I struggle with the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY). What has personality got to do with it? Surely people vote for their Sports Person of the Year and not the most engaging British sports person?
Last year, risibly, Chris Froome didn't even make the BBC shortlist of 16 despite winning his third Tour de France, when no other Brit has ever won more than one. Froome does not have a particularly engaging personality, so maybe that does have something to do with it after all. This year he won again even though the organisers did their best to make it hard for him, arranging the competition to try to blunt Froome's strengths. Mind, when you are good in the mountains and good at time trials, that's going to be difficult and make for a rather "flat" tour in more than one way. So Froome's triumph had an air of inevitability about it, once it became clear that the loss of some established names hadn't noticeably weakened Team Sky. But he also upset journalists by refusing to be interviewed on a rest day, saying something like "if it was a media day it would be called a media day, but it's called a rest day". The journos thought this was unbecoming of the yellow jersey holder. I admire Froome's focus and don't understand why some sports mandate interviews, leading to the ridiculous exchanges we see with Premier League managers for example, who have to bite their tongue to avoid saying daft things about the referee, with the inevitable punishments that follow.
On Saturday Froome starts his challenge for the Spanish Vuelta. Only three people have ever won the Tour and the Vuelta in the same year and no-one has done it since the Vuelta moved to its current time slot in 1995. Surely this would make him a shoo-in for SPOTY. Or at least for the shortlist. Maybe!
Adam Peaty's exploits at the swimming World Championships with gold medals and world records are of course notable, totally dominating his events, even if it isn't the fastest way of swimming on your front.
But if you want to have performance and an engaging personality, I would look no further than Moeen Ali. Once derided by Geoff Boycott as a batsman who bowls a bit, not good enough to be England's main spinner and publicly called England's second spinner at the start of the test series against South Africa, Ali was the leading wicket taker on either team with 25 at an average of 15.6, remarkable for a spinner. It was the most wickets in a test series by an England spinner since 1958, despite being only a four test series. He was the first England spinner since the 1930s to take a hat-trick and it was the first ever hat-trick in 100 years of test cricket at The Oval. By this test England were only playing their second spinner, having left out the first. Ali also batted well, having the fourth highest average in the series at 36, only just behind Ben Stokes. His fabulous counter attacking 75 not out off 66 balls in the second innings of the 4th test at Old Trafford, when England were rocking a bit, followed by his 5 wicket haul as England closed the match out, deservedly made him man of the match and the series.
Ali had to learn his spin bowling craft in the cauldron of test cricket: he had only taken just over 100 wickets in county cricket when he first started bowling in tests. With 123 test wickets he already has more from fewer matches than spin bowlers Ray Illingworth and Phil Tuffnell and should pass Phil Edmonds's total in his next test. Ali is 30 and has only been in the test team since 2014, so at this rate he could easily threaten the highest number of test wickets for a spinner, Graeme Swann holding the record with 255. Before that Emburey (147), Titmus (153), Panesar (167), Lock (174) and Laker (193) are all well within his sights, given the number of test matches played these days. But it's not just stats - he has a wonderful temperament, which allowed him to ignore the doubters. He may be known as "the beard that's feared" but is modest: he doesn't particularly welcome attention but will let people take pictures, especially if it's for youngsters. He is a superb role model and fabulous asset to English cricket. Shame he's a Liverpool fan, mind!
I'm not the only person already canvassing Ali for SPOTY. Asked about it recently he squirmed and said "Oh, I don't think so. I'd be too embarrassed to go there. I'm on tour when they hold it? That's perfect."
Froome has the Vuelta coming up and Ali the gets to take on the West Indies. Comparing performances in different sports is a mug's game but I can't see past them as my top 2 sports people of the year, even though it's only August.
Though I'm sure swimming fans would disagree.
Moeen Ali for me Phil
ReplyDeleteI also struggle with SPOTY as it is unclear exactly what you're voting for. I'd like to think Mo Farah has a good chance this year - but he's as unpopular as Froome with journos! Certainly his accomplishments would be as deserving as others. Mooen is a great shout though.
ReplyDeleteThink Froome just comes across as a bit stand offish and is also out of the spotlight for much of the year. Murray had to work on his media appearances before winning and he also benefitted from playing four majors spread out over a year.