Charity book project for Yorkshire

Steven Patterson is keen to put his photography skills to good use in a picture book

Yorkshire are planning to chronicle the 2009 season in a unique picture book to show supporters what happens both on and off the field.

The book is the brainchild of PR and communications manager James Buttler and fast bowler Steve Patterson, who came up with the idea together last year.

“I am quite keen on photography and I fancied doing something for a charity with it,” Patterson explained to Yorkshire Radio.

“James came up with the idea of a picture book as ‘a year in the life of Yorkshire cricket’.

“We thought it would be a good idea as it would give members an insight into what our lives are like as professional cricketers and what we get up to behind the scenes and away from the game - all the stuff they don’t see in the media.”

Patterson also gave a clue as to what we might expect from his first foray into professional photography.

“You imagine if a game is rained off for a full day,” he said. “We have obviously got to be around so we have got to find a way to occupy ourselves.

“It is occasions like that when people might play a game of indoor cricket or a game of cards, or when we are on the bus going somewhere.

“It is things like that, when we are away from the cricket, that people might be interested in.”

Patterson is being joined by batsman Jacques Rudolph in the project, with both of them keen to show off their artistic skills whilst raising money for a worthy cause.

“I think he (Rudolph) was keen on photography,” Patterson confirmed. “Having spoken to him about the idea last year, I think he has become more interested and decided he wants to come on board.”

Buttler also realises how important it is to have both Patterson and Rudolph taking part in the project.

“It is great to have them involved with it as players,” he admitted. “The Yorkshire dressing room is quite a sacred place, really. The people who have been in the dressing room down the years have earned that by right.

Jacques Rudolph decided to come on board after discussing the project with Patterson last year

“It is not something you give away easily - to allow a photographer from outside to come in and get that kind of access.

“Having Jacques and Patto taking the photographs - the players trust them and respect their right to take the photographs and not embarrass them or disrespect them.

“My job is really to link all their photographs together by words. It will be my diary of the season written through that and the photos will go around it.”

The main focus of the book is obviously for cricket supporters to be given the opportunity to see what happens off the field of play, but Buttler is keen to emphasise the money-raising aspect of the initiative too.

“We are doing it for a good cause,” he said. “We have not decided yet which charity is going to be the beneficiary of the book.

“But we have looked at a few numbers and we are going to have some limited edition books at the start of the run.

“If we can sell as many as we hope to sell - certainly it is a book that I’d buy - we could raise a significant amount of money for a worthy cause.”

Although the book is currently due to be self-funded, the trio have not ruled out getting some financial backing from an outside source.

“Obviously if there is anybody out there who wants to come in as a sponsor of the project, then that would be fantastic,” Buttler added. “It’s a chance to get associated with the biggest and best cricket club in the world.

“It is such a massive year for the club. We have West Indies coming, an Ashes Test, the outfield is being replaced, the new five-tier Carnegie pavilion is being built and then there is the small matter of a Yorkshire cricket season.

"It’s exciting times and a year well worth recording for posterity.”