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Srinath
quits test cricket "I today announce my retirement from test cricket," the bowler told a news conference. Srinath, 32, played in the five-game series in the Caribbean won 2-1 by West Indies last month and had been expected to lead the pace attack in the tour of England starting later this month. But he said: "It has been in my mind for quite some time, six-seven months. "I still have some cricket left in me and would like to focus on the World Cup (in South Africa next year)," Srinath said. The bowler has been in and out of the one-day squad in the last two years and was not selected for the current West Indies series but he remained confident of making it to the World Cup. Srinath has taken 232 wickets at an average of 30.46 in 64 test appearances spanning more than a decade since making his debut in Australia in 1991-92. He has been the fast-bowling spearhead since the retirement of Kapil Dev in 1994 but his decision comes after conceding 42.92 runs apiece for his 13 wickets in the Caribbean series. Srinath burst into the test side as a 21-year-old tearaway and then made a fine comeback after surgery to repair a rotator cuff injury on his bowling shoulder in 1997 which had threatened to end his career. Tragedy A pilot and co-pilot were the other two people on board the Hawker Siddley 748 cargo plane when it left Bloemfontein at 5 a.m. (0300 GMT), Trevor Davids, spokesman for the South African Civil Aviation Authority, told Reuters. Doctors at the scene of the crash said there were no survivors. The cause of the crash was not immediately known. Cronje's brother, Frans, said the plane crashed in bad weather. "It was raining and they crashed into the side of a mountain," he told Reuters, speaking before the Sports Ministry confirmed his brother's death. The plane came down in mountains near Cronje's home town of George, some 350 km (220 miles) east of Cape Town. Cronje shocked the world of cricket two years ago when he admitted he had accepted around $130,000 from bookmakers to influence the course of matches. South African cricket's shining star was extinguished when he was banned from professional cricket for life. But officials from the United Cricket Board of South Africa only spoke of their great sadness at Cronje's death. "Hansie was an excellent cricketer and a very popular and successful captain who led his team to some great achievements and who gave much to cricket in this country during his career," board president Percy Sonn said. Former South African President Nelson Mandela was magnanimous in his tribute, saying Cronje was to become a model of how someone can rebuild their life after hitting rock bottom. "Here was a young man courageously and with dignity rebuilding his life after the setback he suffered a while ago. The manner in which he was doing that, rebuilding his life and public career, promised to make him once more a role model of how one deals with adversity," Mandela said in a statement. South African President Thabo Mbeki said Cronje's "prowess inspired our youth to greater heights... And we shall remember his moments of sheer brilliance on the cricket pitch." Cricketers past and present were deeply saddened by the news of Cronje's death but remembered him with mixed emotions. England captain Nasser Hussain said those who played under him or against him found he was a fine captain on the field. But ex-England coach David Lloyd said Cronje would go down as the man who disgraced cricket. |
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