Wicket-keeper Paul Nixon represented England on 20 occasions and it could well have been more had his career not overlapped with a couple of his more illustrious contemporaries. He retired in 2011, a fairytale end to a 22-year first-class career, winning the Friends Life T20 with Leicestershire. He was also a fans' favourite at Grace Road having spent 18 years at the club and was carried off the pitch by thousands of fans in his farewell match. In all, Nixon played 355 First-Class matches, scoring almost 15,000 runs.
Nixon's international experience — 19 ODIs and one T20 — can be condensed into a four-month window between January and April 2007. He was England's wicketkeeper during the Commonwealth Bank Series contested between Australia, New Zealand and England in Australia and retained his place as England's number one limited-overs' keeper for the 2007 ICC World Cup held in the Caribbean. Earlier, he was reserve wicket-keeper on the 2000-01 tours of Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Known as being one of the most enthusiastic and vocal cricketers on the circuit, as well as one of the most dedicated — he retired at the age of 40 while still one the fittest in his side — Nixon spoke toPakPassion.net about the upcoming Champions Trophy, the absence of Kevin Pietersen, Pakistan's chances, the India versus Pakistan clash, Chris Gayle and much more.
Excerpt from an interview:
PakPassion.net (PP): With the Champions Trophy around the corner, England have home advantage. However would you say that means there is additional pressure on them?
Paul Nixon (PN): I don't see it as being any different from the pressure you have as soon as you pull on the England jersey. The fact is that you just go out there and show your skills. You try to immerse yourself in your mental and physical routines and you play according to the situation of the game.
Along the way you make your choices of high risk and low risk options in batting and bowling and it then boils down to putting your skills from practice into match conditions. Obviously sometimes you get it right and sometimes you don't and that's how the game goes.
I believe everybody now knows that any team is capable of beating another — it's simply about confidence, the belief and the form in a side. In summary, so many components go into it and I really think that sometimes people get carried away with external factors which, to be frank, is good for newspaper sales and not much else.
PP: There are many match winners in the tournament, including the likes of Chris Gayle. From an English point of view, how much will England miss Kevin Pietersen?
PN: He will be missed massively. Kevin Pietersen is a guy who, as we've seen over the last few years, has been able to change the game in half a dozen overs. In fact, he can do that in all formats of the game, whether that be Test matches or Twenty20s. He has a huge influence on the game and is also a good fielder. He exudes confidence. His ability is infectious for other players around him. As an example, we have the likes of Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow, young kids who have come into the game without any fear. That is the KP-effect he has brought to international cricket — the “no-fear” brand of cricket and it's fantastic that the young England players have got that now.
PP: There are a number of wicket-keeper batsmen who are also captains in the Champions Trophy, such as MS Dhoni and Brendon McCullum. As a former wicket-keeper batsman yourself, how difficult is it to balance all of the responsibilities?
PN: It’s very tough. I did that at Leicestershire for a while in county cricket rather than international cricket, and it was tough. The thing that you need to worry about in the One-Day format is your planning, and your preparations need to be meticulous. So you need to know which of Plan A or Plan B you will apply unless a couple of your bowlers go out of the park early when you are bowling, or you get off to an amazing start with the bat, and then it's a case of tweaking the batting order.
Most things are pretty much set in stone in One-Day cricket. In fact, it's slightly easier in effect because your preparation is generally good enough, so that it actually covers all bases. The real challenge for those guys is being ready themselves. You do think about your team and your players but the hardest thing is time. You always think “I'll be alright, I'll be alright” and it doesn’t matter if you are a senior player and match winner like [MS] Dhoni and [Brendon] McCullum are — but they still have to have their own time. It's important the coach of the international side makes sure those players have their own time as well because that's crucial.
PP: England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Australia. Difficult group to call, all fairly evenly-matched sides. How do you see this group going?
PN: Really tough to call. There are world-class players everywhere, which is exciting. This competition is going to be the most exciting Champions Trophy for many years because I think the sides are so well balanced. The amount of one-day cricket that's played around the world nowadays —the IPLs and the Big Bashes and the BPLs — people are getting more and more experienced and wiser and players are getting to know the games of their opponents better because they're playing under pressure in the big games.
We're seeing a new level of cricket from someone like Chris Gayle and the consistency of big hitting that he's showing. It’s something we've never seen before. Yes, Viv Richards played amazing innings in his day and so did Sir Ian Botham. You had the likes of Matthew Hayden, Chris Cairns. All big hitters, but the way this guy [Chris Gayle] plays so consistently well is phenomenal. That's exciting for cricket globally as it gets young kids into the game and we need that. Having said all that, I believe that England will need to play outstandingly well to get through their group.
PP: Given the plethora of 20-over leagues around the world and the fact that this is the final Champions Trophy, do you feel this is the beginning of the end for 50-over cricket?
PN: I think it could be. Having played 60-over cricket, then 50 and then 40-over cricket in county, followed by 20-over cricket, I can safely say that 50-over cricket is a tough day, a long day for players. The intensity levels have gone up in every sport and especially in cricket. The need to keep the intensity levels up for 100 overs all day is physically and mentally tough. To do that every few days, day in, day out takes it out of you more than a Test match. Every ball you are changing the field, running around, getting your best fielders in key areas. On top of that your attention to detail has to be immaculate and that can be tough for the guys. The players in county cricket have absolutely thrived on playing 40 overs where you don't have that quiet middle period of the game, that re-building stage that goes [in comparison to 50 over cricket] and I believe it's better on players' bodies. It's still great entertainment for families and it's less of a long day, and works into the busy lifestyles of people.
