Martyn Ball (Gloucestershire)
Gloucestershire off spinner Martyn Ball is currently enjoying his nineteenth season as a professional cricketer with the club. During his career, he has experienced just about everything the game has to offer and here he shares his thoughts on life as a professional cricketer.
What’s the best thing about being a professional cricketer?
From the age of three, I have been crazy on sport and being a professional cricketer has given me the chance to fulfil that childhood ambition of playing sport at the top level. I was mad on football, rugby and cricket, playing at representative level in all three as a junior. When I got to seventeen, cricket was standing out as the sport I should pursue. Looking back over the years, you think how lucky you have been to experience all the things that go hand in hand with being a pro. I’m now in my nineteenth season of striving to be the best I can be, in a fiercely competitive environment. Don't get me wrong - it has been hard work but great fun as well.
What has been the most challenging aspect of your job?
Trying to keep fit! All sports go through different era’s and looking at my career things have changed dramatically since I started. John Embury was the best off spinner around and he bowled to seven-two leg-side fields. Then all of a sudden, the laws of the game changed in one-day cricket with a new rule stating that you could only have a maximum of five fielders on the leg-side. This was seen as the end of the off-spinner, but you have to have the ability to evolve. Being able to adapt is tough, but it is crucial if you are to remain in the sport. A great example is Twenty20 Cricket – in the beginning nobody dreamt that spin bowling would have a part to play in this competition. However, in the last three seasons, the most successful sides have contained spin bowlers and relied on them as an integral part of their gameplans.
There are other challenges, off the field. Playing all summer long can be tough on the family and relationships, but it is crucial to find the right balance to keep your focus both on and off the field.
What has been the biggest change to professional cricket during your career?
It has to be the fitness levels and work ethic that is required now - call it the all round professionalism of the game. I made my debut in 1988 and professional cricket has come a long way since then. There were still great players around, but the preparation is so different now to those more relaxed days. Cricket was run by amateurs and the players prepared like amateurs compared to the present day.
And your own career has been a roller coaster ride, winning trophies, touring with England in 2002 and then being relegated largely to the one-day side at Gloucestershire for a while?
Yep – I was with England on tour, and then in 2003 was winning trophies with Gloucs. In 2004 and 2005 we employed an overseas spinner which meant I wasn’t playing in every game. Then onto 2006 and a change of tactics which has seen me involved in every match. Hopefully, I’ll be involved next season which will be twenty years of professional cricket. There have been a lot of international players who haven’t stayed around in the game that long and my career fills me with a lot of pride. I may not have played in international cricket or taken a 1000 wickets, but my all-round game has been good enough to keep contributing to the cause.
What are your thoughts on the current structure of the game?
Three years ago, I was in favour of reducing the amount of cricket that was being played. But I’ve been thinking about this a lot and have come to the conclusion that there is no need to dramatically reduce the volume of cricket in the professional game. I personally would like to maintain the promotion and relegation system which has proved so successful in county cricket. I think this system has played a massive part in England’s performances over the last few years, with the county game grooming more hardened and competitive cricketers who want to succeed and reach the top.
Twenty20 has gone from being perceived as a bit of a 'joke' trial competition to becoming a massive boost for cricket in this country and is now also being played domestically abroad with plans for a World Cup as well.
In terms of the games structure, I would like to see a 12 match championship season with promotion and relegation; a three conference C&G Trophy with quarter-finals, semi’s and a final; and a slightly expanded Twenty20 competition.
I can’t see the logic in us playing in 40 over cricket. There are subtle differences between this form of the game and 50 over cricket. At international cricket, just as at county level, everyone strives for the ‘one percenters’ and players representing England in 50 over cricket will not be as well prepared, if they have got into the habits of 40 over cricket.
What will be the overriding memories you will take from professional cricket?
The Lord’s victories with Gloucester will definitely be up there. I had played for eleven years previously, where even making a quarter final was a big thing. Then we won seven trophies in six seasons and also lost a final to Surrey. I had seen my mates playing in these big games at Lord’s on television and thought wouldn’t it be great to be involved – and then we were, year on year!
Also going to India with England was brilliant. Although I didn’t make my Test debut, it was a fantastic experience and I loved every minute of it. I’m very patriotic and would watch England play at any sport and jump up and down. So to pull on the England shirt and play in the first warm up game was very special to me. I also got some wickets and runs which made the moment all the more special.
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