Neil Manthorpe : Cricket
He was desperately keen to tour England again, to finish his remarkable career in the land where the game of cricket began and where he would have time to ease an understudy into the job. But now Dave Richardson has gone, just like that. No fuss, no fanfare, no tears.
None of us yet realises how much we will miss him. He never, ever lied to himself. He never over-stated but had a delectable ability to under-state. His thoughts on the 1992 World Cup debacle against England when he and Brian McMillan were left requiring 22 from one ball instead of 13 because of rain? “People were crying when we got back to the dressing room and taking it very badly. But all I could feel was relief that we we didn’t have to play another game, to go through the tension and nerves.
“We didn’t really know what we were doing in those days. So I was just relieved to pack my coffin for the last time, do some shopping and go home to my family.”
When South Africa were beaten he never, ever made excuses. Even when there were bloody good excuses available, he would inevitably be the voice of reason. “They were the better side and deserved to win,” he would say. When he didn’t know the answer to a question, he would say “I don’t know.”
He would never ramble on drearily for the sake of saying something and, in six years, he never used a cliché (except to make a joke). He was interested in other people’s thoughts. Interviewed in Australia by a respected local journalist, he replied to one question: “Gee, good question. Umm, what do you think?” The journalist was flummoxed. And Swinger meant it, too. He was actually interested in the journalist’s opinion.
If there is one legacy he will leave with the media that toured with him, it is that failure is as interesting — more interesting, actually — than success.
“Why do you guys always talk to the players who score a hundred or take five wickets? Why don’t you find out how the guy who has just made his fifth duck is feeling? What about the guy with 0-163? What about me when I’ve dropped a catch?”
The thing is, Swinger only dropped four catches in 42 tests. The fourth one came in Adelaide and it hurt him very much. But not as much as the arthritic hip with which he has battled for nearly two years. He will play on for E.P. this season, fitness allowing, but he will be terribly, terribly missed on international tour.
Actually, he will probably remain on tour for some of the time as the players’ agent and business manager. He will be anything but lost to the sport and his influence may well be as calming, soothing and sensible behind his business suit as it was behind the stumps. Goodbye Swinger. Welcome back.