Sir Don the greatest player of the greatest game

Willow wizard celebrates his 90th birthday on August 27th

By Harold De Andrado

Sir Donald Bradman who is now 89 will be 90 on August 27. If he bats on as he always did in Test matches, he will go on to his inevitable century. If memory serves me correct, he was never dismissed in his nineties in a Test match. It was two great writers - Sir Neville Cardus and Ray Robinson who said that Bradman is always "news". Whether he scores a triple century or a duck, he will always steal the headlines. If one man was to be chosen "Mr. Cricket" by all the cricketers of the world it would still be Don Bradman the phenomenon. The world's wonder batsman of all time, Australia's greatest captain, a wonderful cricket administrator and most of all the finest human being as he was as modest as he was magnificent. I first heard the word Bradman as a kindergartener and then listened to one of his mammoth innings on one of those early synthetic broadcasts on our Marconi radio set which were among the few in the country at the time. Perhaps two of my school masters of the early thirties ingrained this idea in my mind that "Bradman will always be the greatest cricketer in the world". It seemed hypothetical at the time, but even with the passage of six decades no one has got near his phenomenal figures.

Even today, Sir Don remains a brave old man who has kept a young heart and a very constructive open mind. To his dying day, or mine, he will always be the last word in cricket. Even today there is that same spirit of adulation among all cricketers all over the world for this wizard of the willow.

Eighty nine years of life appears to have still left Sir Don an honest, sincere, quiet mannered, dedicated and realistic human being, who is well aware that modern knighthood imposes more responsibilities that it confers privileges. Even now in his lonely retirement since the recent death of his wife, with whom he claims to have had the greatest partnership of his life, he is ever willing to discharge them in an unostentatious and helpful manner. It is by his service to cricket that even more of the greatness of Sir Don has emerged. To those who do not know him, he can remain an intent, rarely smiling figure, held in awe by many spectators, pressmen, players and officials. To many of his unfair critics he was cricket's uncommunicative dictator.

Perhaps my two school masters did me a favour when they brain washed me about the greatness and genius of Bradman and my kindergarten teacher rebuked me when I played truant from class to watch my school team in action, her very words being "Do you think you are Bradman?" Anyway the name stuck in my mind so much, that it had a fairy tale ending when around two decades later, I was the guest of Sir Don Bradman.

One would imagine that 50 years after his retirement he would be immune to the petty jealousies and unfair vitriolic criticism that men at the top are subject to. Man by nature cannot bear perfection in his fellow beings. The very fact that something has been done which has been believed to be impossible, goads and irritates. It is but a short step from annoyance to envy and Sir Don was never free from the attacks of envious people. When critics first started reading of those centuries, single, double and triple made regularly and with consistency, they compared him unfavourably with other great ones like Trumper, Hobbs, Macartney and Ranjitsinhji.

Bradman's answer was more runs, more centuries, more records. He did not mean to be one of the "stars" but the sun itself. Fame on the scoreboard where he reached a century in every third first class innings hurried him on a trail of greatness leaving barrackers howling for more, bowlers gasping for air, and turnstiles squeaking for oil. Cricket really boomed between 1927 and 1948 during Sir Don's first class career, due to his emergence as a super star. He was always the star attraction and his presence always increased or doubled cricketing crowds. He even defied the world depression of the early thirties. It was famous Australian writer the late Ray Robinson who wrote that "Sir Don's position at the top of all time world Test averages is as changeless as the alphabet".

The greatest Bradman paradox is that the man who outbatted everybody else should have to make a "duck" in his final Test innings. Had he scored four miserable singles or snicked a boundary he would have been transformed from a very human cricketer with a Test batting average of 99.94 to an immortal cricketing god averaging 100 per Test innings. No player in cricket history has remotely approached these figures. It can be safely said no one will ever do so. George Headley, Graham Pollock and Sidney George Barnes, follow with Test averages of around 60.00. But other greats like Sir Garfield Sobers, Sunil Gavaskar, Allan Border, Walter Hammond, Jack Hobbs, the 3 W's, Sir Len Hutton, Dennis Compton, Rohan Kanhai, Clive Lloyd, Vivian Richards, David Gower, Peter May, Colin Cowdrey and the modern test stars Brian Lara, Tendulkar, the Waughs and our own Aravinda and Sanath Jayasuriya are in the range of the fifties. Never was the limelight directed so unwaveringly to one man in one game. To have set such a high standard is unique. To have kept it so long is miraculous. He was a perfectionist in whatever he undertook. Golf, billiards and gardening are his only form of exercise now though in his younger days he excelled at tennis and squash. As Colin Cowdrey very rightly said, if he took to rose growing he would have been the world's greatest rose grower, such was his dedication to the task. As my good friends Greg Chappell and Sunil Gavaskar very aptly said when they surpassed Bradman's Test runs and Test centuries respectively, "Please, put Sir Don on the highest pedestal, then think of us as ordinary mortals". If he had played the number of Tests we played he may have scored a million runs. Bradman was always the planet the others mere satellites.

