Paul Hayward’s piece in the Daily Telegraph remains unimprovable.
Plainly the grief that matters most is that of the Hughes family, who saw his life cast into a maelstrom on a cricket pitch, where, despite the risks posed by a hard object travelling at 90mph, death was never thought to be a serious possibility until the victim, who was attacking a head-high ball with a hook shot, fell forward onto his face and began his journey into darkness.
A loss that must be beyond comprehension to his real family will never make sense either to the people he batted with and against. From the moment of impact, images zipped around the world of fielders and officials gathered in panic around the fallen batsman. You can see even more clearly now the suspicion in those faces that the world might be changing forever.
The sport never considered the possibility of a 25-year-old Test batsman who exemplified his country’s assertive shot-making having his life ended by a small red ball. A Sheffield Shield Match was never meant to be a killing ground.
When the news broke, cricket felt unrecognisable. The sorrow that flowed from fellow players expressed not just loss but shock and incomprehension. The process of feeling ‘normal’ about cricket again will take years, not months, and may never reach its end.
Maybe the whole of cricket will eventually rationalise an event that looks, from this distance, to have been a cosmically malign accident. But no sentient person could demand or even expect that losing a friend and colleague in this way should be boxed away while the carnival resumes.
The 2015 [Ashes] series is a minor concern for Michael Clarke’s team. Their mountain is the next 24 hours, and then the next one, until the urge to play aggressive cricket returns by increments, and the memory of Hughes can somehow be laid down in a safe place, separate from the game itself, which has retired hurt, with a broken heart.
Cricket will never quite be the same again. How could it? A cricketer has been killed at the crease – his life extinguished by the very dynamics of the game – and all innocence is lost.
Let’s not forget, either, Hillel Oscar – the Israeli umpire fatally injured during a match yesterday.
Set against the fate of Phillip Hughes, how can anything about cricket really matter now?
Poor form. Mistakes. Winning matches. Losing matches. Beating rivals. Selection decisions. Misanthropic administrators. Political skulduggery. Dodgy umpiring. Cricket’s agonies and ecstasies. In none of those things can we now invest the emotion we once did.
How can we care as much, who wins or loses? What does it really matter, if we’re being short-changed by our national cricket boards?
Perhaps we were overdue a reminder that cricket is only a game. We were taking it too seriously. We should be grateful for what we have – a source of joy and fun.
And let’s not lose sight of the people at the epicentre of this story – Phillip Hughes’s family, his friends, his team-mates, and all those who were present at the SCG on Tuesday. It would have been Phil’s birthday today.
But somehow, the cricket continues. New Zealand found the composure and vim to close out a fine series-drawing win against Pakistan. In Sri Lanka, England have been rather limper. If there’s going to be cricket, we can’t help but react and scrutinise – even if we’re in muted mood. Many of you have already had your say here.
In Sydney, a real-life cricketing tragedy. In Colombo, a farce. The only appropriate reaction to England’s ODI performance is to see the funny side. Here was a masterly satire on the interplay between competency and power.
The team is picked for political, not cricketing reasons. Alastair Cook must be captain, even though he isn’t really good enough either as skipper or player – because if he lost the role, it would prove the critics right and cause Paul Downton and Giles Clarke to lose face.
Were another player to replace Cook as one-day captain – Joe Root, say – TINA collapses. Suddenly, there is an alternative. An heir apparent as test captain emerges. Cook’s gossamer threads of residual authority finally snap.
Alastair Cook has now lost seven of his last eight ODIs as captain. As BBC Online pointed out, since the Champions Trophy in 2013, England have lost 15 of their 22 completed ODIs against Test-playing opposition. Their last ODI series win under Cook’s captaincy was in New Zealand in February 2013.
Cook himself has made only one half-century in his last eighteen ODI innings. The last of his five centuries was in June 2012.
But to lighten the mood, he’s now doing impressions of himself.
I think we’ve made some really good progress in this week-and-a-half. We’ve talked a good game so far in meetings and nets, and I could not ask the lads for any more effort. I’m sure the bowlers will come with a good plan.
And yesterday:
I think you feel the heat when you’re not scoring runs. If you have two games at the start of a tour, and don’t score them, you’re naturally going to start feeling that. I’ve just got to do what I keep doing, believing in myself, doing my basics right
The good news is that Ravi Bopara’s paying attention during Paul Downton’s Powerpoint presentations.
If we can create an environment for not just Alastair but the rest of the guys to excel and feel confident going into something like the World Cup, then that gives everyone a better chance, it gives England a better chance. If we can create a positive environment, it makes a massive difference.
