TJ Zoehrer had the distinction of representing Australia in 10 Test Matches and 22 One Day Internationals. He was an accomplished gloveman and respectable batsman who scored over 5000 First Class runs. Zoehrer’s leg spinners were also more than handy providing another string to his bow.
Readers of cricketing literature rejoiced in 1995, when Zoehrer put pen to paper and told all in a compelling account of his career in the hard hitting autobiography, The Gloves Are Off. To quote the front cover of the text, it was at that point in time “Cricket’s most explosive expose”.
Cricket librarians around the world stocked their shelves with this one, knowing that astute readers would want to know just what went on behind closed doors during Zoehrer’s tenure in the Baggy Green. There was also an appetite for insights of his final years playing for WA and the political climate at the WACA at the time.
Was their a feud with RB Simpson and if there was, what was at the source of the tension?
What really happened at the end of the tied Test Match in India?
How did he feel about the appointment of WA’s captain in 1994?
These questions and many more were finally put to bed in this compelling tell all autobiography. As well as this we get a deeper understanding of Zoehrer the man and his convictions.
For young book monitors and those making their way as librarians, it is strongly recommended that you acquaint yourself with the man affectionately known as ‘Ziggy’. Having an appreciation for his story will put you in good stead for your career and give a general boost to your social capital.
When it comes to reading this one, our librarians unanimously agree that making a trip to the WACA Ground in Perth is the best way to fully immerse yourself fully in the text.
Immerse yourself in the text by reading it at the WACA.
Prior to the explosion of the digital age, hand drawn graphs such as this were the focus of many water cooler conversations in the workplace.
If you are reading this article, I am certain you are someone who is an astute individual with a desire to elevate your cricket knowledge to higher planes of excellence.
As students of the game, we are prone to having a sometimes obsessive interest in cricket statistics. With the explosion of the digital age and the connectivity we now have with social media, it is inevitable that access to cricket statistics has become more readily available.
It is no surprise that we have all spent countless hours perusing scorecards of obscure fixtures to try and glean an insight into the statistical trends of players past and present.
Before you know it, it is often four a.m. and you realise that although you need to leave for work in a couple of hours, the adrenaline rush of being engrossed in the stats has you far too alert to get some shut eye.
With this in mind, as a service to our valued community of readers, we are going to share some insight as to what some of our librarians have found a positive way of channeling their excessive energy at these times.
The humble “Manhattan Graph” or “Column Graph” as it is more widely known in classrooms around the world is our suggestion for putting your positive energy to work. It may not sound glamorous but neither is swimming laps of a pool at 4a.m. for a budding Olympian.
The rewards however, are obvious to all. When you produce a document that you can pull out of your briefcase at a moment’s notice to startle your colleagues, your social capital will sky rocket.
This often leads to work promotions, invitations to dinner parties and countless friend requests on Facebook as well as numerous additional followers on Instagram and Twitter.
Better still would be the pinnacle of all compliments, when someone takes a snap of your work and pins it on Pinterest. It is ok to have big dreams!
In the rare event that your work is not appreciated, you still have the obvious satisfaction of possessing a document that you can be personally proud of and have as a ready reference if you run out of data or there are issues with internet connectivity.
It is time to stop reading now, grab your grid paper and make the next step towards personal excellence.
We look forward to seeing the fruits of your work!
It is a common story these days to see players planning their exit from professional cricket carefully to ensure that they are able to have a fulfilling role when they retire from playing. Many cricketers would love to stay involved in the game when the curtain is drawn on their professional careers, however, the options for players have often centred around roles in the media, administration, umpiring or in coaching. This leaves a high percentage of players left to seek roles outside of cricket for the remainder of their working lives.
At thecricketlibrary.comwe strongly believe that another avenue is yet to be explored for former players and that is a transition into work as a cricket librarian. Unlike roles in the media, the work of a cricket librarian is not a lucrative pursuit, in fact most librarians are in effect working for the love of the subject matter as much as the miserly pay cheque that is attached to the role. This means that it will attract a special type of person who has an overarching love of the game and books filled with anecdotes of memorable on field achievements, change room banter and selection room meetings.
Not that you can judge a book by its cover, it is fair to say that cricket librarians are a unique group of people with a set of characteristics that lend themselves to the task. With this in mind, we have come up with a list of players that we think would have what it takes to cut it in the world of the cricket librarian.
Of the current crop of players, Chris Rogers appears to be a standout choice. The fact that he wears glasses is an obvious selling point in the job interview process as it gives the impression of being the studious type. In addition to this, his proven ability to bat for long periods of time would put him in good stead for making his way through the hours of cataloguing that is required for your average cricket library.
Daniel Vettori has proven leadership credentials and a cricketing track record that speaks for itself. Add to this his bushy beard and spectacles, we feel he could win the borrowing public over without too much effort.
Chris Woakes is the new kid on the block for the English cricket team and is making waves with younger fans. The stylish all rounder would probably need to serve his time as a book monitor before progressing to librarian status but we feel he has what it takes if he is willing to put in the hard work.
There is no cooler customer in world cricket than Chris Gayle. Though his phlegmatic approach may cause frustration to the more meticulous type, there is no question, the ‘cool kids’ would give the library a second chance if Chris Gayle was behind the loans desk.
He has rock star status in India and is a gifted wicket keeper batsman with oodles of natural talent. We feel that MS Dhoni could easily transfer his skills to cataloguing books, though the glut of other opportunities could see him lured away from a career as a librarian.
The top shelf is often requiring a step ladder for librarians to reach, posing an ever increasing workplace health and safety conundrum. This would not be a concern for the 1.91m tall Pakistan superstar Umar Gul. He could easily see himself rapidly promoted to focus on the hard to reach sections of the shelves.
When it comes to likeable cricketers, the gifted Kumar Sangakkara would be at the top of the list for many people. An elegant stroke maker and handy gloveman, would be an asset to any library.
Anyone who plays three consecutive reverse sweeps to bring up a Test Match hundred, has the skills to excel at almost anything. AB DeVilliers has shown that he is a natural who keeps producing the goods on the field for South Africa and we feel that as a librarian he would not let you down.
There are no doubt others, given the necessary training and direction who could hold their own at the loans desk and complete difficult tasks such following through with ill disciplined borrowers who fail to return their books on time.
It is time now for you to have your say in our poll.