In 1930 on his first tour of England having thrashed the county bowlers for a succession of double centuries, he was dismissed for 58 in his sixth match. The headlines blazed "Bradman Fails". Has there been a better unwitting tribute to any player.

When I first met Sir Don, it seemed impertinent on my part to have the audacity to discuss cricket with him, but he put me at ease right away. He was kindness personified, so very helpful and entertaining and the greatest man of cricket who utterly dashed that image of aloofness or indifference that a few of his unfair critics have accused him of. He has often shared his views with me on controversial or confidential issues as I was able to reach him and he knew that I never betrayed the trust he had in me or made scoops out of the confidence he had placed in me. With no immodesty intended I can boldly count him among my circle of friends. I do treasure the times he entertained me lavishly and the valuable gifts he has sent me and by his family who have visited my home.

When the talk today is of world's greatest captaincy by very ordinary and mediocre individuals where a flash in the pan is construed as greatness and coolness, Bradman was easily the most knowledgeable, calculating, ruthless captain, combining intuition with logic and competitive spirit. He also ranks with Australia's greatest fieldsmen and is also known to have clean bowled Walter Hammond in a Test match. He was also a constructive and penetrative writer and is still remembered as one of the greatest after dinner speakers. He was a national selector for 35 years and in 80 percent of that period Australia were world champions not merely world cup champions for 3 years. He was also a successful chairman of the Australian Cricket Board and a special contribution was the part he played in eliminating "Chuckers" now rearing its ugly head again, with most umpires too timid or scared to call them on the field, and merely resorting by referring them to the ICC sometimes called a toothless tiger.

Sir Don was also a very successful businessman, share broker and director of several large companies which is once again a tribute to his ability to adapt his dedication to the task at hand. All men are born equal but some like Sir Don are more equal to an occasion than others. He will always be remembered as a man who made everyday events of what in others is a delusion of grandeur. In the world's Who's Who he got more lines than Adolf Hitler at the time the Nazi Dictator was at the height of his powers in the Third Reich.

A few years ago at the induction of the 120 sporting greats in Australia's Hall of Fame, Sir Don as expected was ranked No. 1 and no one can dispute that this was his rightful place. He played the game clean and his greatest characteristic was that he never challenged an umpire's decision many errors having been made against him which he accepted graciously and philosophically.

Today in Sri Lanka with deceptive TV replays to the fore LBWs and caught behinds are challenged not so much by the players as by unscrupulous sports editors and letter writers to the papers sitting on their backsides hundreds of miles away. (Our own Francis, Venkataraghavan and Shepherd are the 3 best umpires in the world but they also err sometimes) and pontificating on umpiring decisions. They forget that umpires make split second decisions and don't have the benefit of repeated TV replays.

That is where Bradman was the greatest sportman of them all accepting umpiring decisions good or bad without a murmur. In Sri Lanka they have made a fetish of highlighting umpiring errors that only go against Sri Lanka. A equal number or more have gone in favour of Sri Lanka but those are sidelined. Sir Don Bradman told Sir Neville Cardus, "That it was always the losing side that complains about umpires". In the recently published Bradman tapes and albums, he says:

"A true sportman must conduct" his life with dignity, decorum, integrity, courage, modesty and perhaps most of all with humility.

The lack of humility is usually more common in the second rate than the first, a most penetrating observation indeed which would hit the consciences of some of our stars who with filthy lucre in their hands are fast losing their heads. I have seen the downfall of greater men. When pride and conceit enveloped them, they forget their beginnings.

Even today, Sir Don Bradman is universally accepted, liked immensely, better understood, and greatly admired by the modern generation of cricketers as probably the most distinguished Australian, and certainly a great citizen of the world.