But I can’t avoid going back to something else Cook said.
We just didn’t get going today, whether that’s the effect of the events over the last couple of days, not having a practice day yesterday might have contributed to it, I don’t know. It’s just been a weird couple of days to be honest with you and probably that showed in our performance.
He’s not saying what I think he is – is he?
I really hope he is not saying what you think he is. He is often inarticulate and
a poor speaker. Probably lost for words more than excuses. Best if he had thought before reaching the microphone.
A brilliant piece of writing. Thank you.
I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. He is, as you say, inarticulate at the best of times. If you combine that with the dread he must feel every time he speaks to the press, then foot-in-mouth disease is inevitable.
(but I still think he should fake a nosebleed and go home.)
Reluctant as I am to make any excuse for Cook, we should bear in mind that some of the England players were county team-mates of Phil Hughes and are probably still very shocked. I think Cook, with his usual positively ambassadorial control of language, might have been trying to convey sympathy for them rather than explain his own bad performance.
Or not.
This is like a Shakespeare play – the tragedy progresses, interrupted by repetitive and not very funny clowns.
Moeen Ali would know PH well after playing with him at worcs in 2012. He got a ton the day after poor Hughes was hospitalised. Maybe the news made him play with greater determination? The ‘do it for Phil’ mentality? I don’t know. It’s best not to speculate about this kind of thing. It works both ways I imagine. Cook was ill advised to mention Hughes as an excuse (or possible excuse) at all. Very odd. Think the PR machine had a momentary lapse.
Best not to speculate – well said. Think this whole piece is a little misjudged. None of us have any idea how these guys are feeling, so let’s not use the situation to try and score points.
Let’s keep debate on England’s cricket and a real life tragedy completely separate.
No more misjudged than Cooks idiotic comments.
Frankly I am sick a tired of this moron , who is not up to the job, and only stays in place because of ECB politics. Can you imagine if KP had uttered this deeply offensive drivel excuse for yet another defeat?
And I’m afraid because of this I’m becoming ever more sick and tired of his supporters and people like you Hamish who constantly run defence for him. I have no time anymore for ECB concern trolls who play the “can’t we all get along” line.
I’m sorry if this seems harsh, but I have reached a point where I hate everything this fake captain, and fake nice guy,
stands for. I have no time any more for the tired bankrupt defences of him, his coach,his bosses, and the media cabal who defend his constant failure.
He reminds me very much of Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Shakespeares’ “Twelfth Night” – A fool and a Buffoon who is made to look a clown by all those around him – and who doesn’t realise it!
But as Blackadder once said to Baldrick – “oh shut up Balders, you’d laugh at a Shakespeare Comedy!” – And after the tragedy of PH – no one is laughing whatsoever – and no-one should!”
The Hayward piece is great.
Happy birthday, Phil Hughes. Forever young.
R.I.P. Hillel Oscar. Not the first umpire to lose his life after being hit by a cricket ball.
It has been rather overshadowed by Phil Hughes, and Mr Oscar did at least have a longer innings, but still a very sad and horribly sudden event.
Overshadowed? Probably would have gotten little to no worldwide publicity were it not for Hughes’ death.
Yes, he is saying what you think he is. I noticed it yesterday and posted it in various places (!) and to start with I wasn’t sure. But actually, yes he is. He really is that shallow, that disrespectful and that stupid.
Criticise him for his batting and his captaincy by all means, but that kind of comment stinks.
Hear hear. Totally unecessary. Even in this of all weeks, some perspective and generosity of spirit is apparently too much for some.
What was unnecessary was cooks shabby, shameful defence of yet another loss. Every time I think he can’t get any lower he manages to find another floor to fall to.
But he is lucky he has so many people like you who will give yet one more chance. Lucky guy.
Part of Captaincy is speaking to the media on behalf of the team. He did it in a crass and insensitive way, in my opinion, and I have no fear in calling him out for it. BigKev67 says “In this week of all weeks” I should show some perspective and generosity of spirit. Well, Cook didn’t. But that’s ok, apparently.
So if he can’t bat, can’t set a field and can’t communicate with human beings, what exactly is his job again?
Exactly!
But Cook is held to a completely different standard by his supporters. He is not captain because he is a good captain. He is not captain because he is a nice man. He’s not captain because he is great communicator.
So why is he captain? Apparently TINA. But that is an argument that has been demolished. If you believe TINA then you have to believe that if he fell under a bus England would take to the field with no captain because there is no one who could do the job. That is an absurd argument.
