Veterans deserved send-off I didn't get, says Healy
by Cricket Archive Staff Reporter
| Player: | IA Healy, SK Warne, GD McGrath, JL Langer, AR Border, ME Waugh, DC Boon, GS Chappell, DK Lillee, RW Marsh, ML Hayden, AC Gilchrist, MV Boucher |
DateLine: 10th January 2007
After being denied an emotional send-off to his glittering career, Ian
Healy hopes Cricket Australia has learned from Shane Warne, Glenn
McGrath and Justin Langer's retirement and offers a fitting farewell
for veteran players in the future.
Healy described the treatment of past Australian cricketing greats as
"ridiculous" and hoped Cricket Australia and national selectors had
turned the corner following the outpouring of emotion at the SCG.
As a Channel Nine commentator, Healy soaked up the scenes at the SCG as
Warne, McGrath and Langer triumphantly signed off following Australia's
5-0 Ashes whitewash of England.
The world record-holding wicketkeeper would have been forgiven for
having mixed emotions after his request for a similar farewell in his
home town of Brisbane was knocked back in 1999, despite playing 119
Tests in 11 years for his country.
Instead of being granted a Gabba send-off and a crack at 400 Test
dismissals, Healy inadvertently played his last game for Australia in
the cricketing wilderness of Harare, Zimbabwe, and finished with 395
scalps.
When announcing his retirement in October 1999, Healy said he had been
denied a "dream little finish".
Healy yesterday said the same "dumb" treatment was handed out to former
skipper Allan Border and batsmen Mark Waugh and David Boon.
"At the time I said it was dumb that Allan Border, David Boon and my
own retirement wasn't done like that (SCG send-off) and it was
ridiculous. Mark Waugh was another one (who missed out on a fitting
send-off)," Healy said. "I think if you are a 100-Test player you
deserve to walk off the field saying goodbye. Maybe they have finally
got it right."
Healy, 42, said the SCG swansong for McGrath, Warne and Langer was
something he would not soon forget, rivalling the 1984 retirements of
"three big boys" Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh in the
emotion stakes.
Healy was replaced as Australian wicketkeeper by Adam Gilchrist in
1999.
The likes of Gilchrist and fellow veteran Matthew Hayden are expected
to be among the next round of Australian Test retirements after
impressive careers.
Gilchrist (381 Test dismissals from 90 Tests) and South African
gloveman Mark Boucher (380 from 99) are in sight of Healy's world
record.
Healy also played 168 one-day internationals for Australia.
