Farewell Gilly

Dearest Adam,
A brimming SCG on a typically sticky Sydney afternoon; drums and hooters in place; beers spilling; banners galore; men with chests painted yellow annd women in the negligible best. the pavillion doors open and two emnclad in yellow run out- one an almost elephantine figure, the other smaller (in comparison: wen i say elephantine i mean it) more fidgety, almost hidden behind the larger of the two profiles. And the stadium erupts in welome. This is how i'll always remember u Adam- running out into the lush green with the meaty hayden to spell doom for the opposition.
You are one of a kind Churchie. No one else can quite step into your shoes. The void u left after you retired will always remain. No one hits the ball as sweetly and at the same time as ruthlessly as you did. You'll be remembered as the most cavalier batsmen of all times. Your cover drives were a treat to the eyes, your straight drives drew tremendous applause. I'm sure ur ( almost )
supercilious batting still gives nightmares to bowlers worldwide. No one bothers to run after the ball once its kissed your bat: its a matter of formality. Your hook and pull shots were to die for. You were one of those hard-hitters who did it with elan. sigh... i wish u didnt have to go....
When you were behind the stumps you were often airborne... diving and jumping fantastically. your success while keeping for a bowler like Warnie, who spun the ball like a yarn, is what makes u arguably the besy wicket-keeper to ever have playes this noble game.
Your talent with the bat was complemented by your honesty that shone through your game. If u thought u were out, u walked. As simple as that. How many batsmen today show that kind of integrity? Thats why i say gilly...ur irreplacable.
You were an integral part of Australia's succes, their secret ingredient of dominanc. But their arrogance was in sharp contrast to your freindliness ; your child-like smile, your open laugh warmed their cold streak. You were the shining beacon of honesty in a team plagued with players who think cheating and distasteful mindgames are a norm in the game.
Your dedication to the" baggy green"(which was adorned by your shaving cream, copious amounts of sweat and, god help me, stray peices of gum!!!) was seen through every single time you played.
Even off-field you are a gentleman through and through. great players all over the world love and respect u. They respect you for ur honesty and talent, they love you for your generosity and kind heart. When you are not playing cricket, you willingly spend time with orphaned kids in under-developed countries, You are the ambassador of World Vision, working tirelessly with them to help adoption of poor kids. You yourself have adopted two kids- a gesture that stems from a person, who, in the heart of hearts, is a child himself. You support Mcgrath's cancer institute for children in australia. You help raise funds for the underprevileged in other countries, u spend time with them whenever u can. Why do u even need to do this leaving asside your comfortable life? The answer lies in your unconditional goodness...
bubbly and effervescent, loving and freindly, ever-smiling, a true family man an aset to the game and a hero to australia. i will sorely miss u gilly. with a tear that i cant hold back, i wave a final goodbye.

love,
madhura