Not Cricket

I Vaughan to break free

 "Ball is white; it's round, you know what you've done to get here, watch it as hard as you can".

I wouldn't want to be remembered in posterity by these words  but Michael Vaughan has no choice in this matter. It's already out there in the public domain.

But most others will remember him for his many other, better qualities. His graceful batting, his steely resolve, his unflappable demeanour. Here was a man, who came as a whiff of fresh air in the stuffy English dressing room; both as a player and a captain. The positive attitude gradually rubbed off on the other players, with the team tasting success. More importantly whining, which was fast overtaking football as the most followed sport in England, had become a thing of the past.

Of all things like talent, technique, fitness, and attitude, that are needed to bring success in cricket and for that matter any sport, Vaughan brought the one most needed.  Character.

All the talk of his captaincy apart, Vaughan was a treat to watch as a batsman. The India series in England in 2002 was a battle between two men at their most sublime. Dravid and Vaughan. Your affinities didn't matter. The quality of the batsmanship ensured that nationalities didn't creep into the unpolluted enjoyment of their skills at display. Vaughan was, arguably, at the height of his abilities then. And so was Dravid, one could argue. Vaughan couldn't cash onto this form as much as he would have liked to. But there was no doubt about his talent or temperament.

 One last hurrah was the sentimentalist's hope for Vaughan. One last success against the old enemy to go out on a high. But sport is cruel and doesn't care much for emotional farewells.  Vaughan took it on his chin and decided to move on.