Losing my religion

[SachDan]

The change of guard in Indian cricket has pulled the rug out from under the feet of a generation of cricket watchers Siddhartha Vaidyanathan November 7, 2008 The events of the last few weeks are freaking me out. Anil Kumble has gone, Sourav Ganguly will go, and the other three may not be far behind. I assume there is a large group of cricket fans in their mid-to-late 20s, like me, who are grappling with the implications. This transition is messing with our minds. Let me explain. For many of us cricket began in November 1989. Pictures of what went before are too hazy. I remember Allan Border lifting the World Cup but don't recall what I was doing then. So I can't connect Australia's World Cup win to my own life. Sachin Tendulkar spoilt us. He commanded that we sit in front of the television sets. He ensured we got late with homework, he took care of our lunch-break discussions. He was not all that much older than us, and some of us naïve schoolboys thought we would achieve similar feats when we were 16. We got to 16 and continued to struggle with homework. Then came Kumble and the two undertook a teenager-pampering mission not seen in India before. Tendlya walked on water, Jumbo parted seas. Our mothers were happy that we had nice heroes - down-to-earth prodigy and studious, brilliant bespectacled engineer. They were honest, industrious sportsmen, embodying the middle class. When we thought we had seen everything, they reversed roles - Tendlya bowled a nerve-wracking last over in a semi-final, Jumbo played a match-winning hand with the bat. We were such spoilt brats that we pined for openers and fast bowlers. We cursed the side for not winning abroad. Such greed. Economists would probably have predicted the bursting of the bubble. We had a deluge instead. One fine day at Lord's we got a glimpse of two new saviours: Delicate Timing and Immaculate Technique. Suddenly my group of eight friends was split into two camps. You were either with Ganguly or Dravid. In that period we even took Kumble and Tendulkar for granted. It was adolescent indulgence taken to the extreme. When we played cricket on the streets, we had a number of choices. Left-handers were thrilled, defensive batsmen were happy, extravagant stroke-makers were delighted, the short boys didn't need to feel left out anymore, spectacles became cool, and freaky bowling actions were no more laughed at. In such a state of bliss did we live our lives. We flunked important exams, shed tears over girls, crashed bikes, had drunken parties, choked on our first cigarettes, and felt utterly confused about our futures. But every time we felt low, we had an escape route. One glimpse of Dada stepping out of the crease, or Jam leaving a sharp bouncer alone, or Kumble firing in a yorker, was an uplifting experience. So what if India lost? Could any of those Pakistani batsmen even dream of batting like Sachin or VVS? My generation needs to brace itself for this exodus. Some of my friends have been talking of needing to revaluate their own careers I remember Ganguly and Dravid soaring in Taunton, mainly because it was the day I got my board-exam results. And boy, did that provide some much-needed relief. I remember Tendulkar's blitz against Australia in Bombay because my dad, who thought cricket was a waste of time, sat through every ball. So connected were these cricketers to my growing up. Now, after close to 20 years, my generation needs to brace itself for this exodus. Some of my friends, crazy as this sounds, have been talking of needing to revaluate their own careers. Others are realising they need to recalibrate their childhood definitions of cricket. "Part of me just died," said a college friend who was the kind of extreme cricket buff who memorised scorecards. "No Dada, no Jumbo. I'm positive I'll stop watching after Sachin and Rahul retire." ( These players were not only outstanding cricketers but also great statesmen. However hard they competed, they were always exceptional role models. Now we dread the next wave of brashness and impetuosity. Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth are talented cricketers, but there's no way anyone would want a young kid to emulate either. The younger crop seems worse - a visit to some of their Orkut and Facebook pages tells you enough - and things may only get cruder in a cricket world when you can make a million dollars in a little over three hours. "Our childhood is ending," said a friend from school, and in some way he was probably spot on. Tendulkar's retirement may mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but for a generation of 25- to 30-year-olds it will mark the end of the first part of their lives. Switching on the television the day after will be a serious challenge. ..so true ( Siddhartha Vaidyanathan is a graduate student in Chicago and a former assistant editor at Cricinfo © Cricinfo

[Guest HariSampath]

I cant believe this fellow , who is a cricket writer, and who says he started watching cricket from 1989, cannot reconcile to senior cricketers retiring, and enjoying the performances of younger lot. I am 40+ and have been watching International cricket for 35 years, since 1971-72 season, I even remember following the season in '69-70 when GR Vishwanath made a 0 and 100 on his debut. When I watched India getting skittled out for 76 at Ahmedabad, I remembered how I listened to another skittle out for 42 runs in 1974, on BBC, with Eknath Solkar standing alone with 18 notout, and Old and Arnold running through India for 42...nothing changes. I have seen cricketers like MAK Pataudi, Salim Durani, Prasanna, Bedi , Chandrasekhar, Wadekar in the 1970s. I have seen Gavaskar, Vishwanath, Amarnath, et al who played through the 70s and also 80s. Then the era of Azharuddin , and then the modern era begining with Tendulkar , Kumble etc. Additionally, I have seen cricketers from abroad, who may be just names to this current generation of 20+ people. Lloyd, Richards, Fredericks, Greenidge, Kallicharan,Gibbs, Roberts, Marshall, Holding, Grieg, Amiss, Knott, Denness, Hadlee, Gower, Boycott, Hughes, Border, Mushtaq Mohammed, Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas, Imran, Asif Iqbal, Quadir, Wasim, Waqar , Roy Diaz, Duleep Mendis, De Silva and a host of other cricketers from India and abroad who played in the 1980 and earlier era. I enjoyed every moment of these great cricketers, and all of them had retired and gone, the next gen came , I enjoyed that as well , and then the current senior players came in the 1989-90 and mid 199s, and I enjoyed them too. I have been enjoying the Laras, Sachins, Pontings, Gangulys and Dravids too, and even if these cricketers go, I would continue to enjoy Dhoni, Yuvraj and the Gen NOW players. Thats the whole idea, players come and go, the game is greater than anyone. I love the game far more than individual. Of course everyone will feel a little sad that a Gavaskar or a Kapil Dev or a Richards wont be playing any more, but then we get over it and watch Sachins , Laras , Warnes and Muralis. I think it is the younger lot that is too sentimental, and older fans like me who are watching their 3rd generation of cricketers ( another good example is Lurker here), are far more open to the younger gen and also more appreciative of cricketers from all countries.....food for thought.

[Gambit]

Not a bad article at all. The retirements of Gangs, Laxy and SRT will hurt me badly but I will continue to follow my beloved team religiously.

[Guest HariSampath]

I know that retirements of great cricketers , whom one has grown up watching will take away some interest for a while, but to classify it as "rug jerked from under the feet" or losing religion or treat it as some life crisis is just OTT. I really was sad when Gavaskar left , and also when the likes of Kapil Dev and other greats like Prasanna , Chandra left the game. But the game goes on, the Sehwags come, the Sachins play, and when they leave, there are the Dhonis and Yuvrajs, and then who knows what. I suppose for some people in a certain age group ( who might have been 6-7 years old in 1989 ), would have spent all their teens watching Sachin , Kumble and others play, and these players would have made important impressions , and associations with important incidents in life. Likewise , I could also distinctly remember games during the 1970s and 1980s, far better than those of the 1990's , because by the time I saw Sachin debut, I was a working professional with plenty of things going on with me. But as a rule, it is paradoxical to see youngsters , supposedly progressive and forward , resisit change and get nostalgic, but older fans are much more realistic when big changes occur in the cricket world in India, and more accepting change and moving forward. Its a paradox because the older ones are expected to be less appreciative of coming generations and more inclined to resist change.

[DomainK]

I cant believe this fellow ' date=' who is a cricket writer, and who says he started watching cricket from 1989, cannot reconcile to senior cricketers retiring, and enjoying the performances of younger lot. [b']I am 40+ and have been watching International cricket for 35 years, since 1971-72 season, I even remember following the season in '69-70 when GR Vishwanath made a 0 and 100 on his debut. When I watched India getting skittled out for 76 at Ahmedabad, I remembered how I listened to another skittle out for 42 runs in 1974, on BBC, with Eknath Solkar standing alone with 18 notout, and Old and Arnold running through India for 42...nothing changes. I have seen cricketers like MAK Pataudi, Salim Durani, Prasanna, Bedi , Chandrasekhar, Wadekar in the 1970s. I have seen Gavaskar, Vishwanath, Amarnath, et al who played through the 70s and also 80s. Then the era of Azharuddin , and then the modern era begining with Tendulkar , Kumble etc. Additionally, I have seen cricketers from abroad, who may be just names to this current generation of 20+ people. Lloyd, Richards, Fredericks, Greenidge, Kallicharan,Gibbs, Roberts, Marshall, Holding, Grieg, Amiss, Knott, Denness, Hadlee, Gower, Boycott, Hughes, Border, Mushtaq Mohammed, Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas, Imran, Asif Iqbal, Quadir, Wasim, Waqar , Roy Diaz, Duleep Mendis, De Silva and a host of other cricketers from India and abroad who played in the 1980 and earlier era. I enjoyed every moment of these great cricketers, and all of them had retired and gone, the next gen came , I enjoyed that as well , and then the current senior players came in the 1989-90 and mid 199s, and I enjoyed them too. I have been enjoying the Laras, Sachins, Pontings, Gangulys and Dravids too, and even if these cricketers go, I would continue to enjoy Dhoni, Yuvraj and the Gen NOW players. Thats the whole idea, players come and go, the game is greater than anyone. I love the game far more than individual. Of course everyone will feel a little sad that a Gavaskar or a Kapil Dev or a Richards wont be playing any more, but then we get over it and watch Sachins , Laras , Warnes and Muralis. I think it is the younger lot that is too sentimental, and older fans like me who are watching their 3rd generation of cricketers ( another good example is Lurker here), are far more open to the younger gen and also more appreciative of cricketers from all countries.....food for thought.

Yes Hari, you have seen generations of cricketers and that's exactly why you will not feel that way. Thats why the writer says:

Tendulkar's retirement may mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but for a generation of 25- to 30-year-olds it will mark the end of the first part of their lives. Switching on the television the day after will be a serious challenge.

I have grown up watching and admiring Sachin Tendulkar in my adolescence. An age when things make deep impressions. He was my hero then, he is my hero still. The impressions made by other cricketers of the same time also remains though not as deep. Now I see a Dhoni come in and take over and I am a big fan of Dhoni, but I wont be as emotional as I am about Tendulkar. When Doni retires, it wont hurt as much as it hurts now even think about him retiring.

[Guest HariSampath]

I agree domaink, but what I am saying is I didnt feel that sentimental when thos cricketers I had grown up watching ( thru school/college days) retired, like Gavaskar, Richards, Lillee, Thomson, Botham, Kapil Dev etc. Also remember that was an era that had so many batting and bowling greats all over the world. I was in school when India won the World cup in 1983 , and you can imagine the excitement. Added to that was that many of my classmates , we all knew Srikkanth personally, and u can imagine what it is for schoolboys at that time, when India climbed the summit of ODIs....but then even then , I didnt at all feel any sentimental when Kapil Devs, Gavaskars, Srikkanths and Shastris left the game.

[Dinx - the Jinx]

Fans retire too... Excellent article by Siddharth. No need for HariSampath to question the sentiments expressed by the author. It’s a true reflection of how those in their late twenties and early thirties would be feeling like today. This feeling is already there when we follow or rather not follow ODI ricket, with no one except Sachin in the squad. Although Viru, Bajji, Zaheer and Dhoni bring in the joy, and the jubiliation that came along with the T20 triumph, we still miss the heroics of our heroes in the WCs of 1996, 1999, 2003, NatWest in 2002 and the CT in 2002. Some of the memories of the last 22 years of watching cricket Could not really make out why we lost the 1987 reliance worldcup semi final. Too young and naive to analyze at that age Felt angry when Pakistan beat us 1-6 in an ODI series. and wanted to wage a war against pakistan when Miandad hit the last ball six at Sharjah. The feeling continued every six months when we ket going to Sharjah and kept losing to Pakistan on those Freaky fridays. Watched Hirwani skittle the mighty West Indies at Chennai. Wondered who on earth is this Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar when he made his debut and within a few weeks, was motivating other friends in school and street to become a Sachin fan after seeing him blast Abdul Qadir in that exhibition match. (The first ever T20 match I saw - or was it a 15 over match) Celebrated Sachin's fist century at 17. Frustrated when we dint make the semi finals of 1992 WC and prayed that Pakistan should lose the final, but they eventually won. Took to Smoking and preferred the WILLS brand of cigarettes because they were the official sponsors of WILLS Indian Team. Watched 1993 white wash of England, the series against WI and then the Hero Cup - with awe. Celebrated Sachin's promotion as opener in ODIs and the success that followed. Got used to the slogan "India clicks, if Sachin clicks". During college days, sat in a smoke filled hotel room with about 25-30 batch mates to watch any bloody match india played between 1995 and 1999. Developed my own superstitions to get an opposition wicket or keep an indian partnership going. Cried when we lost the 1996 WC SF. Swore that I wont watch cricket again, only to bunk college within a few months later when Dada and Dravid made their perfect debuts. Watched Sachin giving night mares to Warne at Chennai. Same stadium same D stand - but this time an unfinished job resulting in handing over the test to Pakistan. Burst crackers and took to the streets (KK Ngr, Chennai) in cycle and foot with tricolor in hand, when Jumbo took the perfect 10. Hated Azhar and co and wanted their head for the match fixing. Hailed Ganguly's captaincy wen he got under Steve Waugh's skin. Witnessed the most spectacular partnership between VVS and RD. A week later, jumped in the D stand when Bajji hit the wining runs to seal the series. Slowly shifted loyalty from GOD to Dada as dadagiri continued. GOD blessed us again during the 2003 WC. Did flash mobs in office to celebrate the adelaide win in 2004. Started realizing that the supremacy of the Fab 5 is declining and young kids taking over. Enjoyed the T20 WC win, but dint quite connect to it. Angered by the injustice at Sydney. Saw IPL taking shape... Now watching Payback series. I for one strongly believe that once the heroes of our ages are gone, we are definitely gonnu have a choosy attitude towards watching/following the cricket "Team India" plays. So far I have been consoling myself saying, who cares if the Fab 4 is not playing in T20 or ODIs. Its Test Cricket that’s the pinnacle and we have all of the Fab 5 paying there. Slowly, one-by-one, they are seeing the sunset and once Sachin is gone, I’m sure, the interest to watch Test cricket will also wane. I’m not saying India will start losing and hence the loss of interest. Indian wins will still make me smile and feel proud. But how much can I personally attach myself to the victories is doubtful. Reason is simple – if Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Cheeka, Amarnath etc were like our neighbourhood uncles, Sachin, Kumble, Dravid, Ganguly, VVS were like our street mates, school mates, college mates with whom we grew up, played, laughed, cried, celebrated, broke down etc etc. We felt like their success is our success, their mistakes are our mistakes. Now with the younger lot, we may take a totally different attitude. Suddenly we feel like we are their big brothers, like a coach, like a college principal. Suddenly we think we know more than what they know and criticize each and every aspect of their game. And once they hit a lean patch, I’m sure we’ll give up on them and switch off. Enough cricket would be the feeling. I have seen this happen to my dad. A person who followed Indian cricket on papers and radios. Who used to himself play cricket till about 35. After the retirement of his heroes like Vishwanath, Gavaskar, Cheeka, Kapil, the amount of cricket he’d been watching came down alarmingly, inspite of the quality of cricket coverage in the media during that period. Even when I along with my brothers used to watch cricket non-stop, he started yelling at us. Now I can realize why. His heroes were not playing anymore and he wasn’t able to connect with the younger lot like Sachin, Kambli etc. I’m afraid the same is going to happen to me and thousands of others who are in their late 20s. Even today, I went to office late because I wanted to see Dada reach his half century. Given a chance, I would have stayed on to watch him reach the century. I don’t think I would do this when a Dhoni or a Rohit Sharma is nearing a milestone. The retirement of our heroes suddenly makes us feel that we have aged too. And I can no more bunk office or cancel an important meeting in order to be in front of the TV or internet. No more will my yearly vacation be used for watching cricket in the stadium. At the max, we can follow using our mobile phones and that too for how long, we’ll have the interest. I don’t know. Its not only the players who will retire. Even the fans retire too… If this feling is creating such a big loss to us cricket fans, just imagine the kind of void it will create in the lives of Dada or Kumble and then Dravid, VVS and Sachin to follow. That’s why I never questioned or posted anything about retirement of these greats, cos I could connect with them in terms of the fear of creating an emptiness in their lives post retirement. As Hari mentions in his post – cricketers come and go. The game is greater than anyone. May be right. But being a layman, I don’t think I can have a philosophical view towards the game. Yes – cricket or cricketers are not going to suffer if I or people who have the same sentiments like me are going to have a loss in interest. Millions of new fans are there already. The new kids on the block will have a fan following in the age group of 10 to 25 years. But for those between 25 and 35, sadly its time to announce our retirement. Thus I end here…

[Guest HariSampath]

^ So u are also D stand member ;-) ? I have been there since Tony Lewis team toured India in 1972 and I am a Charter member , I would have worn out at least 2 benches there and in fact over the sight screen ( D2), I had even written with a nail on that bench , " I saw the tied test here" , maybe we will watch a game together soon :-)

[DomainK]

I cant believe this fellow , who is a cricket writer, and who says he started watching cricket from 1989, cannot reconcile to senior cricketers retiring, and enjoying the performances of younger lot. I am 40+ and have been watching International cricket for 35 years, since 1971-72 season, I even remember following the season in '69-70 when GR Vishwanath made a 0 and 100 on his debut. When I watched India getting skittled out for 76 at Ahmedabad, I remembered how I listened to another skittle out for 42 runs in 1974, on BBC, with Eknath Solkar standing alone with 18 notout, and Old and Arnold running through India for 42...nothing changes. I have seen cricketers like MAK Pataudi, Salim Durani, Prasanna, Bedi , Chandrasekhar, Wadekar in the 1970s. I have seen Gavaskar, Vishwanath, Amarnath, et al who played through the 70s and also 80s. Then the era of Azharuddin , and then the modern era begining with Tendulkar , Kumble etc. Additionally, I have seen cricketers from abroad, who may be just names to this current generation of 20+ people. Lloyd, Richards, Fredericks, Greenidge, Kallicharan,Gibbs, Roberts, Marshall, Holding, Grieg, Amiss, Knott, Denness, Hadlee, Gower, Boycott, Hughes, Border, Mushtaq Mohammed, Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas, Imran, Asif Iqbal, Quadir, Wasim, Waqar , Roy Diaz, Duleep Mendis, De Silva and a host of other cricketers from India and abroad who played in the 1980 and earlier era. I enjoyed every moment of these great cricketers, and all of them had retired and gone, the next gen came , I enjoyed that as well , and then the current senior players came in the 1989-90 and mid 199s, and I enjoyed them too. I have been enjoying the Laras, Sachins, Pontings, Gangulys and Dravids too, and even if these cricketers go, I would continue to enjoy Dhoni, Yuvraj and the Gen NOW players. Thats the whole idea, players come and go, the game is greater than anyone. I love the game far more than individual. Of course everyone will feel a little sad that a Gavaskar or a Kapil Dev or a Richards wont be playing any more, but then we get over it and watch Sachins , Laras , Warnes and Muralis. I think it is the younger lot that is too sentimental, and older fans like me who are watching their 3rd generation of cricketers ( another good example is Lurker here), are far more open to the younger gen and also more appreciative of cricketers from all countries.....food for thought.

I agree domaink' date=' but what I am saying is I didnt feel that sentimental when thos cricketers I had grown up watchind retired, like Gavaskar, Richards, Lillee, Thomson, Botham, Kapil Dev etc.[/quote'] Yes, but I guess none of those cricketers had the charisma of Tendulkar. You probably loved the game and that's why you loved the cricketers. For me it was the opposite- I loved Sachin Tendulkar and that's why I started liking the game. I was young and ambitious. Looking to finish education fast and conquer the world. Sachin was setting the example. At 16 he was conquering the world. He was less than 19 when people started calling him the best. An 18 year old the best in the world at what he does. How amazing....how inspiring. So I knew Tendulkar before I knew the game. He was my hero. And I can tell you that it was so for many others in my generation. He was setting the examples to follow and we followed. We believed that the world can be conquered at that age because we watched him do it. I dont know what Cricket without Tendulkar will be like because I cant imagine it right now. I will love it still because I love the game. Its not that I watch a match only when Tendulkar plays. I can watch and enjoy even club sides playing Cricket. But Tendukar has a special place and he will always have that special place.

[Dinx - the Jinx]

^ So u are also D stand member ;-) ? I have been there since Tony Lewis team toured India in 1972 and I am a Charter member ' date=' I would have worn out at least 2 benches there and in fact over the sight screen ( D2), I had even written with a nail on that bench , " I saw the tied test here" , maybe we will watch a game together soon :-)[/quote'] Yeah - Hopefully yes. But my friend's grandpa through whom I used to get the tickets for this members only stand is no more... so off late, I'm visiting the erstwhile Sportstar stand (A Stand). But always loved the D Stand, especially because of the view and the bench. On a test match day, during the 2nd or 3rd session, when the game is boring, you can just lie on the bench and relax... wel.. cant think of it during an ODI though :) Its sad that they have removed the benches now and also D stand has been reduced to half its size after they built the club house there

[Guest HariSampath]

Actually, I was a fanatic D stand member from 1973 through mid 1980s...after which time, I used to get the VIP passes from Cheeka, but still I only used to go there for maybe 1 day, as all my friends would be in D stand, drinking, smoking and raising hell, so I would still use my D stand ticket ( actually it gave a small sense of satisfaction because as a TNCA club cricketer, I was entitled to one D stand ticket, and I would give my VIP pass to my friends , for the other 4 days of the test)....yes D stand is a grand place to view cricket, and even after Indian Oil took it, I was getting tkts...but last few Int'l games I havent been there, over a few years. The VIP pass is convenient, can get in at the start of game, parking is better, and better food available. I guess its old age :-( Having said that, and in keeping with the subject of this thread, how can one not relate to school and college cricket memories...for me, right from 1973...its been one journey of seeing the likes of Richards, Roberts and Greenidge on their debut series. Watching Gundappa Vishwanath playing THAT immortal innings of 97 notout against a Andy Roberts getting 7-54, a Sunny Gavaskar 236 notout, a Vishwanath 222, a Srikkanth blazer of an innings 123 against Imran, Wasim and Quadir, a Tied test, the Hirwani test, a Kapil Dev 100, a Vishwanath getting 124 on a pitch where the ball was bouncing like a rubber ball, against Windies, the Sachin Tendulkar 100 in a losing cause against Pak and so many many other memories...yes growing up with cricket was fun, and Chepauk cricket was absolutely GREAT...hmmm...I need to get another drink :D

[Gambit]

Excellent article by Siddharth. No need for HariSampath to question the sentiments expressed by the author. It’s a true reflection of how those in their late twenties and early thirties would be feeling like today. This feeling is already there when we follow or rather not follow ODI ricket, with no one except Sachin in the squad. Although Viru, Bajji, Zaheer and Dhoni bring in the joy, and the jubiliation that came along with the T20 triumph, we still miss the heroics of our heroes in the WCs of 1996, 1999, 2003, NatWest in 2002 and the CT in 2002. Some of the memories of the last 22 years of watching cricket Could not really make out why we lost the 1987 reliance worldcup semi final. Too young and naive to analyze at that age Felt angry when Pakistan beat us 1-6 in an ODI series. and wanted to wage a war against pakistan when Miandad hit the last ball six at Sharjah. The feeling continued every six months when we ket going to Sharjah and kept losing to Pakistan on those Freaky fridays. Watched Hirwani skittle the mighty West Indies at Chennai. Wondered who on earth is this Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar when he made his debut and within a few weeks, was motivating other friends in school and street to become a Sachin fan after seeing him blast Abdul Qadir in that exhibition match. (The first ever T20 match I saw - or was it a 15 over match) Celebrated Sachin's fist century at 17. Frustrated when we dint make the semi finals of 1992 WC and prayed that Pakistan should lose the final, but they eventually won. Took to Smoking and preferred the WILLS brand of cigarettes because they were the official sponsors of WILLS Indian Team. Watched 1993 white wash of England, the series against WI and then the Hero Cup - with awe. Celebrated Sachin's promotion as opener in ODIs and the success that followed. Got used to the slogan "India clicks, if Sachin clicks". During college days, sat in a smoke filled hotel room with about 25-30 batch mates to watch any bloody match india played between 1995 and 1999. Developed my own superstitions to get an opposition wicket or keep an indian partnership going. Cried when we lost the 1996 WC SF. Swore that I wont watch cricket again, only to bunk college within a few months later when Dada and Dravid made their perfect debuts. Watched Sachin giving night mares to Warne at Chennai. Same stadium same D stand - but this time an unfinished job resulting in handing over the test to Pakistan. Burst crackers and took to the streets (KK Ngr, Chennai) in cycle and foot with tricolor in hand, when Jumbo took the perfect 10. Hated Azhar and co and wanted their head for the match fixing. Hailed Ganguly's captaincy wen he got under Steve Waugh's skin. Witnessed the most spectacular partnership between VVS and RD. A week later, jumped in the D stand when Bajji hit the wining runs to seal the series. Slowly shifted loyalty from GOD to Dada as dadagiri continued. GOD blessed us again during the 2003 WC. Did flash mobs in office to celebrate the adelaide win in 2004. Started realizing that the supremacy of the Fab 5 is declining and young kids taking over. Enjoyed the T20 WC win, but dint quite connect to it. Angered by the injustice at Sydney. Saw IPL taking shape... Now watching Payback series. I for one strongly believe that once the heroes of our ages are gone, we are definitely gonnu have a choosy attitude towards watching/following the cricket "Team India" plays. So far I have been consoling myself saying, who cares if the Fab 4 is not playing in T20 or ODIs. Its Test Cricket that’s the pinnacle and we have all of the Fab 5 paying there. Slowly, one-by-one, they are seeing the sunset and once Sachin is gone, I’m sure, the interest to watch Test cricket will also wane. I’m not saying India will start losing and hence the loss of interest. Indian wins will still make me smile and feel proud. But how much can I personally attach myself to the victories is doubtful. Reason is simple – if Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Cheeka, Amarnath etc were like our neighbourhood uncles, Sachin, Kumble, Dravid, Ganguly, VVS were like our street mates, school mates, college mates with whom we grew up, played, laughed, cried, celebrated, broke down etc etc. We felt like their success is our success, their mistakes are our mistakes. Now with the younger lot, we may take a totally different attitude. Suddenly we feel like we are their big brothers, like a coach, like a college principal. Suddenly we think we know more than what they know and criticize each and every aspect of their game. And once they hit a lean patch, I’m sure we’ll give up on them and switch off. Enough cricket would be the feeling. I have seen this happen to my dad. A person who followed Indian cricket on papers and radios. Who used to himself play cricket till about 35. After the retirement of his heroes like Vishwanath, Gavaskar, Cheeka, Kapil, the amount of cricket he’d been watching came down alarmingly, inspite of the quality of cricket coverage in the media during that period. Even when I along with my brothers used to watch cricket non-stop, he started yelling at us. Now I can realize why. His heroes were not playing anymore and he wasn’t able to connect with the younger lot like Sachin, Kambli etc. I’m afraid the same is going to happen to me and thousands of others who are in their late 20s. Even today, I went to office late because I wanted to see Dada reach his half century. Given a chance, I would have stayed on to watch him reach the century. I don’t think I would do this when a Dhoni or a Rohit Sharma is nearing a milestone. The retirement of our heroes suddenly makes us feel that we have aged too. And I can no more bunk office or cancel an important meeting in order to be in front of the TV or internet. No more will my yearly vacation be used for watching cricket in the stadium. At the max, we can follow using our mobile phones and that too for how long, we’ll have the interest. I don’t know. Its not only the players who will retire. Even the fans retire too… If this feling is creating such a big loss to us cricket fans, just imagine the kind of void it will create in the lives of Dada or Kumble and then Dravid, VVS and Sachin to follow. That’s why I never questioned or posted anything about retirement of these greats, cos I could connect with them in terms of the fear of creating an emptiness in their lives post retirement. As Hari mentions in his post – cricketers come and go. The game is greater than anyone. May be right. But being a layman, I don’t think I can have a philosophical view towards the game. Yes – cricket or cricketers are not going to suffer if I or people who have the same sentiments like me are going to have a loss in interest. Millions of new fans are there already. The new kids on the block will have a fan following in the age group of 10 to 25 years. But for those between 25 and 35, sadly its time to announce our retirement. Thus I end here…

Lovely post dinakkar.

[Dinx - the Jinx]

Lovely post dinakkar.

Thanks Gambo... Do you share the same sentiments too?

[Guest HariSampath]

@ Dinakkar, One important point here, its not just fans who are sentimental about memories of test matches. Cricketers are LOT more sentimental. Take for example Gundappa Vishwanath.....I have seen him play some of the most classic innings in test matches that anyone can ever hope to see. To me, they are treasured, but for Vishy, its LOTS more. He absolutely LOVES the Chepauk. From time to time, I do call up Vishy , maybe 1-2 times a year...and talk briefly with him on cricket etc. On every occasion, I tell him " Vishy, each time I call you , I remember those 2 innings I was privileged to witness at the Chepauk". Vishy's mobile number itself is a combination of the two best innings he played in Chepauk, and he tells me " Yeah , those 2 tests were important, and to me Chepauk means a lot for those 2 innings, thats why I chose my phone number that way".....so we can probably conclude that occasions , memories are more important to cricketers than fans, and the players are probably more sentimental than fans. In fact Anil Kumble's number too is a reflection of an important moment in his career.....funny how cricketers, after playing 100s of games, still make even small things reminiscent of what they consider important in their career, phone numbers, car registration numbers etc.

[Holysmoke]

Please dont talk about SRT's retirement. It's a far way off, and I dont want to think about it yet. :((

[Guest HariSampath]

^...Not that long off...holy....Sachin *may* play till 2010/11...but it could also be next season, when we all witness the biggest farewell in modern Indian cricket

[Holysmoke]

Hari, Die. kthxbai

[Guest HariSampath]

No matter what you say......you know what I am saying is true...IF Sachin has to play till 2011, like Cheeka is asking him to, he has to just play , maybe 10 ODIs ( max) and 5-6 tests ( max) next 2 seasons, and even then, ONLY if he is injury free, and form and fitness holds up...hope it happens, though.

[Sachinism]

Not a bad article at all. The retirements of Gangs' date=' Laxy and SRT will hurt me badly but I will continue to follow my beloved team religiously.[/quote'] I feel the same way. Its hurtful seeing these great players go. Hari, you've seen many generations of players, but for people like me, these were the 1st. Im not going to stop watching cricket. NEVER. But these are the people who got me started watching cricket, these are the reasons I tried cricket and became addicted. If it wasn't for these players, I'm pretty sure I'd have different feelings about cricket. Reading this article brought back memories of mine too. Putting everything aside for cricket. Used to tell ex-gf not to bother me when cricket was on, at times it caused problems, but fark it, I got to see such cricketing legends. Studies have been put aside many times. Watching matches before exams and not studying at all. I remember watching India get killed by NZ the day before an exam. Things weren't going well at all, but I watched as these are players who have given us fans hope that anything is possible. I remember when India played SL in the WC, when Ganguly and Dravid killed them. I was checking the score on cricketnext (only site i knew at the time lol) saw we were doing well, so skipped the rest of the day and went home to watch them bat Players will come and players will go, but certain players will remain in our hears forever :icflove:

[Temujin Khaghan]

Harisampath by the way you reply to other people... i thought u were a teenage brat.