Courtesy - Sri Lankan Cricket

Singer cricket rewarded with tour to Malaysia and Singapore

By Bernie Wijesekera

Singer 'B' team, who emerged E div. MCA cricket champions, have been rewarded with a cricket tour to Malaysia and Singapore, by their sport promoting Chairman Hemaka Amarasuriya to further improve their skills and gain that much-needed exposure, by playing against foreign opposition.

Singer (Sri Lanka) a household name world-wide, is doing much for the development of sport, especially cricket, rugby, hockey etc., with lavish sponsorship packages, to improve the game at international level.

Today Singer (Sri Lanka) is the major sponsor of cricket at national level with a long term package to harness talent, especially focusing much attention among rural youth.

According to amiable Amerasuriya, cricket and Singer go hand-in-hand for further development and promoting this great game of character building. Hemaka, a man of few words, has the vision to achieve its ultimate goal, be it sport or otherwise. Sports and studies combine well for future betterment.

Being a sportsman himself, Amerasuriya has given job opportunities to young prospects to work and play and to improve their skills, to do proud for the institution and for themselves.

This tour afforded by the hierarchy is a just reward for their perseverance. It's not winning or losing but the game that matters in the end. The youngsters, who are making this sojourn are quite aware of this gospel and will adhere to it at all times on and off the field. This is a glorious opportunity to the young cricketers playing in the lower division to play in different conditions and adjust their mode of play. It also gives them a chance of meeting people from various walks of life sans caste, race or colour.

More than cricket, it's a goodwill tour to further cement friendly relationships among the Malaysian and S'pore counterparts, Amerasuriya added.

This is the third cricket tour by Singer cricketers. First it was in 1989 by the 'A' team, which culminated in them winning the MCA 'A' div. title on their return also to Malaysia.

Their hockey team made three tours to India. Malaysia and S'pore. The soccer team made a tour to South India. The shuttle players will be embarking on a short tour to Malaysia, come Sept.. '98. It goes on to show that Singer's rank and file are afforded with opportunities of getting exposure abroad to reach stardom.

The team will be led by former Kalutara M.V. cricketer Prabath Kumara, a dependable left handed batsman and an accurate off spinner. St. Servatius Matara, all-rounder, Lasantha Siriwardena, will be his deputy.

There is much batting depth led by openers Tilak Wijeratne, 'man of the final' and Nilantha Thilakaratne, followed by Dayal Dharmaprema, Mario Vethanayagam, Kasun Dikkumbura (keeper), Mahesh Wijewardhana and Janaka Gajanayake.

The bowling has much variety headed by medium pacers, L. Siriwardena, K. Wijewardhane and M. Jeeraratne. They will be joined by Nilantha Peiris (off-spin), T. Jayawardena (left arm spin), D. Dharmaprema (off cutters), B. Goonetilleke and H. A. Niranjana completing the side.

The officials: Premalal de Silva former NCC Cricketer, (Manager), old Rajan Bimal Dahanayake (Asst. Manager), Nelson Mendis, who guided them to emerge champions, the coach.

During the tour the tourists will play four games in Malaysia and two in Singapore. In Malaysia they will play against a Malaysian under 24 team, the Johore Bahru State Association XI, Royal Selangor Club and Manzar S.C. which team will include Aussie and New Zealand players.

In S'pore they will meet their national team in two limited overs games on August 21 and 22 and return home on Aug. 23.

The team left on Aug. 13.

Officials body to guide shuttle umpires

The Badminton Court Officials Body has been formed by the Sri Lanka Badminton Association (SLBA) to upgrade the standard of umpiring and conducting of tournaments, respectively in order to reach international standards.

The SLBA has succeeded in training officials for several years in the past and the following have acquired International Accreditation up to now.

Ajith Wijayasinghe - International Badminton Federation Referee for Asia.

Rohan Dissanayake - International Badminton Federation and Asian Badminton Congress accredited umpire.

Puspika Maganarachchi - International Badminton Federation National Grade Umpire and Asian Badminton Congress accredited Umpire.

Pradeep Weladegera - Asian Badminton Congress accredited Umpire

Lakpriya Edirisinghe - Asian Badminton Congress accredited Umpire

Chrishantha de Alwis - International Badminton Federation national grade Umpire.

This is a good achievement for Sri Lanka and this body, which has the guidance of the Internationally accredited officials to help the progress of others.

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