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If Joe Root’s going to try and lead by example, he might want to check whether anyone’s actually following him. If no-one does, then we’re afraid it’s just plain old ‘batting well’ – which is what he always used to do anyway. What kind of captaincy is that?
If you’re outperforming everyone else in your team by an order of magnitude, you’re not actually leading. You’re just wandering off and having breathtaking adventures on your own. That’s excellent. Decidedly handy. But it is not leading.
Leaders have followers. That’s just the way it works. Found an ashram, give people spiritual guidance, somehow raise obscene sums of money – that’s leading. Say exactly the same sorts of things after five pints in The Pheasant’s Arms and everyone will ignore you because you’re a mental.
Alternatively, leading by example isn’t really a thing.
What is is with England captains making big scores in their first game? Is it something to do with them being appointed because they’re the batsman who’s most secure in their place in the team (and therefore quite likely to be in good form anyway), or does being elevated to captaincy somehow give them a (short-lived) ‘confidence boost’?
Either way, Root is definitely not ‘due’ now, he should probably drop himself for the Second Test.
Maybe they should change captain every game?
Well, changing captains worked in 1981….
Not so well in 1988, though.
I have a ticket going for Day 4 at Lord’s. A friend has dropped out and I can’t find any takers. Compton, can’t recall upper or lower as away at moment. No mark up. £45. Three of us in party.
That Maharaj no-ball stumping though.
I don’t have any further words on the topic. Just laughter.
It was especially weird to witness it at the Home of Cricket…
…(stops to wipe dew from eyes)…
…half the crowd were still on their feet sort of clapping Joe Root off, sort of not knowing what was going on, when play resumed and Joe hit the next ball to achieve his daddy-hundred – so they stayed on their feet and clapped that instead.
What’s really got me intrigued in that picture is the hoarding boasting “Pitch Intruder Detection”, as we have no such thing in Australia. How does it work exactly? Does it involve lasers, or is it just a bloke keeping an eye out for suspicious chaps near the boundary?
I was also intrigued by that, Micko – I can find no information about said detection, and a google search mainly returns home security systems (‘intruder detection’) and this exchange on twitter.
It strikes me that ‘detection’ of a pitch intruder is seldom the issue – normally there’s a whole crowd of people who are able to ‘detect’ the intruder at one stage or another. ‘Pitch Intruder Prevention’ or ‘Pitch Intruder Interception’ might be more effective.
Dear KC,
As per our communication, I have sent a cheque for £ 1111 to HH Blog-guru Baba Bowden — the Ashram has already sent me the promised ebooks ‘Nirvana behind the wicket’ and ‘The Corridor of Certainty’. Having consumed these, I am awaiting further instructions.
Sincerely,
Deep Cower.
He really is a bit of a cult.
You weren’t meant to eat them.
Not even sure how you did, being as they were ebooks.
“…..more ties”: http://www.espncricinfo.com/natwest-t20-blast-2017/engine/match/1068302.html