The past few days and the coming few days are very important for the world of cricket. Well, that is what you would feel these days, if you switch on your TV and go to any news channel in India. Every time you would come across news related to just one event that you would feel, will turn the world upside down. This event that is about to take place a few days from now, is being considered one of the most important events to have ever taken place or that will ever take place in the world of cricket.
Although such an event is not an irregular phenomenon, it is being made out to look extraordinarily special. Rather, I would say, this event is so common not only in cricket but in all walks of life, that it sometimes becomes not even worth mentioning. So, what is this event I am talking about here in this article?
Sachin Tendulkar, the God of Cricket retires
Yes, that’s right. Even if you are a small time follower of cricket, especially Indian cricket, you must have by now guessed what is the event I am talking about. If not, then let me explain it to you. Yes, it is about God. God is retiring. Finally….
Sachin Tendulkar had recently announced that he will be retiring from test cricket. India beat West Indies in the first test match played in the Eden Gardens at Kolkata. This test series being played on the India tour of West Indies is being touted as the farewell series for Sachin Tendulkar. Although the result of the match was in favor of India, Sachin Tendulkar was not able to impress the fans on the second last test match of his prolonged career.
Why is Sachin’s retirement so important
Do you think the brouhaha being created by the Indian news media around the retirement of a cricketer is justified? People have to retire from their professions at a time either they or their employers deem appropriate. But this event is being made out to look more important than anything else going around in the world. Retirement comes to all professionals alike. For some, it comes early and for others, at the fixed retirement age, but for players the day depends on their ability to continue performing at the top of their level or be booted out because some one better than them arrives on the scene. Similar is the case of the over hyped retirement of Sachin Tendulkar.
Sachin’s retirement from Test cricket is the only topic being discussed around all news media these days. Even the BCCI agreed to accept to arrange for the last match played by Sachin at his desired venue. Was this so important?
Well, the answer to this question is very straight forward. The one answer that you are most likely to hear from any Sachin fan is that, “he is the God of Cricket, and so all of this is justified”.
Is Sachin really the God of Cricket?
Till recently I was of the opinion that it is wrong to call Sachin, the God of cricket. Why should we call him God of cricket? Do we not undermine the contribution of all other great cricketers who have contributed towards the game’s popularity? Do we not undermine the contributions of other Indian cricketers who have done this for the game too?
Well, maybe we do, but, who cares. We are all fans of Sachin Tendulkar. We love him. He is the one who gave hope to our imaginations and dreams when the game was in a very bad shape in the country. He carried the responsibility of a whole nation on his shoulders for so long. Sachin has inspired a whole generation of cricketers in the country. He is a great player. He is the greatest batsman ever born. He is even better than Sir Don Bradman, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, any other batsman to every play this game, and who ever you may think of. So, it is always justified to call him, God of Cricket. Well, this may be the argument of a typical hard headed Sachin fan who calls him God. Now, let me tell you about how Sachin came to my life and how he influenced my life as he did to zillion others.
My first encounter with Sachin Tendulkar
Going back in time, when I try to recall the moment when I first became aware of the existence of this person called Sachin Tendulkar, my memory becomes hazy but that moment clearly stands out as remarkable. The first time ever I heard about this cricketer was when I was in the 1st or 2nd grade in school. This was through my father who used to listen to all the cricket commentaries on the All India Radio, if time permitted. Radio was the best medium those days, as all cricket matches were not telecast live on the only available TV channel, Doordarshan. My father would usually talk about the World Cup 1983 winning brigade, the likes of Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, and Ravi Shastri. So, we would listen to the radio typically on Sundays. On one such occasion during the winters of the year 1990, while we were enjoying the warmth of the sun on the roof of our house, I heard the name of Sachin Tendulkar for the first time. I immediately asked my father, who was lying besides me on the cot, his face covered with a angochha (light towel), who this player was. His response was that of an excited fan, yeah he is a new player in the team. He is very young and has played some great cricket at the level of school and the state. He seems to be very talented. Well, my tiny mind at that age, would not have even known what talent was.
Another moment I can clearly recall about my association with Sachin, is one when when I watched Sachin play for the country in a one day match. Yes I would take the liberty to call it an association, as he has been part of our collective lives for too long, for us not to be associated with him. It was against West Indies. By that time, I had started to understand the nuances of the game. Although I am not sure exactly when, but, I still remember I was still a primary school kid, and Sachin also looked very young. As I watched Sachin bat, I was awe struck. I was simply amazed at the way he was facing the menacing bowling of the West Indian fast bowlers. The West Indian bowlers who had bodies of gigantic proportions when compared to that of lanky boy that Sachin was at that age, were not able to intimidate Sachin and could not deter him from scoring the runs precious runs that India required. Although I do not exactly remember what the fate of the match was or how many runs were scored by him, the fact that he was facing those bowlers with such courage and aplomb had a big impact on me.
Sachin Tendulkar is indeed the God of cricket
Many batsmen have played the game of cricket at the highest level possible and have contributed to the game immensely. Many famous cricketers have retired, but never before the retirement of any other player has become the point of discussion in so many news articles, and so many debates on television, and so many discussion on the street corner tea shop and in so many class room.
This talk has been going on for quite some time now or rather for a few years now. The thing that surprises me is not the number of people and the number of times Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement has been discussed not only by fans but also cricket analysts and even veterans of the game. The thing that surprises me is that, over all these discussions, how was that little man able to avoid the temptation to hang his boots and keep his bat on the side and say, it is enough now. How was he able to keep his interest for the game going and the fire inside him burning. Keeping on doing the same things again and again for over 24 years now.
Sachin Tendulkar is not just a great batsman, he is a symbol. A symbol of greatness. A symbol of excellence. A symbol of hard work. A symbol of perseverance. A symbol of humility. A symbol of everything imaginable a great cricketer and a great player should be. That makes him the God of Cricket indeed.