When Ryan Sidebottom received his first England call-up in 2001, he must have thought his ship had come in. One wicketless test against Pakistan later, the man who stole Brian May's hair returned from duty and faced the stark realisation that he wouldn't pull on his country's jersey for a little while.
Little did he know it would be six years.
Fast forward to the present day and Siders has become an integral part of the England setup. Known to his fans as Mr. Reliable, he has taken regular wickets with his now-trademark inswingers and scrambled seam deliveries.
Currently ranked sixth in the ICC Test bowlers' rankings, Sidebottom has taken 53 test wickets and obtained 22 one-day dismissals.
On the whole, his career has flourished in recent years since his recall to the England side. Why, then, does he seem to flip his switch at the slightest inclination?
The home series with New Zealand has been a case in point. A grisly confrontation with Jamie How in the third test at Trent Bridge was met with disapproval from pundits and supporters alike.
Sidey gave the New Zealand youngster plenty of chat throughout his innings and, upon his dismissal of the Black Caps opener, the England swinger proceeded to scream like a scalded banshee in his face. Displaying the rage normally reserved for Primark customers at the January sales, Sidebottom seemed to cross the line between desire to win and aggressiveness.
The one-dayer at the Oval brought with it another flashpoint between "Sexual Chocolate" and the kiwis. A collision with Grant Elliot, which led to a contentious run-out, seemed to be avoidable. Naturally, he was going for the ball; but at the same time Sidebottom showed little empathy towards the New Zealander.
There can be no doubting that Ryan Sidebottom shows an extreme desire to win at all costs. He has incredible fighting spirit and a will to perform consistently and give his best for the side. At the same time, he seems to let his frustrations get the better of him, both with himself and with opponents.
Is it that his curls are wrapped just a little too tight? Is it years of schoolyard bullying for an unfortunate surname? Most likely it is the desperate desire to prove himself after more than half a decade in the international wilderness.
This anger, if directed properly, can prove to be match winning. If it is manifested in the wrong ways, the England bowler might have to face a Harbhajan Singh-type scandal of his own.
He must learn to keep a lid on his rage, or at least channel it in the right ways. Siders needs to be Mr. Consistent for years to come, not Mr. Angry from the popular children's books. I doubt little green hats suit him anyway.
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