Of Retirement and Selection

Well, anyone who knows me knows how much I love cricket. I don't recall having passed up an opportunity to play if I could, and watch I will, unless there's something very much better to do.

Sitting in my hotel room here in a country where the word still represents an annoying insect, and weathering a terrible cold, I cannot help thinking these moments would be a lot more bearable if I could play or at least watch the highest level of the game.

With the India-Aus clash about to begin, I wonder what will become of the big three in the middle. Considering that of the Fab Four, Sachin Tendulkar is justifiably above peerage.

Dravid will probably retire, Laxman will probably think he has a point to prove after being dropped as the Captain of his IPL team, and Sourav ... well come what may, no one can write this guy off.

For as long as I watched him, Sourav never looked comfortable as a fielder. As a medium pacer, he looked uncertain at best..... he looked strangely comical when he was either happy or sad, but by the heavens, he did look every bit the scrapper when he was facing up to the quicks upon his return to the game in South Africa.

As with most things in life, motivation is the bedrock of all achievement. Without it, there is nothing ... you may have the ability or the privilege, but without motivation, nothing ever gets started. Watching Ganguly take a few knocks on his helmet and chest and still restraining himself from wafting square drives to point, or holing out to square leg was amazing because it was never seen before. No one knew of the steeliness of his character, probably because it was mistaken for bravado when he opened the batting for India in one-dayers or was simply absent given his stint as Capt when he focussed on being the best politician he could be.

The media is speaking of a retirement deal, but its difficult to imagine what might happen if he gets one hunderd in the first two tests, and say, another ton in the two that follow. What happens then? Do they pick him again? Do they wait for him to leave?

Of the new crop, Rohit Sharma is the only one who may be considered a serious middle order candidate. Yuvraj Singh is too busy being stupid, and Suresh Raina will be made to wait longer. As for Badrinath, one can only hope that he does not end up as one of those nice guys who never won. The other great hope, Mohd.Kaif, has just not had things his way, either in terms of opportunity or luck, and given that he fares below the others in the talent rankings, he may well have missed the boat.

An interesting time for the biggest sport in the country.