Ross Taylor, who played his last match for New Zealand in April this year before retiring from international cricket, narrated an interesting incident involving England great Andrew Flintoff. Taylor, in his recently-released autobiography titled 'Ross Taylor Black & White', talked extensively on superstition among cricketers. Taylor said he decided not to have duck before any match because he was dismissed for a duck (zero) on his World Cup debut against England in 2007.
"The night before my first ever World Cup Game — against England in Saint Lucia in 2007 — Victoria and I went to a Chinese restaurant. I had crispy aromatic duck, one of my favourite meals. Liam Plunkett bowled me a fullish outswinger first ball; I went for the big cover drive, nicked it and Andrew Flintoff took a one-handed diving catch. Rule number one: don't have duck the night before a game," Taylor said.
The right-handed batter, who is arguably one of the greatest ever to play for New Zealand with more than 18000 runs to his name across formats, revealed that Flintoff had an ever 'worse' day than him as he had to be woken up by then head coach Duncan Fletcher's pounding on the door the next morning. The England great had had a night out with another former England captain Ian Botham.
"Mind you, Freddie had an even worse day than I did: he also got a golden duck, didn't take a wicket and England got hammered. About 1.30 am he decided it would be a good idea to have a nightcap with Ian Botham, who was staying on a boat out in the bay. Freddie commandeered a pedalo, put to sea and had to be rescued by hotel staff. He woke up the next morning, still wet and with sand between his toes, to the sound of his irate coach, Duncan Fletcher, pounding on the door," Taylor wrote.
{{/usCountry}}"Mind you, Freddie had an even worse day than I did: he also got a golden duck, didn't take a wicket and England got hammered. About 1.30 am he decided it would be a good idea to have a nightcap with Ian Botham, who was staying on a boat out in the bay. Freddie commandeered a pedalo, put to sea and had to be rescued by hotel staff. He woke up the next morning, still wet and with sand between his toes, to the sound of his irate coach, Duncan Fletcher, pounding on the door," Taylor wrote.
{{/usCountry}}Taylor's tryst with ducks didn't end there as he was was once again dismissed for zero a couple of days after he had consumed duck.
"Years later, we went to a dégustation dinner that included duck. I said I couldn't have the duck because I was playing in two days' time. Our friends persuaded me the rule only applied when I was playing the next day. So, I had some duck and, sure enough, two days later I got a golden (first-ball duck)." he added.