In America they call it ‘having a man crush’. I’m not sure what we call it over here. Most teams have ‘cult heroes’, and most fans have a particular favourite player, but it struck me recently that crowd favourites are rarely world class talents. Indeed, my favourite cricketer is more known for failing miserably than winning matches. Why should that be?
Nobby Stiles wasn’t the best player in England’s 1966 World Cup winning team, but he is still remembered more fondly than, say, Martin Peters. Meanwhile, Monty Panesar is loved as much for his inability to bat or field without making an arse of himself as his ability to take wickets. So why do people love him so much? What is the fascination with mediocrity?
In my opinion, it’s got to be something to do with being English. We simply love the underdog. Manchester United would be hailed as national icons and praised as pioneers of best-practice if they were American. But because they’re English everyone hates them.
Would the yanks write a sitcom like Blackadder, where the hero is a perennial underdog with worse luck than Gordon Brown? No way. They’d make Lord Flashheart the central character and the storylines would involve him beating up peasants or invading developing countries if he didn’t like the look of their leader.
I admit that occasionally English cricket fans will take a world class player to heart – Darren Gough and Graeme Swann are probably the best examples – but I’d argue that this is merely a coincidence. English fans love personality more than talent and achievement.
For example, every England fan was full of hope and admiration every time Andrew Flintoff strode to the crease. Freddy averaged just above 30 with the bat in test cricket, a pretty poor return for a number six, but we still expected miracles from him. The fact that he was far more likely to flash at a wide one and get caught behind for a duck than produce a match-changing innings never really occurred to us.
If you doubt my theory consider this. Who did the English public love more – Frank Bruno or Chris Eubank? Who was the better boxer? Furthermore, we’re far more likely to love flawed geniuses like Paul Gascoigne than relentless machines like Pete Sampras. Did the Americans care that Sampras had less charisma than Norman Lamont?
As an experiment, I’d like you to try the following. Think about who your favourite cricketers are. Then ask yourself why you’re so fond of them. It’s an interesting exercise – and you might even learn something about yourself in the process.
For example, my favourite cricketer is Vikram Solanki. Do I care that Vik averaged a paltry 27 in ODIs? And do I care that the most memorable moment of his career was becoming England’s first ever super-sub (remember that crazy experiment a few years ago?) Of course I don’t. I’m a Worcestershire fan. All I care about is that he’s probably the most stylish player I’ve ever seen – a judgement which is, of course, totally subjective.
The fact that Solanki’s high back-lift made his technique vulnerable to the moving ball doesn’t bother me. After all, his exaggerated back-lift is probably the reason why he’s such an aesthetically pleasing batsman. I’d much rather blame his England failures on the fact that he was moved around the order too much (even though deep down I realise this is balderdash).
So what does my ‘man crush’ on Solanki say about me? I reckon it means I’d rather look good doing a bad job than look bad doing a good one. It also means I prefer style over substance. Hell, it probably means I’m a little bit vain, or at least obsessed with appearances (well, I did start losing my hair at the age of 16 so what do you expect).
In cricketing terms, it probably means that I’d rather make a fluent thirty-odd with the bat than scratch around for a half century. It also means that I prefer an elegant cover-drive for four runs than a slog across the line for six. Is this logical? Probably not. But I don’t care. I wonder if Vikram is happy being Vikram, or whether he’d swap careers with Paul Collingwood in an instant.
James Morgan
James, James, James – how can you possibly prefer Solanki to Hick. Did you never see the man’s brutal square cuts? His effortless drives through cover? His lofted on drives into the corporate boxes on top of the New Road stand?
I am beginning to suspect you are a Warwickshire fan in Worcester clothing!
Stylish as Solanki can indeed be, a dismissal is always just around the corner. Hick, at his best, would go on and on and on…
Tarquin
Hick was my boyhood idol but I don’t think I’d admire him as much if he emerged now. I’ve always preferred the elegant to the brutal. Much as I hate to admit it, when I look back at old videos of Hick on Youtube, he seems very stiff at the crease. Give me Vikram any day … if that means settling for the loss, but looking good in the process, I’ll take it ;-)
No one who has seen Hick crucify an ordinary spin bowler – for example taking 175 off Sussex’s Ian Salisbury in approx. 1994 – could argue that he was often brutal. But he was also elegant, particularly on the drive: for me the two are far from mutually exclusive.
If exaggerated back-lift’s are your thing, shouldn’t you really be worshiping at the temple of Brian Charles Lara?
My view of Solanki was coloured at an early age by a schoolmate who was good enough to get into the Worcester youth set up (as you did), who described him as an arrogant quente. I can’t remember whether he was a part of the that set up or coaching (I am old enough for it to be the former). With hindsight, both my schoolmate and I would probably also have been arrogant SOBs if we had been that good, that young. Still, on the basis of such comments are a schoolboy’s opinions formed!
I’ve always had a thing for people who make it look easy. Whether that’s batting or bowling there are a select few who look like they were born to do what they do.
Think about Michael Holdings action and run up, Viv Richards timing and power, Shane Warne’s economy of movement when bowling.
As a kid I so wanted to bowl like Holding but it was so fluid you couldn’t replicate it. As a very late teen I wanted a backlift and crease movement like Lara but of course trying to copy that made an awful mess of what was already a ropey stance!
I eventually managed to get my head round the idea that I was not the same as them and that it was ok to just admire their brilliance and mourn my lack of any such thing. Still wish I could bowl like Mike though.
Tarquin – I knew a guy at school who played club cricket with Vikram in Wolverhampton (I think it was). He said he was actually a nice guy – as he seems when he appears as a summariser on Sky.
When I played for Malvern Ramblers U-16 we reached the finals day of the Lords Taverners Trophy. Solanki was playing for one of the 4 teams involved. Unfortunately though, Wolverhampton were the one side we didn’t play. They won their semi-final against Kidderminster, but we lost our semi (we also lost the 3rd/4th place playoff!). Despite this, some of the lads met Vikram and said he was ok. I also enjoyed watching him bat when I was supposed to concentrating on my match! Unfortunately, I never played with Vikram for the Worcs junior sides as I only played a handful of matches. Also I’m sure he must have played for a higher age group (even though we are the same age). That’s usually what happens when someone is too good!
By the way, I did enjoy watching Lara bat, but where’s the fun in supporting a guy who (a) always scored shed loads against England, and (b) also played for Warwickshire. Having Lara as my favourite player would be a bit like supporting Man Utd. I went for Villa, because they were classy, had a great heritage, and won absolutely nothing. There was also the local connection, as with Vik! Great result for Warriors last night by the way. I’m a happy boy today.
I have a crush on Solanki too, James. I suspect the reasons for my crush are not the same as yours though…
Vikram is indeed stylish & eminently crushable. I’d never have picked Morgan ahead of Bopara though, as surely Bopara’s pull shot is a lot more attractive that Morgan’s reverse sweep?
Morgs having had the pleasure of seeing your off drive close up and can see why the crush. Both cut from the same cloth!
Although Vic was / is a fine fielder and having also seen you apologise while the ball was in the air before dropping a dolly at mid-off I have to cut the ties there!