Roebuck

Peter Roebuck, that wonderful man who composed the most beautiful cricket melodies of our times, dies at 55! Here I was waiting for another brilliant piece by him on the ongoing SA-Aus series, then Ind-Aus, then... You would certainly be missed Mr. Roebuck. We shall remember you as one of those few who moved and intrigued, taught and inspired. We shall all, in our small ways, try to further your legacy, keep observing the heroic element in the men who show character on the field. Cricket has lost Neville Cardus, once again. But there will be another one, maybe with a slightly different bowling action. Thank you for... everything!

It had to be Peter English paying his namesake the finest tribute. And as is always the case, the finest is never celebratory, it is critical but playful. It plays with possibilities without bothering about modulation. What a delightful piece, Peter. Roebuck was indeed a tortured soul, man with many gifts and an ethical temper, a restless man searching for his roots. Let us hope he found peace in death, if not in life. Let us hope Cricinfo keeps the flame alive, the flame that burnt within him and burnt the oil of his being to finish.

Sambit Bal: "His judgements were based not merely on the keenest understanding of the game but on a wider understanding of society, history and human behaviour, and his ability to connect the dots. Like all good writers, he was observant, sensitive, and deeply affected by the world outside, even as he grappled with his own complexities.

Few drew better portraits of cricketers as human beings because few had the combination of his talents: having been a player himself, he had the ability to view the inner lives of cricketers from the outside. He grasped their torment, and had the gift with words with which to articulate it. At the top of his game, his writing was both profound and poignant.

"The circumstances that led him to take his life are unclear. Though I knew the writer quite well, I had little access to the person. Even great men are not free of flaws. I will remember Peter for his gifts."