Roebuck – Cricket's Finest Writer

Monday 14th November, 2011

current side is the best Second ODI today Pakistani team he has seen since the glory days of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. “The Pakistanis are looking very fresh and it is a side packed with a lot of quality all-rounders. They have got a number of options. The Team lacks Pakistani side which we are playing against is one of the best I have seen in the recent past. I played against Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, but this side is also doing very well.” confidence Atapattu also heaped praise on Pakistan captain Misbah- ul-Haq, whom he compared to REX CLEMENTINE reporting from Dubai World Cup winning Sri – Marvan Lankan captain Arjuna Sri Lanka’s batting coach Ranatunga. “Misbah is a very Marvan Atapattu has put down calm and a cool character. the national cricket team’s What I saw in the Test series current struggles to lack of was very impressive. He han- confidence. After losing the dles things in the middle, very Test series against Pakistan 1- smoothly. He is doing to 0, Sri Lanka suffered a humili- Pakistan what Arjuna ating eight wicket defeat in the Ranatunga did to us in the first ODI, where they were ‘90s. He has the patience to bowled out for 131 runs at wait until he achieves what he Dubai Sports City, on Friday. wants to achieve in the mid- The second ODI of the five dle, which is very important match series will be played in Test cricket.” today, also at the same venue. “At the moment the team is Sri Lanka (From): lacking in confidence and they Tillakaratne Dilshan need only a victory to boost (Captain), Upul Tharanga, their morale,” Atapattu told Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar journalists. Sangakkara (Wicketkeeper), “There is nothing to do with Angelo Mathews, Dinesh technique or application. The Chandimal, Jeevan Mendis, lean patch is stretching a bit Kosala Kulasekara, Lasith and it is important to get out Malinga, Suranga Lakmal, of it as quickly as possible. It Thisara Perera, Seekkuge is a matter of hitting the Prasanna, Dimuth rhythm and I hope the team Karunaratne, Dilhara will ride over this bad patch,” Fernando and Suraj Randiv. he added. Pakistan (From): Misbah- “The players should forget ul-Haq (Captain), Shahid what happened on the tour. Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, They should just think that it Imran Farhat, Younis Khan, is a brand new day. They have Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, to believe in themselves and ber three in ODI rankings and and we have the ability to do it Sarfraz Ahmed (Wicketkeper), play with confidence,” the for- could go further down, if they again. It is just a matter of Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, mer Sri Lanka captain further lose the series. one good performance.” Umar Gul, Aizaz Cheema, said. “We have been through Pakistan are in a rebuilding Junaid Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Friday’s defeat saw Sri these conditions in the past process after the spot-fixing Abdul Razzaq and Asad Sri Lanka batting coach Marvan Atapattu Lanka being demoted to num- and we came out of it fighting scandal and Atapattu said the Shafiq.