Nixon's international experience — 19 ODIs and one T20 — can be condensed into a four-month window between January and April 2007. He was England's wicketkeeper during the Commonwealth Bank Series contested between Australia, New Zealand and England in Australia and retained his place as England's number one limited-overs' keeper for the 2007 ICC World Cup held in the Caribbean. Earlier, he was reserve wicket-keeper on the 2000-01 tours of Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Known as being one of the most enthusiastic and vocal cricketers on the circuit, as well as one of the most dedicated — he retired at the age of 40 while still one the fittest in his side — Nixon spoke toPakPassion.net about the upcoming Champions Trophy, the absence of Kevin Pietersen, Pakistan's chances, the India versus Pakistan clash, Chris Gayle and much more.
Excerpt from an interview:
PakPassion.net (PP): With the Champions Trophy around the corner, England have home advantage. However would you say that means there is additional pressure on them?
Paul Nixon (PN): I don't see it as being any different from the pressure you have as soon as you pull on the England jersey. The fact is that you just go out there and show your skills. You try to immerse yourself in your mental and physical routines and you play according to the situation of the game.
Along the way you make your choices of high risk and low risk options in batting and bowling and it then boils down to putting your skills from practice into match conditions. Obviously sometimes you get it right and sometimes you don't and that's how the game goes.
I believe everybody now knows that any team is capable of beating another — it's simply about confidence, the belief and the form in a side. In summary, so many components go into it and I really think that sometimes people get carried away with external factors which, to be frank, is good for newspaper sales and not much else.
PP: There are many match winners in the tournament, including the likes of Chris Gayle. From an English point of view, how much will England miss Kevin Pietersen?
PN: He will be missed massively. Kevin Pietersen is a guy who, as we've seen over the last few years, has been able to change the game in half a dozen overs. In fact, he can do that in all formats of the game, whether that be Test matches or Twenty20s. He has a huge influence on the game and is also a good fielder. He exudes confidence. His ability is infectious for other players around him. As an example, we have the likes of Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow, young kids who have come into the game without any fear. That is the KP-effect he has brought to international cricket — the “no-fear” brand of cricket and it's fantastic that the young England players have got that now.
PP: There are a number of wicket-keeper batsmen who are also captains in the Champions Trophy, such as MS Dhoni and Brendon McCullum. As a former wicket-keeper batsman yourself, how difficult is it to balance all of the responsibilities?
PN: It’s very tough. I did that at Leicestershire for a while in county cricket rather than international cricket, and it was tough. The thing that you need to worry about in the One-Day format is your planning, and your preparations need to be meticulous. So you need to know which of Plan A or Plan B you will apply unless a couple of your bowlers go out of the park early when you are bowling, or you get off to an amazing start with the bat, and then it's a case of tweaking the batting order.
Most things are pretty much set in stone in One-Day cricket. In fact, it's slightly easier in effect because your preparation is generally good enough, so that it actually covers all bases. The real challenge for those guys is being ready themselves. You do think about your team and your players but the hardest thing is time. You always think “I'll be alright, I'll be alright” and it doesn’t matter if you are a senior player and match winner like [MS] Dhoni and [Brendon] McCullum are — but they still have to have their own time. It's important the coach of the international side makes sure those players have their own time as well because that's crucial.
PP: England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Australia. Difficult group to call, all fairly evenly-matched sides. How do you see this group going?
PN: Really tough to call. There are world-class players everywhere, which is exciting. This competition is going to be the most exciting Champions Trophy for many years because I think the sides are so well balanced. The amount of one-day cricket that's played around the world nowadays —the IPLs and the Big Bashes and the BPLs — people are getting more and more experienced and wiser and players are getting to know the games of their opponents better because they're playing under pressure in the big games.
We're seeing a new level of cricket from someone like Chris Gayle and the consistency of big hitting that he's showing. It’s something we've never seen before. Yes, Viv Richards played amazing innings in his day and so did Sir Ian Botham. You had the likes of Matthew Hayden, Chris Cairns. All big hitters, but the way this guy [Chris Gayle] plays so consistently well is phenomenal. That's exciting for cricket globally as it gets young kids into the game and we need that. Having said all that, I believe that England will need to play outstandingly well to get through their group.
PP: Given the plethora of 20-over leagues around the world and the fact that this is the final Champions Trophy, do you feel this is the beginning of the end for 50-over cricket?
PN: I think it could be. Having played 60-over cricket, then 50 and then 40-over cricket in county, followed by 20-over cricket, I can safely say that 50-over cricket is a tough day, a long day for players. The intensity levels have gone up in every sport and especially in cricket. The need to keep the intensity levels up for 100 overs all day is physically and mentally tough. To do that every few days, day in, day out takes it out of you more than a Test match. Every ball you are changing the field, running around, getting your best fielders in key areas. On top of that your attention to detail has to be immaculate and that can be tough for the guys. The players in county cricket have absolutely thrived on playing 40 overs where you don't have that quiet middle period of the game, that re-building stage that goes [in comparison to 50 over cricket] and I believe it's better on players' bodies. It's still great entertainment for families and it's less of a long day, and works into the busy lifestyles of people.
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