In the not-too-distant past, when world domination was in its infancy, it was often said that the only way to be left out of the Australian Cricket team was to die. I’m starting to wonder whether this line is being followed a little too literally.
Matthew Hayden, now a month past his 37th birthday, is the latest of a host of champion sportsmen and women this year to face the never-ending question of “how much longer?”
But while he’s only just started making reference to the inevitable end of his brilliant career, now making comments like, “at this stage of my career, twelve months is a very long time”, Hayden still doesn’t seem game to mention the ‘R’ word.
But why is this the case? Why is it that our modern sporting stars seem to hang on for that one last glimpse of brilliance? And who was the last sportsperson to retire and leave everyone thinking he or she “should’ve had one more season”?
This year, genuine greats including Adam Gilchrist, Steve Menzies, Layne Beachley, Robert Harvey, and Mark Skaife have pulled, or are in the process of pulling the pin. I was quite happy to see that sanity prevailed for Shane Crawford too, who despite agreeing to a one-year contract in the days after Hawthorn’s Grand Final triumph, did an abrupt about-face and retired the very next day. I guess a Premiership in your 305th senior game will do that to you.
All of these champions have had the distinction of going out “on their terms”, and have been able to choose their exit. But the other common denominator has been that all of them have gone into some degree of decline in their twilight years.
Hayden seems to going through this decline currently.
This of course is not new, and they and he certainly won’t be the last to endure something of a fading in powers before finally calling time. In this day and age of increased earnings for professional athletes, it’s hardly surprising that the pay cheque is accepted for as long as they can get away with it.
They are, after all, “a long time retired”.
The obvious question therefore, is just how long is too long?
Brett Lee has said over the weekend that he feels his body will hold up for “another four or five years yet”, meaning he still intends to be playing somewhere near 2013. Given that he’s already this summer said that he feels he can still bowl faster yet, the sight of a 37-year-old Lee still letting 150km/h thunderbolts rip is sure to be something worth seeing. A tad optimistic I think too…
Steven Price, who at 35 seems to have had three or four consecutive “career-best” seasons for the Warriors, Queensland and Australia, still has plans to play rugby league for the next one or two seasons yet. He’s probably fit enough to do it too.
Footballers of course, have incentive to play on in the form of salary cap concessions for long-serving players. And again, it shouldn’t be surprising that our cricketers, with the Indian riches of Twenty20 essentially on tap, are bound to play on for as long as possible.
It really only seems to the Olympic sports like swimming and athletics where the athletes close their careers prematurely these days, though admittedly, I can’t recall too many Australian track athletes going out at the “top of their games”. And obviously, the four-year cycle of Olympic pressure is only going to become more intense.
So, if we’re to be truthful about these things, the answer to “how long is too long?” these days is simply, worryingly, as long as the cheques keep coming. The incentive and the recognition for the well-timed retirement just isn’t the same as it once was. Record numbers of games need to be played, and people are happy to watch their favourites for as long as possible.
Clearly the lure of the last dollar is greater than the fear of lost credibility.
And this all means that the early retirement is a thing of the past. Get used to more Steve Waugh-style retirement “tours”, rather than the sudden announcement a la Cathy Freeman or Ian Thorpe.
I guess it would make a nice change to hear a player-of-the-match in their late-twenties stun a media gathering with “I think that’s as good as I’ll ever get, and so I reckon this year will see me out…” It’d be dropped jaws everywhere and the sound of crickets chirping. Sadly, that’s not ever likely to be the case.
A possible answer to an earlier question: Pat Rafter – he certainly “should’ve had one more season”.
After posting 92 with the bat, the RCB star was having an equally brilliant day in the field.
The RCB opener posted a man-of-the-match 92 off 47, as his side defeated Punjab Kings by 60 runs.
The opener scored a man-of-the-match 89 off 30, in the 10-wicket win against Lucknow Super Giants that came off just 9.4 overs.
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