No More Jesse Ryder And It's Great
At 31 years of age and with the BLACKCAPS smoothly rolling down a new path, Jesse Ryder's chances of an international recall are slim. While age shouldn't rule any players out of an international call up (ask Australia), under Brendon McCullum's leadership there has been less of a reliance on the stop-gap-veteran selections and more talented youngsters brought through, deservedly so.
Then there's Ryder's history with this team. In all honesty, while Ryder will understandably still yearn to represent Aotearoa again, it feels as though both parties have moved on. Ryder had his opportunity and didn't quite take it; all of this couldn't have come at a worst time for Ryder as his downward spiral coincided with the emergence of cricketers who can do as good a job as Ryder without the feeling of impending doom.
I came to accept the fact that Ryder probably wouldn't play for Aotearoa again after his last indiscretion. It was an unfortunate time, yet I felt comfortable in my belief that I had seen the last of Ryder on that stage. More importantly, I think Ryder had reached the same point.
If Mike Hesson selected his BLACKCAPS squads on talent and talent alone, Ryder would be a lock-in pick. This is why Ryder has relished and/or embraced the freedom that has been gifted to him by his flawed past (oh how the world works). Ryder arguably has more natural talent that a lot of international cricketers which makes him one of the most gifted cricketing mercenaries there is at the moment.
What intrigues me about Ryder is that he's a slightly different cricketing mercenary compared to others in a similar situation who usually go the T20 route. Ryder isn't in Australia where his skills would be perfect for a Big Bash franchise, instead he's scoring quick runs (28, 58, 58) for Central Districts in the Ford Trophy. Ryder was last seen in the IPL back in 2013 for the Delhi Daredevils, so what's Ryder been up to?
Averaging 40.61 First Class runs for Essex in Country Cricket this year.
Taking 99 FC wickets over two English summers, averaging 18.09 in 2014 and 26.13 in 2015.
Ryder has averaged over 44 in each of his last three kiwi summers in the Ford Trophy.
Lol, how about an average of over 50 in each of his last three Plunket Shield campaigns?
A hundred and two half-centuries in England's T20 competition last year? Yup, gimme that.
Mercenary might be the wrong word for Ryder as he's split his time in recent years between only two countries, he has however done this very well. Already signed on to take part in the first Pakistan Super League, Ryder's also got room to grow, becoming a true mercenary if he wants to fiddle with more T20 cricket as the Big Bash and it's two kiwi coaches (Stephen Fleming and Daniel Vettori) should get the best out of Ryder while the Caribbean T20 competition is also quickly emerging as a nice whack-whack destination.
Following the most recent dramas, Ryder wisely focused on re-establishing himself as a cricketer first and foremost. Even the staunchest Ryder hater would have to admire how Ryder went down the County Cricket route, where the glitz and glamour is overshadowed by a love of cricket, where cricketers go to simply get better as the volume and quality of cricket is largely unmatched around the world.
You know an Englishman, I know a few and the English love to drink. That Ryder has scored 1,483 runs with four hundys and five half-centuries in 27 games across two seasons, in a country and culture where having a drink at the local pub is borderline mandatory, is rather astonishing.
Ryder might credit a mentor or people who have helped him, yet in my mind there's only one person who is responsible for these performances/life turnaround and it's Ryder himself.
At this point in time, I just want the best for Ryder. Sure he might be the freakish talent that never quite came to be and many would look at him as a failure of some sorts, I just want to see Ryder scoring runs, taking catches and bowling quality medium-pace, doing so with a smile on his face. There's a consistency to Ryder's work that only the very best offer and this has me predicting that Ryder's future will be immensely positive, I just can't tell how in what country, what competition or how it will unfold.
Jesse Ryder to me is a cricket team that I support. Where ever he goes, I will support that team and watch with interest, as long as Jesse shows me that he's serious about forging some sort of legendary career out of what's left.