Jesse Ryder: the troubled maverick

Jesse Ryder could not remain sober, or out of trouble, for long

Then he was signed by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for the 2009 edition – and he fell off the wagon after 100 days of sobriety. He got to play only 5 games, scoring a total of 56 runs, as his team made it to the finals. Later, he played in the 2009 ICC World T20 tournament, playing against Scotland before a groin infection ruled him out for the rest of the event.

He was hitting the headlines – for both the right and wrong reasons. It was then that his father attempted to re-establish contact with his son, asking him for a hundred dollars. Jesse declined, and when told that Peter would return from Australia, simply said that he would believe it when he saw it. He has addressed this fragile relationship with his father through numerous counselling sessions, and has achieved some sense of closure.

Other quills will speak of his various stellar knocks – beset by a torn leg abductor muscle, he unleashed his frustration by knocking the Sri Lankan bowling all over the park in a brutal innings of 74. His misdemeanours were also starting to become frequent – he abused team manager Dave Currie in response to a “dressing down”, and was slapped with yet another misconduct charge for intoxication in August 2010.

He did sparkle briefly on NZ’s tour of India in late 2010 – adding 194 runs with debutant Kane Williamson while posting his third Test century. It was his first ton outside New Zealand, and came at a stage when his team was in pursuit of India’s first innings total of 487. Ryder would make two more half-centuries in that Test series, which New Zealand eventually lost 0-1. He also turned out for the Pune Warriors in the 2011 IPL season, turning in some decent performances.

In March 2012, Jesse decided to take an indefinite break from international cricket. It had all become just too much – his drinking had spiralled out of control, he had put on a lot of weight, and his injuries kept piling up. Despite belting a superb 162 off 174 balls against Central Districts in December that year, the troubled young lad was still not ready to return to the international arena.

Life has a habit of testing us when we least expect it. Jesse was no different.

In the early hours of March 28, 2013, he was viciously assaulted outside Aikman’s Bar at Merivale, Christchurch while out celebrating with his Wellington teammates. He was due to fly out to India to join the Delhi Daredevils. The attack left him with a fractured skull and a collapsed lung, and he was put under a medically-induced coma.

It was the last straw. The rebellious streak had to end. All his frustrations, his abandonment as a teen by his father, his indiscretions off the field and the drinking binges – everything had boiled over. He came out of the coma after a few days, and returned to recuperate at his Wellington home.

With the support of manager Aaron Klee, who has long stood by his client and friend, Jesse is slowly returning to normalcy. He has recovered from the aftermath of that murderous assault, and announced his decision to play for the Otago Volts. He will be reunited with his former coach Vaughn Johnson – a man he considers to be his mentor and perhaps a father figure. As of now, Jesse is still in rehabilitation, and preparing to make yet another comeback into the national side.

Whenever he returns, Jesse Daniel Ryder will once again be cheered vociferously by the NZ crowd. He is their cult hero, the resident “bad boy”, the power-hitting opener who is a treat to watch when he’s in full flow.

As he turns 29 today, the hopes of many Kiwi cricket fans will re-ignite as they await his return to the national fold.

Happy birthday, mate!