The future of the England Cricket Team is unpredictable – you never know who is going to one-day lead the squad into an Ashes series, test match or an exciting match of Twenty20 in years to come. In today’s society, cricketers receive the highest standard of training from the very best of coaches. Many players can be taught to play cricket, and to a good standard. However, it’s the ones who have been born with a gift, and have pure natural talent – it’s exquisite players like Nick Gubbins, that have the potential to lead the England Cricket Team into victorious ‘battle’.
It’s important to remember that the young players of today will be the rising stars of future cricket, and will the be the idols in which our children will one day watch and aspire to be. This was the case for Nick Gubbins. As a child he grew up in with a strong interest in a variety of sports; golf, football, athletics and of course, cricket. He idolised his mentor Andrew Straus and his father, a great cricketer in his day and could have potentially gone on to play at county level. He spent his childhood watching his father play and occasionally fielded on the boundary of his matches with his older brother.
His talents for cricket began to nurture at a very young age. He played for Berkshire CCC when he was just 10 years old, for three years before being taken to trials by his coach. However, during his secondary years at Radley College – the same school as attended by his mentor Andrew Strauss – he was scouted by school coach, Andy Wagner. It was through Andy that he got involved with Middlesex Under 14’s and progressed through the Middlesex Academy to eventually signing his first full professional contract for Middlesex 2XI at the age of 18. Wagner, who was named Sky Sports Cricket Coach of the year 2012, still plays a “huge role” in Gubbins career today. He explained how he used to train him in the “nets at 7am some days on the bowling machine” and spoke respectfully of the knowledge he has given him as set him in “great stead for the future”.
Gubbins is currently is in his first year of a Geography degree at Leeds University, where he trains with the Leeds Bradford MCCU. Here he is able to “get a degree whist also training as a professional back at Middlesex CCC”. They have put him on an “intense training programme” since winter this year, which includes gym 5 times a week and a total of 6 hours of net sessions each week on top of the occasional fitness tests. Furthermore, Gubbins feels the programme is improving is performance, he said: “I can honestly that I have never been so fit and never been in such good form with the bat”. Although he watches his diet and undergoes strict exercise, he continues: “Even I have the odd treat”. Outside of the extreme exercise, Gubbins likes to enjoy a “relaxing game of golf” or “going to the beach with his family”. He describes his perfect weekend of as “a huge lie in and FIFA with his brother” toped of with taking his girlfriend to a “nice meal in the evening”. On the Sunday, he would have “pyjama day on the sofa in front of the TV and a Harry Potter marathon”.
Although Gubbins loves living a family life, cricket has always been want he “wanted to do” since he could “remember”. Since his first time at Lords he knew he wanted to be a cricketer, he said: “It is impossible to comprehend the history and quality of players that has passed through that ground”. Gubbins aims to make his first-class debut this summer having been close last season, and is just three weeks away from touring South Africa.
Journo. 