Trent and Jono, the shining knights of Boult family

It is an often portrayed theme -- older brother receding from the scene for his younger sibling to step in. But this familial tone never gets cliched, somehow retaining its freshness.  

The sight of Trent and Jono Boult in a good natured conversation in a hotel lobby offers a perfect reminder of that. It is a relation that started from the street cricket days of Tauranga -- Jono the elder brother (28) who watched every steps of Trent, his younger brother. Now, the baby brother has grown up, not just physically but as a cricketer too. 

Trent (25) has become one of the best Test bowlers in the world, taking 62 wickets from 16 Tests for New Zealand at a little over 26 from January 2013.

Jono has not even come close to knocking on the doors of New Zealand senior team. He is content playing league cricket for Northern Districts, who are here to play the Champions League T20. So, there could be a natural gulf in their relationship.

But their bond has only strengthened over the years, asserts Trent to Deccan Herald while breaking away from their private world for a few minutes. 

Trent tells that he wouldn’t have thought about cricket and pace bowling but for Jono. “Jono was a good batsman when he was a kid. He used to bat for a long time and it was tough to get him out with spin, so I thought of bowling pace to get him out so that I can bat for some time.

Then we started to play some school cricket in Tauranga, and there too Jono kept asking me to bowl at him. You don’t deny your older brother, don’t you?” 

Jono has a wide smile on his face. Perhaps, he was thinking about how he used a young Trent as his personal bowling machine. “We used to play a lot of cricket on streets and the garage of our home was a favoured place to play cricket. We played a lot against each other. I made him bowl overtime when I was batting. I have always thought myself as a batsman who can bowl a bit, when I was a kid.
That’s where Trent learned to bowl a bit. So, my strategy wasn’t too far off the target isn’t it?,” asks Jono. He also remembers about Trent’s obsession with Wasim Akram as a kid, and Trent chips in with enthusisasm. 

“I used to watch Wasim Akram a lot and he was at his peak when I was a kid. I was also starting up as a left-arm pacer and there was no better role model than Akram for a left-arm quick. The way he swung the ball was brilliant and his wrist position was impeccable. Unfortunately, I haven’t got a chance to have a personal talk with him, and hopefully, I can pick his brains soon,” says Trent.  

From being a fanatic fan of Akram, Trent has now become a fine bowler in his own right. He has some top minds to rely upon as an international cricketer. Over the years, Trent also has extended his circle of friends like his fellow pacers Tim Southee and Neil Wagner. But despite that, Jono remains Trent’s go-to man. 

“Jono has been a big support for me. He’s the older brother and stood beside me at every turn -- in cricket and in life. He still is the first one I turn to when something goes wrong with my bowling or I need some fresh ideas. It is an advantage for me because Jono knows my game up close, and he himself is a professional cricketer. He has a huge impact on me and my career.”  

Jono just shrugs casually at that torrent of compliments. But his inner pride is obvious. “It certainly is gratifying to see Trent playing for New Zealand. For me, it is more satisfying than me playing international cricket. I like to be the shadow. I take a lot satisfaction that I taught him how to play cricket. It was a happy moment for me when Trent earned the NZ contract.” Trent’s progress suggest that Jono will have more such moments.