Respect the heroes!

[Chandan]

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..

Performance is the key and who decided that they should be in when they debuted?Selectors. Who'll will decide that are not good enough? It will also be selectors. Meanwhile I'm just requesting you to show a bit of respect for the guys who have been performing since last two decades? How hard is it for you?

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....

You are not the selector, Veer, nor are you the administrator. And you did not bring any of these players into the test teams. Who are you to demand their retirement? If you have enjoyed their work, just show a bit of respect. That is all this thread is asking for.

"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.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.

Once again I'm repeating myself. Can you show the respect for the peaks they achieved?

runs anyone?

Of course it'll be just runs and wickets or they'll be out. It was the runs which brought them in.

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

Oh! So you are India's Boycott. Great to have your insight!! How many times do these players share their thoughts with you? Greedy!!

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...

Every day they are humiliated and mistreated. Some says that they are playing for endorsement deals, another says that they just want to break some random records even if it is at teams expense, and the fans? Well the insightful average Indian fan is lapping up each theory forgetting whatever they have achieved for him, the joy they brought to him! They are not adored and respected but are treated like dirt even by fans who believe in every conspiracy theory that media creates!

they have been enjoying every bit og limelight given by the fans... so stop playing the victim card...

Oh really? How much do you enjoy the limelight when you are abused in open street? 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...

You are not a selector to decide that. There are men who are there to do their job. Meanwhile, apart from playing a video game of Indian selection, can you please respect these heroes for the job they have already done?

[Lord]

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

greedy? r u insane?.they(especially sachin) can earn double the money by retiring now n doin ads,movies,shows,commentary.they r just there bcoz they know they r still important to da team.do u forget victories in aus,eng ,sa.all were fashioned by these legends. if u talk bout recent form ,wat bout form of wonderboy badri,yuvi,rohit before this match.why only senors under the knife?

[putrevus]

Chandan let us go by your word and respect their peaks but for argument sake let us do this.Let us analyze how far are each of fab five are their peaks. I will start Sachin -everybody agrees 1998 was the peak of Sachin's career and at the end of first test match in multan in 2004 where he scored 194 not out .His stats were SR Tendulkar 1989-2004 112 181 19 9459 241* 58.38 17367+ 54.40* 33 37 12 1255+ 38 these are his latest stats 150 244 25 11877 248* 54.23 39 49 47 98 in almost five years and 38 tests matches he has scored 6 hundreds of which 2 were against bangladesh so he has scored 4 hundreds in 35 tests, so what good is he doing for the team, he has become an albatross who is clearly living on his peak for more than five years and 35 matches. what this is doing is stopping the team move away from him and finding his replacement. We can go on for other like this too and you will clearly see Sachin has the biggest drop off from his peak. so I say enough of giving respect to their peaks.

[hindu-Stan]

Kumble, saurav, rahul should announce their retirement and sachin, lax are still good enough for cricket. ganguli included in the team that how does it help ? if he plays an average to secure his place in the team, he might made some 50+ on high scoring matches. If he fails, he will be out of picture then after. if he score excellent and back in form good for him and team.but still It will be better to play 2 young cricketer so they get a good exp of test match against AUS.

[veer]

Performance is the key and who decided that they should be in when they debuted?Selectors. Who'll will decide that are not good enough? It will also be selectors. Meanwhile I'm just requesting you to show a bit of respect for the guys who have been performing since last two decades? How hard is it for you? You are not the selector, Veer, nor are you the administrator. And you did not bring any of these players into the test teams. Who are you to demand their retirement? If you have enjoyed their work, just show a bit of respect. That is all this thread is asking for.

Chandan.. dont go personal here... i had most respect for you.. but it washed away.. dont tell me what I need to do and what not.. i commented what I felt.. you will never see me insulting any players so keep it to yourself and dont lecture me. my whole point was, before majority people start questioning your intentions, just retire gracefully.. and by the way if you are not the selector then, according to you, you should shut the hell up too.. we are just Indian cricket followers here and give our views here.. am not putting gun on their heads for their retirement.. anyways, no offense.. :--D

[suraj]

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.

Simply hate these kind of articles have witnessed many a heroes die fighting fanatics & terrorists without a single reconginition and a poor pension plan being mailed to their families while authors like these try to make a nation of 1 billion feel guilty about the hero worshipping we should be indulging in for someone who scored some runs in cricket and then made millions after that. How many of these writers and these posters have actually tried to document the miseries of the families who sent their only sons to battle only to watch them die and not even a moan of sympathy being heard ever in media?

[Dhondy]

Simply hate these kind of articles have witnessed many a heroes die fighting fanatics & terrorists without a single reconginition and a poor pension plan being mailed to their families while authors like these try to make a nation of 1 billion feel guilty about the hero worshipping we should be indulging in for someone who scored some runs in cricket and then made millions after that. How many of these writers and these posters have actually tried to document the miseries of the families who sent their only sons to battle only to watch them die and not even a moan of sympathy being heard ever in media?

Fantastic post, Suraj. Agree with every word of what you wrote there. In a few sentences, you have summed up what is wrong with our country.

[Rajiv]

OK, so a sportswriter should write about heroes who fight fanatics. The guy is doing his job, he is writing about something hot in the news, before a big series and hey!, coincidentally about cricket This is reminds of me that Sarah Palin reply!, I read all newspapers - so we all read each and every XYZ times and each and every article from India to compare this and just chalking it out as a huge problem in our country So what should we do, people should stop making money and become rich! You worked for it, you picked the profession, you have the talent and you enjoy the fruits You can argue about the article but the guy is trying to make a point, its just another article

[fineleg]

runs anyone?

simple, but it fails to register with our cricketers. score runs and stay, else make way. thats what selectors shud base their selection on - performance. when ur done, just retire.

[Ram]

Simply hate these kind of articles have witnessed many a heroes die fighting fanatics & terrorists without a single reconginition and a poor pension plan being mailed to their families while authors like these try to make a nation of 1 billion feel guilty about the hero worshipping we should be indulging in for someone who scored some runs in cricket and then made millions after that. How many of these writers and these posters have actually tried to document the miseries of the families who sent their only sons to battle only to watch them die and not even a moan of sympathy being heard ever in media?

Fantastic post, Suraj. Agree with every word of what you wrote there. In a few sentences, you have summed up what is wrong with our country.

I am sorry, but the above two posts lack a complete sense of perspective. Why would anyone want to relate cricket article with the other aspects of life in our country is beyond comprehension. Of course, there is lot of poverty in our all over the world, lot of misery. Lots of people are suffering. No one's downplaying any of that. So, what are we supposed to do? Get together and moan? Or hold condolence meetings? Above all this chaos, all this discord and suffering, normal citizens like us need a reprieve to take our minds away from all the depressing news. And media like sports, movies give us that chance. Instead, this 'Holier than thou' attitude of asking 'Oh how many of these writers and posters have tried to document the miseries of the families or army jawans' is baffling. And it immediately begs the question 'Did the aforementioned poster himself take any efforts to do what he accuses others of not doing'? One golden people often forget: Pratice before you Pontificate.

[Dhondy]

Above all this chaos, all this discord and suffering, normal citizens like us need a reprieve to take our minds away from all the depressing news.

