His life was shattered by a match-fixing scandal and his death remains a subject of conspiracy theories but former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje was remembered fondly by Kevin Pietersen when he delivered the 6th MAK Pataudi Memorial Lecture here on Tuesday.
“Sachin Tendulkar, Shane Warne, Malcolm Marshall, Steve Waugh, Richard Hadlee, Kapil Dev. Even the late, great — but flawed — Hansie Cronje,” Pietersen said in his stirring address, which focussed on highlighting the relevance of Test cricket.
Pietersen, the first overseas player to be invited for the lecture in the honour of former India captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, said more than the pyrotechnics of the limited-overs cricket, it is the grit in white flannels that become unforgettable memories.
“Each played his fair share of one-day matches. But when we look back on their extraordinary achievements, the performances that will always stand the test of time are those when they were dressed in white,” he said.
“Caps and trousers stained with sweat, grass and sometimes even blood in the white heat of a Test match. It’s something I believe passionately,” he added.
Another subject that Pietersen touched upon and for which he has been actively campaigning, is conservation of rhinos.
