Bucking the Trend
by Chris Rogers
Most Australian Test players do things a certain way. Get into the Australian cricket pathway early. Go to the Academy. Win favour with senior players. Think about a cricket career from a young age. Think first of attack, and leave defence as a last resort. Treat the Baggy Green with reverence. Do things the Australian way, never mind the Poms. Keep the game as simple as possible. Avoid tinkering too much with technique.Chris 'Buck' Rogers did none of these things. Instead, he forged a cricket life in his own distinctive style, learning from mistakes and imparting that wisdom to others. In many ways he is a player out of time, harking back to the days when cricketers spent as much time with their clubs, states or counties as they did with the national side. Bucking the Trend is the story of a journeyman cricketer who, after one Test at the age of 30, took another five years to regain a spot in the Australian side. What followed was a rollercoaster ride, taking in...