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Simply the best Sir Donald Bradman inspired generations of Australians
Even though he retired from test cricket decades before I was born, Sir Donald Bradman was my biggest childhood hero. More than just a great former player, he was an almost mythical figure. From an early age in Australia, we're told about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and "The Don". After a while we learn that Santa doesn't really come each Christmas from the North Pole and that the Easter Bunny isn't the one who delivers the chocolate eggs. But there's conclusive proof that Donald Bradman actually did average almost 100 in test matches. I can remember my elderly relatives and friends speaking in hushed tones as they recalled highlights from Bradman's career between 1928-48. Old film reels of the so-called Bodyline series of 1932-33 (when England used hostile fast bowling to intimidate Bradman's prolific batting) had the somber flavor of a World War II documentary. Bradman's "Invincible" team, which dominated England during the Ashes tour of 1948, was held in the kind of esteem by Australian society as a European nation might salute a Nobel Peace Prize winner. Long before Australia established itself on the world stage, our super-competitive nation relied on its sports stars to give it a sense of global status. Bradman's overseas success, particularly in England (where he averaged 102.84 in 19 tests with 11 centuries) provided many Australians with a sense of nationalistic pride. An example of his fame is illustrated in the following story. Some friends in Sydney saw a picture of their house as part of a TV news story because it was once owned by Sir Donald's mother-in-law! His fame was so great that Bradman's son John changed his name in an attempt to lead a normal life. In Australia, one of the easiest sports trivia questions is to be asked Sir Don's test batting average. 99.94 is as familiar to most Australians as their own telephone number. However, the world's most famous cricket player was not without his critics in Australia. Some found him cold, arrogant and distant. Many were hurt by his decision to live like a recluse for many of the final years of his life rather than share his wisdom and experience. But Sir Donald felt he had earned a right to some privacy after so many years in the public gaze as a player and then administrator. He did grant a television interview on his 90th birthday in 1998, which was aired nationally to a huge, prime-time audience. Significantly, he nominated Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar as the player most likely to rival his level of excellence. Still, Tendulkar averages 57.28 in 79 test matches compared to 99.94 for Bradman in 52 (South Africa's Graeme Pollock in second-best on the all-time list with 60.97 in 23 matches). The reality is that there will never be a batsman as good as Donald George Bradman, neither statistically nor technically. Like Pele in football, and Michael Jordan in basketball, "The Don" is simply the best. Australian-born Jason Dasey is a co-anchor for World Sport, a 30-minute sports highlights and news program shown on CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNN International.
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