Oldest cricketer set to turn 102
The world’s oldest living Test cricketer, Norman Gordon, will be 102 years of age on Tuesday.
“There won’t be celebrations when he is not well. He is not keeping good health. There are a plenty of medical problems at his age,” Gordon’s 70-year-old son, Brian said from Johannesburg.
If he lives on till July 17, 2015, Gordon would becomes the oldest-ever first class cricketer because England’s Jim Hutchinson’s died at the age of 103 years 344 days.
“He won’t survive that long,” the son added.
Asked whether he would be going to the stadium to feel the match atmosphere when Team India visit South Africa later this year, the son says, “Definitely not. He can’t see anymore. Hardly can hear.”
Norman Gordon’s last birthday was in a hospital bed. “It was an age-related illness and he was suffering from pneumonia and had to be hospitalised,” he added.
Gordon is the only living cricketer to have played Test cricket before World War II. He also participated in the famous Timeless Test (South Africa versus England at Durban in 1939), which lasted 10 days and was eventually declared a draw as agreed by both the teams because the English team had to catch their ship on the last day of the Test. It proved to be Gordon’s final Test match.
“After retirement my dad ran a sports shop which is no more functioning now,” the son said.
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