Sport - Cricket

Boon: happy and content

Hobart: David Boon is happy and content. He isn’t concerned that the cricketers of the modern era are making more money than he did. “Don Bradman said when you leave the game, you should leave it in better state for the next era,” he said. On the forthcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), he said, “I am a bit of a traditionalist. Test cricket should be given its due. But Twenty20 cricket appears exciting, is popular and quick. The ODI cricket changed the way Test cricket was played and I think Twenty20 will change how one-day cricket is being played.”

Boon was rock solid either as an opener, where he formed a formidable partnership with Geoff Marsh, or at No. 3 where he was a picture of defiance.

“Me and Marsh, we spent a lot of time together off the field, tried to understand each other. It helped. We also, at the right times, sought advice from past greats like Sunil Gavaskar,” he said.

Boon was an integral part of the Allan Border-led side that made the transition from a struggling side to a world beating one. “It was a very inexperienced side but AB (Allan Border) was a captain’s captain. He led from the front. There was a bit of AB in Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh. There is a bit of AB in Ricky Ponting.”

He recalls the 1987 World Cup and Australia’s triumph in the competition, “There was a lot of support from the Eden Gardens crowd in the finals. It was incredible. It was a significant win for Australia in the period.”

Boon’s catching at short leg is legendary. “AB believed in aggressive field placings. There were usually three slips and a short-leg. I enjoyed fielding there,” he said.

He remembers his battles with the West Indian pace bowlers. “They played four pacemen and all the four were menacing. I think Malcolm Marshall was the best.

“He consistently bowled at around 150 to 155 kmph, moved the ball around and could extract lift. He was accurate and hard to face.”

Boon says Australia’s Test series triumph against the West Indies in the mid-90s was the pivotal point of the side’s resurgence as an all conquering Test playing nation.

On the issue of sledging, Boon said, “Words said on the field has to be taken in the right context. There will be some chatting and if it is in the right language, then it is all right. But if it insults a person’s colour, race or religion, it is wrong.”

Boon said Mahendra Singh Dhoni held promise as a captain. The Aussie revealed he was a great admirer of Sachin Tendulkar.

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