Friday, Jan 10, 2003
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Cricket
By S. Dinakar
He has seen the heady highs, and the depressing lows, has knocked them over, has been battered and bruised himself. A superstar and a match-winner, whose body has taken a pounding along the way. ``It's important to realise that life is never a straight line. It's like cricket and a river. It goes, flows, and you learn all sort of things. If you learn those lessons, you can do well,'' said New Zealand's most celebrated cricketer, who is both inspirational and versatile. Chris Cairns return to the ODI side after 10 months following a knee surgery, is big news for the New Zealand side, and, if he can stay fit, the Kiwis can fire in the World Cup. ``No more breakdowns Chris,'' you tell him and he replies with a smile - "fingers crossed.'' In fact, the whole of New Zealand will be keeping its fingers crossed. Intensity is a striking feature of his game and the Canterbury all-rounder was all focus, his powerful eyes firmly on the ball, as he prepared, for his turn to bat at the indoor nets at the Eden Park here on Thursday, even as it rained outside. As he revealed, fatherhood had enabled him endure the agony of missing out on so much cricket for most part of last year. "It was frustrating. Ten months, it has gone very fast. The silver lining was the birth of my son Thomas. As much as it has been disappointing, this has been a good time for me. Surely, I would have enjoyed it on the field, but the fact that I spent time with my son was very, very special,'' said Cairns. The knocks - career-threatening injuries to be more precise - have only made him stronger in the mind. "I have been around for a few years, have been injured a few times, some others have been luckier, but I still have the motivation to do well. It has made me stronger as a person.'' He admits that with so many games around these days, it has become that much more difficult for pace-bowling all-rounders to survive. "You are in the game all the time, it takes its toll on you.'' It is of primary importance for New Zealand to have Cairns on the flight to South Africa and he made it clear that he would not bowl in the current ODI series, "I won't be bowling in these one-dayers at all. I am really aiming to give Fleming the option of my bowling in South Africa.''
Plans to cut down pace
He plans to cut down his pace, putting less pressure on his knees - "you will see a lot of `medium' before `fast'.'' In the World Cup, his job would be that of a No. 5 batsman, who can get wickets. The injury to Jacob Oram hurried his recall to the New Zealand side. "I didn't know I was playing until 4 p.m. on Tuesday. I was in Wellington, we were three down, and I said `wow what is going on.' I chopped the first ball on to the stumps. It was great to be out there. I was energised. The wickets have been doing a bit all summer. I was probably a bit too aggressive. But I just wanted to make a mark.'' During his brief stay - he made 25 - the all-rounder did dish out some spanking strokes. He still values his role as a world class all-rounder. "I am fortunate that I have bowling and I am working on that. You only have one chance in a game, I've always had two (batting and bowling). I am doing my best to give the side the bowling option. But you have to contribute, that is the most important thing. In this series, it will be as a batsman.'' About the recent success of youngsters like Oram with the ball, Cairns observed - "they are bowling in the right areas. The consistency has been the biggest factor. '' Were the thoughts of injury still working on his mind, even while batting, especially when he ran between the wickets. Any reoccurrence, and he could be out of the World Cup. "Probably I am a bit self-conscious, I would be lying if I didn't say so. But the best way to get rid of those fears is by playing.'' In order to prolong his career, there could be a scenario, where he might be forced to concentrate on his batting alone. "I will cross the bridge, when I get there,'' is his reply. He has the example of Pakistan's Imran Khan, who, when troubled by a knee injury, played in the '83 World Cup as a batsman alone and performed. "He was a great all-rounder. He commanded the respect of the side. For a couple of years as a batter alone. My nature is probably a little more aggressive than Imran. He was circumspect, he could still be devastating. But he was not in the mould of Ian Botham. I tend to be a little more aggressive. But lessons can be learnt.'' Is there a little extra edge when he competes with the other quality all-rounders like Jacques Kallis of South Africa - "it is always nice to see what the other blokes are doing. They are really nice blokes and good cricketers. When I play South Africa, I enjoy it. Great, great competition.'' He adds this about Australia's explosive Adam Gilchrist - "to me Gilchrist is an all-rounder. He is not a bowling all-rounder, but a wicket-keeping all-rounder.'' Despite the setbacks in New Zealand, he believes India has a good side. "It has been on a losing streak. Sachin Tendulkar was not around for the first four ODIs. Big guys turn out for big tournaments, and I am sure they will be fine. Form is temporary. Class is permanent.'' He was the star performer in the ICC knockout tournament in Kenya, braving fitness worries, and firing New Zealand to a sensational victory over India in the final. "It was an international event and we won. It was great to win a world tournament, and for me to play a part in that.'' In the coming World Cup too, he could power New Zealand to glory, more likely with the bat. In Southern Africa, Chris Cairns' journey will continue. Like a river.
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