‘Whatever happened to all the heroes?’ The Stanglers once sung. When it comes to the England cricket team, they’ve got a point. Since the retirement of Andrew Flintoff, we haven’t really had any heroes – not proper cult heroes anyway.
Whereas we had the swashbuckling Sir Ian in the 1980s, tinkle toes Darren Gough in the 90s, and Freddie himself in 2005, recent England sides have lacked that true inspirational figure.
Players like Cook, Trott and Anderson are all very good cricketers, but they inspire by the power of example more than anything else. We admire their grit and their skills, but have the public really warmed to them in the same way as a Flintoff? Their cricket is more consistent, but somehow it’s not as wholehearted or compelling.
Of course, the public love Panesar, but Monty is a bad example. His cult status is not without irony. What we love about Monty, aside from his bowling, is his sheer fallibility; plus, of course, his somewhat comic demeanour in the field (and with the bat). A swashbuckling hero he is not.
Then there’s KP. Pietersen plays like a champion, his cricket is colourful and eye-catching, but do the public love him? KP will always be seen by some fans as an egotistical loaner, even if this characterisation is unfair. For that reason alone, he’ll probably never become a cult hero.
But fear not. England are finally on the verge of unearthing a new, true, cult hero – the heir to Botham, Gough and Flintoff. This man is not a newcomer by any means, but his performances, and the manner of them, are rapidly earning him hero status.
The man in question is Matt Prior, who was named as England’s player of the year this week – a man who has averaged over 50 in test cricket during the last twenty four months (despite the fact that he’s often bats with the tail and has to sacrifice his wicket in the quest for quick runs).
If you love gritty cricketers, you’ll love Prior; he’s competitive and tough as nails. If you’re a purist, you’ll also love Prior; he’s possibly the most elegant batsman in the country (his only rival in the style department is probably Ian Bell).
Furthermore, if you’re someone who values a cricketer’s ability to entertain, and to play with personality and exuberance irrespective of the match situation – whether England are under duress or pressing home an advantage – you’ll love Matt Prior too. He’s a player every cricket fan can relate to.
Prior is now unquestionably the fulcrum of the England team. He’s the ultimate team man – the guy that unites the players. He’s also an able deputy to Alastair Cook: relaying the cerebral captain’s instructions to the rank and file. As wicket-keeper it goes without saying that he’s the focal point of the side as well (rallying the troops hour after hour). Prior is England’s voice on the field, and it’s heart and soul too.
Looking towards the Ashes betting odds for this summer, England remain firm favourites. If Australia could do one thing to even things up, to remove one player from the equation, you sense they would choose Prior.
Experienced cricketers like Michael Clarke appreciate that Prior does for England what Adam Gilchrist used to do for Australia. If the younger Baggy Greens don’t currently fear England’s wicketkeeper, they should do …
Although he bats number 7, Prior could bat anywhere in the top six and not look out of place. At times he simply looks like England’s best batsman. No, scratch that. He looks like one of the world’s best batsmen.
Nobody is stronger through the off-side; nobody is better to watch; nobody can change the momentum of an innings better than the Sussex wicketkeeper.
You sense that if Prior stays fit for all ten tests against the Aussies (home and away), England cannot lose the Ashes. He simply won’t let it happen.
James Morgan
Written in collaboration with Paddy Power
