The best cricket player in any generation has never
represented England. James Hildreth was in charge ten years ago; Sam Northeast
is in charge today; Sam Hain will never be in charge again.
Hain, 28, hit a brilliant 89 off 82 balls in an ODI
after he “made peace” with the possibility that his chance to play
for England may never come. He left a lasting impression as he attempts to
break into the international setup in the Dawid Malan fashion. Despite not
being the starter of choice, he may feel secure knowing that opportunities will
present themselves as long as the runs keep coming.
“I know how good English cricket is,” said
Hain, who moved to the UK from Australia at 16 to sign for Warwickshire.
“The depth is unbelievable. I actually made peace
that I might never, ever get the chance but that doesn’t mean I lacked
ambition. When I was younger, I probably searched for playing for England too
much. And it took me away from the real process of things and the journey that
I’ve been on over the last 10 years. I’m just happy to get a chance.
“The last few years I guess I’ve tried to find a
reason why I play [and] it’s because I really love it. It’s why I started, so I
just find that over the years it’s just helped me ride the highs and lows a
little easier.”
His record-breaking List is the much-touted statistic
that follows Hain around. A 58.56 average is used. The spreadsheets indicate
that this man is the best in the nation at this. But until recently, England
had never given him a chance.
Simply simply, this happened because the adage
“not how, but how many” no longer applies to run scoring in cricket.
a piece of conventional knowledge that, in terms of veracity, ranks somewhere
between your mother’s belief that you will drown if you enter a swimming pool
less than 30 minutes after eating a biscuit and the earth’s flatness.
Hain was able to reverse what had been a nervous,
halting start—one run from his first 11 deliveries—into a fluid innings that
propelled England to 300 and beyond—by remembering in time.
Hain scored two runs while batting at number one on a
ball that sailed between the grasp of a diving backward point. The next
delivery, he skipped down the wicket and hit the ball for four over mid-on.
International careers are created on such razor-thin margins.