Boon Sounds His Retreat From The Line Of Fire (25 Jan 1996)

Electronic Telegraph Thursday 25 January 1996

Boon sounds his retreat from the line of fire

Peter FitzSimons on retirement for Australia`s stoic male model

DAVID BOON, the cornerstone of the Australian batting line-up for more than a decade, has announced his retirement.

The famously moustachioed Tasmanian said in Adelaide yesterday that at the conclusion of the coming Test match against Sri Lanka, he would no longer be available for Test selection.

This fits well, because he was in all probability no longer going to be picked - his form has been scratchy and he has already been dropped from the one-day line-up - but it was sad news for Australian cricket followers all the same.

"It was a decision I made about six weeks ago after discussing it with my wife and family," Boon, 35, said. "I loved every single moment of my Australian career and it will be difficult adjusting to life without international cricket."

Boon was, of course, an outstanding batsman - he has played 106 Tests with an average of 43.71 and 21 centuries. But he was something more than that. Truth be told, Boon was seen by Australian men in particular as representing the best of our national character.

We think of ourselves as a resilient bunch, stoic under fire. Boon was the proof, holding on in Test after Test as the brutes fired everything but bazookas to get him out. `Boonie` could do it, did do it, loved it, showed the others the way.

We like to think we can hold our grog. Boon holds a record for consuming 58 cans of beer on a flight from Sydney to London.

We fancy we`re quite patriotic. Boon was there after every winning Test match, standing on the table in the crowded dressingroom, spraying the side with champagne and leading the team in song. We`re going to miss him.

No retirement story would be complete, though, without recalling at least one famous anecdote from his past. The one I like best was told to me by Boon a couple of years ago, and is drawn from his first Test, in 1984.

It was in Brisbane, on a burning hot day. Boon had been providing pugnacious resistance to the West Indies attack for three solid hours, and every run he scored was like a fresh insult to the increasingly agitated men from the Caribbean.

Finally, the fearsome fast bowler Malcolm Marshall could take the Australian youngster`s insolence no more. After releasing a thunderbolt at Boon`s wicket, Marshall continued his run up to the crease to finish just in front of the stocky Tasmanian, all snorting rage and flying sweat, to deliver this ultimatum: "Listen man, I know this is your first Test, but if you don`t get out soon I`ll come round the wicket and kill you."

Boon stared him down and took his guard. In Marshall`s next over, it came - a bouncer rearing up at the youngster`s head at 95 mph.

Boon hooked it for four. As the crowd roared, Boon looked up to see Marshall`s reaction but was confronted instead by his batting partner Rodney Hogg. As the senior man, no doubt Hogg was approaching to offer his congratulations and advice. Not quite. "What are you doing?" Hogg wanted to know. "You`re going to get us all killed!"

Others wilted under that sort of fire. Boonie ate it for breakfast. He`ll be remembered for that.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)