Roebuck single is a hit but the album is a flop
What a week for Peter Roebuck. Like a good pub band, there have been all those years of hard slog, punching out thoughtful and eloquent pieces late into the night, revered by people that matter but not necessarily the masses. Pride in performance, but recognition not complete.
All of a sudden, bang: A worldwide hit.
Like a pub band, this new found celebrity is quite overbearing. The music suddenly takes a back seat. The yearning for attention leads to self-serving interviews, opining about world peace and other such tosh. The studio sits empty.
In the space of a mere few days, Roebuck has dramatically descended from the measuredly controversial to the downright bizarre.
His call to sack Ricky Ponting as Australian skipper was certainly a strong piece. Garnered plenty of support too, with a surprisingly healthy reaction from Australian’s. Go beyond the opening paragraph though and Mr Roebuck hasn’t just knifed the most successful captain in test history. Oh no, no, no. Roebuck has also ended the careers of Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, apparently because they play their cricket hard.
Can you imagine it? Well, that’s certainly one way of ending Australia’s dominance.
Been a while since Roebuck has handed out this sort of caning.
Now that Ponting has been given his marching orders, there has to be a replacement, right?
Here it is: Simon Katich.
What?An aging player two years removed from test cricket - who isn’t even top of the list to replace the doubtful Matt Hayden for this weeks WACA showdown - catapulting from the abyss.
I can see it now. Katich and Brett Lee, who by the way is now vice-captain (Oh yeah, Roebuck stamped Michael Clarke’s papers ‘never to have a senior role ’), talking tactics. Lee: ‘Remember in Melbourne, we got this guy with a short ball at his body?”. Katich: “Um, actually no. I was at Bankstown that day playing grade.”
Tomorrow, as a statement of Australia’s diverse multi-cultural footprint, Mr Roebuck will be delighted to announce Richard Chee Quee as Australia’s new number six.
Don’t count it out.
Roebuck, who is known to don Indian garb while working at cricket grounds, is far too hardened not to realise his call for Ricky Ponting to be sacked as captain would get attention.
Indian television has been apoplectic, with 24/7 coverage. The news channels summarising Roebuck’s daily offerings on a large flashing ‘breaking news’ graphic at the bottom of the screen, much in the same way the assassination of a world leader is reported.
Not bad for a former county captain.
Hey, there might be a lot of money to be made in new India. This could be quite lucrative for a guy who was recently speaking on low rating radio shows trying to flog a book.
The tumult of phones ringing, times booked and offers tabled. Chaotic. It has been a flustering time for Roebuck since the Ponting piece hit the presses.
How do we know? The follow up single of course, ‘Drama inevitable after shaking the tree’, which, translated into Australian English, means ‘My new-found life as a celebrity’.
Opinions this week have been diverse. Beliefs mish-mashing across the globe. Roebuck himself has been rather diverse.
Tuesday: “The only surprising part of it is that the Indians have not packed their bags and gone home”
Thursday: “It is hardly fit and proper for the entire tour to shudder to a halt.”
In fairness to Roebuck, Tuesday’s spray was directed at Australia’s behaviour, not the racism debate, however the mixed messages are confusing.
It has been quite the week. Many of its players will look back at it with pride not exactly their first sentiment. Roebuck has not only written about it, but been a willing participant.
There’s no shame in being a pub band after all.
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Ahhhhh…. now I get it. It’s the ‘money to be made in India’ angle. I really couldn’t work out why Mr Roebuck had suddenly reverted to the form he showed in England that led to his banishment to the antipodes (Aust) in the first place. Did he have a brain-fart?? Can any sane person seriously believe what he seems to believe??? Er… of course not - so has he suddenly gone insane??? But no. Thank you so much for that insight - it’s all about courting the almighty Indian dollar. And are you serious about him wearing Indian garb???? ROFLMAO. Maybe he is a brick short of a barby after all.