PROFESSIONAL CRICKETERS

Hokitika Guardian, 31 July 1931, Page 8

PROFESSIONAL CRICKETERS

J. 13. H()l3l3'S VIKWS. iLO.nDOX, .iime 25. “Jack" Hobbs, the profess.onal cricketer, in an article in the "Sunday Dispatch,” explains why his three sons wu) not be professional cricketers. "No doubt the pleasures of the professional cricketer are attractive. to youth,” hi' writes. "It is a ,oy to play, and cricket all day and every day, and .emg comparatively well paid lor it, is an alluring prospect. "But pleasure turned work, a mail's life work, becomes a task frequently arduous and exhausting. And the work of the average profess'onal cri-.KeUr contains many disappointments and not infrequently much heartbreak. "By its very nature, his tirst-class career must be all too short. I am fortunate in that, mine has bum loiigei than most. But consider the many \\,ho disappear from county cricket after a few brief seasons and continue a somewhat precarious existence for a little time longer in cricket under the first class. .“Just at the time that in ordinary business life- lie would have establish. <1 himself in a lucrative position the cricketer has to look about lor some o'her form of livelihood unless cl wring his leyday he has discovered a secondary occupation that can he nursed until his playing days are. over. And that is not easy. We cannot all he first-class umpires, and even so, perhaps not for long.

TOO PRECARIOUS

"It is it rue that some of us g. t qirtsubstantial sums of money from benDL matches, . and fie is a wse man who makes use of it to launch hm: 'll oi that secondary career that, must he the refuge of most. But tor each who gts a few thousands of pounds from a ne.i - fit match there are scores who have to he content with as many hundr ds—and think themselves lucky '<> g t th;r .

"•No, the career of a professional cricketer is too pre-ear ous, its rewards too uncertain. I prefer that, my sons shall be in some business or otlvr pro fession where success is more assur d. i he profits of success greater, and where • here is a comparative fixity of tenure ui the years when a man wants it most. "Please understand, 1 am talking ot average professionals who arc the. majority. A number of us have done, and arc doing very well at cricket. We have much to be thankful for.”