'I've been an average player but I've enjoyed every minute'
Nadeem Shahid has quit county cricket after 18 years
Jenny Thompson
08-Dec-2004
Retirement comes to everyone, except perhaps the Queen, Cliff Richard and Bobby Robson. But the big day - and the big decision - comes much earlier if you're a professional sports player. For most cricketers, the crunch comes some time in their mid-thirties, and that's what happened to Nadeem Shahid, the former Surrey and Essex batsman who called it a day in October after 18 years:
 |
|
You've had a solid county career in which you hit nine centuries ...
... I haven't had a great career. I've been an average cricketer - but I've enjoyed every minute of it.
... I haven't had a great career. I've been an average cricketer - but I've enjoyed every minute of it.
And what made you decide to finally stop playing?
I saw Surrey moving on to a different level with a lot of players coming through. I didn't want to get in the way of the young players just to satisfy my few needs. I'd been thinking of it for about six months. I had won enough Championships, and we got a new coach [Steve Rixon] who's come from Australia. He's a hard taskmaster - and it just seemed the right time. I don't think I would have fitted in his plans that well and I didn't want to play a lot more second-team cricket, which I had been doing for the last year and a half. Players like Graham Thorpe and Mark Butcher and Rikki Clarke are back, so there are probably going to be fewer opportunities to play on a regular basis. With all those things in mind, it just seemed the right time to move on and have a look at other avenues.
I saw Surrey moving on to a different level with a lot of players coming through. I didn't want to get in the way of the young players just to satisfy my few needs. I'd been thinking of it for about six months. I had won enough Championships, and we got a new coach [Steve Rixon] who's come from Australia. He's a hard taskmaster - and it just seemed the right time. I don't think I would have fitted in his plans that well and I didn't want to play a lot more second-team cricket, which I had been doing for the last year and a half. Players like Graham Thorpe and Mark Butcher and Rikki Clarke are back, so there are probably going to be fewer opportunities to play on a regular basis. With all those things in mind, it just seemed the right time to move on and have a look at other avenues.
How did you motivate yourself for 18 years on the county circuit?
I can't say that it was a grind because I love playing cricket. I will miss the camaraderie in the changing-rooms. I would love to think they will miss me too! (laughs modestly) But I will still be around and keep in touch with the guys; they are all my best friends. I will certainly miss it a lot.
I can't say that it was a grind because I love playing cricket. I will miss the camaraderie in the changing-rooms. I would love to think they will miss me too! (laughs modestly) But I will still be around and keep in touch with the guys; they are all my best friends. I will certainly miss it a lot.
At what point did you realise you would never play for England?
I always assumed that I would play for England. When I was growing up I played for England at all age groups, and all the people I played with all played for England. I was a pretty decent schoolboy cricketer and broke some records with the bat and the ball, and I always thought I would play. I played a Test trial in 1990 against India for England A: I opened the batting and did fairly well. I thought after scoring 1000 runs that I might go on a tour, but they picked Graham Thorpe ahead of me. The following year I broke my finger and missed the rest of the season, so I think that was probably a turning point.
I always assumed that I would play for England. When I was growing up I played for England at all age groups, and all the people I played with all played for England. I was a pretty decent schoolboy cricketer and broke some records with the bat and the ball, and I always thought I would play. I played a Test trial in 1990 against India for England A: I opened the batting and did fairly well. I thought after scoring 1000 runs that I might go on a tour, but they picked Graham Thorpe ahead of me. The following year I broke my finger and missed the rest of the season, so I think that was probably a turning point.
|
|
|
Do you regret never having played in the senior England set-up?
Apart from the early '90s, when I thought I had the chance, the rest of the time I wasn't that consistent. I always believed I had the talent, but I was never that consistent, which I think you need to be. Although I wish I had played, it's not a massive regret of mine.
Apart from the early '90s, when I thought I had the chance, the rest of the time I wasn't that consistent. I always believed I had the talent, but I was never that consistent, which I think you need to be. Although I wish I had played, it's not a massive regret of mine.
You won three Championships with Surrey in four years. That's pretty impressive. What was it like playing for such a successful side?
