a little bit
balance to a side. So I'm always going to try work on that and get as good as I can with my batting to try to help the team.
You took the new ball for what do you do? For Wellington? You took the new ball for what's you do? You see yourself essentially as a new ball bowler or an all around who bats. You know, people put in categories, don't they.
I suppose I try not to categorize it too much. I feel like I've got a little bit more skill with the ball then just bowling with a new ball. I like to take the new ball. I think it's a real strength of mine, but I think I can also add impact with the old ball as well, which I think is going to be important for me moving forward to intetional cricket.
Former black Caps bowling coach Shane Jurgenson, who's now the Wellington coach of Smith's side as well placed to assess the pace bowlers a bit of he and he applauds the black Caps choice.
It's amazing. It's a credit to create Wellington and the hard work that's gone on behind the scenes over a long period of time and you know, fantastic for Nathan and to have that opportunity for him. It's been a
long road for Nathan. I played first class cricket for quite a while now with O Targo and what he's done when he's come to Wellington and the opportunity he's had a lot of support and for him personally to come back from a serious back injury, his stress fracture of the operation and to have the impact he had for us last year was you know, a nice reward for him.
Oh.
I think for him attention to detail. He's quite an open young man to learning, which is good. You know, tough boy from the South and he loves the opportunity to learn and develop his game. As you say, he's basically he isn't all round it and can provide an impact with the ball, with the bat and also in the field he's lightning across the turf trying to catching and fielding the ball retrieving it. So yeah, he can certainly have a player that can have an impact and
create an opportunity for the team. That's to make a position of where the team might be in a difficult position and he can make make a difference in a match. So that's a type of exciting cricket he can bring to the game.
It's a new era for fast ballers in New Zealand now the older group is starting to decline a little bit, We've got some new players. Nathan was talking about one of the things that being a watershowers being able to increase his pace. Have you noticed that? Is he quick enough? Can he get quicker?
Oh?
Yeah, it certainly increase that. I think it's something he's been working on the last twelve months, is attacking the crease almost like taking himself out of that the role of all being seen as maybe a swing bowler into potentially being able to bowl in all different types of the not just new ball. And I think that's certainly something in him and I have spoken about, and he has a strong desire to being able to bowl at all parts of the innings.
And I think for us in the.
Plunket chieerd last year, there are certainly times where he up the ante and bold short short deliveries, short ball plan to try and create a bit of doubt with the batter, and he certainly had an impact.
You look around the world and the international teams that are looking for faster bottles and like Chicken really ball fast and New Zealand have got a couple on the new breed and he could join them with that ability.
Yeah, I think for him, Yeah, he certainly worked on his fitness, attacking the wicket, getting stronger. He slides onto the bat a bit quicker than you think, and he's got some really good skills and I think with Nathan what you can have is someone that for us he was right up there with one of our best T
twenty bowlers last year and that's the ability that he has. Hopefully, you know he will continue to grow and keep learning and he's always curious wants to get better, So there's no doubt he's going to be a strong contender for all formatsman's future.
For of the seams that are developing now.
I think, you know my role, there's some really good, exciting, exciting young fast bowlers. I think there's certainly going to be opportunities for these guys. And to see another one of our guys, Ben Sears with his opportunities and there's been a number of players over a long period of time, Jacob Duffy, and there's another one that comes to mind as Ben List. You know, there's going to be more opportunities for these guys and opportunity for them to step
up into those roles. And look, I think it's sort of you know, no doubt you've also got Kyle Jamison. So there's still a number of quality, high quality fast bowlers, and you know that's the balance of the opportunities and the roles that are around for the guys is to step up for the team. And yeah, so's certainly going to be still competition for the spots for you know, the black Ops and years to come with him.
So that response by Jergensen gives an indication of selector thinking to opening batsmen out middle order all around has included white ball thinking, I think for the future or is a test match thinking for some of these players.
What do you think, Jerry Well, it certainly seems as o' clarkson has already played a few ODI's and te tweeties, hasn't he. It looks as though New Zealand liked to introduce their even their Test players through the white ball formats and get them used to international level. I yeah, I don't know Josh Clarkson quite so well. I don't know either of them quite as well as you do. I looked up their figures. Smith looks a more of a bowling prospect. He impressed me with the way he spoke.
