"Champions" By Mike Coward. A Book Review.

“Champions”

A Book Review by Owen Zupp

At the elite level, sport is as much about character as it is co-ordination. The finely honed skills of the best cricketers are so closely aligned that is often the mental toughness and depth of character that elevates one above another. It is these personal traits that are so critical and yet they are so often lost amidst contrived media responses and dry statistics. Mike Coward’s book “Champions” delves beyond the shallows and discovers the people behind the greats of the game.

Drawn from over 130 filmed interviews in conjunction with the Bradman Foundation, with players across different eras, Coward has highlighted the attitudes of leading players to the various aspects of the game. In doing so he offers a valuable insight into ‘what makes them tick’. That he is able to evoke such honest, candid responses is testament to the players respect for Coward. A respect earned over decades writing about cricket around the world.

This book is both entertaining and engaging and allows the reader to understand the game and its people to an even greater degree. It is a great challenge to translate a person’s true ‘voice’ into the written word. Mike Coward has done so brilliantly and allowed us to really hear the voice of the “Champions”.

“Champions”.  The World’s Greatest Cricketers Speak.

 Conversations with Mike Coward

Paperback: 288 pages

Publisher: Allen & Unwin (January 1, 2014)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1743315619

ISBN-13: 978-1743315613

The Art of Cricket.

The Art of Cricket.

By Owen Zupp

In this blog I often contemplate how cricket as a game steps outside the pickets and impacts upon other spheres. Often it is through the friendships made and at other times through the lessons of fair play that apply to everyday life. Occasionally it is the game's beauty. Sometimes the beauty may seem obscure but at other times it is a little more obvious and expressed in a manner that is both diverse and tangible. Such is the case with the magnificent cricket art exhibition on display at the Bradman International Cricket Hall of Fame.

The 2012 Cricket Art Prize entrants are currently being showcased at this wonderful venue and represent an amazing body of work by artists from Australia and abroad. While I sit at the low end of the scale in terms of being an art critic, the works on display are amazing on so many levels. There is the initial impact emanating from their broad range in size, shape, colour and texture; but there is something deeper. There is the matter of perspective.

For the topic of a solitary sport, the artists have grasped so many different angles through their work. The intricate detail of leather on willow, or the solitude of a boy looking for a lost ball. The dynamic energy of a slashing drive, or the clouds brewing, threatening to spoil the day. A handshake between foes and the heat of an outback game seems to radiate from the canvas. Subtle observations - beautifully portrayed.

The art communicates so many messages that transcend a mere sport and yet cricket remains an underlying theme throughout. And for those who which to purchase one of the art works, a significant portion of the proceeds are donated to the McGrath Foundation and the Ponting Foundation.

Life may be seen to imitate art, but through the efforts of these talented artists; life is imitating cricket. The paintings offer beauty for the beholder and whispered messages for those who pause to listen. Just as cricket is more than just a game, these works are far more than brush-strokes on a canvas. 

Perhaps they are yet another reason why cricket matters.