Alex Tudor (Essex)
Essex all rounder Alex Tudor has had a roller coaster of a professional cricket career. From scoring 99 not out on international debut to being struck by a vicious Brett Lee bouncer in an Ashes Series abroad and encountering a number of serious injuries. We caught up with Alex during a Second XI Trophy game versus Nottinghamshire, to find out his thoughts on the game.
What’s the best thing about being a professional cricketer?
Travelling the country and getting to know yourself and other people. And if you are lucky enough, you get to go overseas and learn about other countries and other traditions, how people live and stuff. From that perspective I’ve been very lucky. And the nice thing is that you don’t have to pay for it! I think it rounds you off as a person. Other sportsmen are not as lucky – cricketers are constantly travelling and while some people might see that as a bad thing, I think it’s great. And you go to places that you might not go to on holiday.
What is the most challenging aspect of being a professional cricketer?
I think now I’ve had a little daughter, the family aspect of the game. As a young guy making your way in the game and just playing, it’s quite exciting. You are playing with experienced players, travelling around and it’s great. Once you get a family, you are away for long periods of time and you get to miss that side of it. You now have the situation where players opt not to go on tours – home life is important and obviously they want to be with their families. Unfortunately, cricket has got a high divorce rate which is worrying. So that part of the job can be quite difficult - you have to shop around and find the right lady who is sympathetic with your job!
What do you do to get up to through the off season?
For the past couple of years I’ve been struggling through injury and my mum has always said, ‘If you weren’t a cricketer son what would you be doing? I’ve been quite lucky – doing some commentary on BBC radio and being a pundit on SkySports News. And doing some coaching as well, which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. I do a bit of PR for a property mate who has got me involved –- introducing me to clients and stuff. So I now know there is another way to make a bit of money. I know some guys get their contracts and think ‘Well I just play cricket and that’s it’ but obviously freak injuries happen, or you can suffer loss of form where you don’t get another contract. The PCA have been absolutely brilliant with youngsters and older guys in the game, giving them career options, sending them on courses, so they do have an idea of what to do once cricket finishes. You see some guys who might be relying on a benefit but don’t get them through changing counties, or can’t make enough money anyway and are still in the same boat trying to pay a mortgage and that. It can be very, very difficult.
So players’ careers opportunities are improving outside of the game?
The information we now get from the PCA is brilliant. People come in and say do this course and that kind of stuff. Cricketers are now taking this on board; in the winter finding themselves working outside of the game. It’s a lot better than what it used to be.
You are a vastly experienced player in all levels of the game. Is cricket in England in good health?
Yes – definitely. I think a few years ago Second XI cricket wasn’t that good. But you can see today there are guys who have played a hell of a lot of first-class cricket – some even at international level. Its good to see and there is a good number of youngsters as well who will be thrown in and face good bowlers and bowl against decent batters, so they will learn a lot quicker.
How important is Second XI Cricket?
I think it’s very important. Especially at the moment, I’ve been coming back into the first team and have been playing a few second team games. I think there is a good mix. A few years ago, you had some of the ‘dead wood’ playing second team, who didn’t really have the aspirations of playing first team cricket, were happy picking up their pay check or whatever. Now you have young guys pushing their way through, young Varun Chopra of Essex has done extremely well as have other guys who are staking their claims in the first team. Whereas maybe when I first started playing, that wasn’t happening. But youngsters are now coming through the Academies, which have been fantastic. Guys are now being fast-tracked through, and are coping with it which is good for the game.
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