"Don't Have Duck The Night Before A Game" - Ross Taylor On His Superstitions Before Matches
New Zealand’s former batter Ross Taylor bid adieu to international cricket earlier this year in April following which he released his autobiography, ‘Ross Taylor Black & White.
In the book, he talked about the challenges he faced in his career and the superstitions he followed on the eve of the matches. The birth of the superstition was during the 2007 World Cup match against England.
“The night before my first ever World Cup Game — against England in Saint Lucia in 2007 — Victoria and I went to a Chinese restaurant. I had crispy aromatic duck, one of my favourite meals.”
“Liam Plunkett bowled me a fullish outswinger first ball; I went for the big cover drive, nicked it and Andrew Flintoff took a one-handed diving catch. Rule number one: don’t have duck the night before a game,” Taylor wrote.
Ross Taylor talks about a similar incident with Flintoff
Additionally, Taylor wrote that Flintoff ended up having a worse day following which he decided to set himself free and ended up in trouble.
“Mind you, Freddie had an even worse day than I did: he also got a golden duck, didn’t take a wicket and England got hammered. About 1.30 am he decided it would be a good idea to have a nightcap with Ian Botham, who was staying on a boat out in the bay.”
“Freddie commandeered a pedalo, put to sea and had to be rescued by hotel staff. He woke up the next morning, still wet and with sand between his toes, to the sound of his irate coach, Duncan Fletcher, pounding on the door,” Taylor further wrote.
