He is not the Prince, he is the King,He is not the Quitter, he is the Survivor,
He is not the Media Hog, he is the Do-er,
He is not Selfish, he is the Builder of Careers,
He is not a Cricketer, he is Cricket,
He is not just Sourav Ganguly, he is a Legend.
And today as I watch this legend hang up his boots my heart bleeds. What could potentially have been 2 more glorious years of cricket for US is now officially over!!
7th October can now be declared the saddest and the most shameful day in the history of Indian cricket. I can openly say shame on all those quarters that drove a man like Ganguly over the edge and unfortunately out of cricket. The Fab Four are now left listless and searching as one of their members has left, leaving behind the memories of what has been a remarkably entertaining, prosperous, progressive, dynamic and awe-inspiring careers. The pressure he has been mounted to over the last 2 years has only made things even more difficult for the man who gave Indian cricket a new lease of life.
The best Indian captain started off rocky in 1992 and was written off at that time. His majestic return 5 years later in Test saw him return with a bang and since then he has only proved his critics wrong. This time again after the debacle with Greg Chappel our man returned with a bang and was nick named (amongst MANY others!!!!) as the King of Comebacks....and what a return it was!
The man's fine-tuned batting, god-like play at the offside, stubborn willingness, never say die attitude made him and the Indian team the winners they are today. Can he be actually allowed to leave a sport he has given so much to, specially when he is NOT down and out. Ganguly has not lost his touch and is actually the only batsmen who managed to score anything worthwhile at the India v/s West Indies or Pakistan.
He was proud of who he was. but we were not. He believed in Irfan Pathan and Harbhajan Singh, when we did not. He stripped his shirt at the Lords (!!!!) to tell the English 'up yours'. He squeezed the arrogance out of the Aussies (World Cup, Steve Waugh toss wait, 2001 India tour of Aus....and many more!!). He bent the rules for India's success. He elevated Indian cricket from the muck of Match-fixing!
What did we give him- NOTHING...instead pulled his career away. You know what he deserves- A chance to file a case of harassment against the entire nation (...maybe except Bengal). Our fickle mindedness and ping-pong attitude has finally 'achieved' what could have been avoided.
It is not his loss, it is our loss. We do not get to see the man who tears the opposition anymore, we do not get to see a fiery Bengali on field, we do not get to see his smiling face when he praises 'his boys', we do not get to see a proud man, we do not get to see Tendulkar, Laxman, Dravid and Ganguly play together ever again. It is our loss.
I will never get over the shock and disappointment of such a sudden exit of one my idols. There will never live to be another man like him and if I can achieve even 2% of what he has I will be satisfied.
Bidding farwell to one of the best cricketers India has ever produced. *
THE VIDEO OF HIM ANNOUNCING HIS RETIREMENT
http://broadband.indiatimes.com/videoshow/3570380.cms
SOMETHING TO SUBSTANTIATE MY ACCUSATIONS
http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/News/News/Tired_of_constant_humiliation_Sourav_Ganguly/articleshow/3575361.cms
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