I don't like Cricket

Jimmy's Diary - The waiting's nearly over

So this is it. We have finally arrived in Australia and it’s only a couple of weeks until the First Test. After the disappointment of the Champions Trophy all the boys are really excited and can’t wait to get started.

It was good to get home after India, but the last week was really rushed getting prepared for what is going to be a long tour. It’s quite hard knowing what to pack when you are going to be away for ages, especially because I know there’s a strong chance that I might struggle to get into the Test team. I’ve loaded lots of cool stuff onto my Ipod (Best of Jamiroquai, Justin Timberlake etc), packed my PSP and bought a couple of books to read (I finished the Frank Lampard autobiography in India, but couldn’t get into Steven Gerrard’s.)

The night before we left I was too excited to sleep and when it was time to leave i kept the taxi waiting because i couldn't stop going to the loo. After I left the house I had a terrible feeling that I had left the oven on and i made the cab driver take me back to check. Even now i'm sure there's something i forgot to do, but i guess it's too late to worry about.

It was good to meet up with the boys at the airport, especially the lads who didn’t go to the Champions Trophy. Alistair Cook, as usual, was in a really mischievous mood. He managed to convince Chris Read that because the selectors had decided not to give him and Geraint Jones central contracts that they'd both have to sit in economy class. Ready was not amused.

On the plane I was sat next to Belly, who insisted on having the window seat, and Paul Collingwood, who made us watch the Alan Shearer Story (twice) on his DVD player.

During the flight Chris Read and Cookie came and sat with us. They said that if I got in the Test team they’d have to come up with a new nickname for me. Someone suggested ‘Clive’ [as in Anderson, the TV presenter], but no one really liked it. Ashley Giles, who was sitting behind us, said that as we were going to Australia they should call me ‘Angry’ Anderson. I didn’t get it, so Gilo asked me if I remembered Scott and Charlene’s wedding in Neighbours. I didn’t, but Belly did because his mum still has the commemorative mug and a framed copy of that week’s TV Times. Colly asked Gilo what made him think of the idea and he said: ‘I don’t know. It just came to me… Suddenly.’ Colly groaned and everyone laughed, although when I asked him later Belly said he didn’t know what they were going on about.

The flight was very boring and it was good to finally arrive. I am sharing a room with Liam Plunkett, who's a good mate but I guess also one of my rivals for a place in the team. Belly is gutted because he’s in with KP again. I’ll write again later in the week when we’re all settled in and recovered from the jet lag.

Jimmy A, Sydney, Australia (As imagined by the I don't like Cricket collective)

posted by cov @ 9:37 pm