So does anybody deserve a farewell match/ to go out on his own terms?

Of course this has become topical with Punter, Sachin et al. With Sachin it was reported today that the selectors are too afraid to make a call on him lest they face recriminations, effigies etc. Both players have credit in the bank but both have used a lot and perhaps need to make a call.


Surely teams should be picked on merit.

If Punter casts his mind back to when he debuted he would not like to think that he was being kept out by someone who didn't warrant a place but was picked for sentimental reasons.

With big Ashes campaigns on the horizon the selectors must hate the prospect of hanging on to Punter only to have to make the call before the team leaves for London. Whoever replaces him must have time to be blooded properly into the role whether it be #3, 4 or 5 rather than having to get up to speed in English conditions conducive to swing etc.

Healy was deprived of his farewell test in his home state, Punter has had some reprieves already so may not deserve a Hobart finale.

Liked the comment on 'Inside Cricket' that it's rare to lament the retirement of a player, most seem to go on for too long.

You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately... Depart, I say; and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!


Cromwell

Steady on, I just came by for a quick coffee.

I liked the way Nasser went out. All right, he wasn't a great player and would've been eased aside in time, but he'd just scored a match-winning hundred in a game where a debutant (Strauss) also scored a hundred, and decided "that's a decent note to go out on" and gave himself up so that Strauss could retain his place (he was only playing due to Vaughan's injury).

That's the way to do it, IMO. Classy.

Aye, I think some players are a little bit cowardly - they can't cope with the thought of life without cricket and keep going, all the while sullying their reputation. The easier decision is for the board to make it for these players.

Brass Monkey wrote:Aye, I think some players are a little bit cowardly - they can't cope with the thought of life without cricket and keep going, all the while sullying their reputation. The easier decision is for the board to make it for these players.

Both Punter and Sachin parallel cases in that all they have known is cricket.

Lillee, Chappell and Marsh was a good finale. Chappell announced during the match he would go out. He needed sixty odd runs to be the first to break Bradman's record and did it. They all went out on a good note. Warnie and McGrath went out on top too.

Not to mention the fact that if a player retires these days, he's taking a significant pay cut. Who these days is going to voluntarily cut their salary in half?

Not many players go out whilst people are still asking "why now?" instead of "why not?" anymore. Nasser was probably the last one.

Henry wrote:Not to mention the fact that if a player retires these days, he's taking a significant pay cut. Who these days is going to voluntarily cut their salary in half?

Not many players go out whilst people are still asking "why now?" instead of "why not?" anymore. Nasser was probably the last one.

I think he was about done.

SRT is chasing records.

He is not hanging around for money. He has so much he doesn't know what to do with it.

Punter hardly needs the money. He is hanging around because he is a stubborn arrogant qunt.

chasing records? not many left

they just can't think of life outside cricket. and elite sportsmen more than most people just don't know when to give up

can't see sachin lasting too long if he doesn't make a score in this series. 6 more home tests left and then a big gap to the next one

The selectors, coaches, and captain are too scared to drop Tendulkar. No one has the courage to tell him he's not up to it.

I still think he'll make a couple of 50s in this series, but he needs to be ultra positive, like he was in the Ranji game the other week. I don't think his defence is good enough anymore.

he was a bit too positive i thought in ahmedabad, like he was trying to prove something. that was a brain implosion after the man had been put out

he just needs time in the middle. just earlier this year he was sublime in australia when everyone else was flailing around. he still has the technique. question is if his mind is clear

Nice blinkers, TO.

No one deserves a farewell match. If you aren't good enough any more, you don't get picked. If you want a "retirement" game, you need to actually retire, not be pushed out.

I don't abide by the Sachin apologists on here who cite their batsmen's collective failures as vindication of Sachin being in the team. Who's to say Tiwaryrahane wouldn't have fared better? This analogy isn't working for Virat Kohli so far this series, however.

Brass Monkey wrote:I don't abide by the Sachin apologists on here who cite their batsmen's collective failures as vindication of Sachin being in the team. Who's to say Tiwaryrahane wouldn't have fared better? This analogy isn't working for Virat Kohli so far this series, however.

Whatabout-ism. The bane of all debates. Deflects attacks very well though, most people don't have an answer when you bring out the "but what about..................?"