Is Graeme Swann right in saying cricket can be a bore?

Bat and ball / Frank Gregan / 05 December 2011 / Leave a Comment

Is one man's dream another man's chore?

"What must that be like? How do you get yourself up for a game knowing that the series is already over and that there's nothing left to play for apart from making the series score look a little more respectable?

He's never been one to not speak his mind but this time Graeme Swann may have gone too far by suggesting that he can't always get motivated to represent his country. Is he honest or just ungrateful, asks Frank Gregan.

Millions of kids all over the world put on their nation's replica shirt and look down at the badge dreaming that they are representing their country. Pulling on a shirt with your country's emblem stitched into it, knowing that you're going to get paid for doing something you love must be a sensational feeling. To us mere mortals it seems impossible to believe that playing international sport could ever become a chore and a bore, just another dreary day at the office.

Graeme Swann revealed last week that is exactly what playing for England has become on occasions. It's easy to get riled by a statement like that but before we all get ready to throw him to the lions (three of them would be fitting) and join together in a chant of "you're not fit to wear the shirt" let's see if Swann's viewpoint stands up to scrutiny.

He was referring to the volume of cricket being played with particular emphasis on the amount of 50 over games which he believes should be scrapped. England are scheduled to play a seven match one day series in India next year and Andy Flower's main slow bowler is not too pleased about it. "I do think we play way too much of it [50 over cricket] and the idea of a seven match series in India next winter is ridiculous."

He has a point, it's all about context. If the series proves to be an edge-of-the-seat affair, evenly poised at 3-3 with one to play and having provided a set of 50 over classics full of poise and Intrigue, everybody will be saying it was worth it. If like this year, India dominate and sail into a 4-0 lead, what's the point of playing three dead rubbers?

What must that be like? How do you get yourself up for a game knowing that the series is already over and that there's nothing left to play for apart from making the series score look a little more respectable?"

"It annoys me that your mind can be in a place where you've got an international game and you're not itching to play in it" is Swann's take on it and although to many who dream of playing international cricket it may seem like sporting blasphemy, he has a point. It all boils down to context, what is the point of continuing to play meaningless games?

England's most capped footballer is goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who played 125 times for his country in games lasting 90 minutes with the odd two-hour affair due to extra time. England's most capped cricketer is Alec Stewart who played in 133 Tests matches, the vast majority of which lasted five days.

He also played in 170 ODIs meaning that he was scheduled to play for his country for a
whopping 835 days. Stewart spent nearly two years three months looking down at his country's motif compared to Shilton, who spent just short of eight days gazing down at the three lions. It must have been difficult for the Surrey man to get excited about playing a Test series against Zimbabwe or a World Cup group game against the Bahamas.

There's more international one-day action this week as Bangladesh take on Pakistan tomorrow in the last game of a three match series. Yep, you've guessed it, it's a meaningless dead rubber but if you fancy an upset you can get [6.2] for Bangladesh to win or a much more safer and conservative [1.18] on the vastly superior Pakistan to prevail.

The difference between Alec Stewart and Graeme Swann is that 'the gaffer' is old school and told the media and supporters what they wanted to hear. Swann is a lot more unreserved and not scared to call it how he sees it. And with the schedule bursting at the seams, he's right to flag up how mundane it's all becoming. The game needs quality, not quantity!