The Warne-ing of fate: Cricket and a colonial past

Retirement,” said some wise soul, “requires the invention of a new hedonism, not a return to the hedonism of youth.” But such wisdom seems quite lost on some people. Seeking a return to days of yore, trying to reclaim past glory, or even bask for some more time in its reflection, can entice even those we’d ordinarily think have had enough of all that already, whether babus or sport celebrities. Take Aussie spin legend Shane Warne. Recent reports suggested that calls were issuing forth to recall the leg spinner. And the man himself left the question rather unanswered by only saying he ‘was flattered’. Of course, the background tale is that the Aussies, used to dominating cricket for years, just can’t seem to digest the fact that their run is well and truly over. Perhaps there was a faint hint of the mind-games with which the Aussies used to augment their prowess on the field, in putting out such speculation right after suffering their first innings defeat on home ground against England in 23 years in the second Test at Adelaide.

It does seem highly unlikely that Warney will, indeed, return in time for the third Ashes Test in Perth, starting next Thursday. But, for the man himself, given the flamboyance he displayed during his playing days, it probably would be a grand idea. A coalescence of a grizzled gladiator, the veteran general, a cricketing James Bond coming back again in service of the nation and the baggy green. But times might have changed. Commentators are pointing out older age, the “delusional state”, even not having players from a multi-cultural ‘melting pot’ as the reasons behind Australia’s decline and England’s rise. A colonial past, it seems, is good for cricket. And even Warne mightn’t suffice now.