He’s captain because of ECB politics. No other reason.
I’d say to be very close to a particular part of Giles Clarkes’ anatomy – but in the interests of taste and decency, I shall forebear to mention it! – But Besides’ how would I know, I do not worship a AC’s Shrine and thus am “Outside Cricket!”
it is the …”if we pratctise hard enough, we will win” mentality….why they still cling to that is hard to understand. Maybe Cook was brought up to think that the Daleks are good guys.
the cricket continues – it sure does – nobody from the ECB will attend Hughes’s funeral – they’re all too busy!!
If AC does not attend as the ECB’s rep, then apart from a disgrace to Phil Hughes’ memory, it shows where the ECB’s priorities lie re The Chosen One and the next One-Dayer!
also nb the latest “outside cricket” gems from Cook”y” re KP et al calls for him to quit ODIs.
“People are entitled to their view. That’s the nature of the beast when you’re on the outside.” (literally makes no sense)
“We’re the guys who have the honour of playing for England at this moment in time, and we have guys who have the opportunity to turn it round – not other people outside.” (“the team play the matches”)
both comments are entirely meaningless drivel apart from to say “outside” a lot on the subject of KP, and us
Spot on gadget. The question we would all like answered is “why do you keep losing?” Don’t believe dear Cooky has an answer
Now I’m anonymous too
Sorry, Benny – we’re looking into why so many people are having this ‘anonymous’ problem at the moment. At present, the reason isn’t entirely clear, alas!
The irony here is what Pietersen was suggesting is this: Cook should drop out of the team and himself become ‘outside’; Hales should go in to the team and become ‘inside’. Only people ‘inside’ can play the matches; Pietersen and Cook agree on this – where they differ is *who* should be inside.
If that makes sense…
Which will be more infuriating on Wednesday – they pig-headedly pick the same team again or they drop Morgan or Bell or Morgan and Bell while the Elephant is still in the room?
Also, what are the odds the batting plays like they should have played in the last game rather than how they should be playing in this one? This has been a high scoring ground recently (the Saffers made 339/5 in July).
One small crumb of comfort may be that Jayawardene will be missing.
Just noticed this from Brenkley in the Indy:
“Paul Downton, the England and Wales Cricket Board managing director…. arrives to join the squad this week”.
Who will he discover to be disengaged and disinterested this time, I wonder?
Sorry – that was meant to be a link, not a bloody great YouTube window…
What a boon for the squad that will be – with Downton’s hands on the tiller, what can possibly go wrong?
Utterly extraordinary statement by Vic Marks in yesterday’s Guardian:
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/dec/01/alastair-cook-england-captain-sri-lanka
There is a strong cricketing argument for England changing their captain if he keeps failing with the bat in the ODI format and the same might apply to their vice-captain, Eoin Morgan, whose recent record is even worse. But this debate goes way beyond the cricketing argument. Given recent history, the ECB’s hierarchy is not going to bow to the demands of a Kevin Pietersen tweet. Nor is Cook. If all had been serenity for the past 12 months, then Cook might well have been replaced by now. But it has not. Therefore Pietersen’s tweets are bound to have the opposite effect to that which is desired by their author.
Such a claim made here (or by, say, Pietersen) would be cited as evidence of paranoia.
That someone in Marks’ position can state it, without questioning its acceptability or logic, speaks volumes.
Spot on with that. Marks has chosen to forget that it is not only KP that has called for him to go. Plenty of others have been saying it for nearly a year now.
So, after an exceedingly long sojourn Selvey is back at the Granuiad today his suntan dazzling all and sundry…. In an epic piece he looks at the potential for Cook to step down as ODI captain. On the basis that everything England is to do with Cook’s benefit, not England’s, he spends 9/10ths of the article addressing Cook’s issues. He concludes with a brief paragraph seemingly blaming Ravi Bopara for Cook’s difficulties because Ravi is not made of steel and can’t finish matches for England!!
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/dec/02/alastair-cook-england-one-day-captain-sri-lanka
Selvey says nothing about his being in the pay of the ECB – nor does he deal with the matter of why Cook is still captain – but that would be expecting too much. Selvey ought to be put out to grass as he has nothing to add to the debate, he is as boring in journospeak as he was when he played cricket
I should add – Selvey played cricket a very long time ago
“His judgement of the location of his off stump impeccable”.
Presumably then it’s his twin brother we’ve been watching for the last two years.