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JOHN HOTTINGER: HALF ENGLISH, HALF-THAI - FULL-ON CRICKET, FULL-ON COACH


Buddhists have a saying, ‘when the pupil is ready the teacher will appear.’ A county-squad member alongside Monty Panesar and Michael Hussey, John Hottinger’s arrival in Thailand to play cricket came after he was within a whisker of playing county cricket in England. His arrival coincided with an upturn in Thai cricket and Thai cricket activity. He is 21.

“I don’t think cricket has absolutely anything to do with being physically strong.”

What do you do for the Cricket Association of Thailand?

I am the head Development Officer for Khon Kaen, which is a region in north-eastern Thailand. I also coach the Under-13, Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 national squads but I work most with the Under-15s. I am also the senior teams’ vice-captain at the moment.

Do you consider yourself Thai or English?

My father is English and my mother is Thai but I do have dual-nationality.

Where were you born?

I was born in Bangkok but at the age of three I went to England and did my education there. My dad was always a big fan of cricket and so he always wanted to get me involved in the game at an early age. When I was nine I was playing age-group county cricket and I got a cricket scholarship to a private school in England called Cheltenham College in Gloucestershire.

When did you start playing?

I can’t actually remember exactly. But my dad’s got pictures of it. I had one of those plastic bats and when my dad threw to ball to me, I played a perfect cover drive. And then from there on my dad insisted I play cricket. I had natural abilities and he wanted to develop that a little more and from there he applied for me to go to a cricketing school.


Holding the national 8-a-side U-11 Lord’s Taverners Trophy in 1997. John’s father stands behind the boys.
How important was cricket on TV in learning about cricket?

I mainly watched my dad as a little boy because he was still playing club cricket. From then on I watched cricket on the television as well as my dad while I was playing.

Was it hard to break into the side at school?

Well at first I improved my game but by the time I was eleven I got into the Colts team, which isn’t the first eleven, but I was playing two years above myself. I wasn’t getting much opportunities to play but when I did get it I performed and by the end of the season I was a Colts ‘A’ regular and the season after I got my colours; leading run-scorer, leading wicket-taker. At twelve, I was captain and was in the school team then.


Batting at Trent Bridge for Malvern College
Were you the only Thai in your school?

There were other Thai boys but none were too interested in sport. They were mainly involved in their studies. They were boarding school kids whilst I was just day schooled because my parents had a house in Cheltenham so I usually went back after classes.

Did your friends in Thailand know anything about cricket back then?

No they didn’t. They’re starting to get an idea of the game now but back then it didn’t really matter whether I was in the 1st XI in my first year.

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