Would
you still say that a captain is just as good as his team? I would not, perhaps. As a man at twilight of your career, is it
harder for you than us mere fans to face this horrendous treachery of your
team-mates? Considering the fact that the
ones, who cheated, were the ones on whom you had rested your faith, as a
captain to win you games, does it hurt more? I am sure it would, it reflected
in a statement you read at the press conference.
I am
sure you remember the vicious bouncer he bowled to Kallis when we were in South
Africa. From first slip, it would have been so fascinating seeing him bowl the
way he does, sporadically. You would also, perhaps, recount back in 2006 when
we visited West Indies under your captaincy, he had bowled so fabulously.
He
was also a lucky mascot for Dhoni, or so it seemed to us fans – at least. T-20
World cup final against Pakistan and the catch he took, almost shakily. Only
two games he played in World cup of 2011, the first and the last. The kind of
cricket India played in both those competitions is still a source of pride, happiness
and solace for us Indian cricket fans.
And
of the other two young guys of your team, well what to say. Did you take their
loyalty, spirit and passion for granted? Did you, any time, think that they
will go so out of the aura of your presence as a captain? I hope your presence,
besides instilling cricketing sense, inspires some moral sense too. In fact,
the inspiration you provide for work ethic far supersedes the cricketing skills
you inspire. You are my idol in work ethic.
Don’t
get me wrong, I am not trying to tell you that you are, in any way, responsible
for this moral failure of your team-mates. In fact if there is anything that
can save a team from going into complete mess it is a presence of a player like
you. I know you are more than capable of putting this behind and play even
better cricket, just to ensure that cricket wins over all these stupidities and
absurdities.
What
I wish to highlight Rahul, though, is the common thread that you now share with
most of us. A thread of being cheated, back stabbed, weakened, defeated by
those whom you considered as not only team mates, but also family members – as you
stressed again in your conference.
It
hurts when those with whom you wish to win, defeat you, your purpose and
presence. Small and out of focus as we
as common people are, it’s easy for us to develop our defence mechanism, and
find a way out of any such mishap. I
believe it will be more difficult for you, as you need to pull an entire team
out of it, and that too under the extra critical eyes of media on you all the
time.
I
wish you bat, next time, not with anger and sense of vengeance or to prove any
point to anyone, you don’t need to do any of that. Just show us how to rise
above all such treacheries, wrongdoings and immoral practices.
Show
us how the cover drives still flow; the square cut still lacerates the ground,
an on drive that bisects mid-wicket and mid on perfectly and a flick that’s as
sweet to the ears as it is to the eyes. Show us that while there is corruption,
deceit, treachery and much more that we wish never existed, there is a kind of
people, a kind which rises above all of it, and lifts all, like us, who pin our
hopes on you.
I
know I am perhaps asking a lot, but you are the best wall I have ever known.
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