Melbourne, Nov 27 (IANS) Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive James Sutherland on Friday paid tribute to Mike Coward for receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Australian Sports Commission Thursday night.
“During a diverse and imposing career spanning more than 50 years Mike Coward has developed a peerless reputation as a cricket writer, author and broadcaster. He has become a doyen in his field and a mentor to generations with his passion for the game and care for all those he covered cricket with through the years,” Sutherland said.
“Mike’s passion for cricket was obvious from childhood, when he would dash to the Adelaide Oval after school in the hope that his idol Les Favell would still be batting for South Australia. Mike embraced India and the sub-continent, rejoicing in its vibrant culture and the cricket it produced.”
Coward is a cricket journalist, commentator and author, having written ‘Cricket Beyond the Bazaar’, a definitive history on Australian and Indian cricket.
“He has made a wide contribution to cricket through organisations as diverse as the LBW Trust (Learning for a Better World) which supports the education of disadvantaged children in cricket countries, and as president of the Australian Cricket Media Association,” said Sutherland.
“Above all Mike is a great humanist, caring deeply about the game and the people involved in it, be they players, support staff or media. He is greatly admired around the cricket world and as such thoroughly deserves this prestigious award.”
Coward, who has covered cricket for more than 40 years, has also authored ‘Bradman Museum’s World of Cricket’, its 25th anniversary publication. He regularly writes on the game in major publications including The Australian.
