Great sportsment of different era and different sports have always left an indelible mark on the game/sport they have played. What is common between Jesse Owens, Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers, Mark Spitz, Rod Laver, Michael Phelps, Dhyan Chand, Carl Lewis, Pele, Socrates, Michael Johnson, Sergei Bubka, Yelena Isinbayeva, Steffi Graf, Federer, Schumacher, Bolt, Jackie Joyneer - Kersee, Kasparov, Wally Hammond and many other great sportspersons? The passion with which they have played the sport/game. What is the difference between them and the other sportsmen? That little extra special thing called talent, coupled with dedication, determination and hard work is what marks them out from the rest of the pack. Each of them has played the sport in a different era and has ensured that the sport achieves a bigger level of success and reaches greater height through their performances and record breaking feats. With each record breaking feat and stupendous performance they have raised the bar higher for the sport which they have truly loved and passionately been devoted to. Most importantly, they havee ensured that the sport is remembered by fans through their tremendous performances. They have proven, time and again that the sport is bigger than the iindividual and not the other way round because sportsment will come and go. What will stay forever is the sport, the game and the brilliant performances of the sportsment of different eras who have pushed the envelope further with their memorable performances. Notwithstanding all the sponsored hype by the companies, advertisers and BCCI who would like us to believe that Sachin is God, Cricket is Sachin (surprised to see that they havent yet said Sachin is brand X, brand Y or brand Z considering the manner in which they have gone around town building up this event to milk it all for its worth), today marks the end of an era for a game which has seen the retirement of many modern day greats. An era whose end began with the retirement of Steve Waugh, Shane Warne, Brian Lara, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble, Shaun Pollock and now Sachin Tendulkar. Numbers and statistics can never tell the true story. SRT has left an indelible mark on modern day cricket through his performances and record breaking feats. This does not take away or make the feats of other greats of the previous era any lesser in comparison. Those performances and feats were achieved under different circumstances, different conditions, different rules and most importantly in an era when media, TV, corporate sponsored hype and the focus on entertainment factor was non-existent. Today marks the end of a legacy which spans two different eras of the sport. An era in which the game was appreciated for the contest betwen the bat and ball a an era in which rules were changed to make the game completely in favour of the bat (in the quest to promote entertainment and not the game). The average cricket lover does not need the hype created by sponsors to voice his appreciation for the performances of SRT. Comparisons are subjective and numbers will always be misleading. However, that will never take away from the joy and pleasure of having watched one of the all time greats the game has produced. Thank you for raising the bar a little bit higher. Thank you for the memorable performances. Thank you for the joy of bringing the cup back home after 28 long years along with 10 other heroes. You have enriched the game with your sheer passion and dedication. The average cricket lover will truly cherish the wonderful legacy you leave behind.
Posted on: Sat, 16 Nov 2013 08:27:00 +0000
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