Hypothetical question on fame as a sportsman/woman

What level would you be comfortable at? I was thinking maybe most top snooker players barring Ronnie O Sullivan. You have people coming up to you for photos , responding to your tweets but it's all.manageable. Amd there's not a load of negative critique about your performance. I'd hate to be a top footballer or international cricketer.

 

What muddies the waters is that more fame is usually accompanied by more money.

 

If I was a top cricketer I'd take on board the majority they said about my technique providing they'd been there and done it. I'd let Kevin Pietersen, David Gower, Ian Botham etc advise me all day long. However, I wouldn't give a shiny 5 hit what Atherton, Hussain, Butcher, Ward and Knight had to say because in my eyes they're all w@nkers .

 

I once met Ali Carter in Dublin. Seemed a nice man, and was more than happy to have a picture with me. His mate made a comment down the lines of 'you need to stop asking for pictures with people Ali', which made me think I wasn't the first person to ask him that weekend. He was on his stag do and was absolutely battered.

 

Golfer - most people wouldn't recognise you, there's loads of money, you're never really expected to win because at any tournament almost anyone has a chance to beat you. There's no team mates or others to let you down or deal with their bullsh*t, work outside, travel the world and see interesting places.
Yeah, if I could be anything, tour golfer please.

 

You can be a fat ******* and nobodies bothered too.

 

Crikey! You know, I think I'd take the exact opposite view with both of those groups. But Pietersen, I could imagine saying "Christ Kevin, just stop talking man!"

 

The second group were all failures and repeat ones at that. I like to see how winners do it.

 

Aye, but they talk a good game!

 

I agree, don't think I've heard anything insightful from Pietersen in any of his commentaries, just absolute waffle. I think the best players don't always make the best coaches because they can't coach what they did - you can't coach what Botham or Stokes did at Headingley and I doubt either of them could articulate it in a way that you could improve your game.

 

T20 franchise cricketer seems fun at the minute. Travel the world making a tonne of money and I bet you wouldn’t get recognised in the street in the UK.

 

Pietersen did a coaching piece with Ian Ward and had some balls chucked down at him. It was very good. "See ball, hit ball". Using his head in line with the ball and the rest of his body going with that. It was really easy to follow and I got what he said immediately. He also showed how to hit the same ball around the ground with just head movement and angling the bat. Both to the onside and off side.

 

I think you would in your home country.

 

Take Kevin Keegan top fella before he was famous,top fella while he was famous and still is a top fella. It's all about how you were made.

 

I wouldn't know a County cricketer if they walked up to my desk unless they'd played for England or another national side.

 

My hypothetical question was more aimed at being top of your sport. So obviously someone like Kholi can't go anywhere without being recognised.

 

I couldn't do it at all. Hate public speaking or talking to big groups so straight away my anxiety would rule me out of any press conferences

 

Good point. Again, with snooker they avoid the press conferences, just a little chat afterwards I think I could cope with that.

 

Yeah I agree.

 

Indeed.