Mike Brearley

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Mike Brearley

| honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE}}

| image = Mike Brearley at the Bengal Club.jpg

| caption = Brearley pictured standing

| country = England

| fullname = John Michael Brearley

| nickname = Brears, Scagg

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1942|4|28|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Harrow, Middlesex, England

| family = Horace Brearley (father)
Mana Sarabhai (spouse)

| height = 5 ft 11 in

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling = Right arm medium

| international = true

| testdebutdate = 3 June

| testdebutyear = 1976

| testdebutagainst = West Indies

| testcap = 465

| lasttestdate = 27 August

| lasttestyear = 1981

| lasttestagainst = Australia

| odidebutdate = 2 June

| odidebutyear = 1977

| odidebutagainst = Australia

| odicap = 38

| lastodidate = 22 January

| lastodiyear = 1980

| lastodiagainst = West Indies

| club1 = Middlesex

| year1 = 1961–1983

| club2 = Cambridge University

| year2 = 1961–1968

| columns = 4

| column1 = Test

| matches1 = 39

| runs1 = 1,442

| bat avg1 = 22.88

| 100s/50s1 = 0/9

| top score1 = 91

| deliveries1 = 0

| wickets1 = –

| bowl avg1 = –

| fivefor1 = –

| tenfor1 = –

| best bowling1 = –

| catches/stumpings1 = 52/–

| column2 = ODI

| matches2 = 25

| runs2 = 510

| bat avg2 = 24.28

| 100s/50s2 = 0/3

| top score2 = 78

| deliveries2 = 0

| wickets2 = –

| bowl avg2 = –

| fivefor2 = –

| tenfor2 = –

| best bowling2 = –

| catches/stumpings2 = 12/–

| column3 = FC

| matches3 = 455

| runs3 = 25,186

| bat avg3 = 37.81

| 100s/50s3 = 45/134

| top score3 = 312*

| deliveries3 = 315

| wickets3 = 3

| bowl avg3 = 64.00

| fivefor3 = 0

| tenfor3 = 0

| best bowling3 = 1/6

| catches/stumpings3 = 418/12

| column4 = LA

| matches4 = 272

| runs4 = 6135

| bat avg4 = 26.44

| 100s/50s4 = 3/37

| top score4 = 124*

| deliveries4 = 48

| wickets4 = 4

| bowl avg4 = 15.00

| fivefor4 = 0

| tenfor4 = 0

| best bowling4 = 2/3

| catches/stumpings4 = 111/–

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{cr|ENG}}}}

| date = 8 February

| year = 2008

| source = http://cricinfo.com/england/content/player/9208.html Cricinfo

}}

John Michael Brearley {{post-nominals|OBE}} (born 28 April 1942) is a retired English first-class cricketer who captained Cambridge University, Middlesex, and England. He was the captain of the English squad which finished as runners-up at the 1979 Cricket World Cup.

Brearley captained the international side in 31 of his 39 Test matches, winning 18 and losing only 4.{{cite web|url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?captain_involve=1496;class=1;filter=advanced;orderby=matches;team=1;template=results;type=team|title=Statistics, Team Records, Test Matches|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=17 February 2022}} He was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 2007–08. Since his retirement from professional cricket he has pursued a career as a psychoanalyst, psychotherapist (registered with the BPC), motivational speaker, and writer, serving as President of the British Psychoanalytical Society 2008–10. In 2015, an article in the Bleacher Report ranked Brearley as England's greatest-ever cricket captain.{{Cite web |last=Lancaster |first=Rob |title=Ranking England's 12 Greatest Test Captains |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2496551-ranking-englands-12-greatest-test-captains |access-date=2021-11-28 |website=Bleacher Report |language=en}}

Early life

Brearley was born in Harrow, Middlesex, England,{{cite web |title=Mike Brearley Profile |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/mike-brearley-9208 |website=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=13 September 2024}} and was educated at the City of London School (where his father Horace, himself a first-class cricketer, was a master). While at St John's College, Cambridge, Brearley excelled at cricket (he was then a wicketkeeper/batsman). After making 76 on his first-class debut as a wicketkeeper,{{Cite web |title=Cambridge University v Surrey: University Match 1961 |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/24/24665.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331165629/http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/24/24665.html |archive-date=31 March 2016 |access-date=17 November 2016 |publisher=CricketArchive}} he played for Cambridge University between 1961 and 1968 (captaining the side in 1964), first as an undergraduate in the Classical and Moral Sciences tripos, and then as a postgraduate.

