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Sourav Ganguly: Farewell Dear Friend
Ayush T
I was about 15, sitting in the back seat of the family car after a dinner out with everyone, imploring my father to drive faster as we were about to miss the start of a cricket match. He wouldn't and he gave me a reason to justify his non-action that I didn't believe then, and I only barely believe now.
My dad reasoned that as a man gets older he develops phobias for things that came naturally to him in his younger days (ie. driving fast, some would argue other things too, but we'll leave that for now). He lives with a constant fear of "what if?" My father told me that I too would develop this fear one day, where I would doubt my instincts, where throwing caution to the wind would not be an option, let alone an option seriously considered.
After much introspection I cannot really say that I have reached such a stage. I do not totally agree with my venerable father (nothing new there), as such mindsets are not universally adopted by all, but depend on an individual's priorities and experiences. However, I can see the effect he described in other people. Sourav Ganguly being one such person.
Life is no Bollywood masala movie, where everyone lives happily ever after. Only the uninformed or the cricket-illiterate would have held any hope of Sourav Ganguly being invited to rejoin the Indian dressing room. Unfortunately, we merely witnessed what we have been observing for the past year, or three.
The demons in Ganguly's mind have cemented their roots to such an extent that even an attempted exorcism by the most worshipped practitioners of black magic would not suffice. The said demons serve to cloud the links between his limbs and his mind. One gets the feeling he knows what to do, just does not remember how. He seems scared every time a bowler capable of bowling above 125 kph stands atop his mark. It does not really matter whether the bowler is actually able bowl that fast, because more often than not he has already won the battle against the Ganguly of post 2003.
Alas, this is the end. There will be no more attempts at re-selection, only memories. They will be treasured and recounted with pride and vigour. It was good having you around Dada. Take care of yourself and hold your head up high. You are a fighter and true leader who gave much to the game of cricket in your country. You will, eventually, be remembered fondly, by most, if not all. Take care of yourself, dear friend.
Everything else in the Red v Green Challenger Trophy match pales into insignificance compared to the final passing of Ganguly's cricketing career.
Sourav Ganguly: Farewell Dear Friend
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anu
URL
October 5, 2006
01:57 PM
The write up is really good - but SG is not the kind to give up atleast as of now. But if he removes from his mind the need to show certain people how good he is and instead play with a free and carefree mind, u wld come out a winner
temporal
URL
October 5, 2006
03:11 PM
when donald bradman retired at the peak of his career he was asked by a reporter why he chose to retire then...his reply was a classic..."i decided to retire now when you ask 'why?' rather than when you ask 'why not?'"
two things go against sourav - age (muscles) and politicians (muscle of another variety)
hoho
October 5, 2006
04:34 PM
I don't know why this people think so much about ganguly and believe they are smart people.. these people never said a word or ask for good bye from their hero Rahul Dravid.. who became the wall after 100s of chance (poor run rate.. selfish nature.. and choker on big ODI matches).. and in a single word.. it is better .. not to spend a single word on Indian Cricket..
The Enigma
URL
October 5, 2006
10:19 PM
Anu,
I have a sneaking suspicion that your contention maybe absolutely spot on. As I wrote, his minder need to realise the situation, as well as him.
Temporal,
Very true, but in Sourav's case I think if he really was good enough to still be in the team, he would've been there. The politicians have only entered the scene after SG created all that fuss. His body and mind have just given up now, IMHO.
Hoho,
In 10 years time history will no doubt show RD's abilities and qualifications for "legend" status in a far more prominent and positive light. He has already, IMHO, proven his greatness. It's sad to see that you're so pessimistic about Indian cricket. Lighten up mate, there's always light at the end of the tunnel. :>
kingsly
URL
October 7, 2006
04:36 AM
dada
u r always great
greatest man of indian cricket
by
kingsly
(seerkatchi)
bangalore 75
Coachcyrus
URL
October 8, 2006
04:13 PM
lets hope others learn to leave their sport when they are at their peak - look at M. Schumacher, Martina Navratilova, Peter Nicol, Agassi they all retired when they were world beaters
anu
URL
October 10, 2006
02:11 PM
coachcyrus, though I agree with what u say, we hv to remember that SG was chucked out. the abv sportsmen play individual sports whereas SG is in a team game. He was definitely unprepared n must'nt hv thought of retirement. He was out of form & generally captains r not thrown out directly from the team - when captaincy n form both becomes a burden, the captain is taken in as a player and tested for some matches. In SG's case, as we all know lot of politics hs bn played n hence he has this desire to prove one n all wrong. Once he is out of the media / public glare n eases out the pressure on his shldrs he wld definitely come back. I saw his performance in the recent challenger series, n cld see he was giving 100% thruout the match. He looked terribly dejected when he fell. I dont want to blame his luck n wld like him to come back in full glory after regaining his form.
saurav bajaj
URL
November 7, 2006
12:53 AM
we need u back dada....their is lot of polictics in indian,it is because of this u r not being able 2 make a come back in indian cricket but u r the best,we r with u....
ILG
URL
December 8, 2006
04:51 AM
What do you have to say now Mr. Enigma?? Ganguly scored 83 in his comeback match. People like you hate Ganguly just for the sake of it otherwise you dont even understand an iota of cricket. If you have enough brains then please dont try to write such stupid articles again.
Peace of Mind and Spiritual Healing
March 4, 2010
03:32 PM
Very inspiring post. You have just snagged yourself another subscriber. :)
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** New Book is Out: Peace of Mind and Spiritual Healing of Broken Lives **
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