The one thing you get from me on this blog is how I feel. I see this as not only a cricket journal, following some of the threads others don’t, and trying to get the issues out in the open, but also how it interacts with my daily life. I’m a lot stronger in my mentality than I was this time last year, but have several moments, one of which resulted in me closing down the old blog and starting a new one. I may never go into why that happened in writing on here, but suffice to say I got spooked a little by other events to people quite close to me. Just because I’m paranoid, it doesn’t mean they ain’t out to get me.
I also get on my high horse about injustice to people or matters I care about. I care about English cricket, as I’ve been a fan for life, and yes, I loved watching KP bat. If that makes me a “KP Fanboy” then so be it. All those that do call me that, let me ask how you feel about the Ashes 2005 now, you unreconstructed hypocrites? Wish it had never happened? Wish we’d been skittled out for 150 and drawn the series? I saw an injustice in the singling out of KP for the Ashes failure in 2013/14, the fact that he performed less worse than others, and then the lack of insight or need to know, and importantly tell, why it happened. Blow by longread blow. Someone will make a fortune when they do.
Why all this, again, now? It started last night on Twitter. It’s a dangerous medium at the best of times, but also very rewarding. I have several rules of engagement.
1. I do not troll journalists. I just do not. I may ask them questions, or joke with them, but I do not tweet who I criticise. Some contact me, some I feel able to contact behind the scenes. Some of them, believe it or not, I like. They may even like me, I don’t know. But I am honest.
2. I do not control, nor would I have the affront to, those of you who comment on here. If some of you want to wind up a journo or two, then I can’t stop you. Those that want to read this stuff know where it is. Those who don’t, won’t.
3. I will not have people misrepresent me or my position, or even what I write, without attempting to correct it. Neil Harris acted like an arse last night and I called him on it. It was a factual rebuttal where I called his position at varying times “over-reaching” and “nonsense”. I won’t block him on Twitter, because I don’t do that (I didn’t block the one who threatened to mutilate me and my dog) but in turns I was branded a “sad individual”, “a KP fanboy” someone with “bile” “keep trolling journalists” – hilariously at one point after saying “and you decided to get a rugby journalist involved because…” the individual concerned said he wasn’t accusing me of anything. When it was pointed out to him the piece was on statistical analysis (from Steve James book) he had to even pipe down on the Anti-Cook brigade twaddle. I will defend myself, and this blog, to anyone. It turned to “do I know the person who did” which was shifting his goalposts, and it wasn’t worth another second of my time. Still, Steve is clear now, because Pam’s told him all about us.
4. I will discuss with anyone on DM on Twitter, on my e-mail (dmitriold@hotmail.co.uk) or on here anything. I’m open to criticism, but I will, nearly always respond.
5.I have four Twitter presences. DmitriOld is the main one. LordCanisLupus was set up when I was spooked, and is used only to link posts on another Twitter feed. I don’t check it very often. The third is OutsideCricket where Vian and I publicise posts on here. The fourth is a secret, I never tweet from it, and I use it to get around the fools who block me. I am open about pretty much all I do except the last one. Vian also has just two Twitter identities – his @blueearthmanagement handle and the Outside Cricket one with me. So, Pam, close down your Twitter to all but your close acolytes if you are that worried that I read you.
6. I use an alias, or a nom de blog, for my own personal reasons. If you don’t like it, you can choose not to read me.
The article in question, forwarded to Steve James, was the statistical one. The one where Monte can predict a game to some accuracy. I’m not clever or sophisticated enough not to call this nonsense, so I asked what it was about. One of our number forwarded it to Steve James. Harris didn’t do his homework, had a pop, and got all prissy when I called him on it. He may think the same. I can’t help that. Maybe he’s neutral about it all.
I’m bloody angry at the moment, because I knew this was coming. WIth every good news story, we, the refuseniks, get attacked. You see, with every bad news story, we attack those constructing the message and delivering it to us. Like celebrating a 48 against the 16th placed county in the country, just weeks after you know who hit 355 against the 17th and had it pooh poohed. I make no apologies for not having Alastair Cook as my favourite player. I similarly make no apologies for saying KP was my favourite player. Those who choose to proceed in their own way COULD be accused of being on the same side as Giles Clarke, which would be a lovely thing to say. I don’t ever question their support of England cricket and the love of the game. So don’t you damn well question mine. You think I do this for a laugh.
I’ve put this below thelegglance’s post as the cricket is more important than this. Just wanted to get a few things off my chest.
Have a good day. Because all I do is “attack attack attack”, and it’s all “anti-Cook”. I don’t think I’d be getting the number (and it isn’t massive or particularly representative – I know that) of hits if we (Vian and I) were that one dimensional.
Being Outside Cricket 
I know nothing has been easy for you but I wonder if it is all worth letting yourself get so angry and upset.You will never be alone. We ,your followers, admirers and even the curious will always be with you.You must always find time to ” smell the roses” .I hope I haven’t put my foot in it by saying these things but I’m an admirer and I care about you and don’t like to see it all getting you down.I also believe KP may be back to play Test cricket though I wonder why he would want to. He told me to have patience and faith so I still am.😢
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Rules (or principles) of engagement. I try to adhere to them. But it’s my nature to address inaccuracies. I realise I might not be so good the other way.
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I don’t blame you for calling him out, from what I can see on Twitter (which isn’t always the easiest medium to read) he accused you of doing something you didn’t do, then backtracked and using the last refuge of the scoundrel, rather than apologise for a hasty ill-thought out tweet, decided to accuse you of something else.
