Sir:, I much enjoyed Michael Henderson's article, but of course,
as he might have sus- pected, the ideas of others will have been bruised. There are such notable omissions in his chosen XI that I cannot remain silent. While agreeing, most happily, with his view that CTuft) Mozart could be a vicious left-arm spinner, I suspect the left arm. I also carpat his view that Brahms 'couldn't hit the ball off the square'. Surely to all rea- sonable eyes Johannes B. is the reincarna- tion of G. Boycott. The 'corridor of uncer- tainty' is Brahms in every sound and every rest.
Where is Bach? Obviously he is the per- fect manager, even if the heart swims in blood — his Gloria would absorb it.
Then what about Monteverdi, that quick- eyed cover, who could catch a series of sparrows thinking them semi-quavers? Obviously a left-handed bat, a Gower de nos jours. What about William Byrd, the best wicket-keeper until Godfrey Evans, and Thomas Rossiter, the self-same image of Matthew Maynard, quicksilver, sad, bril- liant?
I must assume there are as many first XIs as there are cricket and music lovers. May this debate go on.
But for the future where would Wittgen- stein's place be in the philosophers' team — a whippy, around the wicket left-hand seamer? Plato perhaps a number five?
And where would Picasso be in the artists'? Where Cezanne, Damien Hurst? Suddenly the world is more interesting.
Robert Tear
11 Ravenscourt Square, London W6
Previous page