her three sons to talk about other mat- Peter Roebuck RIP (1956-2011) ters. A redoubtable lady, she opened her house to the “out of towners” brought into Lankan cricket by an eld- est son determined to break the stran- glehold of the old guard, sorting out their laundry and providing numerous Roebuck – Cricket’s finest writer meals for Sanath Jayasuriya and oth- ers.” Budding cricket writers looked up to During his recent visit to Colombo, His death was mourned by crick- two personalities for inspiration in he wrote this in ‘’Cricinfo. “So much Like many cricket writ- eters, cricket writers and administra- their profession. One was Christopher has been accomplished. The Berlin Wall ers, Roebuck was a fan of tors all over the world. Martin-Jenkins and the other was Peter has fallen, apartheid is gone, the Arab “RIP Mr. Roebuck. Mentor. Roebuck. The latter was found dead in uprising is underway, a Muslim has Kumar Sangakkara, the Maestro. Mate. Thanks for your his hotel room in South Africa last played for Australia and a Tamil has cricketer and thinker, guidance and friendship. So very morning. taken 800 Test wickets for his beloved sad.” - Alex Brown, Director of Sport, South African Police confirmed that country. Just that there is a lot more to about whom he recently Daily Telegraph and former Sports the 55-year-old had committed suicide. do. Cricket is connected with the world wrote this. “He has out- Editor of the Sydney Morning Herald. Apart from cricket writing, he was and ought not to pretend otherwise.” starred many bowlers, also a commentator and published sev- Like many cricket writers, Roebuck “Devastated. My dear friend and eral books. You didn’t agree with all was a fan of Kumar Sangakkara, the survived many crises one of the greatest cricket writers what he wrote, but his use of the cricketer and thinker, about whom he and always retained his ever Peter Roebuck passes away. He English language was exceptional. recently wrote this. “He has out-starred educated equanimity. was meant to write about cricket in the manner Sachin Tendulkar was It was funny that Roebuck, who was many bowlers, survived many crises Not even the gunmen in born in Oxford in 1956, had to graduate and always retained his educated equa- born to play it.” - Harsha Bhogle, in Cambridge. Former Board President nimity. Not even the gunmen in Lahore Lahore could put him off Indian commentator and writer. Ana Punchihewa was one of his mates could put him off his game. Afterwards, his game. Afterwards, he “He bought particular insight to at school at Millfield, in Somerset. he said that his country, too, had its said that his country, his commentary based on his His first class cricket career that troubles and that he would happily lengthy experience as a first-class spanned for 15 years ended in 1991 after come back. Such men are born to bat at too, had its troubles and cricketer and captain, and combined over 350 games. He crossed 1000 runs in first wicket down.” that he would happily that with a singular flair for the a season on nine occasions for Like many, he was also puzzled why come back. Such men are written and spoken word. He spoke Somerset, but his efforts were overshad- Sangakkara didn’t get the plaudits he born to bat at first wicket his mind frankly and while one did- owed by those of Sir Viv Richards and deserved as a top international crick- n’t necessarily always have to agree, Sir Ian Botham, his team-mates. eter. “Somehow, though, Sanga does not down.” you always respected what he had to It was when Roebuck was captain of quite get the credit he deserves. If Peter Roebuck say.” - James Sutherland, Cricket superior batsman, because he scores Somerset in the early 1980s that a dress- Ponting is great and Dravid is great and Australia, Chief Executive Officer more runs more often and in times of ing room row saw the sacking of Joel Hashim Amla is destined for mighty “I don’t think anyone in cricket need. Nor does he ever let the side Garner and Sir Viv and the subsequent feats and Jonathan Trott is an immove- Allegedly jumped writing had a voice like Peter’s down. Indeed, he has gone into battle on departure of Sir Ian from the county. able object, then Sanga cannot be when he arrived on the scene in the He was named a Wisden Cricketer of ignored.” to death its behalf, on and off the field. De Silva had a bit of Mr. Toad in him; Sanga has early 1980s. You only have to con- the Year in 1988. “Even in his own country, Sanga According to a report in the Daily a lot of Badger.” trast the way we wrote about cricket After retiring, Roebuck lived in does not tend to get the credit he Mail, Western Cape provincial police That article also had a criticism of in the 1970s to the way we write it Sydney and used to write for several deserves. Suggestions that he is the best spokesperson Frederick van Wyk Sangakkara. “Of course, he is not per- now - Peter has been responsible I publications. His contributions mostly batsman his country has produced said: “There was an incident around fect. Money matters to him. To that think for a lot of those develop- appeared in the ‘Sydney Morning tends to raise eyebrows amongst 9.00 p.m. on Saturday night when a Herald’ and he used to write columns Lankans. Every nation remembers its end, he did not exactly hurry to ments.” - Gideon Haigh, cricket histori- British citizen who is a cricket com- for ‘The Hindu’, ‘Cricinfo’ and first champion and forgives him his England for the recent Test series, an and writer. mentator committed suicide by jump- ‘Sportstar’. He also wrote for the flaws. Locals talk about Aravinda de instead playing a few extra IPL match- “RIP Peter Roebuck. I didn’t ing from the sixth floor of his ‘Sunday Leader’ sometime back. Silva and they feel proud to be Sri es. Nor was he above pulling strings to agree with everything you wrote Claremont hotel. Peter visited Sri Lanka on numer- Lankans. They recall his blistering legitimise his choice. It was a mistake about cricket but f*** I loved the “He died on impact.” ous occasions with the Australian onslaughts, his vibrant innings, his and both Sanga and his team paid for way you wrote it...” - Will Anderson, Van Wyk refused to comment on cricket team and covered the recent stunning stroke-play and most of all his it.” Australian comedian. reports that Roebuck had been ques- Test series between Australia and Sri brilliance in the World Cup final, the Roebuck defended the Sri Lankans “Shocked to hear the sad news tioned by police on Saturday. He Lanka. He was here during the World team’s greatest hour. Here was Sri during the hostile tour of Australia in from Cape Town, RIP Peter Roebuck added only that officers will “investi- Cup and used to travel to Galle and Lanka in excelsis - a local boy proving 1995 where Muttiah Muralitharan was a great cricketing mind.” - Tom gate all the circumstances around the Kandy by train. He claimed those train he could mix it with the giants of the called for chucking. He admired Arjuna Moody, former Australia all-rounder. death.” journeys were made in order to interact game. It was a breakthrough, an Ranatunga about whom he said this “Can’t believe that Peter Roebuck with locals. announcement; it was necessary. But de recently, “as a family, the Ranatungas is no more...met him a couple of opposed to a great batsman. Perhaps he His knowledge of Sri Lankan cricket Silva was also mercurial and often are devoted to cricket and politics and times and read him a million times. was, too, the first hero and so forgiven and its history were exceptional and he unreliable. Like Brian Lara, he could given the chance, talk about little else. One of my favourite cricket writers. his frailties. History cannot be as often used to write on topics relating to dazzle and disappoint. He was a player Accordingly, Mrs. Ranatunga (Snr), R.I.P.” - Aakash Chopra, former India accommodating. Sangakkara is the Sri Lanka. of inspired bursts and great innings, as bans both topics in her house, telling batsman.

Monday 14th November, 2011