16.10.09

Every Cloud?

I've often written about how closely I've followed Marcus Trescothick's career.

I saw his maiden century at Bath in 1994 and I've seen him make thousands of runs for Somerset since, along with a good few for England.

Like everyone with any heart at all I was saddened, but hardly all that surprised, by the news last night that he was returning early from India.

But I can't help thinking that there might be one good side to it all.

Next time the England batting is failing and everyone is saying Mark Ramprakash should be recalled, perhaps no-one will suggest that England should try to tempt Marcus out of retirement.

For the last time. It will never happen. Leave him to the county circuit where he can do what he's good at for many more years.

4 comments:

The Old Batsman said...

Out of interest, have you read his book? everyone said how good it was, but I must say I found it quite disingenuous, on the one hand talking about the lies he'd told to the media, and then turning on them when they blew a hole in the story.

I thought he might have at least acknowledged the genuine empathy with which he'd been treated.

A small point, I know, but I thought it spoiled the book. I'm a big Tres fan, though. Top player.

Brian Carpenter said...

I have read it and didn't rate it very highly either. Not for the specific reason you mention (although I can see what you're saying), but just because, apart from the candour relating to his illness I thought it was just another bland, ghost-written sports autobiography, and quite a poorly-written one at that.

The Old Batsman said...

Agreed - glad it wasn't just me...!

Brian Carpenter said...

A favourite from the book which sticks in the mind (I can't be bothered to try to find it so it may not be quite right) was Tres (via Peter Hayter) saying 'Alec Stewart missed the tour to undertake surgery on his elbow'.

Now I remember Alec Stewart as a versatile man, but doing his own surgery...?!

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