Opinion | Ian Chappell >> Let's hear it for the veterans A few players supposedly past their sell-by dates have been showing the young ones how it's done this past month and some May 25, 2008 Old dog, old tricks: Sanath Jayasuriya blazes away © Getty Images When I was a young lad my father, Martin, would often wander round the house singing, "The old grey mare, she ain't what she used to be, ain't what she used to be, ain't what she used to be." A catchy phrase will always capture the imagination of a young kid and in this instance I was also encouraged by not having to slave over a song sheet to learn the words. While nowadays the brutal truth of those words is regularly brought home to me, occasionally an "old grey mare" strikes back and it's glorious to behold. The IPL has provided us with two exhilarating examples. First, 36-year-old Adam Gilchrist hit a blazing century off a mere 42 balls and then Sanath Jayasuriya, two years Gilchrist's senior, followed suit and belted a hundred off 45. Jayasuriya and Gilchrist, the two super-slugging openers of their era, are on the way out but they haven't forgotten that adoring fans are deserving of an encore. It was Jayasuriya who first decided fast bowlers needed to be jolted out of their cosy existence, and inspired by his deeds, Gilchrist followed suit and added to the accelerating ulcer rate among quickies. It takes a hell of a lot of skill to constantly attack new-ball bowlers with what appears at times to be reckless abandon, but it also requires considerable nerve. One of the finest fast bowlers I faced, Andy Roberts of the West Indies, probably best summed up the mindset of the opening batsman. When I once chided him about "dumb fast bowlers" he responded by saying, "Ian, the only people sillier than fast bowlers are the opening batsmen who face up to them." Jayasuriya first captured the world's attention in a duet with Romesh Kaluwitharana against India in the 1996 World Cup. Sachin Tendulkar had fulfilled Indian expectations with a sublime century that posed a stiff test but the dynamic duo silenced the ecstatic Delhi crowd by racing to 42 in only three overs. Jayasuriya went on to score a brazen 79 off 76 balls to lead an improbable Sri Lankan victory. It sent shivers down the spine just watching on television. However, that was nothing compared to watching Jayasuriya live in Singapore a few weeks later. He decided to go solo, smashing balls into the treetops and lofting good deliveries out of the ground, with one finishing on the steps of City Hall. In the process he made some good fast bowlers distinctly apprehensive. Pakistan's Aaqib Javed only half-jokingly said he wouldn't turn up for the next tournament if Jayasuriya was playing.     Following Warne's IPL success there are murmurings of him making a comeback for Australia. Hopefully this is a figment of someone's imagination   By the end of the tournament Jayasuriya had set the record for both the fastest 50 and 100. Every time he batted people put down their drinks and jostled for a vantage point because they didn't want to miss a ball of this mastery. On the final night Jayasuriya walked through the Singapore Cricket Club bar and everyone rose to applaud him, including four ex-international captains and that is a memory that will stay with me to the end (or until I get Alzheimer's). Gilchrist had that same ability to empty bars and fill cricket grounds. In the 2007 World Cup final he launched a daring assault on the Sri Lankan attack (perhaps as a personal tribute to Jayasuriya) and played an innings that single-handedly placed the trophy in Ricky Ponting's grasp for the second successive time. Most cricketers only dream of making a century in the World Cup final but Adam Gilchrist scored exactly 100 of his exceptional 149 runs in boundaries. It was a skilful innings and an amazingly daring display in such an important game. As an "old grey mare" Gilchrist now has the satisfaction of posting the fourth-fastest century in a Twenty20, a game supposedly for the young and restless. Occasionally the old can become restless. Just ask Shane Warne. At 38 years and retired from all forms of cricket bar IPL, Warne has taken the tournament by storm, leading the Rajasthan Royals into the semi-finals with inspiring leadership and aggressive play. Following his success there are murmurings of him making a comeback for Australia. Hopefully this is a figment of someone's imagination. Warne, Jayasuriya and Gilchrist are all going out gradually and in style, providing some wonderful entertainment in the IPL competition. It's not that making a comeback to international cricket would be beyond Warne, it's just that with what he's currently doing it would be out of tune - a bit like Martin's singing all those years ago. © Cricinfo

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Posted by Noman_Yousuf_Dandore on May 27 2008, 03:22 AM GMT

Ian you know when I saw the title of your article, I knew it would be one of now many to polish warne. And honestly I was surprised when I didn't find his name in the beginning; but when I reached the latter half, there you were, doing it again. Mate don't you have anything else in the world to do? Or does he pay you half of his IPL paycheck to write this. You both have stooped so low that you don't regard the great Steve Waugh as one of the best players because he surpassed Shane Warne in the captaincy ladder. And don't give me the point about his captaicy at IPL, showing emotions on the field has got nothing to do with captaincy. It was disgusting to see him react when Bowden turned his appeal down. Cheers!!

