Barnett Fare - the Alex Barnett Interview Part Two

Q – I guess Gatting was your skipper – what was he like as your captain?

 

Mike Gatting was superb. He was very down to earth and would really work with you in establishing tactics. He encouraged experimental field settings and provided excellent understanding of the others teams’ strengths and weaknesses. He enjoyed talking risks and would back you to win.

 

Q – Do you still keep in touch with any of the players from Middlesex or Lancashire or Surrey?

 

No. After I finished cricket, I really left the game. It’s a shame, but I found I have less and less in common with those guys. You can only talk about ‘the old days’ for so long.

 

Q – What took you to Lancashire and did the move work out well for you?  

 

I didn’t want to leave Middlesex, but I couldn’t see how I could get a regular first team spot with Tuffers doing so well. I also considered Essex (John Childs was about to retire) and Warwickshire - both offered contracts.  I opted for Lancs for a few reasons. Firstly, they were the legends of one day cricket at the time. During the late eighties and early 90s they totally dominated that format and I wanted to join a successful outfit. They also wanted to achieve equivalent status in the championship and saw me as key to doing that. Secondly, David Hughes (team manager and skipper at the time) seemed to really understand the left arm spin side of things (he was one himself) and I was confident I would be managed right.  Third, the thought of Wasim bowling at the other end was too good to turn down.

 

Did it work out well for me? From a cricketing perspective, yes and no. Yes in that I got to play some big games and got a regular first team place in my first three years there. On the other hand, I underestimated the culture shock. Manchester is a long way from London in terms of distance away from family. I also did not know anyone from the team prior to my joining (Crawley and later Gallian were both still at uni). It was the first time I spent a season away from my dad who was my coach and I think I suffered in this respect. I didn’t have anyone there who knew my action well enough to correct me and coach me. I also went through a tough time personally - I lost confidence in my bowling and over time started enjoying the game less and less to the point I wanted to get out of the game.

 

Q – And you even went to our arch-rivals Surrey – I’m not sure if you played a game?  How did that move come about?

 

In my last season at Lancashire, David Lloyd (team manager at the time) gave me permission to look at other clubs. Surrey asked me to play so I tried it out. I think it was after that game that I decided I would retire.

 

Q – What was your favourite dismissal?

 

Botham. Last day of a four dayer at Old Trafford against Durham. Ball was turning, my tail was up and I had just got a wicket to bring Ian Botham to the crease. Great ball (if I may say so myself) – pitched middle and leg on a bouncy turning pitch. He defended and gloved it to silly point. Game was practically over then. I was happy.

 

Q – Any batting heroics you can remember?   

 

Heroic? No. Memorable? Well, here’s one I can think of. Waqar Younis at the Oval.

 

This was the year he was breaking toes for fun with lethal late in-swinging yorkers and denting helmets and grills with vicious 90+ mph bouncers. Earlier in the day he was talking to Wasim and I went over and said hello. I joked that he should take it easy on me: I’m a useless number 11 I said  – “just bowl straight Waqar, not too full and you’ll have me”. Wasim cracked up and Waqar told me not to worry.

 

Waqar had just taken the ninth wicket and I went out to take my guard. As I walked passed him to the crease, I muttered ‘alright geezer?’, hoping he might remember my words of advice. As he came in running to bowl, he looked like he was trotting in at 80% speed. He pitched it up, it swung in late from outside off and I scrambled to get the bat back down in time. Unfortunately, I absolutely middled it and sent the ball back hard and straight at his face. He ducked and the ball went flying to the boundary. He wasn’t happy. Not one bit. He turned to me as he wore his teapot and promptly swore at me in Urdu I believe. He looked really, really pissed off. I had to stop myself from saying sorry to him.

 

I watched him walk back to his mark and could swear I saw steam spouting from both of his ears as he was shaking his head. The next ball was either going to kill me, I thought, or break something. Was it going to be a bouncer? Or a toe breaking yorker? Either way, I’m so f$%^cked, I though to myself. I looked up at the dressing room and saw the boys were cracking up as they were still clapping my four. Wasim in particular looked like he was about to die from a hernia.

 

This time Waqar’s run into the crease was totally full on. In those days, when Waqar ran in, he *really* ran in. In fact, I’m sure he was sprinting for this one. I was expecting the bouncer. He let it go and the next thing I knew was to hear the heavenly sound of ball cracking stumps. I looked back at the wickets, confirmed that I wasn’t dead, and then feebly tried to portray the body language of someone who had just lost out on winning a million pounds at the National Lottery.

