A Cricketer’s Christmas: From Disappointment in Australia to Redemption in South Africa

For a Test cricketer, Christmas presents a unique experience. Those not actively competing monitor their diet to maintain fitness, while those engaged in a series typically prepare for the traditional Boxing Day Test, a fixture on the calendar. The demanding schedule often causes months to merge, a cycle experienced by the author for approximately eight years, from March 2010 to November 2017. During this period, the author spent three Christmases abroad, returning home in the days leading up to Christmas Day in other years. While friends in Britain enjoy winter festivities and turkey, cricketers find themselves in sunny locations, evaluating hotel buffets and observing their opponents. This creates a strange contrast between the desire for festive indulgence and the necessity of being physically and mentally prepared for a Test match the following day. Consequently, Christmas often feels less like a holiday and more like the eve of a Test. Steven Finn during training on Christmas Day in 2010 The author recounts varied experiences touring during the Christmas period, highlighting Christmas Day 2010 in Australia as a particularly low point. Following the completion of all pre-match preparations, anticipation was high for the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground the next day. Morning training sessions allowed for an enjoyable afternoon, often accompanied by Santa hats replacing standard training caps. The author, however, sensed a vulnerability to being excluded from the team. England had suffered a significant defeat in the third Test in Perth, leveling the series at 1-1. Typically, when a batting lineup performs poorly, a bowler is replaced. Despite his own subpar bowling performance in Perth, the author held onto the hope that management would retain him for the Boxing Day match, which he considered a dream opportunity. Following practice, Captain Andrew Strauss approached the author with a somber expression, asking: “Can I have a word with you in the bathroom?” The author immediately understood the implication. This private method of delivering news of being dropped is not uncommon, as captains often seek a quiet, secluded setting to show compassion and to minimize the impact should a player react strongly. The author’s tears had barely begun before Strauss departed to convey the positive news to Tim Bresnan, who subsequently replaced the author, performing “excellently, I might add.” The author sought refuge in a cubicle, ensuring his tears had subsided before rejoining his teammates, who nonetheless observed his visibly red eyes. A poignant “Merry Christmas” concluded the moment. The situation was compounded by the fact that his then-partner, mother, and sister had traveled to Melbourne specifically to witness him play in a Boxing Day Test. The author felt a profound sense of disappointment and believed he had wasted their journey. Despite participating in three Ashes tours, he never had the opportunity to play a Boxing Day Test, marking this as a significant low point in his career. The Christmas schedule included attending a lunch organized by England at a hotel. The author felt compelled to feign enjoyment while observing Father Christmas distribute gifts to players’ children and the wife of a staff member consume oysters, a sound the author dislikes. His true desire was to be alone in his room, consumed by self-reproach for not being skilled enough to secure a spot on the team. This occasion marked one of only two times his mother and sister traveled internationally to watch him represent England, and on both instances, he was not selected for the starting XI. Steven Finn rates this dismissal of South Africa’s Faf du Plessis in 2015 as one of his favourites In contrast, the author’s most positive Christmas touring experience occurred in South Africa in 2015. The Boxing Day Test served as the inaugural match of the series, anticipated to be intensely competitive, with South Africa boasting a formidable lineup and England having recently secured the Ashes the preceding summer. After several months sidelined by a stress fracture to the ball of his foot, the author’s fitness and subsequent inclusion in the squad in Durban felt like a Christmas gift. Unlike the Australia tour five years prior, he was confident of playing if fit, a certainty he attributed to Trevor Bayliss’s coaching tenure with England, during which he felt genuinely believed in and trusted as a bowler. Despite anticipating his selection, receiving the captain’s confirmation from Alastair Cook on Christmas Day remained a gratifying moment. This Christmas was devoid of emotional distress in the restrooms; instead, it was a serene and pleasant occasion spent on the Durban seafront. The warm weather and the author’s focus on strategizing how to bowl against Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, and other players the next day meant it did not truly feel like Christmas. Nevertheless, he felt significantly more content, even with the unenviable prospect of facing Dale Steyn in his role as nightwatchman, a challenge that would typically disrupt anyone’s festive tranquility. Without family accompanying him, the author shared Christmas lunch with other teammates in a similar situation. He then retired to his room to relax, anticipating the team would win the toss and elect to bowl first on what appeared to be a challenging pitch. He considered such an outcome a genuine Christmas present. Despite losing the toss, the team secured a victory in the Test by 241 runs. The author claimed one of his most cherished wickets, dismissing Faf Du Plessis with a rising delivery on the fourth evening, precisely as Du Plessis was mounting a substantial defensive effort. This achievement provided a sense of redemption for his prior Christmas disappointments. Touring during Christmas effectively transforms the holiday into another Test week. The author expresses empathy for players with families who must navigate this period, acknowledging the difficulty of balancing roles as a father, husband, international cricketer, and Father Christmas. While the presence of family offers a sense of balance and a welcome diversion during extended tours, the author notes that explaining to a four-year-old why there is no snow or how Santa knows their location is a task he would delegate to those with children. As the author now prepares to enjoy the festive season, indulging in ample food, his thoughts turn to the cricketers worldwide who are getting ready for a match the following day. He reflects that nerves, excitement, and disappointments are inherent aspects of being a sportsperson, and on this particular occasion, it coincides with Christmas Day.