Posted by Patelbhai on May 26 2008, 21:35 PM GMT

Great article by Ian Chappel. In the new world of cricket it is performance that counts. some players like Dravid do not have the temparament for ODI and T20. they should focus on tests. Mental attitude is a very important part of ODI and T20.

Posted by Brainbird on May 26 2008, 15:25 PM GMT

Brilliant article. You could have included McGrath and Pollock too.

Posted by Sricket on May 26 2008, 11:55 AM GMT

As usual Ian's comments are stimulating. However, there's one small point I would like to raise. Jayasuriya and Kaluwitharne didn't hit the headlines as an explosive opening pair during the 1996 World Cup - Kalu aggregated only 73 runs in 6 innings (ave.12.1) and during these innings his opening partnerships - with Jayasuriya - a mere aggregated 166 runs (ave. 27). Hardly earth-shaking performances. Kalu hit the headlines in the 1995-96 Benson & Hedges tri-nation tournament (the other teams were West Indies & Australia)when he won three match awards and was named the outstanding player of the preliminary rounds.

Posted by jamrith on May 26 2008, 10:43 AM GMT

Agree with all the comments, and let us not forget foot-in-the-mouth Uthappa whose fielding has been far slower than his mouth.

Posted by Kooja on May 25 2008, 20:08 PM GMT

Yeah, Ian is right. Age is no barrier for the blazing blades of Sanath and Gilly while the pigeon and Shaun (Pollock) are the other two blokes along with the irrepressible Shane (Warne) who have ignited a few old memories with their stellar performances. Perhaps Martin should sing, '"The old grey mare, she ain't what she used to be, but she can sure do it'.

Posted by sarthak_will_win on May 25 2008, 19:12 PM GMT

As Tendulkar himself said "ITS NOT ABOUT AGE BUT TALENT". All the oldies have proven it to be right. actually T20 is not all about talent. its also about your style of batting and of course how well one can adjust. so, as ian chappel says and everyone might have acknowledged do not care how old are you as long as you can hit the ball (or take wickets).

Posted by mcheckley on May 25 2008, 18:33 PM GMT

Speculation that Warne might leave retirement for the 2009 Ashes "if Ricky asked me" centers - terrifyingly - on entirely the wrong aspect; "is he good enough?" He IS but that is the least important parameter. "Ricky" is under contract to Cricket Australia, as captain. He has a voice in who plays, but he doesn't pick the team unilaterally and he assuredly does not set selection policy at the strategic level. If Warne wishes to be considered he has a clear route, and it is the same as for everyone else. He can rescind his retirement, play for Victoria, and advise the selectors that he is available. The damage to the morale of Australian cricket of allowing Warne to walk back into the Test arena without qualifying through the proper channels is immeasurable The dreadful thing is that it could happen due to the lust for short term financial gain. Interest and attendance would be sharpened. I wonder what pressure the sponsors are bringing to bear, even now? Next ? Lara ?

Posted by SexyDT on May 25 2008, 17:59 PM GMT

i wonder if T20 cricket was an option when most agressive batsmen of yesteryear were comeing close to calling it a day, guys like Sir Viv would'v been as succesful. Most probably, yes i'd think. A 35-38 year old athlete would't lose his stength immediately but would lose the stamina required to keep at it for 5 days of test cricket. So for us to see McGrath bowl 4 overs of his best and see Sanath & Co knowing they can use their brilliance for a short span without worrying about seeing through a session til Tea, we get to prolong our love affair with viewing their talents just a little while longer than we would have before this T20 era! We truly are blessed :)

Posted by fataquie on May 25 2008, 17:07 PM GMT

Good article Ian..but I can't comprehend the fact that you have left out McGrath from the old horses who have done exceptionally well in IPL. You have given example of Warne in the bowling department and captaincy but for me its really watching McGrath bowl like he's always bowled....exceptional!!

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