The fading superstar.....

"I saw him playing on television and was struck by his technique, so I asked my wife to come look at him. Now I never saw myself play, but I feel that this player is playing much the same as I used to play, and she looked at him on Television and said yes, there is a similarity between the two...hi compactness, technique, stroke production... it all seemed to gel!"
- Don Bradman

My earliest memory of my favourite sportsperson is watching him hit the great Abdul Qadir for four sixers in an over....I was seven at the time and was hooked, it was rare enough to see an Indian smash a Pakistani bowler like that; it was something else altogether to see a sixteen year old do it. Slowly over time I became the fanatic follower that I am today. I can't even begin to count all the times when I sat with my fingers crossed(not literally ofcourse) while he was batting or just quietly switched off the television when he got out cheaply.
With time, his cricketing genius became just one of the traits I admire!

There are hardly any public figures worthy of being called a role model, Sachin for me has been one both on and off the field. His desire to continuously improve, even as everyone around proclaims him to be the best, is quite astounding. Add to that his discipline, commitment and humility and you have someone worth emulating.

He has been consistently the best in the class and for a while it seemed thats how it will remain, but things have changed over the past year or so...the signs were visible in Australia (2003) and he hasn't looked his old self ever since...and then came the spate of injuries...the ankle, the hand and finally the elbow...and I was disappointed to see how quickly these injuries were followed by comments like "...he is over the hill.." or "...he is only continuing for records..." This after the guy has spent 16 yrs playing for the country and entertaining millions around the world with his craft.
And then I heard he is going for surgery on his elbow and I can't help but feel if its the end of the road...I have to grudgingly accept that Dravid is the new pivot of the team, that Sehwag is the new destroyer of bowling...that the career is coming to a close...
He will be back ofcourse but I think a stage has come in his career when almost any performance will seem like a failure. After all, the fickle minded fans tend to praise those performers who are currently at the top of the game.
But that doesnt bother me! He will remain forever the best sportsperson in my eyes...an icon and a role model!