Grass Rooted

I rarely offer personal comments and almost never mention things outside of the first class cricket arena but I'm passionate about our game and like Gideon Haigh, I believe the quality of what we produce at Test level, has its genesis in the doings at the local club.

Therefore, attention all who have held the difficult post of captain and the slightly less exacting role of club selector because it is to you I address questions this morning as I seek to understand what staggered me when it happened and now completely astounds me.

Yesterday afternoon, moments before the toss of the coin of a suburban Grand Final deep in every man country, a man was dropped from his team. The choice must have difficult for the skipper ... not the guy who is second in the batting aggregates. Not the guy who has played five games in 1sts. Not the guy who batted for the longest - 29 from 70 - to make second top score and guide the tail in the narrow semi final win. Not the useful change bowler. Not the guy who gives 200% every time he pulls on his club shirt. Not the guy who is having his best season in five years. Certainly you don't drop the guy if he is all of the above?

Actually, yes you do and you give him no notice but drop the bombshell just before the toss despite having most of the week to break it to him. His seniority and service to the club dictate him that privilege. Well, they should have.

No reasons were given for either the rationale of the decision or the delivery. A loyal club man was just brushed aside like an annoying summer fly. The club President is "not happy" and offering investigations. Why is it that "inadequate" falls from my lips by response? He further consoles with the startling admission that the player was chosen by selectors mid week. The decision to drop the player was the captain's.

With no reasons offered, only vague excuses, one ponders what other matters were central to the captains preposterous decision? Was it disagreement over more loftier cricket ideals than winning, as the player certainly stood against bad behaviour and mistreatment of younger players, both areas where the captain showed strong and dark leadership?

Here's where imitation may play its part. The player didn't attend the captain's team bonding BBQ the night before the match. Mickey Arthur's practices spreading down to fertilise the grass roots? Homeworkgate morphs into BBQgate?

A fierce response from a flop-headed twerp. A pox on his house. Please don't offer apologies and not expect scorn. I could name and shame, but the captain has shamed himself by his actions and the club has likewise, by tolerating his behaviour for to long.

Having attacked the bowling, I shall declare: the player is my son.

At 31, he has loved the game since his first sawn-off bat was swung at Christmas Day deliveries from uncles and father. He's the guy who cooks the snags at the club bbq and attends training as much as he can. He takes Sunday off but spends the rest of the week planning his innings or how outswingers will remove the opposition gun.

Like many others with their toes spread among the grass roots in figurative and literal support of the game, he bleeds its history and sups on its folklore. He would be the first man chosen at this important level of the game, anywhere else in the world.

This Sunday, he is doing his best to cope with his fierce brush with pomposity. He won't go to the game. No one could put that expectation on him. He's talking up retirement but the cricket gods are indeed crazy and will infest him yet with the desire for one more over, one more innings ...

... with someone else.

Postscript 1: My son Chris, the subject of this piece, posted the following on Facebook this morning. I discovered it after I finished. It seems what he has gained from the game far exceeds what anyone has tried to take away.

"So I have digested disappointment rather well, controlled my anger and set about just doing what I do. The taste in my mouth is somewhat less foul than yesterday. I have had great support from friends and family, my girlfriend. Its a game of cricket, an important one though, but a game of cricket. Important things are measured by how much they affect your life...my family is first, my beautiful girlfriend and my best mates, who have got my back. Got my health. Love my job. When shit goes down that is wrong but you suck it up and move on...another life lesson."

Postcript 2: The captain led his team to a resounding outright loss by eight wickets. They bowled well but the batting failed twice. Reaping and sowing come readily to mind.