Australian Cricket Writings

It’s a genre of its own, steadily expanding: first, there was Adam Gilchrist, and all the revelations of an un-sportsmanlike Tendulkar. Then, there was Ricky Ponting, offering another account of the Sydney crisis. And now, the main man himself, Andrew Symonds, picks up the plume and begins to write himself. Where does this all leave us?

First: Gilchrist, I think, is an idiot.

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Another Australian Book, Another Media Storm

I swear, these Australians have way too much time on their hands. I can understand a little newspaper column here and there, but can these guys please stop putting out books every other week? Don’t they make enough money that they don’t need to put out more gossipy drivel for the sake of a quick buck? 

Maybe I should go easier on Ponting’s latest literary effort, Captain’s Diaries. He seems very careful — much more than idiot-of-the-year, Adam Gilchrist (why would you even think about attacking Sachin Tendulkar? Does he not realize how powerful the Indian market is? Does he still want to play in the IPL?). He merely says that an Indian senior player hoped that the process would not get too bogged down after the Symonds-Harbhajan affair. Fair enough.

And there is some good stuff here:

Sachin Isn’t A Teenager, So Stop Saying He Is

I know Sachin Tendulkar has gotten into a little spat with Adam Gilchrist lately (and I’m on Tendulkar’s side, believe me), but I am getting a bit tired of commentators breathlessly talking about how youthful his outlook still seems, and how much verve and enthusiasm he brings to the game after nearly 20 years in it.

Yes, the man can take a good catch, and yes, he’s happy after he does it — wouldn’t anyone be? Which player in his 30s still goes on the field only to act like they’ve seen it all? If that were the case, wouldn’t he not, in fact, go on the field but just retire? 

So, quit it! Tendulkar likes to play the game. We know. Yes, he’s happy to take a catch — there’s no reason someone in their 30s wouldn’t be — and when he scores a half-century, he’s downright pleased about it (because he just scored a half-century). Millionaires might not jump for joy if they made another few additional $100,000, but they wouldn’t stop trying to make their money.