The last hurrah for the legends of cricket

Legends- They don’t claim to be the best, they just give their everything every time they step on the cricket field.

IPL 2013 was a wonderful event despite being marred by many off field controversies. One of the most striking features of the tournament was teams converting their home grounds into a fortress.

Opposition teams found it almost impossible to breach the walls of Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings.

In fact, Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals went on to win every single game they played at their home. Sunrisers and Super Kings were equally difficult to beat at home. They lost only one and a couple of matches respectively at their near impregnable fortresses.

It was enthralling to see them thrashing the opponents. Another remarkable feature of the tournament was the huge turnout of the spectators at the stadiums.

Most of the matches were played in front of stadiums packed to the capacity. It was one of the features that went missing in previous few seasons of IPL. But what stood out as the most eminent feature of the tournament was the sight of old guns slogging out everything on the ground.

A mere sight of legends like Tendulkar, Dravid, Ponting, Hussey, Kallis, Glichrist is enough to send a shiver down the spines of a cricket fan.

And to see them playing with the enthusiasm of a teenager is too big a reason to celebrate. Many of them won’t be playing competitive cricket again.

Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar have already stated that it was their last season at the IPL though Tendulkar would continue to appear in Test cricket.

Michael Hussey won’t be around for too long. Kallis is also on the wrong side of thirties. Gilchrist and Ponting have already played their last game.

Add Brett Lee and Brad Hodge (had he was not born in greatest era of Australian cricket, Brad Hodge could have ended up being a legend ) to list and we are looking at a plethora of some of the finest contemporary cricketers.

So, what make them do wonders? Where do they get the motivation from? What drives them? These are the few questions which everyone must have asked at least once.

These are the players who never bowed down to any opposition or circumstances and have achieved almost everything one would ask for.

The consistency with which they have delivered the results is nothing short of extraordinary. The single most motivating and driving factor for these men is their undying passion for cricket. Level of commitment on the field, the amount of hard work they put in their job and an unrelenting appetite for success impeccably reflects their passion for the great game.

The ongoing Champions League gave the fans another opportunity to view few of these great men in action again. They are not going to be around for too long. This is probably the last time we are seeing some of them on cricket field.

They may not be at their best now, time has a taken a toll on their bodies yet there are flashes of brilliance. In between every failure with the bat comes an on drive or a straight drive exclusive to certain Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. Though he is little embarrassed to be still on the cricket field but it is certainly not stopping Michael Hussey from thrashing the bowlers through the cow corner.

In the last few years some of the greatest cricketers of 20th century retired. These players are probably last of much celebrated group of players of last decade or two. It is the time to treasure the every moment they spend on the Cricket field and not to find flaws in their performances.

As the legendary Tennis ace Arthur Ashe said – “I keep sailing on in this middle passage. I am sailing into the wind and the dark. But I am doing my best to keep my boat steady and my sails full”.

Ability to hang on and fight against the odds yet giving their best makes a legend. And this is one quality that differentiate a legend and from great man.

So let’s sit back in front of TV sets, at the stadiums or glued to live internet streaming or just find a way to sit, relax and enjoy the last hurrah of the finest cricketers of our generation.