From Philip and Alan Sutherland, Australia

Old man WG played till he was 60 © Getty Images

Simon Katich’s name being cut from the contracts list, Sanath Jayasuriya’s final fling in ODIs, and Martin Crowe’s decision to return to first-class cricket in New Zealand, have all raised the issue of age in the game. That, in itself, is not entirely new. In the first-ever Test, New South Walesbatsman Ned Gregory made his debut as a 37-year old. In addition to his making the first duck, it is not surprising given his age (which made him the third-oldest in the match), and his family commitments, that he did not play again.

Three Tests and over three years later the bold doctor, WG Grace, made his debut at a comparatively young age of 32. His sporadic international career concluded with the 60th Test at Trent Bridge in 1899. He was almost 52 and “the ground was getting too far away”, however, not quite far enough to stop him from turning out in first-class matches until he reached the grand age of 60.

Don Blackie, the offspinner from Bendigo in the Victorian goldfields, made his debut at the age of 46 at the SCG in the second Test of 1928-29, the game subsequently made famous by the selectors excluding a young Don Bradman. Bradman had made his debut in Brisbane a fortnight earlier, along with medium-paced spinner “Dainty” Ironmonger, who at 45 years, had started his first-class career when Bradman was an infant.

Ironmonger’s 26-year first-class career was surpassed in length by, Cyril Washbrook, the Lancastrian stalwart. Washbrook, who played 592 first-class matches, was known as a technically sound right-hand batsman and an excellent cover fielder, although his fielding must surely have slowed a tad by the time he approached his 50th birthday. Washbrook’s career was interrupted by the Second World War, before he returned to enjoy his best two seasons in 1946 and 1947.

By contrast, Bob Simpson’s career ended on 31st January, 1968, after he batted down the order rather than opening. But, with the split due to World Series Cricket, Simpson was to return almost ten years later, on December 2, 1977, to captain Australia against India at Brisbane at the age of 41. Opening the batting for the opposition was Sunil Gavaskar, still regarded by some as India’s best-ever batsman. With 125 Tests and 108 ODI matches to his name, Gavaskar played his final international game in Mumbai at the age of 38.

Gavaskar’s successor as the ‘Little Master’, Sachin Tendulkar, now 38, is still apparently improving. In the last two-and-a-half years of his Test career, Tendulkar has averaged over 70. In all probability, Tendulkar may continue for a few years yet. Four more years would see him well past 40 and about the same age that Jayasuriya currently is.

Jayasuriya’s last hurrah is scheduled for June 28, 2011 at The Oval. He will be two days shy of his 42nd birthday, but just a youngster compared to Martin Crowe. It was a shame that injuries forced the retirement of New Zealand’s best-ever batsman when he still had so much to offer. Although, his mooted return is merely to the ranks of the Plunkett Shield, at 48 it would still require one heck of an effort. One cannot, however, but wish him luck should he decide to go ahead. In his prime, he was one of the most watchable batsmen anywhere and a lesson in technique to almost all.

One hopes, also, that Katich can continue to contribute to Australia’s Sheffield Shield. Katich has been a fine servant of New South Wales for many years and it would be shame to lose him. In these days of ultra-professionalism, while a burgeoning body-mass index is definitely out, one hopes that the game can still offer its best players a decent middle-age (career-wise) spread.

From R.Giridharan, India

	Rahul Dravid was axed from the ODI squad despite playing his part to a nicety © AFP

All of a sudden assets could become liabilities; strengths turn into weaknesses. I suspect that is what happened to Rahul Dravid, when the squad for the one-dayers against Australia was picked. He played his assigned role to perfection when all around him did not. Still others held their places, he got the boot. Despite obvious injustice, he has held his dignity, maintained his composure and has not murmured anything faintly resembling dissent. What strength of character! Has his armour become his Achilles heel?

To be fair, selection is a zero-sum game and someone has to be axed to make way for someone else. Men in the hot seat prefer not to ruffle feathers, more so when the going is tough. A man who handles injustice with calmness and dignity is the easiest cat to bell. After all he can be trusted not to wash dirty linen in public.

By no means is this malaise peculiar to India. Australians Doug Walters and Brad Hodge, Pakistan’s Aaqib Javed and England’s Matthew Hoggard have been administered with doses of the same poison.

Some cricketers catch the eye with their high-voltage celebrations, designer appeals, and theatrical sledging which embellish their pure cricket. Others are happy chipping away quietly and cloaking their inner fire with outward tranquility. The former appeal more to human memory, even though the latter play an equally vital role.

Everyone rants and raves endlessly on Shahid Afridi’s heroics in the semi-final of the recent World Twenty20. Shoaib Malik’s beautifully paced innings acting as an ideal foil to Afridi, his accurate bowling and calm, assured catching was another highlight, but probably mentioned only as an after thought. The 2005 Ashes evokes memories of Flintoff’s exploits, Vaughan’s calm captaincy and Pietersen’s audacity, but Matthew Hoggard’s sustained hostility is probably in the mind’s recycle bin. Thus, the subconscious mind has already devalued Shoaib Malik and Matthew Hoggard. For the same reasons stocks with sound fundamentals are not always the favorites with investors.

Wars are won in small battles. Some cricketers play out of their skins in the earlier stages of a long campaign, setting the trend and laying the launching pad. Others deliver towards the end. The later acts remain etched in the mind like acid on a photographic plate, the former consigned to the back burner. Any discussion on India’s 1983 World Cup win would centre on Kapil’s 175 and his catches in the final, Sandhu’s magical delivery accounting for Greenidge, Srikanth’s daredevilry and Mohinder Amarnath’s all-round contribution. Yashpal Sharma, who compiled a fighting 89 in the path-breaking opening tie against the all-conquering West Indies, who top scored against Australia in the do-or-die league encounter; who guided India to the doorstep of victory in the semi-final, barely finds a mention in the footnote.

Low-profile men suffer from a double whammy. Their high points are under-priced and their failures, therefore, magnified. If a promising youngster has to be given a break, then they are seen as the most easily expendable. Doug Walters was overlooked for the 1981 Ashes, despite making plenty of runs in both legs of the twin series against India and New Zealand played earlier as the selectors wanted to blood Trevor Chappell and Dirk Welham.

When the superstars return, the more unassuming bear the cross. Aaqib Javed who scalped 16 wickets at 19.56 apiece in three Tests in 1995 against Sri Lanka found himself in the cold when Wasim and Waqar returned. He was forgotten by the selectors who preferred to plump for Mohammad Akram as the third seamer and played very few Tests after that. Sure, sneaking under the radar works your way occasionally. Mohammad Azharuddin became the Indian captain precisely for that reason. After all, it evens out in the end.