Enough and more has been written and said of The God of Cricket. The newspapers and TV channels carried numerous articles and commentaries on his performance, his life and his decision to retire. I do not claim to be an expert on cricket. I could not, but help, writing on Him one last time. After the jubilation of the Indian Cricket team, as Shami took down the last West Indian man, the team gave the walking guard of honour to the little Master. It was an emotional moment for all to see. The tears in His eyes, brought a lump on my throat. I found it difficult to express anything for the next few minutes, for fear that my voice would quiver. I felt an immense feeling of sadness envelope me, as I realised, that we will not be able to watch the Great Master play the game any more. A man, who has inspired the whole team, nay, a man who brought the whole nation to a standstill when he played. A man, who was an hero to us, Indians, for the last twenty four years. An extremely long tenure , for any person to remain a Hero, to withstand the vagaries of one's own performance, the fickleness of the fans and ability to steer clear of all controversies. This little man, who remained calm, composed and strong, who was a mentor to his team and who showed us what ethics and values are all about, can be described in only one word - GOD. He showed us, that if one believed in oneself and is passionate about what he does, one can achieve the greatest of heights. His passion for cricket and his patriotism were what made people like me, -who were disappointed in the game at the height of the match fixing scandals - to continue watching the game, if only to watch this great man play. I wonder, if the same interest in the game would continue after his departure.
What makes this Great man that he is? Is it his talent? Is it his hardwork and passion? Is it his character, his humbleness, his ethics, his patriotism, his respect for all as demonstrated in his final departure speech? The thought arose, as I watched this great man with awe - what is it that is lacking in me, that I cannot even achieve a fraction of what he has achieved in the last twenty four years? How did this seemingly small and vulnerable man, face the fastest and most fearsome bowlers over the years with seemingly easy manner? How did he come out day in and day out with the same passion in what he does - one could see that even on the last day, he played with the same amount of passion as he would probably played in the first day. One can try to analyse this - may be Malcolm Gladwell would cover him one day in one of his books. But suffice to mention, there cannot be yet another God of Cricket, as great as Him for a long time to come. Hats off to you, Sir. Legends do not depart - they remain, forever, etched in our mind, giving us hope and inspiring us. We hope to see you in greater roles in the years to come. May God bless you with long life and the best for the years to come. One cannot thank you for all that you have done for us, but for want of anything better to say - Thank you, Sachin.