 

Q – Your biggest achievement?

 

In cricket? That’s hard to say. Obviously, I’m proud to have played first class and to have played in some big games. If I had to call out anything particular: Lancashire vs. Australia in 1993 where I took 5 wickets in the game. Wickets included the scalps of M Waugh, D Martyn and M Taylor. We won that game, the only one Australia lost on that tour. Especially hearing Merv Hughes tearing down the visitor dressing room below us. I enjoyed that. (see: http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/57/57654.html ). The B&H Semi Final (Leicestershire) and Finals (against Derbyshire) were amazing games to take part in too, even though we lost the latter.

 

Q – Who was the best batsman you ever bowled to and who was the bowler you least liked to face?

 

I think the bowler answer is Waqar (see above). The best batsmen? I’ve bowled at some of the greatest. It’s a funny thing. On the one hand, no one likes to get hit around, but it’s nice to know it’s getting done in style at least.

 

I couldn’t get Gower out, although you always felt you had a chance with him (lots of air shots, but placed). Lara, Richards, Botham, both Waughs, Hayden, Gatting, Hooper, Haynes, R Smith - I’ve been spanked by them all (and got a few of their scalps too). But it was Sachin Tendulkar that blew me away. I’d just taken Byas’ wicket. As Sachin took his guard, I spoke to Watkinson (skipper at the time) and we agreed to keep silly point in. I bowled and it was perfect: Middle-and-off, a good length and I’m looking for an edge. Sachin then played the second best cover drive I’ve ever seen.  Watki and I looked at each. We both smiled. He asked silly point to get on the drive instead, I didn’t argue. I came in to bowl and again the ball landed on middle-and-off and again it was on a good length. This time Sachin played the best cover drive I’ve ever seen, creaming the ball past the left hand of the man on the drive and past the right of deep cover. It was perfect, really. Now, I wouldn’t be telling this story if I couldn’t finish it by telling you that I had him out stumped in the second innings, now would I? ;-)

 

Q - 1st class cricket in the shires to Microsoft in Redmond does not feel like a regular migration.  How did it happen and how did it feel to make all of those changes in lifestyle?  Any similarities in working life (e.g. the teamwork, competitive atmosphere).  Do you miss ready access to cricket.    Do you get an opportunity to play cricket or even baseball in the US?

 

I’m into my third career today. Part of the decision to retire cricket when I did was to realize that I didn’t want to be at the age of 35 looking to start my next career without meaningful work experience and skills. The cricket lifestyle as a professional cricketer is a great thing, but it doesn’t last forever. In some ways, I was fortunate I lost form when I did. The decision was easier to make

 

 I needed to get into something new, but didn’t know what. To cut a long story short, I’ve always been into ‘computers’. I learnt to program BASIC on my ZX81 before my teen years. At the end of 1994, I discovered the Internet. I got out a £3,000 loan (I was broke), bought myself a mac, some software and an internet connection and taught myself how to build websites. I joined a small web design company, became a director there (sales & marketing) and sold it 7 years later to a company that is now owned by IBM. That was my second career. My third and current career is with Microsoft. I started at the UK subsidiary in Reading over four years ago as online marketing manager and they asked me to take on a global role in Redmond.  I’m now part of a product development team working on technologies for Microsoft developers.

 

I’ve been lucky. I found something I was passionate about (the web) and was at the right place at the right time and young enough to start a new career. I still dream about cricket and still think back to those days, but less and less as time goes by. I suppose I do miss it from time to time still. I don’t play at all today. My son who is five hasn’t picked up a bat. I know that’s sad. Maybe baseball for him.

 

Q – Do you follow the cricket scores closely and are you planning to watch the Ashes on TV?  

 

I followed the Ashes via Willow.TV who provide live streaming TV coverage over the web. I still check out the BBC cricket site from time to time.

 

Q – I think it was the first time you saw MTWD recently – will you now be keeping a close eye on it?

 

Thanks for the pointer – I didn’t know it was there, but will come to visit from time to time.

 

Thank you so much Alex for your support and so sorry for all these questions!

 

Thank you. This interview has been fun. I had to dust off some memory cobwebs, I’ve not done that for a while.