BHUBANESWAR: Sam Ward likes to sell things. Even before he became a regular England international, he was a car salesman. He considered giving up the sport after earning a livelihood in that field. But the 32-year-old is still selling things and you can see he's a great salesman. Before the World Cup began, he caught the eye of the Indian media thanks to an interview he had given to the London Times. He had said the team would bring in a style of hockey full of energy, style and fearlessness. Of course, he called it 'Baz-ball'. The first few days at the World Cup saw multiple mediapersons speak to him about it.
To be fair to Ward, they have showcased traits that aren't too dissimilar to the style Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have brought to the cricket field. They have been full of energy, have taken enough attacking chances and looked very fluid while doing so. One only had to look at their games against Spain and India. They looked sharp in attack and had midfield runners trying to join forwards at every opportunity. That they stand joint second for penalty corners earned (23, three behind Argentina and level with The Netherlands) is a testament to their approach. That Ward has also contributed by winning the most number of corners (seven) just goes to show his importance to this side that's highly vertical.
It sort of completes a remarkable three years or so for the midfielder who was told his career was effectively over. During the two-legged Olympic qualifier against Malaysia in 2019, Ward lost sight in his eye after he caught a stray ball. The result was seven facial fractures, a torn retina and a shattered eye socket. A maxillofacial surgery was performed. 31 staples, as many screws and four plates were put in his head to begin the process of healing the wound. He put up the initial pictures on his official Instagram page (consider this a warning, do not look it up even if you are a strong-willed individual because it's gruesome, some outlets called it one of the worst sports injuries in recent times). Even as initial reports suggested his playing career was done, Ward's personality won out.
"I did think about giving up after considering all the pros and cons," he said after a training session on Saturday. "But at the end of the day, not everyone is honoured enough to represent their country. Many people never get that chance. Having tasted the honour of representing the country, I wanted to do it again. It was what kept me inspired." These days, Ward, who plays with a Bane-like mask to ensure against further injury to the skull, is inspiring others. "I give a fair few motivational speeches over in England," he said. "It’s nice to share your story with others going through a difficult phase. You never know how it inspires them and helps them get over a tough phase."
Ward playing hockey is an exercise in a superhuman effort, pushing the boundaries of what's possible. Not when he admits that the injury permanently damaged his left eye and no amount of modern medicine can fix it. "The vision is very limited. I only have peripheral vision," he said. "I don’t have full central vision in my left eye because there was a slice through the back of my retina and there’s no way of fixing it."
Considering his condition, he knows he will have to keep putting in the extra yards to merit a place in the side. "Basically I’ll be doing everything I can to continue working harder and getting better at my craft. I know I have my limitations but considering what I went through this is nothing. Like I said, you have to go through hard times to enjoy the good times. And I’m prepared to go through hell to taste success."
He did have some trouble getting used to seeing through peripheral vision but it was just a matter of adjusting and adapting to it. He now calls it the 'new normal'. "My eyes have adjusted. I’m kinda used to the new normal. I just keep cracking on instead of moaning about it."
Once he was over that initial phase, he got reacquainted to the hockey stick, and started defying those early predictions about his career before making the Olympic squad for the Tokyo Games.
Fifteen months later, Ward will be one of England's key men in a World Cup quarterfinal against one of Germany or France. And, yes, they will look to Bazball their way, with the man in the black mask playing a pivotal role.