sports
The Spin
Graham Napier’s IPL career amounted to a solitary game but the all-rounder has no regrets about how things turned out
TL;DR
- Graham Napier, a former Essex all-rounder, now works as a fire safety officer in Suffolk.
- Napier holds the English record for the highest score in T20 cricket (152 not out off 58 balls) and equaled the world record for most sixes in an innings (16).
- Despite interest from the IPL's Mumbai Indians, Napier played only one game in the 2009 season due to contractual restrictions with Essex.
- Tymal Mills was recently picked up by London Spirit for £130,000 in The Hundred auction.
- Mills recalls his £1.4m IPL auction by Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2017, though injuries limited his impact.
- Mills advises young uncapped player James Coles, who signed for London Spirit for £390,000, on navigating the pressures of high auction fees.
- Napier is proud of his career, emphasizing loyalty to Essex, and doesn't regret the financial differences compared to today's players.
- Mills has experienced 'bruising' auction experiences, being passed over and discarded publicly.