SACHIN - REALISE THE TIME HAS COME TO SAY GOOD-BYE

Couple of days back In the morning Sachin cuts birthday cake, announces, age is no factor, thereby indicating that he will go on and on and let himself slipping down the ladder till he reaches the rock bottom, and in the evening after facing few deliveries gets knocked `neck and crop’ by Sunil Naraine in the process gets off balances falls in front on all his four – what a pathetic sight.      There was a time when bowlers used to keep the ball by which they used to discuss Sachin as souvenir, since it used to be such a hard task breaking through his defense and for the last one year or so, one need not wait for a long time between his coming to the crease and talking a long walk back giving the scorers a well deserved rest from moving the score board.      Hardly anyone can remember when he survived more than 20 balls in an IPL match.   

It happens in the life of many celebrities that they just cannot leave the ark light and retire gracefully and keep making `ass of themselves’.    We have seen Mike Tyson participating in many exhibition matches and keep getting trashed and earning millions of dollar in the process, but falling from the grace of one time knocking out opponents in couple of minutes ever before audience could properly settle down in their seat.      Rajesh Khanna acted in many insignificant Z grade movies for many years and made mockery of him in many award functions craving for and demanding recognition.   

   

Even for an ardent fan of Sachin, my memory of his smash bulking innings and sending shivers down the spine of bowler like MaC Graft and Shane Warne is getting eclipsed by such below par performance and ridiculously easy dismissals.   Sachin, now that Birthday parties have settled down, wake up, mature and bow out graceful.

S. Prabhakar

26.4.13