TONy Becca, Senior Sport Editor
WHEN IT comes to supporting a cause, there are no sportsmen like cricketers.
In the long history of cricket, players have always answered the call to appear in benefit matches for their colleagues or to raise funds for something as worthy as the improvement in facilities and this past week was no exception.
On Thursday, some of the world's greatest players of yesterday and a few from today turned up at the Honourable Artillery Company ground in London to pay tribute to the late great Malcolm Marshall, and yesterday at The Oval some of the best of today answered the call of Surrey CCC president and former British Prime Minister John Major and paraded their skills in the Asia versus the Rest of the World match to raise funds for the County club which boasts a rich history.
With the Asian X1 comprising players from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and with the rest of the World X1, but for Courtney Walsh of the West Indies and Nasser Hussain of England, loaded with white cricketers from England, New Zealand and Zimbabwe there was a temptation to look at The Oval match as Black versus White, but although there were some fans who did so - particularly among the thousands and thousands of Asians, it was generally seen as a set of top class cricketers parading their skills for the benefit of the game.
That was what it was, happily that is how it was viewed by the vast majority of the capacity crowd, and as far as exciting strokeplay, entertainment and enjoyment were concerned, it was cricket, lovely cricket under a blue sky and in lovely sunshine.
They were two days to remember - two days during which, with nothing at stake, the batsmen played some glorious strokes, two days during which, with nothing at stake as far as national pride is concerned, the fans, relaxed and enjoying themselves, cheered every brilliant stroke - especially at The Oval where the likes of Hussain, Nathan Astle, Saeed Anwar, Mohammad Azharrudin of India with his wristy strokes, and particularly Aravinda de Silva treated the gathering to some charming and exhilarating batting.
Maybe because there were seven Indians in the rest of the world team, yesterday The Oval, but for its relatively small size, was like the Eden Gardens in Calcutta. It did not matter, however, who played them, the fans, all of them, cheered every shot which deserved it.
It was strange but wonderful to see and hear the Pakistani gathering cheering not so much Sri Lankan de Silva when he eased his left foot forward and drove Walsh to the long-off boundary - all along the ground, but more so Azharrudin of India when he went across and flicked the West Indian pacer through mid-wicket from outside the offstump.
It was just as strange and equally wonderful to see the response of the Indian contingent when Anwar of Pakistan went inside and stroked the left-handed pacer Alan Mullaly through mid-wicket.
There is always something special about watching former champions in action, however, and the event of the two promotions was the tribute to Marshall in the centre of London.
Organised to raise funds for the great fast bowler's son 10-year-old Mali, the tribute realised a profit of 50,000 pounds sterling as some 3,000 spectators, mostly English, turned up for the occasion.
The number of spectators was a tribute to Marshall's greatness, and the number and quality of players, past and present, who made themselves available was a testimony not only to the greatness of the Barbadian and West Indian but also to the spirit in which he played the game.
There is a story that Glen McGrath, the star fast bowler from Australia, called the organisers a few days before the game, asked how many players they had confirmed, and when the answer came back that 45 had done so, McGrath said "make that 46".
Those who played or who simply turned up to say thanks to a great practitioner of the sport they love included not only Marshall's own West Indians and teammates like Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Walsh and the younger Brian Lara, not only McGrath, but also others such as Allan Lamb, Graeme Hick and Mullaly of England.
It was a great tribute, made even more so by the presence of Winston Davis in his wheelchair. Davis, also a colleague of Marshall on the West Indies was paralysed when he fell from a tree some years ago.
When it comes to worthy causes such as The Oval restoration, cricket is second to none, when it comes to lending a hand to one of their own, cricketers are like a brotherhood, when it comes to supporting the players for supporting a cause, the fans are super, and that is why it is not surprising that so many of the great players, past and present, and so many thousands of fans turned up at the Honourable Artillery Company ground on Thursday and at The Oval yesterday.
Connie, Marshall's widow, was right when she said that had he been around to see it, the man rated by many as the greatest West Indies fast bowler ever would have been touched to see so many great colleagues taking up their bats, picking up a ball, and playing for him and his son.
Judging by the words of admiration that flowed from their mouths, it was an honour for the players to come together and play a game in her late husband's memory. As he had done for other cricketers, and for other causes, as great as he was Marshall would have done the same for any one of them and for all of them.