Was he's aware that, you know, he can use the ball at different times. In other words, he can use the open the bowling with the new ball. He's done that for Wellington and Worcestershire, hasn't he. He can bowl first change. Then he said in that interview that he was working on the old ball, which is a good thing. You know. He's thinking about what can I do to add to my game in order to prepare for the
you know what's up in front of me. He knows that he's got to do more as a batsman at number seven, he said, So I like all that that that he's a thoughtful player making himself useful. And when I looked at his figures, a couple of things stood out for me. This is Nathan Smith. The first thing is he's got five wicket bags and first class cricket six times. Now that's that's a man who can you know, who can change a game. You know, when you take a five wicket bag, you know he's got that ability.
He's got four wickets four times as well. He's getting a wicket ut just every just over nine overs, and so you know that's that's a good component. I think he's bowling. We need a middle order seema who can hold a bat. Now there's batting. He's had eighty two first class innings and he's got thirteen fifties. Now to me, he's good. So I've got one hundred, but thirteen fifties to me, that's a fifty every six innings and a bit. I can hold a bat, and I can get them
in different situations. It says thirteen of them, and I can get them at different times in the game with different conditions you know, and different bowlers. Those are all things I think are quite positive about Nathan Smith. He's not there yet not the finished product. No one's saying he is, but those are good signs.
Yeah, those stats to me, as you say, show a player who can latten different circumstances and you want somebody who can hit quick runs if required. He can do that. You want someone who can play a solid innings as a support. And to me, he fits into the bill of say something like Santner Embraceville, somebody who could bat at Test level. And the fact that he's talking about improving his batting to be a number seven batsman gives
the indication that that's the way he's thinking. And you know, yeah, you're right, he's not the finished product. But he does hit the cricket headlines at times, doesn't he And you know he does change the course of a game and they are all important features.
Yeah. Well, last game he played, you know, and in England, I think it was against Durham, I saw he got two lots of four wickets and I just quickly flipped open the paper to have a look at it. And he got Alex Lees twice. So there's an England opener. He got Beddington, that fellow who's from South Africa who came out here just last year and he got Ben Stokes who was playing. So he gets good players out obviously with the new ball, getting those top orders, so
that's all good. And he got a fifty one not out against naturally. How many New Zealanders are playing once? I mean he was playing I think against nottingham at trent Bridge. This was a T twenty, his last T twenty match. He came in. Worcestershire who he plays for, were fifty eight for six and he got fifty one not out and got them through to one hundred and
fifty four and then they won the match. And he was playing against Ben Lester for Nottinghamshire who got two for twenty and Will Young also both those guys from New Zealand and Will Young got the top score for Nots twenty five. They are good signs different formats responding at the first class level.
I've been through a list of the county teams and I haven't got all the players we've played throughout the year, but so far I've got a list of twenty seven New Zealand players in England this year playing for counties, and that doesn't really minor county yep. I mean there's a young bowler from christ Church. Kendry player Fraser Sheet who has had a game for Glamorgan. I think he played in the last round for Glamorgan. Not one of the top counties, but they're getting experience and that level.
And you know the names that are there. You will know Wagner's playing, Tom Bruce, Jimmy Neisham's had a game, Phillips has been over there, Ravendra has been there playing a form of the game for sides over there. But names you might not hear. James Hartshorn who played for Wellington and the Plunket Shield. Logan van Beek has just taken up a contractor Worcestershire and place at. Nathan Smith
and some of these young players Zach Fuchs. Michael Ray, bowling from down in the South Island, has also been playing at Warwickshire. So this is a good off season play for these players and hopefully they're still available to play. Forty twenty seven names. Boy, that's a lot.
Yeah, yeah, so Wads Clarkson more of a white ball player at the moment, you'd think, Yeah, the average is about the same. Average is about the same as Nathan Smith with the bat hasn't played as many games and not quite the bowler twenty three first class games, thirty two wickets, so he's getting just over one wicket a game, whereas Nathan Smith's getting kind of, you know, nearly three.
And he's I think, you know, he's an explosive batsman. That's what they like at at the domestic level. But of course he's got to make that step up and he'll get a chance this year because this white ball cricket coming up later in the year. It may get a chance. There are nine Test matches that New Zealand
are down to play for. There are injury possibilities, that's always a likelihood, and one or two of those outside the squad who have got Black Cap contracts could be playing Test match cricket before the end of the year. It's a tough cycle for these We don't realize, you know, nine Test matches in three different countries, India, Sri Lanka and then they come back home to New Zealand. They'll have to get used to bating and bowling in New Zealand before the end of the year.
