Shot And A Ghost, by James Willstrop
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Something funny has happened on the way to the squash court in the past couple of decades. For reasons difficult to divine, the game somehow slipped off the mainstream sporting radar.
It's a curiosity that in the Eighties and Nineties, when the game was dominated by two Pakistani players, the imperious Jansher and Jahangir Khan, it received far more coverage in the British media than it does now, when we can celebrate an English World No 1.
No one is more disappointed than the incumbent, James Willstrop; it is a theme the Yorkshireman constantly returns to in this diary of 12 months on the 'T'. It would be easy to dismiss him as a bit of a whinger – he is a big Morrissey fan, after all – except that he does have a point, as evidenced by squash's repeated rejection as an Olympic sport in favour of antics such as formation drowning, aka synchronised swimming.
Without the backup which more feted stars enjoy, life on the international squash circuit can be tough; one can't imagine any hospital in the world refusing to treat Rafael Nadal until he produced a credit card, as happened to Willstrop in Egypt when he was stricken with acute gastroenteritis.
His painfully honest journal reveals that he is also a worrier, an obsessive/compulsive, a vegetarian and a lover of poetry and musicals. Some readers might be tempted to skip some of the lengthy sections detailing his injuries and training routines, but although the narrative pace can be uneven, Willstrop's candour shines through and makes this book an engrossing read.
Let's hope it serves to raise his profile; he, and his sport, deserve that.
Available in paperback from willstrop.co.uk, £9.99
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments