Respect the heroes!

[Chandan]

Elegy for the long player India's big five battle on because that's what they do best. We can't expect them to suddenly stop believing and switch off Rohit Brijnath October 3, 2008 Once more into the breach, for old time's sake © AFP Young men in sport are always rightly granted a leniency that older men are not. So this autumn, at the first uncertain innings by India's cricketing aged, at the first legspin spell with no reward, one word will surreptitiously creep into every conversation. Retirement. These men, whose names stay in the memory just behind family, are clearly older as athletes, their skills fading gently like the evening light, but the question always is: how much of The Gift remains? The faithful will say, look at thousands of runs, hundreds of wickets, behind them. The critics will say: precisely, greatness is behind them. Should they go, stay, wait, make a deal? There is no perfect end anyway to a sporting life. Maybe only Pete Sampras got close on that evening at the 2002 US Open when he shouted savagely into the noise of victory, "I f***ing did it." Every day pragmatism and sentimentality collide in India's cricketing universe. Once, I incorrectly thought Sachin Tendulkar should retire, then I changed my mind, now I just watch. Goodbye is awfully hard, for them and us, but it is getting closer. We met the Great One in 1989, when he introduced himself to us with high notes hit by bat and vocal chord. Tendulkar may have two children, but for my generation he is always favourite son. Then the rest came. In 1990, The Precise One, a scholarly warrior who unveiled his spinning craft with devotion; in 1992, The Defiant One, a steely, stylish man of amusing, aristocratic belligerence; in 1996, The Intense One, cricket's student who batted like a monk upholding a vow of discipline; and finally The Elegant One, who was a Japanese haiku master in a previous life. They were, and are, our champions, our companions, our obsessions, our sporting best days and our very worst, a part of the calendar of our lives. Remembering the last time I went home to Kolkata requires no thought: it's when VVS Laxman wrote his finest concerto. Whenever life seemed to get away from us, when the water dried in the tap on a hot day, and bosses stank, there was always them. When Tendulkar stood on tiptoe to drive, as if God had him by the collar, or Sourav Ganguly hit an off-side drive with such style he might well have been wearing a tuxedo, life somehow got better. But if these men once exuded a certainty, now it is less so. Confidence comes, then it dries. Tendulkar has no control over his body's misbehaviour, Rahul Dravid no idea why technique abandoned him for a while without even a farewell note, Ganguly no certain explanation why timing briefly eluded him. Mind and body are in a slow divorce. These men have fought and defeated everything: selectors, derision, pitches, Australians, but age is beyond beating. Of course there are five-wickets hauls left in them, and strong centuries, and even great series, but they will arrive at a slower frequency. So why not go, leave to an applauding nation; why sit, in cricketing middle age, alone at home, as Ganguly must have, waiting for a phone call? He was reprieved, but still it's intriguing how many heroes become tragedies. But in sport the fairytale ending is mostly an illusion. Mostly men just fade from the memory. Or exit a shambles. Or go to a sigh of relief as Kapil Dev did. From our safe distance in jobs where we can work till we're 60, where no public calls for us to go, it is wondered: why do they still play, what for, what's left, aren't there enough runs and rupees? It is, in fact, an ignorant question: they play because they love it, because they ache for competition, because they don't do anything else as well, because they can still play, as Laxman might tell you. They achieved greatness because they believed in themselves, because they didn't give up, because they were problem solvers, it's inscribed in their DNA; so perhaps we can't expect them now to suddenly stop believing, give up, run from the problem. There is more. Men in their 60s often struggle with retirement, their lives suddenly without adequate purpose, minds still active but not constantly activated. In the morning there is nowhere to go, and it can be debilitating. So what of men in their 30s, so young yet reminded constantly of their use-by dates, men who have known only cricket and are unsure what life holds for them. In trousers not coloured white, Tendulkar is mortal. So, of course, they play on. When Marilyn Monroe returned from entertaining the troops in Korea, she told her husband, the New York Yankees star, Joe DiMaggio, "Joe, you never heard such cheering." Dryly he replied: "Yes I have." This life athletes lead, this ability to bend a nation in praise of you with a few strokes of the bat, is an intoxication without parallel (which is why sex is constantly used as a comparison in sport). It is a tremendous power, accompanied by the knowledge that nothing will compare to this in their lives, everything else will be second best. To play on is to know that high is still possible. Competition is an addiction that keeps them here, that brings them back, an addiction so deep that even the perfect ending is somehow imperfect. In a way, this makes sense: how can finishing what you love most ever be satisfactory? Michael Jordan faked an opponent to the floor, elevated, sank a jumper that won the Bulls and him a sixth NBA championship. We swooned, he retired. Then, inexplicably to the rational mind, which saw a neatness to his exit, he returned; which makes you wonder whether this "go-out-on-top" business is more an obsession with us, the unathletic. Indeed, a cricketer says, "If I get dropped, so be it, it's part of sport," and perhaps some part of them wants someone else to make the call, not them. Tendulkar and Ganguly: men in their 30s; young but reminded constantly of their use-by dates © AFP Ego drove Jordan, as it does all of them. Athletes arrive at greatness by believing, then proving, they are better than the rest. Muhammad Ali just had the chutzpah to say aloud what his kind think: I am the greatest. At his hearing over the incident at the Belgian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton would haughtily say to his interrogator: "I know pretty much every single manoeuvre in the book and that's why I'm the best at my job." For such men to admit they're not good enough, that other men (in the cricketers' case, younger men) are better, is indigestible. When they go, eventually, they'll gallantly say, "It's time to make way for younger men," but they're not really in the giving-way-to-anyone business. They've built their lives by leaping and scrambling over others. And so these men play. They still seem to love the field; it is the getting ready for the field that must be exhausting: the travelling, the unpacking, the practice, the hotel-room walls, the family left behind (which is what eventually might make them fold). They were good enough to be the best in India; now they must remain good enough to play for India. They have changed. They might compromise, gently and subconsciously: where once 80 was a minimum, now they might settle for 20 fewer. This deal is somewhat understandable. What is not is the appalling suggestion that they will be "accommodated" in the team as long as they agree to retire soon, so as to be given a fitting send-off. It puts individual before team, and these men surely will not stand for it. They are exceptional, these five, great players and good men, and this is not easily found in sport. I was, for a long while, just another Indian journalist to their cricketer (now I live elsewhere), and found them articulate, well-mannered, interesting, generous, devoted (to team), mainly devoid of arrogance. Yes, they were imperfect too. There is a reluctance now among sportspeople to play the role model, as if it is some unreasonable, excessive burden, but these men wore that responsibility with a fine dignity at most times. India is lucky to have had them. I am less enamoured of world cricket these days. It is a noisy game, full of boastful official chatter, where manners on the field have become disposable, and Twenty20 threatens to derail everything else. The best love affairs, anyway, come in our youth, and these men I grew up with. Always I watched them. Now especially, even though occasionally it is painful to see them lurch and stagger, feet mixed up and bat late. But I have to watch. Because they're Great, Precise, Defiant, Intense, Elegant. Because soon enough, a few months, a year, whether they walk away or must be pushed, there will be an Indian team without the names Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid, Laxman, Kumble. Imagine that? I'd rather not. _____________________________________________________________ What a delightful article, I must say! And it is true for almost all of us. In our eagerness, we knock these great men down often as if they are of no use anymore forgetting all the delight that they've given us all these years by their performance! Why is media so eager to hear the retirment news of these people? Is media concerned about the team's performance? No. It isn't. It just wants to go on creating stories. Just few months back, we read articles about how the easy money and fame is spoiling the youngsters. But who gives them this easy fame? It is just the media! One good knock from Rohit and the "talent has been tempered" but when he was failing, it was IPL that derailed him, took his focus elsewhere etc etc. Should we always listen to these media outcry? I think we should not, and form our own opinion based on our own judgement. And my judgement tells me that we should NEVER knock back our heroes. We should always respect them.

[Shane]

Can feel the same about Sourav, he used up all of mine !!!

[Sachinism]

Very well written piece makes you think back at the times when watching these players play would bring such joy. I know of many times watching India play I've got goosebumps. It is because of these players I am a huge fan of Indian cricket, It will be a shame to see them go.

[SachDan]

another Rohit Brijnath special great article :two_thumbs_up:

[zubinpepsi]

jesus! im sick and tired of this rant "we shud respect the fab 5 bla bla bla".... why so much drama... if u dont perform , its simple get the fork out.. when people gonna realize this instead bragging abt the past glory all day long...

[beetle]

Jesus!Why don't you take your rant to a hate thread zubin?This one is to respect and celebrate our heroes......

[veer]

jesus! im sick and tired of this rant "we shud respect the fab 5 bla bla bla".... why so much drama... if u dont perform , its simple get the fork out.. when people gonna realize this instead bragging abt the past glory all day long...

however rude it may sound.. zubin is right.. afterall, we are doing injustice to other young players whose careers depend on these guys retirement.. but performance is the key.. if not then retire respecfully..

[Lord]

however rude it may sound.. zubin is right.. afterall, we are doing injustice to other young players whose careers depend on these guys retirement.. but performance is the key.. if not then retire respecfully..

respect is da word.no one says they shud play forever.but they shud be treated with respect even when criticised.and the youngsters shud make their own places by performing in FC n ODIs consistently.we cant hand them test caps just bcoz they r young.

[veer]

respect is da word.no one says they shud play forever.but they shud be treated with respect even when criticised.and the youngsters shud make their own places by performing in FC n ODIs consistently.we cant hand them test caps just bcoz they r young.

you cant tell me that we dont have cricketers in FC level who can compete with these guys.. here is my stand on this issue.. (with exclusion of kumble) In tests.. we dont have guys who can match Fabulous four's quality when they were at their peak or when they performed their highest in their best 5-8 years.... no we dont.. but we do have players who can out perform these guys recent performance.. Dravid used to be rock solid day in and day out.. SRT used to be the force on its own... laxman used to give quality performance frequently ... its not happening anymore... so before people keep raising these questions, I think they should retire gracefuly... like Aussies do.. Anyways, I am still expecting Dravid and Ganguly to announce their retirement after aussie series....

[satishg]

a beautiful article by Rohit..but watever said and done if they are not performing we have to start looking beyond the seniors..performance shd be the only thing that shd decide if a player deserves to be in the team or not..

[Lord]

you cant tell me that we dont have cricketers in FC level who can compete with these guys.. here is my stand on this issue.. (with exclusion of kumble) In tests.. we dont have guys who can match Fabulous four's quality when they were at their peak or when they performed their highest in their best 5-8 years.... no we dont.. but we do have players who can out perform these guys recent performance.. Dravid used to be rock solid day in and day out.. SRT used to be the force on its own... laxman used to give quality performance frequently ... its not happening anymore... so before people keep raising these questions, I think they should retire gracefuly... like Aussies do.. Anyways, I am still expecting Dravid and Ganguly to announce their retirement after aussie series....

BY RECENT UR ONLY COUNTING ONE SERIES AGAINST SL.wats da guarantee that youngsters wudnt have been worse against M&M even dhoni decided to cowardly pullout of tests bcoz he knew he wud be xposed( i know u wont agree) we all know how karthik n parthiv did.besides, sachin was terrificl in aus. laxman did well in aus. ganguly rocked against pak,eng. but i agree that RD n JUMBO r down. but we shud give them one more year b4 their exit

[TaNk]

3 games does not decide man's ability to score runs ... Sachin , Dravid , Laxman & Ganguly are world class players .. it just take's 2-3 games to get in your form again. look @ sehwag & Raina ...

[putrevus]

"Because they're Great, Precise, Defiant, Intense, Elegant. Because soon enough, a few months, a year, whether they walk away or must be pushed, there will be an Indian team without the names Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid, Laxman, Kumble. Imagine that? I'd rather not." This sort of sentimentality is keeping these five players around.When Adam Gilchrist who is in still very good keeper and attacking batsman which any team would love to have in their eleven walked away from glory, not because he could not play or perform well. He walked away becuase he saw his performance drop from the high levels which he used to play with, he was not ready to do a job when he knew he was not at his peak of his powers. These fab five have lost that high level perfomance long time ago and they are hanging on for selfish reasons and not doing what is best for country. Yes they might have one or two good performances but they never will be their peak or close it.so why are people craving them to prolong their peak when that train has left building long long time ago.

[TaNk]

I only watch cricket because there is Sehwag, Ganguly , Laxman , Dravid , Tendulkar ... It's like %*#@ a 20 yr old blonde chick on beach ...

[vsd2006]

heroes are always respected, simply because they are heroes, but if these 5 were real heroes, they would know what their country needs to win and will step down themselves when time comes.

[yoda]

runs anyone?

[hindu-Stan]

heroes are always respected' date=' simply because they are heroes, but if these 5 were real heroes, they would know what their country needs to win and will step down themselves when time comes.[/quote'] I am here to write same.. I agree with you.. I respect but when they become greedy they have to go down.:finger:

[eternalhope]

jesus! im sick and tired of this rant "we shud respect the fab 5 bla bla bla".... why so much drama... if u dont perform , its simple get the fork out.. when people gonna realize this instead bragging abt the past glory all day long...

Don't we Indians have patent over that?

[zubinpepsi]

Jesus!Why don't you take your rant to a hate thread zubin?This one is to respect and celebrate our heroes......

oh comeon... enough of this hate label... i dont hate anyone.. its just tht we have been talking about rspecting our so called heroes for long time already.. since they have been adord n respected they have become a big big celebrties now...they r not like mistreated or humiliated or something... they have been enjoying every bit og limelight given by the fans... so stop playing the victim card... if they dont perform, they have to go....all the fab5 r living in the past glory.. no one deserves a chance in the eam with their current form...but still u can they have been in the team for the last 2 yrs inspite of their mediocre game... its simple, if u dont perform , u have to go. ofcourse being the proven performer, u get a bit of leeway compared to the youngsters.. but still there is a limit for that and our heroes have exceeded tht... and stilll they r in the team. pray tell m how they are mistreated or not respected...

[zubinpepsi]

heroes are always respected' date=' simply because they are heroes, but if these 5 were real heroes, they would know what their country needs to win and will step down themselves when time comes.[/quote'] Exactly!!

I am here to write same.. I agree with you.. I respect but when they become greedy they have to go down.:finger:

this is wat is happening now.... they r way too greedy to quit..