Brisbane, November 23rd 2006, 10:00 AM
I’m ready. I’m fresh; not worn out from bowling a load of overs in warm-up games that don’t mean anything. People don’t realise how much cricket has changed: maybe in the old days there was a lot of bowling day in, day out, but things are more sophisticated now with the science and everything like that. We’ll play a bit of football for fitness, do a bit of work in the nets, some karate, bit of dodgeball, then watch videos.
Yesterday, we saw Gladiator. I like that bit where Russell Crowe has the little statues of his wife and son that he kisses before he goes into the arena. They say Test cricket is like being a modern gladiator, with the crowd and the duel between bowler and batter. And there being a lot of foreigners in it. Fortunately in this day and age, there’s mobiles and internet and everything, so you don’t have to carry tiny statues of your kids around when you go abroad. But the principle’s the same: there’s no better way for me to focus and get ready to go to war than talking to my little ones for a couple of hours.
This morning, I’ve been working on my positive visualisation. A lot of top sportsmen are using it these days, even big-money footballers. You visualise yourself in your mind achieving your goals: in my case I picture myself having a few beers with Freddie and the Aussie lads. It’s definitely more enjoyable playing against a team you can have a laugh with. I think we’re probably more like this Aussie team than any other international side: we play hard, sure, and we want to win, but that’ll never get in the way of a few cold beers at the close of play. At the end of the day, the Aussies know that enjoyment is what it’s really all about, and so do we. That’s something that Fred’s really brought to the team: I think he’s going to be a great captain. He lets us express ourselves, whether it’s through drinking games, flaming shots or just having a couple of quiet ones and talking about whatever.
Talking of team spirit in that dressing-room, people ask if we’ve focused for too long on celebrating the 2005 win. I think definitely not, no. If you ask any sportsman they will tell you that it’s important to enjoy your success, you’ve earned it, you deserve it. Feel satisfied by it. Savour it, if you like. Reliving your past victories definitely makes you hungrier.
And I am hungry. It really pisses me off when people say I’m not. At breakfast this morning, I could have had Frosties: instead, I ordered brown toast with scrambled eggs. The eggs were a bit undercooked; I didn’t care. I’m not a cry-baby. I could hear the Rocky theme tune in my head as I ate them. I think in the past my biggest failing as a cricketer has been trying too hard. I’m over that now. All I can see in my mind is that ball flying into Fred’s big hands at slip and the crowd going wild.
Brisbane, November 23rd, 11:04 AM
Bugger.