Not for drinking: 100 wine bottles to Ross Taylor is essentially a collection
New Zealand’s middle-order batsman Ross Taylor may not lookout for “some help” to consume 100 bottles of wines, which he had received a day before he was scheduled to play his 100th Test match.
This is despite what he had (jokingly ?) said before the toss ceremony. “Will need some help drinking the 100 wines I received for each Test. Keeps the tradition from Fleming, Vettori and Brendon going (where they received the wines too)”, the 35-year-old Taylor had said.
“Each bottle is labelled for each Test played and the players performances in that Test – it is essentially a collection”, Heath Mills, the CEO of the New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association (NZCPA), speaking exclusively over the telephone, said.
“This is an initiative the players started for each other from when the first player to 100 Tests Stephen Fleming reached that milestone, and has been done for Dan (Vettori) and Brendan (McCullum) who have followed”.
“They should be able to celebrate these events in any way they see as appropriate as it’s a presentation personal to the team”, the CEO further added.
Surprising
This (gift of 100 wine bottles) surprised Graham Dowling, the cricketer of old generation.
“I never knew this. It has surprised me. In our time of cricket this never happened though cricket was less played at the time”, the 82-year-old former captain Dowling, speaking to this Reporter said.
Wine promotion
However, Barry Richards, the former South African batsman was not amused.
“New Zealand is a wine-producing country. They are promoting that to the world the message” buy NZ wine” like Hero Honda promoting motorbikes but some would say more killed on roads than from drinking wine”, he said.
“Nothing to do with policy. It’s celebration of an achievement by Ross Taylor. It’s a gift for great player for him to enjoy”, said Richards.
