John Michael Brearley, legendary captain, cricket’s Elder Statesman and author of the must-read The Art of Captaincy (which first hit the stands in 1985), spoke to The Telegraph from Calcutta on Wednesday.
The London-based Brearley is now 76.
Excerpts...
Q Two books in a space of just over a year... You seem to be making up for lost time, it appears...
A First things first... Congratulations to the Indian team on such a good win in Adelaide yesterday (Tuesday)... Well, On Form was released in September 2017 and On Cricket: A Portrait Of The Game last October... For the latest book, I had the idea for a long time, wanting to make use of my articles and talks. It was after the release of On Form that I started in earnest. Perhaps, 70 per cent of the pieces in On Cricket are expansions and/or re-contextualisations of the earlier articles. Rest, of course, are new. I have clustered the subjects in 12 groups, from cheating and corruption to game-changers, from Indian batsmanship to the aesthetics of cricket.
Q Clearly, the range is enormous...
A The latest book is also a way of expressing my continued enthusiasm for this rich game. On Cricket is a bit lighter than On Form... I have made an attempt for it to be more than just cricket. Indeed, there’s an essay on C.L.R. James’s question: ‘What do they know of cricket who only cricket know’?
Q ‘Lighter’?
A The book has a loose narrative, with logic running through... I start with my earliest influences, my heroes... Memories, selections from my early writings (including a letter asking Father Christmas for a football, football shirt, football shorts, football boots and a goalie’s cap!)... Then, a section on the people I played with or against... Notably (Sir) Viv Richards and Bishan Singh Bedi... I’ve written about race, the Basil D’Oliveira affair, the protest by Andy Flower and Henry Olonga against the Robert Mugabe government in the 2003 World Cup... Actually, there’s quite a bit.
Q What about the section on game-changers?
A Game-changers who also challenge the norm of cricket.
Q In the section on Indian batsmanship, have you written on the current captain, Virat Kohli, for whom you have lots of time?
A Starts with RanjitSinhji to Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi to Sachin Tendulkar and, of course, Virat. Is there an Indian or subcontinental style? I liked what a Yorkshire bowler said of Ranji — ‘he never played a Christian stroke in all his life’... I’ve had a fascination for the tradition of great Indian batsmen... We have seen innovation, unorthodoxy.
Q Aesthetics of cricket... Isn’t often talked about...
A How is the game beautiful? Why does it appeal to so many? Is sport the art of the masses?
Q Given how passionate and vocal you have been on cheating and corruption, it’s no surprise that you have a section on it. But, realistically, can corruption and cheating ever go out of cricket totally?
A No. However, we can keep an eagle eye on it, especially on the worst form of cheating — match-fixing and spot-fixing. The corrupt hold the biggest threat.
Q Earlier in the season, Cricket Australia released the report of the Ethics Centre Review into its organisational culture after the scandal in Cape Town last March... It led to a shake-up... Should all Test-playing nations commission independent reviews every 10 years or so?
A I don’t know. Might be a good idea.
Q Have been curious... Do you write in one flow or write, edit and take to re-editing as well?
A Not at all in one flow. Or, rarely so. I always revise.
Q What has been most challenging for you as a writer?
A Not ending up being too digressive... Also, keeping it lively with stories and examples without losing the thread. You have to hold the reader’s attention.
Q Next book?
A I do hope to start writing another one, though I’m not sure what on!
Q The last one... Come winter and Mana and you must necessarily head to her hometown, Ahmedabad...
A As winter approaches, I look forward to enjoying the tranquility of the beautiful Indian weather.
Postscript: The Brearleys will be back in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
