The wrong un, p.28
The Wrong 'Un, page 28
One thing’s for sure: however long I have left playing cricket and being on this planet, I’m going to enjoy every bloody moment. I am going to grab every possible experience, and this time around I’m not going to leave our great sport with any regrets.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Justin Langer knew having his long-time friend Brad in the Scorchers team made his job as coach much easier.
I don’t think I have ever seen anyone work harder on their game, and the fact that he is still playing at 45 is a great credit to his physical fitness, which he has been very proud of. The fact about physical fitness is that you’re not born with it – you’ve got to work at it, and it takes great discipline, great courage. I really admire him for that.
John Buchanan often said that you judge a champion by their longevity. It is not just a few flashes in the pan, and for Brad to get an IPL contract at 45 shows that he is a champion.
Great leaders lead by example, and he certainly does that. His energy is infectious. He is still like a 15-year-old, which can be good and can be bad. He can be a complete pain in the arse sometimes, but his positives certainly outweigh that.
You should never underestimate what he has done on the field. For him to have such an influence from six overs onwards has been quite extraordinary. He has probably been the best spinner in the Big Bash competition for the last three years. Not too many would argue with that. He is also a great fielder, in the best four or five fielders I’ve ever played with or seen. And he started as an excellent batsman, so he’s a great all-round package.
Truth is, I can’t talk more highly about Hoggy. I’m a massive admirer. He’s been a good mate for a long time, and I have always tried to be brutally honest with him, because sometimes he needs that.
Simon Katich, a long-time colleague, said the Hogg revival was crucial to the Scorchers’ early success.
When the Scorchers were formed, the media hammered us. We were called Dad’s Army, and everyone was predicting that we would run last. Hoggy basically got picked out of club cricket and, like the rest of the older players in the Scorchers, had enormous pride in his performance. That was crucial in us excelling.
Having played with him when WA had won one-day titles, I knew he was always a crucial component in shutting down opponents in the middle part of innings. His trademark was the caught-and-bowled, and the WACA crowd would get right behind him. Having also played in two World Cup–winning teams, you don’t fluke those things and so I knew he would handle the Big Bash when he returned.
Getting him back into the WA environment was crucial, and credit to Mickey Arthur’s vision for seeing that, and from the squad he put together in the early days, the Scorchers have developed into Australia’s most successful T20 franchise.
Hoggy was a huge part of that – not only through his talent, but also his professionalism and work ethic. I saw that first-hand when we did recoveries and training runs. Apart from Ashton Turner, Hoggy had everyone covered when we did three-kilometre runs on the beach to blow out the cobwebs. Obviously Justin Langer has kept that going through the work ethic of his coaching, but it certainly helps when you have senior players like Hoggy, who has led the way on and off the field.
A lot of people might have thought in the early years of the Scorchers that it was a bit of a superannuation package, but you can deny that when you continue to perform as you have done throughout your whole career. The senior guys have proven that at the Scorchers.
Geoff Marsh, who now runs the Cricket Academy at the WACA, gets a big thrill seeing the young kid he invited to his Wandering farm now interacting with his own talented cricketing sons.
My mum and dad grew up with Bradley’s mum and dad. We’re growing up together and now my boys are involved in the Big Bash with Bradley. It is fantastic, and he has always been very supportive of Mitchell and Shaun. That’s just Bradley. He’ll help as many people as he can. Bradley was MC at Shaun’s wedding, and that was so important to us. Our family were delighted that Bradley played an important role on our son’s big day, and for just being Bradley on the night.
His role with the Scorchers has been inspirational. You only had to walk into the ground with Brad on Scorchers game day to discover his impact. He is loved by thousands and thousands of West Australians. And he deserves that. He has had some tough periods in his life, and there were some pretty rough patches. He should never, ever have retired from the game. He was at his prime when he retired, and what happened off the field was sad. But he’s turned it all around, which is a great credit to him as a man.
21.
BECOMING A RENEGADE
‘In the end it is not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years.’
Abraham Lincoln
Why, after being such a passionate member of the Perth Scorchers, and the most committed of West Australian cricketers, did I decide to join a nemesis Victorian franchise – the Melbourne Renegades?
As I saw it, the time was right for me to move on to a team where I wouldn’t be standing in the way of young talent, where I wasn’t perceived as being on the way out, and where I could continue making a difference. The Renegades wanted me, while I was no longer convinced the Scorchers valued me as they once had.
After the 2015–16 Big Bash, the Scorchers didn’t exactly make me feel I was high on their priority list of signings for the next season. At the same time, the Renegades and another team were on the front foot. They both offered me what I needed to keep going: new challenges, and the chance to have success with a team that has not played in many Big Bash finals.
In fact, several teams over the past three years had been after me. But I had never seriously looked at their offers, as I had unfinished business at the Scorchers. That changed after our campaign for a ‘three-peat’ of titles ended. I felt like I needed a fresh start, either at the Scorchers or somewhere else.
