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Gilchrist - cricketer and gentleman

by Premasara Epasinghe

Australian opener Adam Gilchrist, displayed to the cricketing world, billions of TV viewers and listeners, what cricket is all about and the great philosophy of this noble game - sportsmanship. Thirty one year old Australian Gilchrist, has played in 161 ODIs, and collected 5,168 runs, and is one of the best opening batsmen in the world.

In the Australia-Sri Lanka World Cup 2003 semi-final played at the picturesque St. George Park, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, on 18th March 2003, skipper Jayasuriya brought in, 37 year old off-spinner early, who played in 308 matches including this semi-final and had accounted for 105 victims. He operated from the Duckpond End. Left-hander tried to sweep a ball, it faintly brushed his glove, and keeper Sangakkara collected the ball clean.

On the spur of the moment, de Silva, Sangakkara and company appealed. As umpire Rudi Koetzon, probably not sighting clearly, turned the appeal down. Adam Gilchrist knew what really happened. As a true gentleman and sportsman, he walked out. He transmitted the message of the true spirit of the game, cricket and sportsmanship and showed the world, honesty and integrity are more important than a century in a world cup semi-final. In his brief stay, he scored 22 runs, which included a glorious six and a boundary and when he walked out he was on fire.

This incident reminds me of the worlds of poet Macaulay -

Even the ranks of Tuscany could scarce forbear to cheer.

An umpire

An umpire is a man who devotes his time enabling twenty-one other men to enjoy themselves. He has to be impartial and independent, yet friendly to all. He endures the scowls and curses of many of those who may be witnessing the game. He acts as jury and judge for both prosecution and defence, passing sentence in approximately three seconds. Without umpires, the game of cricket would find it difficult to survive. No one is infallible. Umpires are no exception. Cricket is a lovely democratic sport, where the players have the right to appeal to the arbitrator of the game.

The first set of laws for cricket were written in 1744. They empowered the umpires to adjudicate in disputes. It was decreed that the umpire's decision would be final. Nothing has changed to alter that fact and it remains to date. In the case of the "Gilchrist scenario", batsman walked out in spite of umpire Rudi Koetzon decision.

Sports can be defined as physical activity done, especially outdoor, for exercise and amusement, usually played in a special area and according to fixed rules. With professionalism creeping into sports, behaving fairly generously and ethically which means sportsmanlike quality of sportsmen and sportswomen has dwindled.

Cricket is a gentleman's game. If someone plays unfair by you, the saying goes 'It's not cricket'. If any individual is fair and just in society, you call that person 'He is a cricketer'. The English language has been enriched by cricketing allusions.

Let me end up saying,

Well done Gilchrist

You made all cricket lovers proud,

You just played cricket.

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