GOD OF CRICKET

It was March 16^th. Some thousand cricket fanatics from Bangladesh filled up the seats of Chittagong Cricket ground. It was another insignificant Asia cup match between India and minnows- Bangladesh. There were only a handful of press reporters who were almost fatigued writing about the Indian cricket team which was going through a lean patch. Fans back home had neglected this match and were busy involved in their daily trifles. But one man changed it all as he has been doing since the winter of 1989. For 22 odd years people have worshipped him, idolized him, and loved him like none other. The Chittagong Cricket ground woke from a slumber, the world sports fraternity looked at him with awe, this man had achieved what no cricketer could dream of achieving! He had completed his 100^th international century, a century of centuries! His customary celebration was on, he removed his helmet, showed his gracious face to all, lifted it towards the sky and thanked his father, showed the Indian emblem on his helmet to all indicating he had done it for his country and put back his helmet back on ready for business to be finished. People all the over the world stood on their feet and gave a bow to this genius. Many questions were raised about his commitment to the game and yet again, he answered them all with his indomitable batting. That man, that little over 5 feet maestro, is none other than the God of Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar. It took 22 years, over 600 international matches, visits to 15 odd countries, facing more than 200 bowlers, to achieve this magnificent feat. 

As Andy Flower said, “There are 2 kinds of batsmen in the world. One, Sachin Tendulkar. Two, all the others.” It is not just blind praise that Flower has showered upon this man from Mumbai but that is how this great man has carried the hope of 1 billion fans whenever he went out to bat. Although innumerable adjectives can be showered to describe the greatness of this man, he is not a stranger to criticism. Critics have taken a leaf out of his own territory (his records) to dethrone him. ‘He plays for records’, ‘He is selfish’, ‘He must retire’, etc. But they cannot fathom the legend that camouflages this humble soul. If making unbreakable records means to be selfish, then why do we teach our younger generation to achieve greatness?  All those critics must bear in mind that cricket is a team game and individuals contribute to the team.  About his retirement, well his resurrection after a slight slump he had 5 years ago is enough to conquer this particular criticism. Even then critics may continue to dismiss him as a selfish being. India may keep losing games after his hundreds but nothing can take away this genius’ passion for the game and this has been emphatically proved since 23 years. As the Maestro himself once said, “In life people throw stones at you, convert them into milestones.”

He remains forever, the GOD OF CRICKET!

Ajay Kamath

III BA (HEE)