'Sir Don's World XI authentic'

The director of the Bradman Museum in New South Wales has confirmed that the late Sir Donald Bradman's all-time World XI, which does not include Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar, is indeed authentic.

"We understand the hurt Gavaskar may have gone through by not finding his name in the team, but let me assure everyone that the team was chosen by Sir Don himself," Richard Mulvaney said in a report published in the Hindustan Times on Thursday.

Gavaskar's contention is that Bradman, who steered clear of controversies throughout his playing career - including the controversial "bodyline" series against Australia in 1932-33 -- would not have "stuck his neck out and chosen a team which was bound to raise a storm".

"I do agree with Gavaskar that Bradman avoided controversy during his lifetime and that is the reason why he was not in favour of selecting a World XI," Mulvaney told the paper. "But Perry persuaded him to change his mind and select the team. Which Bradman did, but with the proviso that it be released after his death."

While stating that there was no question about the team's bona fide, Mulvaney revealed that the team was given to Perry in a letter written by Bradman in 1998-99.

Mulvaney further said that Bradman, whose Test career average of 99.94 is still a world record, had the "highest respect for Gavaskar," and the "world's leading run-getter need not feel slighted" by his omission from the side.

"In fact, no player should feel slighted as it is a personal selection," he said.

Incidentally, Gavaskar broke Bradman's world record of 29 Test centuries in 1983 and went on to become the first batsman to score 10,000 Test runs, besides establishing several other records. The Australian legend had then described Gavaskar as an "ornament to the game".

Gavaskar never allowed himself to be compared with the Adelaide-based master. After erasing Bradman's centuries record, he said that he had merely crossed a "milestone" and not "broken" the record.

The Bradman dream XI, released in a book chronicled by Ronald Perry in Sydney on Monday, includes India's Sachin Tendulkar, the current batting maestro. The 28-year-old happens to be the only active player included in the dream team and the only one from the subcontinent.

Indo-Asian News Service