Derek Pringle – Beyond Boundaries
Derek Pringle played 30 Test and 44 ODI matches for England between 1982 and 1992 and took 70 and 44 wickets respectively. He represented Essex County in First-class level. Derek’s father Donald Pringle played 2 matches in the 1975 World Cup for East Africa.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Childhood
Derek Pringle was born in Nairobi. He learned cricket from his father in the backyard. He loved to collect seashells from the beautiful coast of Kenya. He also had a keen interest in photography and later developed it as a hobby. Derek moved to England at the age of 14 and started schooling at Felsted School. Derek’s sister Janet played rugby for England.
The International Stint:
Pringle made his debut against India in the summer of 1982. His performance was not up to the mark and dropped soon. He failed to cement his place in the National side and played in the absence of Ian Botham throughout the 80s. He changed his bowling style after 1990 and started swinging the ball and reduced the speed. He was highly effective with the new bowling technique and played a couple of more seasons for England before packing his boots.
1992 World Cup:
Pringle was the spearhead of England’s bowling attack in the 1992 world cup. He used to share the room with Chris Lewis during the tournament. Chris used to order 10 different dishes from room service and ate little from each dish and left the rest to stink. Pringle was certain about the LBW decision of Miandad during the final at MCG but umpire Steve Bucknor was unmoved. The result would have been different, if the decision went in his favor.
Embed from Getty ImagesNonetheless, a true fighter who always stood outside his comfort zone.
References:
Featured Image Credit: NAPARAZZI-CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized as per the need and changed the background)