Magazine - Burdett's No-Fuss Farewell

By Editor in Cricket on 15th Feb 2010 6:00

Rather than bask in the glory of preparing his last pitch for an international match at Adelaide Oval, SACA's long-serving curator was tucked away in his office at the start of play.

Anyone expecting a presentation to celebrate Burdett's 32 years at the helm before the Australia v West Indies match was mistaken. "I still believe it's just another day in the life of the oval manager at Adelaide Oval," Burdett said yesterday. "It's not about me, it's just about the athletes, the spectators, the members and the enjoyment of everybody."

If Burdett wanted the ideal send off, December's Ashes Test would have been fitting. But something didn't sit right with the 59-year-old. "Someone said to me: `Why don't you stay until the Ashes'?" Burdett said. "And my thought then was that I wouldn't like to go through five days of an Ashes Test and then grandstand myself on the fifth day and say I'm retiring. I thought that would be a bit selfish and rude so, to be quite frank, I didn't even give it a thought that this was my last game."

Since announcing his decision to call it quits with the SACA after 41 years of service, Burdett has been inundated by well-wishers. "My phone has just been embarrassingly over the top," he said. "I've emptied messages out and every time I've emptied it (phone mailbox) out, it just fills up again.

"I've just got so many friends, colleagues, acquaintances and people who mean a lot to me so it's just nice to have people think something nice about you." None bigger than West Indian great Joel Garner, who Burdett presented with a signed picket from the Adelaide Oval boundary before the game.

"Big Bird (Garner), when he played for South Australia, was a superstar," said Burdett, who regularly receives a bottle of rum from Garner when the Windies tour Australia.

"He was a super player, super bloke and whenever he's been back in town (Adelaide) we've always caught up. He continually gives me his address in Barbados to go and stay with him and one of these days, I will go. I haven't been to the West Indies but it is on my bucket list of things to do."

While Burdett won't finish until June 30, he is set to have a lot more time on his hands to go fishing - he is heading to Thistle Island near Port Lincoln this morning - and to be recognised in a formal manner. "I've had an invitation to go to the Allan Border Medal (presentation), which I'm looking forward to," he said.

Source & More: www.adelaidenow.com.au

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