All the current news from the world of cricket is sad.
1. Sachin Tendulkar, the Little Master, has announced his retirement from all limited overs international cricket. At his age it wasn't unexpected, but coming just after Ricky Ponting's exit from international cricket it's significant.
2. The MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) traditional Boxing Day Test is right up there with the World's great sporting competitions. It compares with the Monaco GP, the FIFA and RWC World Cup Finals, the Indy 500, Le Mans, the Olympic 100m final, a Lord's Test Match. It's a match I'd dearly love to see one day (preferably against the Proteas). This time round the Aussies were smarting after the series defeat to the Proteas and you didn't need to use much imagination to know that they'd be on the warpath in Melbourne. Sri Lanka showed sod-all spirit or fight and got blown away in 2 1/2 days. We're all losers- the MCG Boxing Day Test deserves somethying much better than that!
3. Mike Hussey, Mr. Cricket, is highly respected all around the cricketing world and he's announced his retirement from Test Cricket. Obviously he'll be hugely missed by the Aussie Test team, but he'll also be missed by all other countries' supporters. From ZA all I can say is that he's been a tremendously good opposition player over the years, he always plays in a good sporting way and we wish him the best in his future endeavours.
4. Today Christopher Martin-Jenkins, a highly acclaimed English cricket commentator and journalist for over 40 years passed away at the age of 67, succumbing to cancer. He was widely liked & respected and will be missed.
Tomorrow SA start the first of 2 Tests against NZ. Let's hope for a good match. To any Black Cap supporters here, all I can say is that the last time we faced Michael Clarke's Aussies in Cape Town, we klappped them in 2 1/2 days!