About a month after the BBL final, I sat down in Justin Langer’s office to discuss plans for next year, and I told him that I intended to play on. He quizzed me about my physical capabilities and suggested I should consider leaving on a high rather than risk embarrassing myself. I understood his position, and gave it some thought because I respect him. But the thought of retiring just didn’t sit right with me.
In the days before I headed to India to play in the 2016 IPL, I attended WA Cricket’s Laurie Sawle Medal. At that dinner, I assured Justin Langer that I was primed and ready to go for another Big Bash season, my sixth. JL said he wanted to wait and see how I went in the IPL.
While I was in India I remained in regular contact with JL, and I told him then that I was being pursued by two other Australian teams, and had decided to be open to other offers this year. He insisted that he wasn’t ready to make a decision then, and that the CEO wouldn’t make a decision about my future without him. He wanted me to hold off and meet with him after the IPL.
Justin kept saying he wasn’t convinced I had another season in me, and that I should think seriously about retiring on a high. I’d been hearing that from him subtly for the previous two years, and as much as I had always respected his advice, I knew precisely what it meant to retire before my time. I was still playing good cricket, and I wasn’t ready to leave the game. It was starting to get under my skin that, once again, someone else wanted to organise my retirement.
In her role as my manager, Cheryl formalised our discussions in an email to the CEO of the WACA, the Scorchers’ team manager and JL. We asked them to submit their contract offer by a certain date, several weeks after the IPL ended.
When we got back from India, JL wasn’t around as he had agreed to be the acting national coach, but he asked Geoff Marsh to have a coffee meeting with me. During our chat, I was candid with Geoff. It was a win/win situation if I left, I said, because I had some great opportunities to go to and the young blokes in WA – guys like Ashton Agar, Ashton Turner and James Muirhead – would get their day in the sun. Geoff knew about the nagging issues that were weighing me down at the WACA, but neither of us saw them as a barrier to me playing a sixth season for the Scorchers.
Around that time, a story was published in the media saying the Scorchers were waiting to hear from Mitchell Johnson before signing me for the 2016–17 series. I was stunned – was that why I was being brushed off? I called JL, and he said to ignore the story. Even though there were denials about Johnson, who had retired from international cricket the season before, it was still pretty obvious where their focus was. I no longer felt like I was on solid ground.
The Scorchers’ apparent pursuit of Johnson wasn’t what upset me; it was that I felt like I was being kept in the dark, and they weren’t responding to me. I’d put my heart and soul into the WACA organisation over decades, and the Perth Scorchers for the last five and a half years; I believed I deserved better. I’d even been helping them to scout for international talent while I was at the IPL.
I had voluntarily been taking a modest player fee, and working my butt off with an additional services marketing contract to make up the extra dough. Now I was looking for true market value and marketing promo opportunities that reflected my five years of hard work and success. As it turned out, that was double and even triple what I had been earning. In the end, I didn't take the highest offer, I took the best opportunity.
I gave the Scorchers plenty of time to consider their options, but they seemed very blasé about the whole process. I think they assumed I’d never leave, or maybe that I was bluffing. The strange thing was that nobody called to ask why I was going to market. It was a period of silence, and so it was difficult for me to believe that they really wanted me.
The deadline for offers came and the Scorchers shot through a one-line offer: the same as last year. With great disappointment, we reminded them it was a competitive pitch, gave them the chance to rethink it. Another one-line email came back, and the offer wasn’t much better. Compared to the carefully crafted, highly detailed submissions we’d received from two other Big Bash franchises, outlining their plans for my inclusion, their recognition of my past achievements and the value they placed on my off-field contributions, the Scorchers’ proposal really stung.
I believed I was still an asset, and that my playing skills were well and truly up to standard, even at the age of 45. I was happy with my bowling and my fitness, and I knew my body could handle the demands of Twenty20 cricket. I could still have an impact, and I was convinced there were still plenty of highs ahead in my career.
If I’d stayed at the Scorchers, knowing that I didn’t have the confidence of everyone at the organisation, I think I would have been too narked off to play to my full ability. The atmosphere within the dressing room would have deteriorated, too. It never works if you have players around who are irritated, distracted or uncomfortable. They need to feel wanted.
It was time for me to back myself and take a leap of faith. I had to seize the opportunity in front of me … I would become a Renegade.
*
My decision to move to the Melbourne Renegades, once made, was thrilling. It’s an enormous challenge to bring unity to a team of players who don’t usually play together. In fact, we’ll meet as a squad for the first time just a week or so before our first game.
That’s a huge advantage the Perth Scorchers have – they retain 95 per cent of their state team for the Big Bash. But because there are two teams in both Melbourne and Sydney, they have to compete for their state talent, and make up the balance of their teams with players from other areas. This creates a fierce rivalry between their two franchises, which adds to the dynamic of the Big Bash competition as a whole.
I’m confident that the experiences I’ve had in T20 tournaments around the world will help me acclimatise to life as a Renegade quickly, and I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve to help nurture team unity. I hope my teammates are ready for me, because I’ll be coming to Melbourne with a strong sense of purpose and a whole lot of renewed passion.