Yeah. Well it's a good thing though. We can't have it both ways, can we knock in the players. They're obviously freeing up January to do the white ball formats, so you know, but it's good they're playing tests. Brian. We can't we can't complain and have it both ways,
you know. I was just thinking over the week, I wonder, you know, we were talking about, oh we have been the big issues you know in cricket, and I was thinking about the way that the ICC spread their money around, you know, how they give a whole lot to India
and to Australia and to England. I just wondered if they would just change that a little bit and say, look, New Zealand, we'll give you twelve percent of the money instead of the six you currently get, and for that you must play twelve thirteen tests, fifteen ODIs, eighteen t twenties internationals in your year. If you can do that, you'll get the twelve percent they and I just wonder whether that could actually be one way they could sort
some of the problems out. I mean, people will be shouting at their radios, they'll be shouting, yes you are. You're wanting to shout straight away too. But then I just finished the just my last thought, my last thought look, doesn't matter what you think of these simple idea, but I would I would argue that it is important that we have those kind of discussions while you know there's still test cricket around. Don't let it fall away and
become irrelevant without having these discussions. You know, whether strong sides keep getting stronger and the weak teams more fragile.
Yeah, I look, I agree with you in terms of that. But were you thinking, were you're dreaming or drinking heavily that the ICC might actually make a change and really incorporate the love of test cricket for the rest of the world, Because to me it seems about the ICC. It's all about the ICC and how much money they can rake in. Yeah, they hand out money to all the major countries. But the last lot of figure, as you and I saw Indy, you got most of it, didn't it?
Well? Nearly eighty wasn't it nearly eighty percent? They say, of course they make that too. But you see, let's move away from that model that's not working. You've only got to look at the performances of West Indies and Sri Lanka and England where they're getting through to sometimes to day three, sometimes to day four, early on day four whatever, and well look at the crowds. The crowds aren't going to the game the last day in that Sri Lanka last Test, only eight thousand there on the
last day. Now at Law we just gone on that situation. No, course not. The punters aren't stupid. The quality when you've got to pay eighty five pounds which was the cheapest ticket, yeah, you expect, and then you perhaps have add and travel, add in food, add and drink. You might want to take your son or daughter along. Think how expensive that day is and quality, the quality of the product isn't good enough. You would expect a damn good competitive quality for that amount of money.
Some people were paying over one hundred and twenty quid for those seats at Lord. One hundred and twenty. That's nearly two hundred and fifty New Zealand dollars, isn't it.
Yeah, Yeah for a seat. And yeah, look, I just think what test cricket is. And I know our listeners will know. You know, I'm an older fella now, and maybe it is for older people, the test format, but I think it's worth saving because it happens to be the best format for me, it's only my view. The other point I would make, just to finish it, is, do you agree, yes, jere me, that's good.
That's the older people.
Look quickly, yeah, go and get clear to tap you on the back of give you another pill now.
Look.
But I just value into I just value international cricket. Actually, I like international stuff. I don't care really, I watch all the World Cups. I don't care what format it is. I suppose it's because I've known about those things and
it means more to me. I don't really care quite so much about franchise A versus franchise B and insert some silly names there, and clubs made up and comprised of cricketing itinerants, you know, thrown together by money owned by someone wearing an expensive suit and loads of plastic surgery. I don't want to I really, during the midwinter in the Middle East or on the Canadian border, I don't care about that as much. So ultimately it's about money,
isn't it. Franchise cricket. It's about laborers who pick up their year at the end of five weeks and move on somewhere else, and.
That plastic surgery, I presume that includes a couple of new hips or yee joints replaced to them.
Well, what about my hip exactly.
Exactly, point will made Jarian. I'm sure we can discuss that on a future occasion as well. Let's look ahead to Afghanistan a Test match. They've arrived in Greater Noider, which is somewhere near Delhi in India and it's an area that has been little known for Test cricket. They've played very little in that part of the world. Darryl Mitchell is one of the key members of the New Zealand side. He's had a fair time to practice at home.
He's acknowledged that and I think he understands right from the outset the challenge they face.
