Oct 2002, my most favorite sportsperson announced his retirement from international cricket vis a press conference at SCG. I was heartbroken. As I was bidding my farewell tears to Mark Waugh, I dint realize I was also sort of parting ways with Cricket and forming a stronger bond with ManU and Barca (Soccer was much more prevalent in Singapore then).
But then, time is the greatest healer… as few years went by, I was returning back to my alma matter through an extraordinary journey with the most remarkable man... unknowingly of
course.
I don’t remember when or how it started… the early phases are
a bit foggy… still was not watching too much cricket but for few (2005 Ashes series).. it was more through Cricinfo.. Then came couple of big ferocious hundreds,
followed by comments from the president across the border about his mane... then
the unexpected 2007 world cup loss accompanied by expected stupidity of fans
/ media… still it was just in the infancy phase... my relationship with the man…
Then on Sep 24th 2007, it finally happened. Not
when the last over was given to Joginder, not when Sreesanth held on to that
catch as if his life depended on it (it sure did).. but it happened when he
passed on the trophy to the rest and stood in that corner of the podium (his fascination
with corner spots both on podium and team bus)…
That’s when I realized the enormity of it all… he was setting
a new standard… on how a leader could and should conduct himself / herself… he
was creating an identity not only for Indian cricket but our society in general..
a real paradigm shift was happening… over the next decade or so he kept to that
promise… he brought dignity to the job.
Generally, the two extreme emotions in sports (and life)
comes due to the unknown. But when you are the creator of that unknown,
calmness and equipoise is all you can have, and he was the epitome of that. Normally
heroes come during a person’s teens, but he came into mine in my late-20s. Of course, when has he ever followed norms.
To the man who showed it is possible… the man who made me
tear my hair and tear up in equal measures… the man who believed and made us
all believe… to the most enigmatic superstar in the world… Farewell... Hope, my
daughter finds her own Dhoni one day…