The Renegades are the underdogs in Melbourne, and I like that about them. They’ve only made the finals once in five years, and so they have a burning desire to do well in 2016–17. As the perennial underdog myself, I know a bit about that role, and I hope I can contribute to finding that elusive success. I remain as obsessive about my preparation as I have been at any time in my career, and my goal is to play on to the age of 50.
It was such a difficult call for me to walk away from the Scorchers. The fans at The Furnace gave me an experience I’ll never forget, and for that I’ll be eternally grateful. My memories of my time at the Scorchers will stay with me forever.
I leave the Scorchers knowing I have done the best I possibly could for West Australian cricket. I’ve spent 22 years as part of it, and I am so proud of that.
By no means is this a goodbye to WA cricket. It has been and remains my life’s work and passion. It is my home. It’s where you’ll find me, spouting the good message and plying my trade beyond the six weeks of the Big Bash League. I’m not fading away – I’m in it for the long haul. I’m a serial pest like that, remember?
22.
CHASING THE DREAM
‘He now has a cult following, but he hasn’t changed a bit. He is the same as he was as an 18-year-old.’
Wayne Copeland, Fremantle teammate
I would not change a thing in my life. I know that seems easy to say now, when I’m still on a reasonable high, but the truth is we would all love life to be perfect in some way, but that would not allow celebration of successes, whether great or small. Life has more challenges ahead, and I’m looking forward to tackling them head-on. In the meantime, I’m still travelling the world, trying to add another big scalp to my wicket tally.
It has been six years and five Big Bash League seasons since my comeback to cricket. I turned 45 in February 2016. My birthday celebrations this year were in Dubai, where I was playing in a veterans’ T20 competition. I had a few weeks at home, then was off to the subcontinent for another season in the IPL.
It has taken a while, and involved numerous stumbles, but at last I have a sense of inner peace. These days I can look at myself in the mirror and be proud that I’ve been true to my word. I changed. I refocused. I overcame my demons. I stopped feeling sorry for myself. I was more accountable to my mates. My family became far more involved. I treated people the way I wanted people to treat me. I grew to know when to stop irritating those around me. I made sure I showed an interest in others. I am confident.
I do a bit of public speaking these days, and one of the things I enjoy is spreading the message that you should never give up on your dreams. It took me a while to accept who I was, and to stop blaming other people for the parts of my life that weren’t working out too well. Mine was a long and winding journey but I got there in the end.
Not long ago, I was standing in front of a group of Year Ten students at a high school in a pretty tough part of Perth. Before we moved into the school hall, I spent a bit of time showing them some cricket drills out on the school oval. Even those with no interest, who’d never held a bat in their hands or had a bowl, got involved. There was a lot of laughter.
The teachers had asked me to give a short speech on what students could expect on the other side of the school fence. These students – some of whom came from difficult backgrounds – would soon have to make some big choices. What were they going to do with their lives?
I’m an ambassador for the West Australian Education Department’s ‘School Drug Education and Road Aware’ program, and I told these students about experiences from my own life. I didn’t sugarcoat anything. I’d had some great highs, I told them, but I also went off the rails. I went through some really tough times. I lost my way. I had become very selfish. I had to change my ways and refocus.
‘If I can offer any advice about achieving “success”, it is this,’ I told them. ‘You have to work hard – harder than anyone else. You have to be dedicated – practise, keep learning, reach out to mentors. You have to believe in yourself, even when you think nobody else does. You have to understand the importance of teamwork, of helping your mates, keeping an eye on them, and of giving and dealing with feedback. You have to confront your demons, see them as challenges, even when they are terrifying or hard to face. You have to be resilient – no matter what, never give up on yourself.’
What keeps me going? When someone says I can’t do it, I want to prove them wrong. It’s so important to be determined.
Life is about challenges and relationships. You are not going to get on with everyone. But you can work out a system where you can at least try to get on with those who may not like you. You cannot always be stubborn.
I talked about those people who inspire me, and those who apply the brakes if I start getting out of control. I stressed how important it is to have mentors. ‘Never be pig-headed,’ I told them. ‘Never believe you are always right. Listen to those who may know better than you. And always try to adapt.’
After my talk, lots of students hung around, wanting to talk more. I felt I had broken through the barrier and made a real connection with them. They knew I was just like them.
Those kids all have their dreams, and they shared them with me. Some want to pursue a medical degree, some want to become AFL footballers, some even wanted to play big-time cricket. All of them want a bright future.
They asked me lots of questions. How did I keep pursuing my dreams when I faced barriers? How did I handle my form slumps, those moments when I started to question myself? How did I keep myself focused?
‘Don’t worry about your background,’ I told them. ‘Don’t let yourself feel inferior. Don’t worry about what people think of you, because that doesn’t matter. There will be hurdles and there will be setbacks. There may even be terrible times. But keep believing in yourself. Wouldn’t you rather be doing something that you love than not even trying at all? Never, ever give up.’