We had an atmosphere that was second to none - the other players would back that up as well. We had a real strong bond ... the sort of atmosphere where you would die for your mate in the changing-room and on the field. The bond was just so special that we just won everything. We should have won a lot more than we did. To play with great players like Mark Ramprakash, Alec Stewart, Thorpe, Saqlain Mushtaq ... it's what all schoolboy cricketers dream of. To play a small part in that awesome changing-room is something I will never forget.
We had an atmosphere that was second to none - the other players would back that up as well. We had a real strong bond ... the sort of atmosphere where you would die for your mate in the changing-room and on the field. The bond was just so special that we just won everything. We should have won a lot more than we did. To play with great players like Mark Ramprakash, Alec Stewart, Thorpe, Saqlain Mushtaq ... it's what all schoolboy cricketers dream of. To play a small part in that awesome changing-room is something I will never forget.
How did you view your role in the team?
Well, I was voted team man of the year for quite a few years. I fielded at short leg and got hit all of the time and took a few catches - I would like to think I was the type of player who would go the extra yard.
Well, I was voted team man of the year for quite a few years. I fielded at short leg and got hit all of the time and took a few catches - I would like to think I was the type of player who would go the extra yard.
|
|
|
And what was your personal highlight?
When I scored 150 against Sussex in the first game of the season in 2002. A few weeks prior to that, Ben Hollioake had died, and also one of the players from Sussex [Umer Rashid] had died as well, in a freak accident. So, we had a minute's silence before the game started and everyone was crying. And just to walk out and bat ... I'm quite an emotional type of person anyway. Every run that was scored was for Ben, as I knew he was looking down on me - he used to change next to me as well. It was probably the most emotional I've ever been on a cricket field. That innings will probably stand as my most memorable, for the reason that it was for Ben - and it also happened to be my highest score.
When I scored 150 against Sussex in the first game of the season in 2002. A few weeks prior to that, Ben Hollioake had died, and also one of the players from Sussex [Umer Rashid] had died as well, in a freak accident. So, we had a minute's silence before the game started and everyone was crying. And just to walk out and bat ... I'm quite an emotional type of person anyway. Every run that was scored was for Ben, as I knew he was looking down on me - he used to change next to me as well. It was probably the most emotional I've ever been on a cricket field. That innings will probably stand as my most memorable, for the reason that it was for Ben - and it also happened to be my highest score.
Away from cricket, you ran an off-season Christmas-tree business with Ed Giddins for four years. How did that come about?
We started off doing it for fun, and realised we could make some money out of it. The second year we did it a lot more seriously. The fourth year we had four outlets in London, plus one in Birmingham. But we realised that, because all the advertisement was around myself and Ed, the people who came to our shops would buy a tree. But the others in the other shops were not in the ads, and we hardly sold a tree. We actually made a loss in the last year, and decided not to do it again, which was a bit of a shame. Had we stuck with one shop, we probably could have had one going now. It's a lot of work for four weeks, and you've got to have the time really.
We started off doing it for fun, and realised we could make some money out of it. The second year we did it a lot more seriously. The fourth year we had four outlets in London, plus one in Birmingham. But we realised that, because all the advertisement was around myself and Ed, the people who came to our shops would buy a tree. But the others in the other shops were not in the ads, and we hardly sold a tree. We actually made a loss in the last year, and decided not to do it again, which was a bit of a shame. Had we stuck with one shop, we probably could have had one going now. It's a lot of work for four weeks, and you've got to have the time really.
And now you have retired, what does the future hold?
Well, I'm currently in Cape Town, coaching a club called Claremont. I see my future lying in cricket coaching, and I hope this will kick-start me. I'm a Level Two coach, and I'm booked in for Level Three in May. I'm also getting married to Julie next year in Cape Town.
Well, I'm currently in Cape Town, coaching a club called Claremont. I see my future lying in cricket coaching, and I hope this will kick-start me. I'm a Level Two coach, and I'm booked in for Level Three in May. I'm also getting married to Julie next year in Cape Town.
Jenny Thompson is assistant editor of Cricinfo.