It is hard to believe that Shane Warne is no more with us. First up, his death was sudden, saddening not only the cricketing fraternity but also the whole world. Just like birth, death is not uncommon. But someone we have been admiring leaving so soon will leave us in the most painful situation. In that event, we would turn to someone for a word of comfort. That said, this Australian cricketer had many achievements and milestones to his credit. One of the greatest bowlers, Shane Warne had come a long way in his cricketing career almost spanning more than a decade from 1992 to 2007.
In the beginning itself, he started performing well and showcasing his bowling skills. In the 1990s, Warne’s mastery of leg-spin was clearly known to the world and all his fans. In my end, I had beautiful memories of many cricket stars like Shane Warne during my schooling and early college days in my native areas like Korkai, Tiruchendur, Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Marthandam and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu in the 1990s. Well, we would usually sit for Cricket World Cup matches telecast live on TV in neighbours’ houses - sometimes stretching up to late-night hours and beyond. On the whole, we a bunch of cricket buffs had usually enjoyed watching cricket matches on TV to the core.
Added to this, cricket has always been something cutting across borders, regions, countries and languages. It is just about the players and the game of cricket. As a matter of recap, we had enjoyed watching the game played by players like Inzamam-ul-Haq from Pakistan and also by cricketers from other countries - all for their original talent and personality.
Just interestingly enough, almost all the Asian nations have tremendous cricketing skills - like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India - Nepal being the latest. In fact, cricket has been instrumental in nurturing camaraderie and relationships between countries and fans.
Finally, the current Russia-Ukraine crisis has been a matter of concern to date. As the final strong point, the game of cricket has the power to heal human wounds and help prevent a war-like situation over there on the horizon.
P. SENTHIL SARAVANA DURAI,
India.