Mumbai Atrocities Leave The Bushrangers Stunned
The Sunday Age
Sunday November 30, 2008
IF THINGS had gone to plan, the Victorian Bushrangers would have arrived at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai this morning.
However, the unspeakable acts of violence that occurred on Thursday morning resulting in the loss of so many lives and injuries to many more have rewritten our agenda and affected my teammates in more than a cricketing sense.Many of us have travelled to India before, stayed at the Taj Mahal and Oberoi Hotels that were targeted by the terrorists, been to the other areas where innocent tourists and locals were ambushed, and know people who were involved in the horrible events of that day. It is hard not to be affected on a personal level by these events, but they are magnified by the fact that the team was due to arrive in Mumbai today.The postponement of the Twenty20 Champions League was the only option available to the league's organising committee and the effect it will have is minuscule in comparison to the loss and grieving foisted on the families and friends of those who were directly involved. I spent some time in India during the inaugural Indian Premier League competition and loved the culture of the place and its cricket-crazy public. The attention that all cricketers receive makes you feel like a king every time you walk on to the street. It is an experience that you never forget.We all hope the authorities find those responsible, that Mumbai can return to some semblance of normality, and that a cricket-mad country can again be deemed safe by those who make these judgements.The time the Bushrangers now have at home will be used to recover from what has been a non-stop schedule for the past month.Pretty much perfect is how we view the start to both the Sheffield Shield and Ford Ranger Cup competitions, with the recent loss to Tasmania in the one-day format the only blot on the copybook.The dressing-room banter within the team this season has been as good as ever and the general feeling is outstanding. In any long period away, there will occasionally be a few niggles, but at this stage everyone is getting along famously and we are determined to ensure it remains this way as we strive to win every competition we play in.Two additions to the squad in Chris Rogers and Damien Wright have played a key role in building this attitude and they are, without a doubt, two of the recruits of the year."Buck" Rogers has been a revelation at the top of the order and has shown his class by being among the leading run-scorers in both four-day and one-day cricket. On top of that, he has fitted into our team perfectly.He would be the first to admit that he is not the prettiest player to watch, but his ability to get us off to a good start against the best bowlers has taken the pressure off our middle order and added a touch of class."Buck" really is a lovely fellow, but he should have been a lawyer. He loves a debate and there have been some good ones since he arrived. On top of that, his knowledge of the game and experience have been a great help to the other senior members of the team. He loves to play cricket, he loves a good time and, most of all, he loves to win.Damien Wright came to the Bushrangers from Tasmania at the start of this season and has been another wonderful addition.Not only is he a very experienced and classy bowler, he is a great educator and his work with some of the other bowlers in our group has been invaluable. Damien has worked closely with James Pattinson, who made his Victorian debut recently, and we can all see the result that is having.Clint McKay is another who has spent a lot of time with Damien and, again, the results are clear to see. Both Clint and James are very exciting prospects and are going the right way about being noticed by the Australian selectors.
© 2008 The Sunday Age