I would however look around you right now, because Pam ‘Trust me….I know who they are & I know why they’re doing it…’ could be behind you studying what you are doing and making assumptions as to why you are doing it.
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Not sure about the last bit. She can do what she wants. She’s a massive fan of Aggers. I get on well with him. So far. That didn’t work. I don’t write this for journos. I write it for me and those who visit in good faith.
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I did find that line from Nash amusing. A more desperate “follow me on Twitter pleeeeease” cry would be hard to find.
Suffice to say, she doesn’t have a clue. But you knew that anyway.
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Yeah I saw that too! From the lady who accused me of being risible a couple of weeks ago after defending TFT blog after Neil had decided to take offence at it and send Tweets to Maxie’s personal Twitter account.
As you can guess there is only ‘one risible individual’ out there.
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All… firstly I must apologise to this site and its oh so superb bloggers for creating divisions with others, be they MSM/pretend insiders/illiterate deriders/anybody else.
By using my alternative tweet nom (set up purely to keep more easily in touch with cricket/prevent my 1000 plus poetry followers from leaving me/annoy ECB and MSM succulents…) I have riled a few with my flagging this blog and causing some ridiculous twitter convo’s.
However, all that LCL and Leggy have said here in so many posts recently, especially LCL with his ‘Bruised’ and now ‘Contusion’ as well as the ‘Papers Say’ on TFT, just increase my anger. This anger based at the ECB blinkered/ MSM knittered and self sutered (leaving me in stitches…)
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No need to apologise. Said that already. The stance I take isn’t going to be approved by all. Been Here, seen it, done it.
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No objection from me either. Even if there was, it’d still be your call what you do, and never be something to apologise for.
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Thank you – I just don’t want to upset this glorious blog with drivel from ‘outside’ those already ‘outside’
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A mere irritant. But small irritants require telling. All the time, it seems.
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Mark. I don’t want to censor too often but I’ve held that one back. I’m not going down the abusive line with a tweeter, no matter how much I loathe their ways. Pick apart their arguments and contentions. Sorry mate, but we’re better than them. I’m holding this one back. Happy to discuss.
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No problem boss.
And I’m not in any way trying to be abusive. I really am not. I mearly question whether Pam is in fact someone else. Nothing more or less. She may be a woman, she may be not, who knows?
It was not an original idea, someone told me that She was in fact Aggers. That probably is wrong. But who knows in the age of fake Twitter accounts? Best to ignore her and her fake niceness.
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Not so Mark. Have heard her interviewed on the radio before.
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“Not so Mark. Have heard her interviewed on the radio before.”
My deepest sympathies for that 20 minutes of your life that was wasted.
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False accusations online have to be dealt with, stuff can circulate so fast. The challenge is to deal firmly and then walk away, not to become involved in an unseemly wrangle. But it still lingers in the mind, contusions indeed.
Unhealthy stuff at times, this internetz. You have the lovely experiences of finding kindred spirits dotted all round the globe, but the opposite also occurs. And there’s so much of it – I remain resolutely Outside Twitter because I just know it would be bad for me, too many people shouting across each other. Overload.
Say not the struggle naught availeth, my Lord.
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I think Mark Butcher said it best when he said sitting on Twitter while drinking alcohol is not a good combination.
I’m not on Twitter. It would drive me insane.
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Alcohol and twitter is not good. Really not good.
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Alcohol is fine. Twitter is bad.
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I think to an outsider, Being Outside Cricket might seem over-scathing and vindictive. It is so at odds with what you get elsewhere, from TMS, to the Graun, to the Daily Heil, to wherever, that I’m not surprised that some who have only previously accessed MSM, might think we’re a bit ‘edgy’. To someone who actually takes the time to read the blog, I’d be amazed if they maintained that view. I don’t think it’s actually that harsh at all.
I’ve been a long time peruser of your blogs (no worries), and occasionally I think throwaway, space-filler lines in the MSM can be given too much credence than the author ever intended…that’s about it. The rest of it is heartfelt, passionate, not afraid of calling something out, fully aware of itself, and clearly written by an absolute cricket nut. Unless it’s been penned by TLG, in which case it is measured, analytical, not afraid of calling something out, fully aware of itself, and clearly written by an absolute cricket nut.
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Kieswetter interview is interesting. Social groups within a team are unavoidable, especially given the amount of time that spend together, and because you can’t be best friends with everyone.
I can’t say if cliques really did form in that dressing room, but the reality is that several players have said so and journalist have hinted at it.
An interview with Moores had also come out, different versions from Newman and Dobell. Moores’ responses are a bit fluffy, more so in the Mail version. Bit of a let down really, as Moores is loath to criticised others, even off the record as Dobell points out.
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I am glad you continued in spite of being ‘spooked’ and, albeit with a new blog. HDWLIA was great and when I found it, I immediately felt I belonged. I had finally found someone writing truthfully, from the heart and not just prepared to accept the twaddle that is pedalled by the MSM.
When it disappeared, I must admit to being disappointed and still so, even when I found the new blog; bit ashamed to admit that, not a criticism just I had really ‘latched’ onto HDWLIA. It seemed to encapsulate that period after that press release perfectly, it was a joy to read and be part of!
I need not have worried, however, as Outside Cricket has gone even further and has really hit the mark. I love the combo of LCL and TLG. You both complement each other brilliantly and we would not have a voice without you. Keep going, keep challenging, keep the fire, the anger burning, keep us with you! Cracking stuff…..
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