Oracle of Delphi
Arnold
Paladin
Shan Jayaweera
KC Hill
Cibbuano
Craig HillThe father of modern Australian cricket calls time
December 20th 2006 22:40
Never one to conform to normality one expected Warne to exit the game in slightly more controversial circumstances than a run of the mill press conference and two test matches against England. His legion of fans certainly won’t be surprised if there are one or two more twists in what has been an engaging and vastly influential tale.
From his less than startling beginnings at the cricket academy in Adelaide to his frequent forays onto the front and back page later in his career little apart from his leg spinning skills has come from the textbook for Warne. Luckily for him his efforts on the field have provided a long lasting and most likely unrepeatable history for others to enjoy.
Throughout his career Warne has always been his own man. He left the academy early because he wanted to play for Victoria not South Australia. He had some early weight problems in very much the same vein as the old school cricketers that proceeded him. Warne bought life to the normally mundane finishes associated with batting out a final day against a tiring attack for a draw. His insatiable appetite for a contest saw that few matches finished without a result or at the very least some compelling drama.
Warne thrived on the limelight in any number of on and off field situations and we may do well to remember that it is this showmanship and appetite for the stage that bought him many of his wickets. With hindsight we may recognise that being the best leg spinner in history does not necessarily make the best off field role model. Despite the wishes of the ACB player contract writers and ever alert media relations department the two need not go together.
Our parliamentarians who represent us often show their foibles while others plying their trade at the highest level in society such as lawyers and doctors may be excellent practitioners but not provide good social role models either. They simply don’t make it into the press as often as someone like Warne. It certainly doesn’t make them any better or worse at performing their duties as professionals.
The trade off between a few text messages, cigarettes and pushing the boundaries of gamesmanship and the overall impact on the Australian sporting scene is one that is always in Warne’s favour. He propelled Australian cricket to the top of the international sporting pile and revived a long lost art. Ask any under 10 coach in the land who most of his charges want to be and the answer will not be given with a cigarette in one hand and a mobile phone in the other.
From his less than startling beginnings at the cricket academy in Adelaide to his frequent forays onto the front and back page later in his career little apart from his leg spinning skills has come from the textbook for Warne. Luckily for him his efforts on the field have provided a long lasting and most likely unrepeatable history for others to enjoy.
Throughout his career Warne has always been his own man. He left the academy early because he wanted to play for Victoria not South Australia. He had some early weight problems in very much the same vein as the old school cricketers that proceeded him. Warne bought life to the normally mundane finishes associated with batting out a final day against a tiring attack for a draw. His insatiable appetite for a contest saw that few matches finished without a result or at the very least some compelling drama.
Warne thrived on the limelight in any number of on and off field situations and we may do well to remember that it is this showmanship and appetite for the stage that bought him many of his wickets. With hindsight we may recognise that being the best leg spinner in history does not necessarily make the best off field role model. Despite the wishes of the ACB player contract writers and ever alert media relations department the two need not go together.
Our parliamentarians who represent us often show their foibles while others plying their trade at the highest level in society such as lawyers and doctors may be excellent practitioners but not provide good social role models either. They simply don’t make it into the press as often as someone like Warne. It certainly doesn’t make them any better or worse at performing their duties as professionals.
The trade off between a few text messages, cigarettes and pushing the boundaries of gamesmanship and the overall impact on the Australian sporting scene is one that is always in Warne’s favour. He propelled Australian cricket to the top of the international sporting pile and revived a long lost art. Ask any under 10 coach in the land who most of his charges want to be and the answer will not be given with a cigarette in one hand and a mobile phone in the other.
| 89 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
Go to Craig Hill's home page by clicking here
