Thread by @wvraman

It is another true story !! 😊😊

#TeamIndia is in NZ currently, and so it is appropriate to celebrate the kiwi legend Sir Richard Hadlee. He was the first bowler to get 400 wkts in test cricket.A methodical individual and a terrific person indeed.

Rewind to year 2000-01

Sir Richard had come as the manager with the NZ academy team that came to play in Chennai. I had gone to the MAC stadium and met the great man. We were talking about various things and Sir Richard revealed he was the chief selector then. I asked him if he enjoyed his job.

His reply was typical, "It is about doing a good job that is important". Suddenly he excused himself, went to the ground with a cardboard box in his hand, collected all the water bottles strewn on the ground, and came back, and remarked "You have to respect your workplace".

I felt it was better to stay quiet. Then he continued, "the thing about being a manager is that you have to ensure things are in good shape". Thought to myself, "Yeah, a lot of learnings this morning".
Fast forward to around 2014/15. Nottingham, his county was honouring him.

Sir Richard played for Nottinghamshire for many years as did Sir Gary Sobers. The county decided to honour them both by naming an indoor net track after them. The incidental benefit was them both volunteering to spend time in the nets with the players playing for the county side

A curious development took place. The players were reluctant to attend an extra session of nets as it was not on their contract and if they had to attend to be monitored by the two legends, the players felt they were within their limits to ask to be paid for it!

The county players eventually didn't avail the benefit of spending time with the two greats of the game. Sir Richard decided to spend the time with the squad of the University of Nottingham that was training in Trent bridge. He spent the entire net session with youngsters.

A fortnight later, the methodical individual that Sir Richard is, sent his assessment of the players he had spent time with in Trent Bridge! Greatness at its best, making the others feel great. News about the county players refusing to spend time with the 2 legends went viral.

Ian Botham, in his usual style, said that he would have gone to the nets in 2014/15 if Sir Richard and Sir Gary were prepared to guide him! A young man studying in the University of Notts around that time was gob smacked with the legend's humility.

He was a part of the University of Notts cricket team. He lead the side in the next summer and he still maintains contact with the legend. That's how I know of the Notts incident. The obvious question will be about the young man. He happens to be my son.

The thing about the players contention was reported in some sections of the press.