A Flower in full bloom

A POSSE of cameramen waited for Andy Flower. He was tired from the long `nets' but he obliged everyone. The smile he flashed was natural and the warmth with which he shook hands with people wishing him well just about conveyed the man's humility. ``I must respect them if I wish to get their affection,'' was how Andy described his pleasant demeanour at the scenic stadium in Jodhpur during Zimbabwe's last visit to India.

Having met Andy at his house in Harare nine years ago, I have been fascinated by his enthusiasm to keep learning and improving. He simply refuses to give up. ``It's not my personality,'' he states. Playing for the weakest Test nation may have come as a great source of inspiration for Andy to give his best every time he walks to the crease and amazingly he has maintained a remarkable level of concentration.

It is not a comfortable thought to return to the dressing room, take off your wicketkeeping pads and don the batting gear. It can be extremely demanding, especially when you are up against the best attacks in the world. But Andy loves every bit of it. ``I like being on the field as much as possible,'' is his philosophy. And this does not include his punishing fitness schedule all time of the season.

Andy's strength is his ability to read the situation well and adapt to meet the challenge. His endurance is unmatched. His mates struggle to recall occasions when Andy would have given up the battle or come up with excuses.

The first man to give the opposition its due, Andy is known to raise his game during periods of crisis for Zimbabwe. It is a role he has played since he faced his first ball in Test cricket. Former skipper Dave Houghton has had a great influence on Andy, not to forget his father Bill. He was taught early in his career the value of his wicket and in contemporary cricket, few batsmen would measure up to Andy in terms of durability and commitment.

How many batsmen can motivate themselves day in and day out knowing well that he is at the helm of a battle already lost. Zimbabwe does not inspire confidence at any stage but Andy makes it a point to make his presence felt. And often it is a single- handed fight.

Skipper Heath Streak has been on record lamenting the fact that Andy often runs out of support but then Zimbabwean cricket has not been able to recognise the contribution of this fantastic left-hand batsman and wicketkeeper. The Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) is guilty of ill-treating Andy for years but then the latter has not allowed such distractions to affect his resolve to make a place for himself in the history of world cricket.

Andy should be the most difficult batsman to dismiss in the world today. Not very attractive for a left-hander, he stands apart for his amazing consistency and the quality to build an innings impeccably.

It is hard to find Andy play a hurried shot once he gets his eye in. A rare quality these days when batsmen tend to be influenced into playing aggressive shots quite early in the innings. ``I like to grind the attack,'' Andy had said with pride when we met during India's last visit to Zimbabwe.

Grinding the attack is what every batsman likes and Andy has not acquired this trait overnight. His approach was quite similar when Zimbabwe made an entry to Test cricket and he built on it as time progressed. Long innings allowed him to take a closer look at quality bowlers and that in turn did a world of difference to his batsmanship. It was honed on practical lessons learnt in the middle and not in the `nets' where Andy is known to essentially practise his shots.

Andy must be among the few complete batsmen of the modern era. If only he was playing for a bigger team, his achievements would have been recorded in different terms. At any given point, in the last two seasons, he ought to have figured among the top five of the world but critics have not given this humble cricketer his due.

The phlegmatic temperament which Andy possesses can be a matter of envy for the other batsmen. Nothing perturbs him on the field and he is one of the few batsmen who are not subjected to sledging. He is a giant among today's batsmen, a fact which the Indian bowlers would readily acknowledge, having been treated with disdain in Andy's last eight visits to the crease in Tests. His sequence against India reads 183 not out, 70, 55, 232 not out, 51, 83, 45 and 8 not out.

For those who believe statistics best portray the form of a batsmen, Andy knocked off 142, 199 not out, 67 and 14 not out in his four visits to the crease in two Tests against South Africa this month. But let not statistics mask the essence of his batsmanship. His role is to give his best and he has done a perfect job of his assignment. Experts might still pick holes in his technique but then they would also agree that no batsman plays the reverse sweep better than Andy. No batsman can claim better shot selection than Andy. And few batsmen can claim to tackle pace and spin as solidly as Andy.

The 11 Test centuries that Andy has against his name are lasting tributes to his batting abilities. The next time you compare batting greats of this era, do not keep Andy out of your debates. Just remember he plays for a weak team, bats against the best bowlers, and yet maintains tremendous level of consistency. Apart from batting, he also keeps wickets, and often for long periods because of Zimbabwe's poor bowling.

Andy, most would agree, is a cricketer of a rare breed. If he heads the list of elite batsmen today, he deserves every moment of the glory. And what makes Andy grow in stature is his humility. He can pose as long as you want for pictures until each cameraman is satisfied. There are not many cricketers like him. Or should one say, none as accommodating and understanding like him in contemporary cricket. If the bowlers of the cricket world disagree, it raises the admiration for Andy Flower, 33 and amazingly fit, all the more.

VIJAY LOKAPALLY

New Delhi

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