Ryder not all that bad, really

Jesse Ryder

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OPINION: Jesse Ryder isn't playing cricket at the moment and is a long way off as he attempts to recover from a groin injury, writes Logan Savory in this week's Sav's Say.

However, he still seems to find his way into the papers on a regular basis and the latest headline I spotted on Sunday grabbed my attention pretty smartly.

Ryder is far from a choir boy who does as he is told and has sailed smoothly through to the bright lights of international cricket.

He's had an attitude problem and excessive drinking has almost derailed his career on occasions

Most cricketing folk look down their noses at Ryder for his past misdemeanours.

I for one don't condone the bad boy image he's developed, but I think looking at Ryder's story in a little more depth suggests he has actually done pretty well for himself, rather than being a failure.

He hasn't come from your regular middle to upper-class cricketing family that takes the traditional pathway to the top.

Ryder has followed a much different road.

His parents split early in his life and his father walked out on him when he was just 14, to live in Australia. One day he just dropped Jesse off at a mate's place and never came back.

Since the age of 14 Ryder has been left to fend for himself.

Ryder's father started to come calling again when he hit stardom by blazing international attacks to all parts and it is hardly surprising Jesse said no to his father when he wanted to borrow 100 bucks from his son.

Ryder now has expectations on him through his involvement in cricket and, yes, he has battled to meet all those expectations.

But has Ryder really been a failure to date in his career?

He has managed to turn himself from an unwanted kid into an international sportsman.

If Ryder can knock the ill-discipline on the head once and for all, he could become one of the fairytale cricket stories of all time.

logan.savory@stl.co.nz

» Logan Savory is a former Southland cricket representative who was named New Zealand junior sportswriter of the year at the 2007 TP McLean journalism awards. His main rounds are cricket and rugby.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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