Bro. Nimal Gurusinghe F.S.C’s concern about our ageing cricketers continuing to play for the country without retiring must certainly be shared by other fans too. (His letter under the above caption in S.T. of 13th. Sept. refers). This is really a tricky problem not capable of a simple straight-forward solution. The one suggested by Bro. Gurusinghe, even if taken as a flexible guide, will run into numerous unwanted complications. His proposal is briefly that a player over 35 years should score 350 runs or take 35 wickets in the next ten (10) matches or be told by the selectors that he has had enough – notwithstanding the 'so called big names.’
Let us take a simple possibility – in reality the system promises to produce more chaos than the problem it set out to solve.
If, say an ageing batsman scores centuries in his first, third and sixth innings and fails badly (not even reaching double figures) in the others, Or if, say, a bowler takes five or more wickets in such matches and goes wicketless in the others what would the selectors do in such cases? Quite a conundrum, isn’t it?
Statistics is not everything in cricket. There are other factors to be considered like talent – really a gift – as against form – corresponding to the ups and downs of any human activity.
As for statistics this might interest fans. Bill Johnston is the only Australian to average more than 100 runs in an English season – 102 runs in 1953, Bradman’s was a mere 100 in 1938)
Most importantly players, however much brilliant, must fit into the team’s particular composition. A team is not a random collection of players: there have to be batsmen – new ball openers, middle order, pinch hitters etc; and bowlers – fast bowlers, spinners etc. In this scenario it might not be possible to drop one simply because of old age. Several instances in international cricket come to mind where retired cricketers have been invited to give a helping hand. Colin Cowdry was called back from retirement especially to face Wes Hall as an opener; Rev. David Sheppard called back to captain England. Players like Courtney Walsh, Vivian Richards of the W.I. and quite recently Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist and Mathew Hayden of Australia, all retired against popular hopes and expectations. When Ray Lindwall bowled in his last appearance in England (1950s) radio commentators would say that all London could hear his bones creaking! So this old age jabber works both ways – only now, whenever discussed, it cannot escape from being coupled with gold mines and bank balances. If our national cricketers earn good money so be it. After all they are not required to renounce worldly pleasures to qualify for selection.
M.Z.Abdeen
Kandy |
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