Indian cricket is pretty distressing news, and has remained so for as far as I can remember. According to the obsequious fan who is doubling up as an author, no doubt having failed to make headway in any other profession, there are five "heroes" in this team. Well, these tyros have played with each other for the last decade, comprising half the team. Why has India failed to reach number one status during this period, despite the almost vulgar riches available to the game? Why have we won only one of the last four series we've played in? Why is it that our heroes get mauled by less heralded and far less rewarded players from a country where cricket is in financial crisis in our own backyard? Tell me why we score 200 and 128 on a track where the opposition has just scored 600, with all our batting luminaries in tow? Why do our supermen spinners get outbowled by a rookie on the most helpful of tracks? You see folks, you have all been the victims of the most elaborate scam ever perpetrated, a scam much larger than the mortgage and derivative crisis spawned by the banks in the US. You have been led to believe that you are supporting a world beating side made up of once in a generation cricketers, where success was only a matter of time. You have hung on and on, bankrolled the incredible wealth of some of these so called heroes, and ended up with nothing but sleepless nights, a cartload of frustration and despair and shoddy productivity at work. Yet you still wouldn't give up your worship. See how you've been brainwashed. The heroes of our country are the soldiers who guard the borders, the ordinary men and women who slave for a living to educate their children so that they may have a brighter future than they had, the NGOs who work for nothing more than a smile. Donate your cable TV money to them, disconnect your satellite, and prepare yourself for a day of hard work at office.without clicking on the cricket columns. That's my perspective.

[Dhondy]

It's instructive to see the level of discussions on this forum. Vinod Kambli's wife, pole dancing daughter of a Muslim cleric gets orgasmic posts, while the most topical crisis on the world markets hardly has any takers except for a few familiar faces. There hasn't been any analytical, academic or stats oriented posts for many months. If we are a microcosm of India, no wonder our country is in so much trouble. Over and out.

[zubinpepsi]

Indian cricket is pretty distressing news, and has remained so for as far as I can remember. According to the obsequious fan who is doubling up as an author, no doubt having failed to make headway in any other profession, there are five "heroes" in this team. Well, these tyros have played with each other for the last decade, comprising half the team. Why has India failed to reach number one status during this period, despite the almost vulgar riches available to the game? Why have we won only one of the last four series we've played in? Why is it that our heroes get mauled by less heralded and far less rewarded players from a country where cricket is in financial crisis in our own backyard? Tell me why we score 200 and 128 on a track where the opposition has just scored 600, with all our batting luminaries in tow? Why do our supermen spinners get outbowled by a rookie on the most helpful of tracks? You see folks, you have all been the victims of the most elaborate scam ever perpetrated, a scam much larger than the mortgage and derivative crisis spawned by the banks in the US. You have been led to believe that you are supporting a world beating side made up of once in a generation cricketers, where success was only a matter of time. You have hung on and on, bankrolled the incredible wealth of some of these so called heroes, and ended up with nothing but sleepless nights, a cartload of frustration and despair and shoddy productivity at work. Yet you still wouldn't give up your worship. See how you've been brainwashed. The heroes of our country are the soldiers who guard the borders, the ordinary men and women who slave for a living to educate their children so that they may have a brighter future than they had, the NGOs who work for nothing more than a smile. Donate your cable TV money to them, disconnect your satellite, and prepare yourself for a day of hard work at office.without clicking on the cricket columns. That's my perspective.

great post Dhondy....:hatsoff: pls someone sticky this post.....

[Lurker]

It's instructive to see the level of discussions on this forum. Vinod Kambli's wife' date=' pole dancing daughter of a Muslim cleric gets orgasmic posts, while the most topical crisis on the world markets hardly has any takers except for a few familiar faces. [b']There hasn't been any analytical, academic or stats oriented posts for many months. If we are a microcosm of India, no wonder our country is in so much trouble. Over and out.

You are getting old Dhondy, quite like me. GenX doesnt have time, probably the intellactual depth, to write what you missing(or suggesting). This is not meant to have a dig at them but stating the truth. The art of writing has been replaced by art of discussion. The habitual discourse of creativity has been replaced by propensity for critique. The good news is that you are not the only one feeling this. The bad news is there is no way out of this. xxx

[Ram]