While still at Cambridge, he was chosen for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) tour to South Africa in 1964–65, and to captain the MCC Under-25 side in Pakistan in 1966–67, where he scored 312 not out against North Zone{{Cite web |title=North Zone v Marylebone Cricket Club Under-25s: Marylebone Cricket Club Under-25s in Pakistan 1966/67 |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/28/28613.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118040504/http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/28/28613.html |archive-date=18 November 2016 |access-date=17 November 2016 |publisher=CricketArchive}} (his highest first-class score) and 223 against the Pakistan Under-25 side.{{Cite web |title=Pakistan Under-25s v Marylebone Cricket Club Under-25s: Marylebone Cricket Club Under-25s in Pakistan 1966/67 |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/28/28619.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118035839/http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/28/28619.html |archive-date=18 November 2016 |access-date=17 November 2016 |publisher=CricketArchive}} He ended the tour with 793 runs from six matches at an average of 132.

County cricket

From 1961 onwards, he played for Middlesex County Cricket Club, often opening the innings with Michael Smith. As captain between 1971 and 1982, he led Middlesex to County Championships in 1976, 1977 (jointly with Kent), 1980 and 1982;{{Cite web |date=2005-11-21 |title=County Championship Winners |url=http://julian.dyke.users.btopenworld.com/Sport/Cricket/CountyChampionshipWinners.html |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051121235539/http://julian.dyke.users.btopenworld.com/Sport/Cricket/CountyChampionshipWinners.html |archive-date=21 November 2005 |access-date=2017-04-04}} and he appeared in Free Foresters' very last first-class fixture, in 1968, keeping wicket and scoring 91.{{Cite web |title=Oxford University v Free Foresters: University Match 1968 |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/29/29434.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118040237/http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/29/29434.html |archive-date=18 November 2016 |access-date=17 November 2016 |publisher=CricketArchive}}

International cricket

In part because of his pursuit of an academic career as a lecturer in philosophy at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne,{{Cite web |title=The British Psychoanalytical Society : Psychoanalytic Technique Today |url=http://www.sihr.org.uk/_docs/PsyTechTodayConf.pdf |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110627021328/http://www.sihr.org.uk/_docs/PsyTechTodayConf.pdf |archive-date=27 June 2011 |access-date=2017-04-04}} which limited his cricketing activity in 1969 and 1970, Brearley was not selected for England until the age of 34 in 1976. His record in Test cricket as a batsman was modest (he averaged 22.88 in 66 Test innings, without a century), but he was an outstanding captain. He made his highest test score of 91 on tour against India in February 1977.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/england-tour-of-india-1976-77-61788/india-vs-england-5th-test-63178/full-scorecard|title=Full Scorecard of India Vs England 5th Test 1976-7|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=21 March 2022}} Having previously kept wicket, he was also a fine slip catcher, usually at first slip. He took over as captain of England later in 1977.

His management skills (he was once described by Rodney Hogg as having "a degree in people") drew the best from the players in his team, although he was fortunate to be able to call on the services of Bob Willis, David Gower and Ian Botham at their peak. Brearley was captain during the infamous aluminium bat incident in 1979, when he objected to Dennis Lillee's use of a metal bat instead of one made of willow.{{Cite web |last=Williamson |first=Martin |date=25 September 2004 |title=Heavy metal at the WACA |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/142093.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206165952/http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/142093.html |archive-date=6 February 2017 |access-date=17 November 2016 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo}} On the same tour, he caused controversy at the end of an international one-day match against the West Indies at the Sydney Cricket Ground when he ordered all his fielders, including the wicketkeeper, to the boundary with three runs required off the last ball (this was legal under the rules of the time).{{Cite web |last=Williamson |first=Martin |date=23 May 2009 |title=I do declare |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/405598.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617194624/http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/405598.html |archive-date=17 June 2016 |access-date=17 November 2016 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo}}

