The Spin | ‘It was a crazy time’: why big auction paychecks don’t always equal superstardom

2026-03-18 - 11:50

Graham Napier’s IPL career amounted to a solitary game but the all-rounder has no regrets about how things turned out “Some people do recognise me occasionally and it’s always nice to have a chat about cricket.” Graham Napier has a few minutes between appointments. As a fire safety officer in Suffolk the 46-year-old former Essex all-rounder “goes everywhere, schools, cafes, barbershops, churches ...” to install and service fire extinguishers. It’s not lost on him that as a player he was often the one responsible for pyrotechnics. On a June evening in 2008 Napier blasted 152 not out off 58 balls for Essex in a televised T20 Blast match against Sussex. He broke the English record for the highest score in T20 cricket and equalled the world record for the most sixes, 16, in one innings. The knock caught the eye of England’s selectors but also those from further afield. This is an extract from the Guardian’s weekly cricket email, The Spin. To subscribe, just visit this page and follow the instructions Continue reading...