T Chesterfield: Spinners Tales - Bradman's Recipe For Success (08 Feb 1996)

SPINNER`S TALES (February 1996)

Bradman`s recipe for success

Since early into the new year the sun has not made a habit of beating down on parched Gauteng outfields (remember . . . it also rained a good deal of the test series against England). Neither was the scoreboard always registered at 351 for five, or the boyish grin on Michael Atherton`s face as relaxed as that at the after-match press conference following the Wanderers test. While for some the early weeks of 1996 may have been blessed with rose-tinted innings of character and quality, Atherton`s demeanour denegerated from thoughtful good humour (at the Wanderers) to the snarling image that greeted us at the same venue a little than four weeks later. Not only had the once projected cool facade slipped to reveal an ugly sulking child, we also had the unfortunate snapping mannerisims which have no landed him in even a deeper pile of mire in Pakistan. After the test defeat at Newlands he was dubbed "Captain Grumpy". I prefer "Captain Gaffe" because each time he has opened his mouth since then he plunged it into another prickly pear: the sight is far from pleasant. Always he seemed to be more worried about his image than his credibility and (like the current Northern Transvaal umpires executive) has been found wanting on both accounts. So as his flow of runs disappeared, his lack of success and ill-temper has avalanched along with what diplomacy and tact when answering questions, hence the churlish "buffoon" remark carelessly flung at a Pakistan journalist. It has long been argued that had Atherton`s form been without blemish, so would have been his accommodation with the media. It has also been argued that he has forgotted the old recipe that has helped others restore confidence in their game. The Don (Sir Donald Bradman), even after a double century, would sit in his chair on the balcony of a dressing room and analyse his innings and how he got out. Even against the most mediocre of attacks he would mentally examine the pitch, the manner of bounce, the line of attack the bowlers opted to use: it rarely failed to unveil something he had overlooked. A hundred and one questions would surface: each one carefully examined and carefully labelled and placed in a mental index file that was always in use whether he was playing or holding a discussion about some aspect of play. Some years ago, when he was convener of the Australian selectors, the Don was spotted on his way to breakfast by several journalists at a Melbourne hotel. They also knew he was a keen tennis player (it was a way to keep fit in the winter months) and was asked if he was going to the Davis Cup tie between Australia and the United States. "Gentlemen, I am off to the MCG," was his surprise comment. "But Don, the test side`s been announced," came one comment. "That may be so, but I have not yet gone to a match and failed to learn something new, " smiled the great run-maker. Words of wisdom from a man of whom it was assumed knows more about the game than anyone else. Atherton apart, they are also words that the discredited local umpires association need to study, for like the England captain, their image is continually being tarnished from within their own ranks.