In all, Botham and Willis took 262 wickets during the 31 test matches that Brearley captained.{{cite web|url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?captain_involve=1496;class=1;filter=advanced;orderby=wickets;template=results;type=bowling|title=Bowling records, test matches|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=21 March 2022}} The importance of Willis in particular to England led Brearley into further controversies regarding the bowling of short-pitched deliveries at recognised tailend batsmen, during Pakistan's tour of England in 1978,{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/rewind-to-1978-england-v-pakistan-the-end-of-the-innocence-636540|title=the end of the innocence|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=21 March 2022}} and more briefly, during England's 1978–9 tour of Australia.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/the-umpire-who-called-time-249259|title=The umpire who called time|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=21 March 2022}} Brearley himself had been an innovator regarding cricket equipment himself, wearing a 'skull cap' under his England cap in 1977 (in the days before players wore helmets). It consisted of a plastic protector with two side pieces protecting his temples. It was later popularised by the Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar.{{Cite news |last=de Lisle |first=Charles |date=1988-05-28 |title=If you want to keep ahead, get a helmet |pages=13 |work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97529158/if-you-want-to-keep-ahead-get-a-helmet/ |access-date=2022-03-13}}{{Cite news |last=Lokendra Pratap Sahi |date=9 January 2018 |title=Brearley, Imran and Gavaskar's skull cap |work=The Telegraph |location=Kolkata |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/sports/brearley-imran-and-gavaskar-s-skull-cap/cid/1373733 |access-date=2022-03-13}}

Brearley captained England to the final of the 1979 Cricket World Cup, scoring 53 in the semi-final against New Zealand{{Cite web |date=20 June 1979 |title=1st SF: England v New Zealand at Manchester |url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/statsguru/engine/match/65061.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707112202/http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/statsguru/engine/match/65061.html |archive-date=7 July 2012 |access-date=17 November 2016 |publisher=Content-uk.cricinfo.com}} and 64 in the final against the West Indies.{{Cite web |date=23 June 1979 |title=Final: England v West Indies at Lord's |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/65063.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107023721/http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/65063.html%20 |archive-date=7 January 2019 |access-date=17 November 2016 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo}} However, his opening partnership of 129 with Geoff Boycott in the final used up 38 of 60 allotted overs; although it was recognised that a potent pace attack of Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Colin Croft and Joel Garner needed to be countered, the speed of the partnership greatly added to the pressure on the rest of the order. Garner bowled a spell of 5 wickets for 4 runs to induce a drastic collapse and hand the West Indies the match and the World Cup by 92 runs.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/prudential-world-cup-1979-60806/england-vs-west-indies-final-65063/full-scorecard|title=Full Scorecard of England vs West Indies, Final 1979|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=21 March 2022}}

Having passed the England captaincy to Ian Botham in 1980 (losing his Test place in the process), Brearley returned as captain following Botham's resignation for the third Test against Australia at Headingley in 1981,{{Cite web |first=Christopher|last=Martin-Jenkins |date=20 July 2006 |title=The great escape |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketer/content/story/253926.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161117213216/http://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketer/content/story/253926.html |archive-date=17 November 2016 |access-date=17 November 2016 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo}} going on to win the match and two of the remaining three matches of the series to win the Ashes 3–1.

His leadership benefited from Botham's recovered form following his winless captaincy record and his nosedive in form (he had made a pair in the second Test at Lord's) to take a first-innings 6 for 95 and score 50 and 149 not out in the third Test at Headingley, bowl a spell of 5 wickets for 1 run in the fourth Test at Edgbaston, score 118 from 102 balls in the fifth Test at Old Trafford, and take a 10-wicket match haul (6 for 125 and 4 for 128) in the sixth Test at the Oval.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/australia-tour-of-england-1981-61357|title=Australia tour of England 1981|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=21 March 2022}} In spite of his limited reputation as an international batsman, Brearley also made an important if less high-profile contribution to the fourth test, scoring more runs than any other batsman (61) in a match which England won by 29 runs.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/australia-tour-of-england-1981-61357/england-vs-australia-4th-test-63292/full-scorecard|title= England vs Australia 4th test, 1981|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=21 March 2022}}

Post-cricket career

Brearley opposed sporting links with apartheid South Africa, seconding a motion to the MCC in 1968 calling for the cessation of tours until there was progress towards non-racial cricket. He seconded the motion from David Sheppard to the MCC, calling for the England tour to South Africa to be cancelled, and was a supporter of John Arlott who campaigned in The Guardian for the same objective.{{Cite news |date=1968-12-03 |title=Three motions |pages=15 |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97529934/three-motions/ |access-date=2022-03-13}}{{Cite news |last=Shindler |first=Colin |date=2020-06-14 |title=The 'Stop The Seventy Tour' Saga: Protests, Politics & Unwanted Paintjobs |url=https://www.wisden.com/wisden-cricketers-almanack/wisden-almanack-stop-the-seventy-tour-cancel-or-be-damned |access-date=4 April 2025 |work=Wisden |language=en-GB}}

