I’ve got a couple of ultimately unimportant points to make following the Boxing Day Test between New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
The first is in regards to Neil Wagner, who the commentators tell us time and again is a “real competitor” and works harder than any other bowler in the team.
You hear similar stuff in the NBA about Russell Westbrook, people often describe him as being the bravest player in the league, or having the most heart.
This is really just a load of fluff. Wagner and Westbrook wear their hearts on their sleeves. They’re emotional people and if they feel a certain way they’re probably going to show it. END OF STORY. It’s become a common theme amongst sports analysts to describe these people as being extra courageous or extra hard workers. So common, that it’s papered over the cracks in the theory. You’re telling me Westbrook works harder than someone like Tim Duncan, or Wagner works harder than someone like Morne Morkel?
One is more emotional than the other in these scenarios. Westbrook screams a lot, dunks with authority, shows a lot of passion. Similarly, Wagner lets out a grunt whenever he bowls, looks to intimidate the batsman and likes to have a bit of a sledge. That’s it. Being emotional doesn’t mean you work harder. I wish this idea wasn’t so common, it frustrates me to no end.
The other thing is to do with Brendon McCullum’s innings. We are such hypocrites here in New Zealand sometimes. That innings McCullum played was fantastic but it was also incredibly risky. Batting that aggressively in a test scenario does not come off that well very often at all. We Black Caps fans know that better than anyone. McCullum has frustrated us time and again by “throwing his wicket away” playing “irresponsible shots” in the test scene. He plays the same shots in this test and now he’s a hero. We can’t have it both ways. Either the shots are irresponsible or they’re not, the result of them doesn’t change that. The shot he played to get out is exactly the sort of shot we’d have described as being irresponsible if he’d got out for 20 instead of 195. How many times have we seen him get caught on the boundary in a test match, leaving us all tearing our hair out and the experts tearing him to shreds for supposedly irresponsible batting?
Yet now he’s a hero. Because he rode his luck and scored 195.
Let’s just accept that Brendon McCullum is going to play that way because that’s how he feels he can best achieve success. Let’s stop calling it irresponsible when it doesn’t come off and heroic when it does. He’ll do it regardless. He’s picked to do it. It isn’t irresponsible or heroic. It’s how he bats. Stop being hypocritical cricket fans!
Anyway, the test isn’t quite over yet. I’m going to get back to watching.
Banished to the Stands 