Indian cricket is pretty distressing news, and has remained so for as far as I can remember. According to the obsequious fan who is doubling up as an author, no doubt having failed to make headway in any other profession, there are five "heroes" in this team. Well, these tyros have played with each other for the last decade, comprising half the team. Why has India failed to reach number one status during this period, despite the almost vulgar riches available to the game? Why have we won only one of the last four series we've played in? Why is it that our heroes get mauled by less heralded and far less rewarded players from a country where cricket is in financial crisis in our own backyard? Tell me why we score 200 and 128 on a track where the opposition has just scored 600, with all our batting luminaries in tow? Why do our supermen spinners get outbowled by a rookie on the most helpful of tracks? You see folks, you have all been the victims of the most elaborate scam ever perpetrated, a scam much larger than the mortgage and derivative crisis spawned by the banks in the US. You have been led to believe that you are supporting a world beating side made up of once in a generation cricketers, where success was only a matter of time. You have hung on and on, bankrolled the incredible wealth of some of these so called heroes, and ended up with nothing but sleepless nights, a cartload of frustration and despair and shoddy productivity at work. Yet you still wouldn't give up your worship. See how you've been brainwashed.

First of: Rohit Brijnath is a fantastic columnnist. I am surprised to find someone critiquing his work for lack of quality. In a world thats filled with shameless opportunists who lose no chance to take pot-shots at our national team players just so that they can get their names on their headlines, Brijnath is someone who has maintained his poise throughout. And he writes not just on cricket, but on many Indian sports too. So, it does seem odd to find him being called as 'someone doubling up as an author'. Secondly, I would like to address the point about our results. Yes, we havent won as much as we could have, yes we didnt blow away each of our opposition but honestly, has there been a better period in our cricket playing history, when we have seemed more formidable than we now are, apart from maybe the period between 1983-1985? We've been playing international cricket for more than 70 years now and I think most people would struggle to come up with an age when we were more competitive in the world stage. Of course, I cant personally vouch for all the 70 years, but since the time I have been watching cricket since the mid-90s, I can personally state that I have never felt much better about the chances of my Indian team. And as they, the proof of the pudding is in the eating: Has ANY international team gone into a test series with an Australian team in the last 10 years, with the slight favorites tag? Has any Aussie team gone into an test series with another team with experts calling Australia 'vulnerable'? If that doesnt show how far we have progressed as a team in the last few years, nothing will. I could go on and on about the results, but thats really missing the point, coz, this simply isnt about the results.Its about the feel, its about the sensation of being Indian cricket fan. And that Indian fan inside has had to endure some tumultuous times before, when our team not just lost, but lost badly, without a fight. Now though, I do know they will give a decent fight. And test victories in Australia, West Indies, S.Africa and England are all evidence to that.

The heroes of our country are the soldiers who guard the borders, the ordinary men and women who slave for a living to educate their children so that they may have a brighter future than they had, the NGOs who work for nothing more than a smile. Donate your cable TV money to them, disconnect your satellite, and prepare yourself for a day of hard work at office.without clicking on the cricket columns. That's my perspective.

Everyone one of the people you've listed are heroes in their own right, but there is one problem: They're all invisible. How can I get inspired by someone I cannot see? How can I say 'One day, I would like to be like him/her' at someone whom I dont even know? BUT, I do see the steely-look that Anil Kumble has in his eyes, at the top of his run-up before every ball. I do feel the razor sharp concentration in Dravid' mind, as he comes forward to defend that ball. I do understand what it is to never give up and to fight back, when I saw Ganguly fight his way back into the team. Above all, I do know what hard-work, focus and dedication can make you achieve, when I realize that Sachin has literally given up all of his life, to do what he has done till now. That is inspiration for you. And they're my heroes, every single one of 'em. I dont care how many runs they made. I dont care how many wickets they took. I couldnt be more bothered about how much silverware decorates their living room.All I know is: Someday, I would like be like them.

[King Tendulkar]

You are getting old Dhondy, quite like me. GenX doesnt have time, probably the intellactual depth, to write what you missing(or suggesting). This is not meant to have a dig at them but stating the truth. The art of writing has been replaced by art of discussion. The habitual discourse of creativity has been replaced by propensity for critique. The good news is that you are not the only one feeling this. The bad news is there is no way out of this. xxx

What a patronising post to youngsters. You must be getting old with these grumpy posts bemoaning the youth of today. What is it with old gits and things were better in my day complaints! Does not have the intellectual depth:hysterical:Serioulsy if you are going to make claims about superior intellegience and the art of writing then at least get your spelling right. As you have spent intellectual wrong. Ironic really!

