Consideration needed.

An article in the Coventry Telegraph today explained the reason behind Tim Ambrose’s wretched season at Warwickshire and is a salutory lesson for those who are perhaps too quick to criticise players for poor performance.


You can see the article at:

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/coventry-warwickshire-sport/coventry-warwickshire-cricket/warwickshire-ccc/2010/10/28/ambrose-considered-quitting-as-personal-crisis-wrecked-his-game-92746-27554979/

It is very easy for people to forget that cricketers are like everyone else in life. They have their share of problems off the field that impairs their judgement and can easily affect their form. Who among us hasn’t had a personal crisis that affected them profoundly over the short or long term? Yet cricketers are ‘expected’ by a minority of fans to always be at the top of their game, like those in other sports.

A marital crisis, the illness of a loved one, money worries or even lack of sleep because of a new baby can all make day to day routines more difficult. In a game like cricket, where the difference between success and failure can be measured in millimetres, the consequences are much more obvious. If I have a bad night and don’t shift quite so much paperwork there is always tomorrow. For a cricketer, that bad night can result in an early dismissal and tomorrow brings their failings to the fore in black and white.

We need to remember that next season. There may be times when our heroes fall short of our expectations, but that doesn’t mean that they’re not trying their best.