Frail Bradman delivers message of hope for scandal-plagued cricket

He also appeared to forecast his own early demise in a speech delivered by his son to a function late Thursday in honour of the frail old man acknowledged in every cricketing nation as the greatest cricketer who ever lived.

"As my days on earth rapidly draw to a close, I am proud to have set an example of all that is best in our noble game," he told an audience which included Australia's most prominent cricket fan, Prime Minister John Howard. "Despite recent sad developments, cricket will survive and remain our most noble game and I shall always remain proud of the part I played in its history and development."

Bradman, who will be 92 on Sunday week, has only rarely entered the public arena or made any public comment in recent decades, and has never appeared since his wife died a year or two ago.

But it had been hoped the great man would record a video message for the black-tie audience that included hundreds of cricketers, past and present, at the Australian Cricket Board's inaugural Sir Donald Bradman oration, delivered by Howard. However, Bradman's son John rose to make the speech, penned by Bradman at his home in Adelaide where he has lived since retirement from the game with a batting average of 99.94, the highest ever attained by a long margin.

Next best was South Africa's Graham Pollock with 60.83 in the 1960s. Of the current cricketing generation nobody has come close, with Sachin Tendulkar reaching 54.84, and the second highest scoring Australian, Allan Border, making 50.

"Little did my parents dream that on 27th August, 1908 their new-born son would have an oration named after him and delivered by the Prime Minister," Bradman told 250 guests at the dinner, in Melbourne.

"On their behalf, I thank the Australian Cricket Board for the idea and our most distinguished citizen for so generously giving of his time to deliver the address."

He also told how his father had taken him to a Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1921 and how he had told him he would never be happy until he played there.

"There was no radio or TV in my days as a toddler, but somehow I developed a love of cricket which has stayed with me for nearly 90 years."

In the oration, Howard said it was not Bradman's record alone, nor the times in which he played, but the quality of the man himself which had elevated him to the status of "greatest living Australian."

"Even now, in another century, in a world scarcely recognisable to that in which he played, the name Bradman resonates with meaning -- talent, determination, commitment, fair play, honour."

Howard also touched on the match-fixing scandal, saying the allegations represented a challenge to the very fine qualities encouraged by the game of cricket -- "to the very values personified by Sir Donald and so many of our other sporting champions."

Mail Cricket Editor