Bradman delivers message of hope for scandal-plagued cricket

But it had been hoped the great man would record a video message for the black-tie audience that included hundreds of cricketers, past and present, at the Australian Cricket Board’s inaugural Sir Donald Bradman oration, delivered by Howard.

However, Bradman’s son John Rose to make the speech, penned by Bradman at his home in Adelaide where he has lived since retirement from the game with a batting average of 99.94, the highest ever attained by a long margin.

Next best was South Africa’s Graham Pollock with 60.83 in the 1960s. Of the current cricketing generation nobody has come close, with Sachin Tendulkar reaching 54.84, and the second highest scoring Australian, Allan Border, making 50.

“Little did my parents dream that on 27th August, 1908 their new-born son would have an oration named after him and delivered by the Prime Minister,” Bradman told 250 guests at the dinner, in Melbourne.

“On their behalf, I thank the Australian Cricket Board for the idea and our most distinguished citizen for so generously giving of his time to deliver the address.”

He also told how his father had taken him to a Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1921 and how he had told him he would never be happy until he played there.

“There was no radio or TV in my days as a toddler, but somehow I developed a love of cricket which has stayed with me for nearly 90 years”.

In the oration, Howard said it was not Bradman’s record alone, nor the times in which he played, but the quality of the man himself which had elevated him to the status of “greatest living Australian”. “Even now, in another century, in a World scarcely recognisable to that in which he played, the name Bradman resonates with meaning — talent, determination, commitment, fair play, honour.”

Howard also touched on the match-fixing scandal, saying the allegations represented a challenge to the very fine qualities encouraged by the game of cricket — “To the very values personified by Sir Donald and so many of our other sporting champions”.

Banned them — Hadlee

NEW DELHI: Legendary all-rounder Sir Richard Hadlee has strongly advocated that the records of players found guilty of match-fixing, should be removed from the books and they be banned for life.

“This has been cricket’s worst crisis and those implicated should be severely dealt with to restore the faith of lovers and fans of the game. They should be banned for life and should not be allowed to be associated with the game in any role,” one of the finest fast bowlers of his time Hadlee told ESPN Star sports.

He also suggested that number of one day international match tournaments be reduced as some of them lack credibility and there is feeling that these are not important enough and this has led to the fixing and bribery scandal.

The former New Zealand captain said “For me the greatest honour has been to play for the country. But if there are some who are not giving enough and yet getting much more at the expense of their country and affecting the results, they are just not acceptable.”

Asserting that players have a great role to play in preserving the integrity of the game, Hadlee, who is in Chennai as the administrative manager of the New Zealand National Academy team which is taking part in the Buchi Babu tournament, quoted Sir Don Bradman that “Cricketers have to be the custodian of the game. They should strive to preserve the tradition and the values to ensure that the game survives.”