The Hidden Value of Late Bloomers

Besides skill, which they take years to develop and perfect, late bloomers have an added value which teams will do well to unlock...

Tabish Khan got his first Test wicket in his first over. Not a bad start to an international career, even though I suspect it will be a very short one. Debutants in their mid-30s don't often get an extended run to make a name for themselves or stake a claim.

This world doesn't dote on late bloomers, not in the way it loves early achievers. The younger they are, the more we love them, and the more chances we are willing to give them to prove themselves. Late bloomers? Not so much, we would rather a young player replaces an older player, all the time.

Late bloomer debutants have been around for a long time. Tabish Khan is not the first or an isolated case. The first recorded one being James Southerton who debuted at ripe old age of 50 in 1877, a time when I think cricketers just tended to be older. By all appearances, cricketers have become younger with time, so young that 30 year-olds are now regarded late bloomers. Strange, yes, but I guess in today’s world it is not unreasonable. Anyway, the most recent mid to late 30s debutant was in 2018. A 38 year-old Ed Joyce debuted for Ireland in a series against Pakistan. Joyce stuck around for only one Test, and Ireland moved on from him.

Late bloomers are like rebound relationships, something to do while you explore other options, younger options. And I would love it if cricket would move on from this mindset and place more value on them, because these players have a lot to offer.

You see, the one thing that is used to discriminate against them, their age, also happens to be their strength. No, I might have downplayed this, it's more than just a strength, it's a superpower.

For instance, in 2013 Ric Finlay made a rather surprising discovery, bowling and batting averages improve as players grow older. So, instead of getting worse with age, players actually improve. Two years later S Rajesh and Shiva Jayaraman came across information that suggested that contrary to common assumption that players must retire in their mid-30s, maybe they should play more because that could be their golden years.

We are in love with the idea that younger and much fitter players overcome their older counterpart, but, that seems to be not so most of the time.

Anyway, back to late bloomers, we could discuss the importance of their years of hard work and toiling in First Class cricket to the development of their hard skills, you know, their ability to physically play the game. But, I think everyone knows this part. First Class is the lab where those skills are developed. Instead, I want to take a moment to look at the soft skills, the skills that are very important and yet often overlooked.

For instance, as people grow older, they become calmer. There is a change in the way we relate to our environments as we grow older. This change gives us a better ability to deal with stressful situations better. You see, while stress is good for us, good for cricketers, but too much stress is a problem and it will prevent players from performing at their best. 

If there is any format where calmness is a requirement, it has to be Test cricket. A match that goes on for 5 days must require equanimity, composure. There's nothing that you can tell me to convince me that that is not an important skill.

Equanimity means a “mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.”

Composure is very important, but you know what is better? Having both composure and resilience. And you know what? Late bloomers have resilience in spades. The years toiling in First Class cricket does a lot to develop this skill too. 

Late bloomers are no strangers to knocking on doors and having no one pay attention. But, instead of giving up, they keep knocking and knocking and knocking. Each time they are back knocking they bring a new set of skills added to their arsenal. Instead of giving up, they keep finding new ways to adapt and change to get the attention they need to make the jump.

Now, can you tell me of a format that requires resilience more than a 5-day Test match with all the pressures it brings?

With resilience also comes adaptability. These are things that one learns through experience, along with the ability of insight. The only way we can develop better insight into what we do is if we have experience in that come together to create those lightbulb moments on the field.

Did I mention the value they bring as a teammate? The team and dressing room environment is one of those intangible things that really matters in Test cricket. Most late bloomers have higher levels of compassion and have a lesser self-centered outlook. Their perspective covers a wide horizon, one which they are not the center of.

For most, it is often not just about what they think or feel that they deserve or need, but what they can contribute to the team. This does not mean that they will be friends with everyone, but they will be a grounding presence.

You see, with age, a player acquires more tools and perspective to respond to their surroundings and teammates in much better ways, ways that will benefit the team more.

Late bloomers that can combine their accumulated powers of composure, resilience, insight and wisdom can achieve a lot on the cricket field. After all, with age comes wisdom and when one adds skill to that, you can have a very valuable player. A player that doesn't deserve to be discarded after one or two outings because they are older.

This is why I hope Tabish Khan gets more than just this one Test to showcase his abilities. Jimmy Anderson is 39 and showing no signs of slowing down, and if he can keep going at 39, what can stop a 36 year-old Tabish Khan from playing for at least another two or three years or more? 

Instead of discarding him and other late bloomers, why not try to unlock the hidden value inside them.

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