Allan Border has made two things clear after announcing that he has Parkinson’s disease: He will stay on as a commentator, but he has no chance of achieving a ton.
Fox Sports confirmed that the highly respected Border will continue to be part of the network’s broadcast team this summer.
He will be on deck for Australia’s clashes with Pakistan and the West Indies.
Many Aussie cricket captains and legends such as Richie Benaud, Ian Chappell, Bill Lawry, Greg Chappell, Kim Hughes, Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke have all spent some time behind the microphone calling up cricket matches.
But ‘AB’ has consistently been one of the best of them, and one of the most respected in the cricketing world.
In 2016 Allan Border found out he had Parkinson’s and kept it a secret for years, now revealing it as it is starting to show (pictured with his wife Jane that year)
Allan Border was a legendary Australian cricket captain and a much sought-after figure in cricket when it comes to commentary
Allan Border celebrated the now iconic 1987 World Cup Final victory over India in his heyday – worn by Dean Jones on the left, Craig McDermott on the right as Steve Waugh looks on
For 20 years he has been traveling the world covering Australian tours abroad, long before the network won the home cricket TV rights in 2018.
Shortly after announcing that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, he said quite candidly that he had no chance of making it to the age of 80.
It broke the heart of many to hear, but it was delivered in typical candid, direct Border style.
“Right now I’m not afraid, at least not for the foreseeable future,” he said The Australian.
‘I’m 68. When I turn 80, it’s a miracle. I have a doctor friend and I said if I lived to be 80 it would be a miracle, and he said, ‘It will be a miracle.’
‘No way I’m getting another 100, that’s for sure. I’m slowly sliding west.’
Allan Border was one of the greatest batsmen Australia has ever produced
Border was the first player to score 11,000 runs in Tests and led Australia to a stunning one-day international World Cup victory in 1987.
He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2016, but chose to hide it from the public.
“I’m quite a private person and I didn’t want people to feel sorry for me,” he said.
“Whether people care, you don’t know. But I know there will come a day when people will notice.’
Legendary Border teammates, such as his in-play vice-captain and fellow cricket commentator, Ian Healy, are devastated by the news.
Ian Healy has a great cricketing mind and he played alongside Border for much of his career. He believes Border was the architect of the Australian cricket revival.
“AB has been the architect of Australian cricket’s success since the devastation of the mid-1980s,” said great wicketkeeper Healy.
‘He was particularly opposed to the power of the West Indies in their lands and ours. His fight now focuses on this health issue.
‘But I hate it! He is about to feel the love of so many people who want to help and support him in any way they can.”
Fox Cricket’s highly regarded color expert and former teammate Mark Waugh said the silver lining around the murky news of his diagnosis had been lifted, knowing he would continue to comment.
‘I have always had the greatest respect for AB as a cricketer. He was a player I always looked up to,” said Waugh.
“He is a pleasure to work with in the commentary box.
“He was a tough competitor on the field, but you wouldn’t meet a more loyal, honest and sincere person off the field.”
The great Mark Waugh, known for his astute commentary, was thrilled to hear that AB would be back behind the microphone
Australian pace bowler Mitchell Starc reacted to the news that Allan Border had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, telling reporters: “It is sad to hear (that) from one of the greats of Australian cricket, a great character in the world of cricket, and our wishes go out to AB and also to the family.’
After his debut in 1978, Border hammered 30 centuries in 156 Tests.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described Border as a “great Australian” at a press conference on Saturday.
“He showed his bravery – anyone who remembers taking on the might of the fast-paced West Indies attack, as he almost single-handedly did all those years ago, and his captaincy of Australia, he’s a great Australian” , he said. .
He retired in 1994 with a batting average of 50.56, making him one of the sport’s enduring greats.
As one of 55 inaugural ICC Cricket Hall of Fame inductees in 2009, Border has had one of the greatest cricketing careers ever.
The famous Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia is named after him and former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar.