20 Comments

What a sad end, if it is one. Us Indians remember Will Puc's debut for the two consecutive fours he hit off Saini (also on debut) to bring up his fifty at Sydney in '21. Such a precocious talent. On the day of his debut, Andrew Wu wrote a hilarious piece in SMH about him asking an exam invigilator for the score from a Gabba Ashes Test while writing his Year 10 History exam.

I am so glad you see a full life ahead of him even as cricket is left by the wayside. May he live long and prosper! :)

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El Chop - lovely to see you here, mate!

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Dan, absolutely loving your artwork on each of these pieces. So so happy to see your work reach such amazing heights. :)

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Thanks, EC. Lovely sentiments.

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Sad but seemingly inevitable news - what could have been ?

I wish Will well and hope he may get into coaching or something as he certainly has skill to impart if he wants to.

Here is a tune for this situation - a cover of a Talk Talk song by French group Nouvelle Vague:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ5pZeHxYPI

Original song inspired by the cult classic “The Dice Man” by Luke Rhinehart (aka George Cockcroft).

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArJ9EMxsf9c

Mark E Smith did it first.

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Maybe so old mate but I still feel my tribute was more respectful and appropriate to Will’s retirement. The Fall ? You had to go there ffs ?

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I always go there, comrade.

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Haha - me too - peace bro.

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India's Raman Lamba died on a cricket field fielding at short leg playing club cricket in Bangladesh. Though, he never played for India but was good enough to play International cricket. That is one memory I have. But, I genuinely feel that in last 10-12 years, this concussion injuries have increased. Not sure, if it has to do with the technique of the batsman in general playing the short ball

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Yeah, I agree since introduction of helmets a lot more people get hit. I think there is something with the “false sense of security / bravado” these days as players may feel safe to have a crack at a ball heading for their head when technically, they're not quite up to it (yet) ? 20/20 also means players have to go for crazy shots more as well. When I played park cricket the only time I saw people get hit (pre-helmet days) was at training due to vendettas and people being idiots. Never saw it in a game - late 70’s to early 90’s. I never had any confidence in my hook shot so I just would duck or get out of the way and politely suggest the bowler had a go at the stumps.

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I still don't wear a helmet but I don't hook either and have never had any bravado!

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Welcome to the proud “No Bravado, We Don’t Hook” club mate, take a ticket at the door.

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Junior cricket basically outlawed anything close to short pitched bowling from the late 1990's. The chin music and intimidation that I copped as a 14yo playing mens cricket would not be tolerated now. It's an interesting confluence but the capacity for subsequent concessions after getting just one is the really frightening issue the lads discussed with Trent Keep on this weeks pod.

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I think you meant Paddy McCartin ....

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Please can l have your autoigraphs & neewsleterS

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It occurs to me that if you're discussing Parker as an unheard melody, the relevant Keats poem might be Ode on a Grecian Ern.

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Ah, yes, but I didn't notice that you mentioned Cotter. Cotter hadn't actually retired - he was still turning out now and again for Glebe in club cricket in 1914-15, but NSW had stopped selecting him, it's true.

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Thanks for the link to Parker! Although Parker is, I'm sorry to be pedantic, slightly different from Callaway and Gregory, because he had already retired from cricket before the war.

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Point taken. Although is that true also of Cotter? Only three matches after February 1912. Basically inactive at the time of his enlistment yet you'd still include him among cricket's war dead. You should know Max, you wrote that book too!

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