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| Sunday, 13 February 2005 |
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Humanity transcends records - Shane Warne by Srian Obeyesekere
Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan have proved that cricket can transcend beyond the frontiers of competition. Perhaps, best accentuated in the words of the blond Australian that, "I'm not worried as to who gets the world record." The 34-year old Australian leg-spin wizard, who was responding to a question by the Sunday Observer last Thursday, drove home the point a bit further when he added, "It (record) can go to anyone. The game is such, it can go to anyone. Who knows, even an unknown spinner might come along some day. Then there's Anil Kumble." And the man, who has dazzled the cricketing world with arguably the best of the type in his art to wear the mantle as Test cricket's highest wicket-taker in the world, qualified his contention when he further said: "This rallying together shows the human spirit. I saw it all on TV and was so saddened that so many lives had been lost and property damaged." The occasion was Warne travelling to the Moratuwa Cricket Stadium to coach some 350 school cricketers. It was moving and solemn as Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan, his closest rival to the throne, walked side by side complimenting each other to a rousing applause. For after all, as Warne reiterated, "I came here on an invitation by Murali. He asked me whether I could come and help in a small way and I was so moved by what had happened that I came along.' Indeed, Warne's coming to a country which he acknowledges he loves so much - it was his thirteenth trip, he said - certainly brought cricket to its feet. The game had forged a togetherness between two champion bowlers. One not overly bothered about who got the record, Muralitharan himself insisting that whoever was destined to get it would get it. Warne, hailed Muralitharan as a master with the ball 'who can turn it as much as 14 degrees.' Muralitharan returned it in the words that 'Warne is one of the greatest bowlers I have seen. He is known for his great commitment in the Australian team. Moreover, a natural disaster like the tsunami as Warne reiterated its human aspect had with it forged a closer bond between the two rivals, perhaps fit for a story script once their careers are written. Still responding to the Sunday Observer, Warne, in the words of a cricketer, illustrated the magnitude of such a devastation as the tsunami which claimed 40,000 Sri Lankan lives, when he said: "in Galle yesterday (Wednesday) I spent some 12 to 13 hours and was moved by what I saw. There were so many little children whom we gave chocolates and other equipment to cheer them up. It really moves my heart."
He said, "I see that different charities are channelled here, but want to help those who need them which is a concern. I'll do this through the Shane Warne Foundation based in the city of Melbourne. Some need shelter and I think I can help." The world record holder, who leads his Sri Lankan rival by some 34 wickets, said he was surprised by the number of up and coming spinners who were present at the clinic. "We don't get so many in Australia," exclaimed Warne of the young'uns from between 8 years to their teens. Muralitharan (32), who has had a long lay off due to an injury-related shoulder before turning out in tsunami fund-raising matches for a World XI, was as moved as Warne. Ready to forget the duel between them, words of profound thanks simply flowed at Warne's equal commitment to a cause such as what was facing Sri Lanka. Apart from relief aid, Warne has donated US dollars 1 million rupees towards rebuilding the Galle International Cricket Stadium which was destroyed by the tsunami waters. After all it carried fond memories for the record holder who reached the 500-wicket milestone at the venue two years ago. His three-day visit culminated with a fund-raising dinner Thursday before flying out on Thursday night leaving a wholly satisfied Muralitharan whose immediate task of relief work he said was to carry out resettling and rehabilitation of the displaced on a long-term plan. "I want to make sure that people here don't forget the disaster," he said. The champions parted after a fund-raising dinner Thursday night. A meeting which carried the hallmarks of a story book ending. Of an epitaph when finally written of two of the world's greatest ever bowlers - that humanity more than records was the eventual winner. |
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