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Home / Sport / Cricket

Cricket: Mr Bean, the sledging star of the England team

By David Leggat
Reporter·
3 Aug, 2007 05:00 PM4 mins to read

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Zaheer Khan. Photo / Reuters

Zaheer Khan. Photo / Reuters

KEY POINTS:

Had it been Mike Gatting batting instead of Zaheer Khan, a Google search of "jellybeans" and "cricket" would have come up empty.

Whereas Indian bowler Khan reacted furiously when he found English fielders dropping the sweets on the crease during this week's test at Trent Bridge, Gatting, a man of robust culinary habits, would simply have eaten them.

But Khan didn't and so the Great Jellybean Caper will be logged into cricket's infamy catalogue, in a special category: "You cannot be serious."

It will also be known as the jape which lost a test.

A five-second recap: Khan took exception to jellybeans on the ground as he took guard, apparently in reference to his fluctuating weight and fondness for the sweet stuff.

Having moved them away, the next time he looked down he found more had been lobbed in. For some reason he took out his fury at this perceived slight on Kevin Pietersen at gully.

The finger has, however, been pointed at opener Alastair Cook who, fielding at short leg, had easiest access to the relevant patch of earth.

England tried to brush it off as a lighthearted prank; but the wrath of Khan was stirred. He ripped through England's second innings, setting up a 1-0 series lead.

It was a test marked by ugly behaviour, a shoulder charge by feisty young fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth on England captain Michael Vaughan earned him a 50 per cent match-fee fine, and there were plenty of verbals from both sides.

One of the biggest culprits was new England wicketkeeper Matt Prior - a proud member of the Glovemen With Big Gobs club, a growing fraternity where loudhailers are needed at their annual meetings - who has taken over from the short-lived but appallingly memorable Paul Nixon.

"That's what he does and that's what he was selected for," England coach Peter Moores said of Prior's verbal skills.

On the jellybeans, England batsman Ian Bell, in his newspaper column, wrote it off as "we were just trying to keep spirits up" after a long day in the field.

"The odd thing is I have seen such stuff as this go on hundreds of times in county cricket. It's just that it's never been brought up or magnified in this way."

That puts a new light on what it takes to be a county cricketer. Essential qualities: pockets loaded with toffees, jelly babies and liquorice allsorts.

The whole business also tells us much about the England team to visit New Zealand early next year.

The jellybean incident was puerile, schoolboy stuff, which presumably the players involved thought was funny. Even their own chairman of selectors, David Graveney, called it "childish". Infantile would do nicely, too.

As for the verbals, that's different. There's nothing remotely new in that. It's been going on since W.G. Grace took guard 120 years ago.

But Moores has asked for stump microphones to be switched off, presumably so players can sledge with impunity.

"There must be some things that are left on the field to be fair to the players," he said.

The International Cricket Council rules that microphones are turned on when a ball is live, such as during the bowler's runup and until the ball is returned from the outfield.

The same ICC enjoyed the jellybean incident. Its latest player rankings has the headline "Sweet success for Zaheer" while adding that captain Michael Vaughan's return to batting form "sugar-coats England's loss".

Food has played a part in some memorable moments in cricket. Usually men of girth are involved.

The jellybeans have pushed the boundaries back further. What next - a boysenberry trumpet parked up against middle stump?

Food for thought

Shane Warne, not a man to turn a pudding plate away, has often figured in food sledges.

* Bowling to portly Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga, he wondered aloud what would draw the lefthander out of his crease. Wicketkeeper Ian Healy called back, "Put a Mars bar on a good length. That should do it." To which Ranatunga is said to have replied: "Then I'm sure Boony will get it before me," referring to close in fielder David Boon.

* Warne, again, to South African Daryl Cullinan: "I've been waiting two years to humiliate you again." Cullinan: "It looks like you spent the time eating."

* When Mike Gatting was bowled by Warne's famous first test delivery, his captain, Graham Gooch, opined: "If it had been a cheese roll he'd never have missed it."

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