14 Monday 20th July, 2009 administrators, such as Gamini UCB were not so petty to ignore I don t really think people Haysie was not one to hold any - run an operation as this with firm, The Chesterfield Files Dissanayake is not just a dis - how had the laws of the land been know what Australia missed with thing that he felt was written in an professionalism: the crisp delivery grace. It is snubbing history and as they are in other countries, his decision to return to South unfavourable light, against the has a sof t, yet resonant tone and poking in the eye the memory of Baz would have played for South Africa af ter the Rebel tours and writer , if it was fair criticism. Unfair the image of Haysman as TEN s hard work of those who put the Africa with many of his brethren. decide to play domestic cricket criticism was dif ferent. front man is p art of a modern country where it is today and cre - Anyway, when it comes to the there instead of his home st ate, He grumbled at me once dur- media man s journey. This ated a legacy that made Sri electronic media, switching on Nell says. He was always techni - ing 1989-90 season, when batting includes glamorous wife Leanne Lanka cricket what it is. What a these days to watch the third Test cally good and earned a couple of at three in the Northerns side, felt involved in fashion and a coterie way to honour the forefathers of down the road at Sinhalese Australian Y outh Test cap s, so a comment written about his of Persian cat s who first moved the game on the island! S port s Club against Pakist an, one you would know from that he had innings in a p articular game was from Johannesburg to Miami and Okay, C. H. Gunasekara and of the voices less familiar to lis - a big future. The selectors would not quite justified. The problem now Los Angeles. De Saram have gates named to teners is that of Australian-born have thought so as well. was that with computers and IT, It is hard to accept anyone honour their memory at the Mike Haysman. IIt was a big loss, but he had newspaper editorial st af f can t a k e involved so deeply in the game Sinhalese Sport s Club in Maitland Y ou can hear the sof ter South his own reasons and you have to what they want, fiddle around with wanting to live S tateside where Place. This, however, is not the Australian vernacular as well: as accept why he decided to remain the story which is what the the game is seen as quaint and by Trevor Chesterfield point. It is honouring those who it was with his silky middle-order in South Africa, Nell added. His Pretoria News sister p aper in quintessentially British and on have come before and who have batting skills, and later his style of commentary style tells you that he Johannesburg, The Star did, by entering a bookshop don t expect Those ICC ‘honours’ and Mike the new front man for TEN . History snubbed on awards night here are several clichØs been largely responsible for build - capt aincy, all of it accomp anied has made the transition between twisting the positive angle I had for find any on cricket. But work is that can be used over com - ing the local traditions and folk - with the flowing blond locks that playing and media and that he is a written. It made me look an idiot work and from the time he made Tments regarding who was lore of the game which is needed. gave the impression of being a hard-working professional. and Haysman wondering just who the transition from analysing N O T on the list of the fif ty local For the committee to act sub - Leonard Bernstein conducting the If what Nell says is correct, he was I supporting. bowlers and scoring runs to bring - recipient s for the International jectively by eschewing the ef forts opening bars of Gustav Holst s would have been a member of the Maybe he understood, maybe ing a dif ferent voice to the game Cricket Council s awards last of former great players who have Mercury suite from The Planets. Australian Test and limited-overs not, but on retirement he slipped as a commentator and occasional Friday night. happened to pass on, or move Maybe even Bernstein s own sides that did so well in the late into a T V anchor and programme writer, the decision to leave South As p art of their centenary abroad for coaching and work classic The Rumble from West 1980s and early 1990s. Even part role with SuperSport T elevision Africa and friends behind does year, Yahaluweni the ICC are reasons, suggests they have a Side Story , or even some rhyth - of that 1987 World Cup winning South Africa and began a cricket have it s rewards. honouring former great Test play - problem with how the game s p ast mic bars from the South African squad at Eden Gardens and that programme The Inside Edge ers. The other groups, such as history has been landscaped in Hugh Makekela. is always worth thinking about which at one st age he shared with (email: your genuine administrators and this country. Or is this a political It explained his general tempo when you check a player s past Fanie de Villiers af ter the bowler, [email protected]) other servant s of the game, make issue? and batting nuances: quality with - for his credentials. known as Vinnige Fanie, (Fast the list largely on the whim of an By leaving C. I. Gunasekara out the showy embellishment you As a player, he turned out for Fanie) had retired. appointed committee. of f the list, is for a st art an insult, get with some at a time when what was then known as Northern It has been suggested that Which suggests that criteria just as it is not to honour S. S. South Africa was on the slow road T ransvaal, scoring the de rigueur Mike is a touch controversial. used is arbitrary and in some Jayawickrama and the batting towards the post-isolation era in maiden century on debut (a limit - W ell, what is controversial and cases misinformed, otherwise a genius Mahadeva Sathasivam, which he also played his role. ed-overs slog) in a side that at one what is not? It is up to the viewer former Ceylon captain, the now who is probably revered more in He is the sort of entert aining stage contained Ray Jennings, and listener (and reader) as he very much alive 89 year-old C. I. India than in the island and is said former player who comes with the Fanie de Villiers and T ertius makes his comments and analy - (Conroy Ievers) Gunasekara to have been ranked alongside type of pedigree that makes you Bosch. He quickly est ablished ses the game being played, and would have been on that list. Or Don Bradman. Then, maybe wonder why it took Taj himself and took over as capt ain says what he feels. It is the sort of just maybe, there is some prob - those on the committee don t care Entert ainment Network so long to in the tricky 1992-93 season, job which of ten calls for straight lem within the committee over for traditions and history in their sign him on. He is now the new where his leadership role was talking (and straight writing for his name. Or maybe, just forgot eagerness to honour those face of TEN since Sanjay appreciated at what was that matter), not sof t platitudes who he is. among the living who do deserve Manjrekar opted out and moved Centurion Park, now SuperSport where no criticism is of fered. But if the ludicrous deceased it, such as the ever-help ful Leo elsewhere. Centurion. When it blew the top of f the and living abroad principle is a W ijesinghe of Nondescript s, Stan Nell, the former Sri It was cataclysmic season with game, Haysie handled the Hansie guide, ICC would not have hand - always a good friend to visiting Lanka A team coach talked about India on the Friendship Tour as Cronje match-fixing event s with a ed out centenary caps to family or and local journalist s. the first class debut of the man Test cricket making a return to cert ain diplomacy noted by others relatives of Sir Donald Bradman, At least the United Cricket South Africans called Haysie . It South Africa with De V illiers and and while appreciated by some, it WG Grace, Harold Larwood, Board did not snub Basil was 126 against Queensland, fol - Bosch vying for Test and ODI caps was not always understood, espe- Colin Cowdrey (Lord Cowdrey of D Oliveira when South Africa hon - lowed later that summer with 153 and overlooked by the selectors cially in a country where Cronje s Tonbridge) and Sir Leonard oured their p ast great players at against V ictoria; a t all elegant headed by Peter Pollock. W ith image is still revered by some. Hutton. How idiotic would that Newlands in the Millennium sum- right hander in the mould of Greg others pressing for a place, One of the problems I always have looked? mer of 1999/2000, during the Chappell or Martin Kent, he would Haysie did what he could to give remember is how Cronje would Likewise, to fail to honour C.