Monday, November 21, 2005
Sad losses to England cricket
I noticed the England team took the field wearing black armbands today, but it wasn't until I read the ECB website that I found out why.
I knew Robert Padmore from way back in the early nineties; he was probably on my first tour to Australia in 1991.
I have to be upfront and say I never liked him. He was arrogant, and obnoxious on occasions. He certainly toured the West Indies in 1994, where we had a bit of an argument borne out of jealousy. Drunk, he basically wanted to know why I had made friends with certain tourists when he couldn't, so he became abusive.
We always passed pleasantries after that, but no more. We would meet at reunion dinners, and then on the next tour; he was in Perth during 2002, the last time I went away with England.
A man driven to excess, it doesn't surprise me that he died in a bar. When you think about it, there isn't much else to do in Pakistan in the evening...
My heart actually goes out to those in the same tour group who are touring with him - in 1998 I was part of a tour of Guyana where one person died and that takes a lot of enjoyment out of the trip.
This news follows on from the death two weeks ago of Dave Thomas, another long time England tourist, also from a suspected heart attack. Dave had booked his Pakistan trip, but never made it to the airport unfortunately. Dave roomed with a good friend of mine many timess during tours abroad.
Sad news.
I knew Robert Padmore from way back in the early nineties; he was probably on my first tour to Australia in 1991.
I have to be upfront and say I never liked him. He was arrogant, and obnoxious on occasions. He certainly toured the West Indies in 1994, where we had a bit of an argument borne out of jealousy. Drunk, he basically wanted to know why I had made friends with certain tourists when he couldn't, so he became abusive.
We always passed pleasantries after that, but no more. We would meet at reunion dinners, and then on the next tour; he was in Perth during 2002, the last time I went away with England.
A man driven to excess, it doesn't surprise me that he died in a bar. When you think about it, there isn't much else to do in Pakistan in the evening...
My heart actually goes out to those in the same tour group who are touring with him - in 1998 I was part of a tour of Guyana where one person died and that takes a lot of enjoyment out of the trip.
This news follows on from the death two weeks ago of Dave Thomas, another long time England tourist, also from a suspected heart attack. Dave had booked his Pakistan trip, but never made it to the airport unfortunately. Dave roomed with a good friend of mine many timess during tours abroad.
Sad news.
