Arjuna Ranatunga on Dean Jones

I don’t think I have got too many friends in Australia but last week I lost a dear one – Dean Jones. Don’t get me wrong, he was one of fiercest competitors that I have come across playing two decades of Test cricket but off the field he was very friendly, unassuming and good natured guy.

We were contemporaries. He was two years older than me and made his Test debut two years after me.

People tend to measure the greatness of a player by judging whether he had done well in places like Australia or England. Well, that is up for debate. In that case, I reckon, we have to also see how players from England and Australia fared in places like India. That is why Dean Jones is such a special player. I am never one to read too much into numbers but I am told that Deano averaged something like 92 in India and that is a stat that any player, especially those from England and Australia can be proud of.

He was also a thorn in our flesh always making runs against us. Deano’s Test average of 60 and ODI average of 109 against us would tell you the story.

Deano was a very good analyst of the game. He understood complex situations and how to counter them. He was certainly a trend setter and there was much that we could learn from his game. His running between the wickets stood out and you had to be on your toes when he was out in the middle. His fielding was exciting as well and he brought in so much energy to the side. I am sure someone like Allan Border who had the task of rebuilding the Australian side following some high profile retirements valued the presence of Deano in the side.

Deano was very fond of Asian cricket. He spent lot of time in Sri Lanka doing commentaries and that gave us an opportunity to catch up. He spent quite a bit of time in other Asian countries as well.

I have lost a dear friend. Deano has left us too soon. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

(World Cup winning Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga was talking to The Island’s Rex Clementine)