Pride and Passion

Steve Kirby popped in to discuss his passion for the game and his Michael Atherton sledge.

Gloucestershire's Steve 'Tango' Kirby popped in to discuss his passion for the game and his Michael Atheron sledge. Kirby was frustrated that Gloucestershire's Twenty20 game against Somerset was cancelled as he is desperate to get their disappointing Twenty20 season back on track. "We pride ourselves on the short game and we have been very successful in the short," said Kirby. "We have the players and the lads are training really hard. I think we need to get a little bit of belief in those crucial moments and it will happen. I believe out batting is our strength and if I am honest we have not hit with the ball, me included." Kirby also gave a bowler's view on the Twenty20. "As a bowler you are on a hiding to nothing, you are going to get whacked. It is just for how many. "You have to take your opportunities and hopefully come right." Kirby, known as Tango with his red hair, has had a reputation as being an angry man on the pitch, but has he mellowed? "Well I have two kids, so I guess you have to mellow a bit, I would rather let my bowling do the talking. "I played up a little bit at the start of my career but I think people understand that it is what you do with the ball that matters rather than what you say. There is a time and a place for being aggressive and sledging. I have a lot of passion to win. I just want it so much that it is scary. You get this reputation as a bit fiery, but all I want to be known is as a decent bowler who wants to win matches. Kirby also cleared up his Michael Atherton sledge. Apparently in Atherton's last ever county championship game Kirby allegedly said to Athers that he had seen better players in his fridge. "That is not true, completely not true," laughed Kirby. "I actually said I had seen better batters in my fish and chip shop!" "But it was meant in jest and a bit of fun, I hope he took it that way, but I don't think he did."