Nobel Prize & Cricket

Generally former first-class cricketers are relegated to the background in the appointment of coaches, selectors and commentators at the international level. Even the print and electronic media feel that former international players are more knowledgeable than players who have played only at the first-class level. Former first-class players are treated as distant, unworthy acquaintances.

However there is one distinct sphere where the first-class group has the upper-hand on their international peers. The honour of winning a Nobel Prize has never been achieved by a Test cricketer. However, one first-class player has the unique distinction of winning the highly coveted award.

The year happened to be 1969 when the Nobel Prize winner was Samuel Barclay Beckett. He won the prestigious honour in Literature. Born at Dublin in 1906, the former first-class cricketer died at Paris on 22 December, 1989, much loved and respected around the literary world.

An Irish by birth, Samuel Beckett was an internationally acclaimed author, playwright, poet and novelist. Wrote both in French and in English. His literary and theatrical works feature tragic-comic episodes in life coupled with literary nonsense. Very much like our own genius Sukumar Roy of Abol Tabol fame. Beckett was among the most influential writers of the 20^th century.

Beckett’s famous trilogy happens to be Waiting for Godot, Murphy and Moloy. He was at Trinity College of Dublin University for two years, 1925 and 1926. He did his schooling in Dublin.

Samuel Beckett had very little pretension to cricketing fame. Left-handed batter, he also bowled left-arm medium at gentle pace. His just two first-class matches fetched him 35 runs in 4 innings and he conceded 64 runs without a wicket.

But the superlative writer was indeed extremely lucky to be considered a first-class cricketer. He represented Dublin University in two matches, both against Northamptonshire, once in 1925 and another the following season in 1926. He opened the batting and the bowling for the University team on both occasions.

Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, considered to be the Bible of Cricket, acknowledges that Dublin University had gained first-class status for only three seasons. This recognition gained by Dublin University is rather unusual as in Britain only Cambridge University and Oxford University cricket teams are considered to be of first-class status.

Luck or not, the fact remains that a former first-class cricketer, by name Samuel Barclay Beckett, did win the enviable Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969. He happens to be the only cricketer ever to have won the highest literary honour in the world.

 Thank God, he was only a first-class cricketer, and no more!