Yeah, look, I guess it's the unknown of not really knowing what the surface will do. So for us, it's the next three days trainings will be really important to try and work out firstly how the surface will play and how we want to go about on that surface, and you will just adapt as quick as we can. The surfaces can be so different from ground to ground, in city to city, so it's working out what is the challenge on that wicket and trying to find ways
put pressure back on the bowlers. For me, that's sticking with them my own strengths. And at the same time, you know, I've spent the last sort of two months now at home to prepare for this Test series and come up with some plans which hopefully fingers cross will work.
Yeah.
Look, it's been cool. We've had a couple of camps up and Lincoln and at the Mountain and try and replicate I guess the surfaces that we will get over here, so you can never quite create Indian wickets. But yeah, I'm really happy with the way the prep's gone and just looking forward again, stuck in. Yeah, look for us, Test cricket's really important to us as a group and
another chance played Testcreavy country is pretty special. So to take on Afghanistan, which is something we haven't done before, and yeah, we know they've got a number of world class players, especially in these conditions, it'll be a cool challenge.
You might not have realized that just before that car started at the end of the piece with Mitchell on it, he was almost run down outside the front of the hotel by an another white car that seemed to be uncontrolled and you had to step aside to save himself from being run down. But that's the agility that Test match players have and are going to have to have. Mitchell acknowledges that the players are up against a tough three months with nine Test matches to play.
There's definitely something I guess looking at the calendar for a period of time now, you can sort of keep you on and excited by the challenge to come over here to play Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and India and in these subconserent conditions. And that's why you play test crickets. You want to take on the best in their own and their own conditions.
And yeah, cool, I think it's pretty simple Jerry, isn't it. He recognizes that they're going to have to work hard for three days just to get to grips with the conditions over there, because they're planning a lot of cricket in India over the next six to eight weeks. And this is not for the World Test Championship against Afghanistan, but it's an important test match for them, isn't it.
Well, it's a serious warm up, isn't it. And it's not one of those thirteen fourteen players and we'll let you have a few of ours into your team and we'll play against each other.
You know.
It's not one of those warm up before one your first test. It's the tail end of the monsoon. So rain is a possibility, but not as much in July as August and August. It's the home ground, you know, adopted one for Afghanistan. They used to be charged, didn't they, And the cricket ground there and it's a sports complex so there is you know, Olympic swimming pool and a running track and all that sort of stuff around the cricket ground. I think I saw a picture was where
it seats about eight thousand at the moment. I don't think they'll get those sort of crowds, but who knows. Concurence setting, Yeah, yeah, that maybe I can. I can hear the planes starting up and get the flying into Utta, Pradesh, but with the shade on the top tier only. They've got a pavilion that'll be handy. The boys don't have to change outside the boundary. So quite a smallest ground. It says boundary side sixty four meters straight, sixty six
meters square. And I looked at a couple of games that they've held there wads. They haven't had many ODIs. They've had two af Gone two ninety two, Ireland two sixty two in forty six overs. Second game af Gone three thirty eight and Ireland three h four. Not bad totals for an ODI, but maybe that's the size of the ground. Who knows. And the last one I've looked up was a Rangy Trophy, which I was more interested
in because it's more like a test match. Four dayers, the local team Utter Pradesh played Baroda Baroda three twenty one. Uda Pradesh used seven bowlders. Now it took a h and thirteen overs, but that included cool Deep Yadav and Pierce Choler who's a leg spinner who played for India, so decent bowlers, decent spinners. And then Uda Pradesh got five hundred and twenty four one hundred and fifty two overs.
Baroda used seven bowlers again Indian bowlers, wads Erfun Patan, Munaf Patel, Hardik Pandia and then Baroda finished off two fifty eight for three. Now, if the block is the same as that game was played, and that was about four or so years ago, and they've been using local teams and corporates since then. But it sounds as though bowlers are going to have to work hard, doesn't it. It seems as though not much seen because that Irfund
Patan and Muna Patel lot. Maybe you need real pace to take the wicked out of the equation a bit more so to me, That brings Seers and O'Rourke into the game more still want I think Henry there just in case, and it looks for spinners that you want to get the ball flighty more flighty up above the batsman's head and drop it. That brings Bracewol and age as Patel slightly ahead of Santner. I think in terms of the team composition, you.
Can also add Ravendra in if he gets a batting slot in the Test team, to add the extra bowling option, but he would be third in that choice quite clearly. It's been a busy month for the New Zealand side because they've also been able to or had to watch England play Sri Lanka. They've played the West and East, now they're playing Sri Lanka. What would they've taken out of that last Test England's win over Sri Lanka. There's
areas where can be exploited. Sri Lanka. They're a good side and will be at home, but they have a few weaknesses that can be exploited.