[Lurker]

First of: Rohit Brijnath is a fantastic columnnist. I am surprised to find someone critiquing his work for lack of quality. In a world thats filled with shameless opportunists who lose no chance to take pot-shots at our national team players just so that they can get their names on their headlines, Brijnath is someone who has maintained his poise throughout. And he writes not just on cricket, but on many Indian sports too. So, it does seem odd to find him being called as 'someone doubling up as an author'.

At best a good writer but fantastic? Very debatable. Although I am not surprised, considering the falling standards of writing(and reading). The issue, I think, that many people are having is a sheer overdoing of this whole - Seniors should stay(or go) - that has been happening for almost 4 years or so now. The seniors are shameless that they stick around. Atleast in 2005/06 they would try to address the issue, how they were having a bad patch, working on deficient technique etc etc. These days the buggers have decided to show an atitude of - I am here to stay, what the **** will you do about it? No wonder the S(lacker)achin is already speaking of 2011 World Cup. By the way this is what Rohit Brijnath has already said myriads of time before about the Geriatric brigade. If Sachin Tendulkar wants to struggle, that's his right. But what is left for the maestro to achieve? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6592657.stm It is a fair time for Dravid to leave for many reasons. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6994609.stm So please do excuse if I find it hilarious that the same writer does a U Turn and comes up with why the heroes should be respected within a year. xxxx PS: You can go through some of his other articles from the website link and how many times has he wrote about the same old Sachin, Kumble, Dravid yada yada.

[Mr. Wicket]

By the way this is what Rohit Brijnath has already said myriads of time before about the Geriatric brigade. If Sachin Tendulkar wants to struggle, that's his right. But what is left for the maestro to achieve? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6592657.stm It is a fair time for Dravid to leave for many reasons. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6994609.stm

Fantastic work, Lurks. This is one of the reasons I pay little attention to Brijnath. Like so many other journalists, the man is a leech who simply writes for controversy, discussion and headlines. Meanwhile, Dhondy's on the mark.

[Lord]

At best a good writer but fantastic? Very debatable. Although I am not surprised, considering the falling standards of writing(and reading). The issue, I think, that many people are having is a sheer overdoing of this whole - Seniors should stay(or go) - that has been happening for almost 4 years or so now. The seniors are shameless that they stick around. Atleast in 2005/06 they would try to address the issue, how they were having a bad patch, working on deficient technique etc etc. These days the buggers have decided to show an atitude of - I am here to stay, what the **** will you do about it? No wonder the S(lacker)achin is already speaking of 2011 World Cup. By the way this is what Rohit Brijnath has already said myriads of time before about the Geriatric brigade. If Sachin Tendulkar wants to struggle, that's his right. But what is left for the maestro to achieve? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6592657.stm It is a fair time for Dravid to leave for many reasons. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6994609.stm So please do excuse if I find it hilarious that the same writer does a U Turn and comes up with why the heroes should be respected within a year. xxxx PS: You can go through some of his other articles from the website link and how many times has he wrote about the same old Sachin, Kumble, Dravid yada yada.

justt bcoz u want them to go doesnt mean they r shamelessly hanging around.most legends leave the game wen they r 38-39,(hayden n jayasuriya r still playng)no one has reached that stage.even their performance have been good.it was one bad series in sl where there were two freaks in M&M,couple that with the referral system & even da greatest wud flounder.remember we won da eng series n a near series levelled in aus if not 4 umpires?so look at da overall picture n not just da recent series

[Dhondy]

Yes, we should log on to read dsr's hate filled rhetoric rather than Lurker's well thought out posts. Pole dancing, anybody? :haha: