Cricket:Jumbo Walks into the sunset

For the first time Othersport is carrying news about Cricket, the sport that was the very reason for this blog to come into being. The purpose that this blog was to provide a platform for a whole lot of sports other than Cricket.

However there are times when you have to make an exception to feature a fine sportsman who happens to play Cricket. India’s old war horse, Anil Kumble has announced his retirement from International Cricket with immediate effect. You can find reams and reams being written about his retirement, his statistics and on how he was the greatest that India ever produced.

I prefer to stay away from those eulogies. For me he was a hero. That too for the following reasons
1. There were many a cricketer who got carried away by their success . Anil Kumble never let it bother him. As one TV Anchor put it, “He was the proverbial foot soldier who was a team man and yet when he became the General, put the team before himself”. His success never bothered him, nor did he get carried away by it. He was as humble, ever the Gentleman and remained so until the end.
2. He was a proverbial braveheart. The very sight of him coming on to bowl with a broken jaw and a head wound up in bandages like a mummy, is enough to inspire a few generations of Cricketers, Athletes and the aam Janta. Yet, he went on to bowl 14 overs, while claiming the wicket of Brian Lara. Even in his final test, when he had to take on 11 stitches on his left hand , he did what he does best, fight. He bowled, got 3 wickets, took a catch running 20 yards. All the while enduring the pain. As VVS Laxman commented, “When the rest of us were dropping sitters, Anil went on to show that he can catch with his fingers injured” .
3. The most dignified of the whole bunch. Can you ever recall any controversy that involved Anil ? Not really, actually you will recall none, because there was none. In his 18 years of Cricket, he was pretty much dignified on the field as well as off the field. No personal controversies for this man, no skirt chasing, no drunken brawls. A cool customer and a level headed one. Even during frayed tempers of the Australian series, he maintained his composure.

Anil Kumble aka Jumbo will go down as someone who always bowled to take wickets, a fierce competitor. Just watch him celebrate every wicket that he got, the groan he gave when a catch was missed. He plotted, planned and executed every wicket that he probably got. My only thoughts at this moment, how worn out must be the rotator cuff on his right shoulder ??

There is one picture that probably signifies everything Anil Kumble was. A Jumbo… cool, calm, composed, Majestic and dignified.