He is now a psychoanalyst, psychotherapist (registered with the BPC), motivational speaker, and part-time cricket journalist for The Times. He was appointed an OBE in 1978, and published The Art of Captaincy in 1985. He published another book, On Form, in 2017.{{Cite news |date=7 September 2017 |title=A former England cricket captain explores the question of "form" |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21728609-mike-brearley-also-psychoanalyst-probes-relationship-between-mental-attitude-and |url-status=live |access-date=8 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908065501/https://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21728609-mike-brearley-also-psychoanalyst-probes-relationship-between-mental-attitude-and |archive-date=8 September 2017}} In 1998, he became an Honorary Fellow of his Cambridge college, St. John's{{Cite web |title=Honorary Fellows of the College |url=http://www.joh.cam.ac.uk/honorary-fellows |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311185645/http://www.joh.cam.ac.uk/honorary-fellows |archive-date=11 March 2016 |access-date=17 November 2016 |publisher=St John's College Cambridge}} and in 2006 was awarded an honorary doctorate by Oxford Brookes University.{{Cite web |date=2010-01-17 |title=Michael Brearley – Oxford Brookes University |url=http://www.brookes.ac.uk/about/honorary/profiles/michael_brearley |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117054010/http://www.brookes.ac.uk/about/honorary/profiles/michael_brearley |archive-date=17 January 2010 |access-date=2017-04-04}}

Brearley succeeded Doug Insole as President of MCC on 1 October 2007, and chose Derek Underwood to succeed him at the end of his term.{{Cite news |date=2 May 2007 |title=Brearley to be new MCC president |publisher=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/6616741.stm |url-status=live |access-date=17 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070817190350/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/6616741.stm |archive-date=17 August 2007}} He was president of the British Psychoanalytical Society, 2008–10.{{Cite web |date=2011-11-24 |title=The Institute of Psychoanalysis |url=http://www.psychoanalysis.org.uk/president.htm |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111124032129/http://www.psychoanalysis.org.uk/president.htm |archive-date=24 November 2011 |access-date=2017-04-04}}

In June 2024 Brearley was quoted in [https://x.com/TheNextTest/status/1800133981482148056 The Cricket Paper] "Both the ICC's deal with Aramco and the MCC's with JP Morgan are disturbing. There is currently so much 'rowing back' from recognising the huge dangers of climate change and the need for us to be proactive on the edge of this abyss. We all have to make some sacrifices in order to do this...The CEO of Aramco recently said 'we should abandon the fantasy of phasing out oil and gas' I find this remark chilling. We in cricket should not align ourselves with such views".

Personal life

Brearley has been married twice.{{Cite web|url=https://www.easterneye.biz/former-english-cricket-captain-says-there-are-traces-of-racism-in-all-of-us/|title=Former English cricket captain says 'there are traces of racism in all of us’ | EasternEye|website=www.easterneye.biz}}{{Cite web|url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/books/turning-over-the-pebbles-by-mike-brearley-review-an-enthralling-memoir-from-the-cricketing-great-2417690?srsltid=AfmBOopfDwVsOUalH6ZkeSfSpVPhmPzPYgaaI2Jsl6YH5VUmYLcb87-5|title=Turning Over the Pebbles by Mike Brearley is an enthralling memoir from the cricketing great|first=John|last=Aizlewood|date=16 June 2023|website=The i Paper}} He is married to Mana Sarabhai, who is from Ahmedabad, India and whose father was a psychoanalyst. They have two children together.{{Cite web |first=Clare|last=Pleydell-Bouverie

|title=The Brearleys|work=The Telegraph|location=Kolkata |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/the-brearleys/cid/1416270 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210217161436/https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/the-brearleys/cid/1416270 |archive-date=17 February 2021 |access-date=17 February 2021}}

Brearley lives in London.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8DZVzQEACAAJ | title=Spirit of Cricket: Reflections on Play and Life | isbn=9781472133977 | last1=Brearley | first1=Mike | year=2020 | publisher=Little, Brown Book Group Limited }}

Works

1985: The Art of Captaincy
2017: On Form
2023: Turning Over the Pebbles: A Life in Cricket and in the Mind (memoir){{Cite web|url=https://www.waterstones.com/book/turning-over-the-pebbles/mike-brearley/9781408715963|title=Turning Over the Pebbles by Mike Brearley | Waterstones|website=www.waterstones.com}}