Cricket's Superman had human frailties

While the world honours the birth centenary of Don Bradman, an old article by Ian Chappell reappears in the Hindustan Times, in which he talks about his fight with the Don.

As captain, I found it frustrating you couldn’t have a discussion with Bradman. If you had a varying opinion to his that was the end of the matter; it was closed not in the manner of finishing a book but more like a door slamming in your face. Once you’d put your case he countered with the perennial, “No son, we can’t do that,” delivered in his distinctive high- pitched tone, as was the harangue that followed and then the meeting was over. His attitude toward the Australian players’ requests for better pay was extremely disappointing in view of the battles he had with the authorities over similar issues when he was playing.

Bradman is as great without the four runs that would give him a Test average of 100, writes Ayaz Memon in the DNA. In the same paper, Vijay Tagore recalls a trip to the Don's locality during India's last tour to the country.