Yeah, I think Sri Lanka. I think the bowling look weaker than potentially the batting. I don't know. I mean they've been beaten, you know, pretty comfortably by England at home. But the impressive bowler is with the quicks A setter Fernando, he looks their best quick Kumara came in in the second Test and looked, you know better, I thought. And from the batting point of view, they didn't. I mean, they didn't look to have a really interesting spinner, did
they really? Jayasuria? Jayasuria didn't really make a huge difference. Bowled a few overs and then the batting obviously that commandremendous. But he's batting at about number seven, isn't he He got the hundred and he's had a seventy seventy at Lord's. He looks a good player. And then chunder Mar's got a few and Baruna Ratna will be okay, I think
when we play. Yeah, Matthews is there, so I think, and they one of the features I think they've shown is that cook They're quite They fight quite hard, don't they? And so I think they are going to be difficult at home most definitely.
And they've got another Test match which is about to begin, and they'll be playing against a guy called Joe Root, who Michael Vaughan says is England's best ever batsman.
I think you could, yeah, well that's a bold play.
Yeah, you could. You could take exception because you could look at a number of players over different eras and it's the issue of looking at players and statistically you could probably find very little argument. But players play in different eras, different conditions, and it's very hard to mark one against the other. Joe Root against Don Bradman. You can't pick a one of there, can you, because they've played in different eras.
Yeah, and so as you say, uncovered pictures, too many variables. Who are you playing? What is the strength of the bowl?
Is?
How strong is your side? In other words, if you're a number four like Joe Root, are you going in at two for fifteen? All the time, the laws have changed, drs, the equipment's changed, the size of the grounds changed, look, so many things. Was the game we keep saying all the game's changing so quickly. I would think of Joe Root, and you tend to as a kid think of you know, the players that you saw and they made an impact
on you and so on. But certainly for me the period I played, Buchen Gower stood out as outstanding English players. And since I've stopped, I think Peterson and Root were the two that, again very different players who stood out for me. So those four in terms of batsmen ones and Oakner ones are three and two of them are four basically your middle order. So I would have to say Root is probably the best of the modern English batsman that I've seen. I don't know what he's so consistent.
Oh and there's no doubt. I mean, I'm not arguing that a fact that tallom and he's and he's a good batsman to watch. I like players who are good to watch. David Gower for me, was probably one of the most elegant batsmen I ever saw. You know, we've talked about Bert suckerf how elegant was he as a player, Very very eligant left hander and goer in his time, you know, average forty four and tests eight thousand runs, but he can go back before that. You can look
at the stats of Walter Hammond. We don't know how good he was. We have to look at the stats. We have to listen to what people say. Glenn Hutton was another one, average fifty six and test matches. You know, we don't think about that, do we when we look at Joe Route, who averages fifty So you know, it's it's the era, it's the time more so than the stats. The stats talk for themselves, don't they They do.
And I think when you're asked to name the best test side, say from England, that people generally look at the more modern players then they do the older players. But Dennis Compton, I don't know whether you mentioned him. I remember talking to John Woodstock at once, you know that that writer who was who's not what was any longer? Yeah, John Woodcock, sorry, not Woodstock, and he said Dennis Compton was above everybody, peerless. Tom Graveney is another name that
comes to my head. Peter May, a very strong player, Colin Cowdreyke and you know there are lots of them, so you know, I think that's what That's why I said sort of yeah, best ever not sure about that, but certainly I think of the modern era. Router's right up there.
Yep. Well, Jeremy Kney is the best ever as far as I'm concerned, and I will remain that way as long as we can. Our old friends.
Well, it's where it's being stretched. It's been stretched today.
Never mind, we've got there. We've got a test manage to look forward to starting Monday. Yeah, great, and what time as it was, It'll be about five afternoon starting yeah, starting through about midnight.
Okay, and it starts Monday, doesn't it nine?
That's right.
That's okay, So Monday to Friday test and we'll thank god you and I haven't got jobs.
Except go get you then get a few nights sleep because we're going to have to.
I better go and get a sky what is it called a sky now or something like that. I have a little package.
Go and get something.
Se yes, by all the world, A qualities of someting do do
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