Written by The Skiver.
Kiwi cricketer Iain O’Brien has long been a friend of the Balls, and there are many good reasons why we like him.
There’s his contribution to the book., arguably the finest 300 words written by a former international cricketer in the whole tome.
There’s the fact that he’s one of the very few sportspeople to have grasped how social networking works. And the fact that he has an almost Gatting-esque appetite for curry. And the fact that he not only has one of the best blogs actually written by an athlete, but it promises to reveal what is inside his head and thereby proves the theory that, for quick bowlers, the answer can sometimes be ‘nothing for whole months at a time’.
It’s not even the romantic story of a man moving to England because he’s met an girl who lives here and wants to spend the rest of his life with her, even though we’re obviously suckers for that sort of thing around here.
No, it’s because he’s a genuinely nice guy and not a complete arse like some of the cricketers you meet – mentioning no names, of course.
And because we like him, we’re also a little bit worried about him. Because yesterday, he revealed that he was going house hunting. With Angus Fraser.
You wonder what the pair of them are up to. To put it bluntly, most married men are not brave enough to go house hunting without their wife in tow. Which can only mean a new business venture, or better, still, a tv series.
I can’t quite see them as the new Phil and Kirsty, but I’m convinced they’ve been lined up to replace these guys.
You can just see it, can’t you. Fraser stamping his foot angrily if the carpet and wallpaper don’t match. O’Brien doing the grunt work he’s done throughout his cricket career, dragging himself up the stairs and into the draught. In fact, yes, I can see it happening right before my very eyes…
(Photoshop magic courtesy of the pocket genius that is Ceci)


This could be the start of a series – The Odd Couple and their Adventures. The possibilities are endless.
(Love it, btw!)
.-= SarahCanterbury´s last blog ..Rob Key fields off Andrew Hall =-.
ha ha ha!
lol.. nice
.-= Mock Wah´s last blog ..2009 – Gone Bys and Good Byes! 3rd QTR =-.
It must be said, the IOB looks good in pink (much like certain others of his ilk *cough*DanielVettori*cough*) and I love the floral touch in the accessorizing, but did you have to give him a double chin, Ceci? Surely that wasn’t necessary!
hahahaha they will top anything but a cricket couple for sure :D
@laerina this was what he wear at his wedding and this is the suit in which he promised his wife he will be with her for ever and that is why he did it at Napier. This is a very historic suit of his
Why i feel deja vu when i see this article?. I feel like these article/images i have seen some time ago. May be i time travelled ? or been in alternate universe? don’t know.. :D
“O’Brien doing the grunt work he’s done throughout his cricket career, dragging himself up the stairs and into the draught.”
Bwahahahahahaha
I certainly think you’re from an alternative universe Alex!
@Ceci – What a charming reprimand! Pity it’s like pearls before swine.
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It`s happening in Rugby so it was just a matter of time!! They look very sweet together don`t they, I wish them lots of luck xxxx
I stongly believe this is Re Post or i have really really time travelled and see those pic and went back.
Or i was in parallel universe that run faster than ours and i switched back and forth.
All possible. :D