Well the latest abuzz in the cricket world is that Sachin Tendulkar will continue to play international cricket despite winning the world cup. This would definitely bring cheers on all Tendulkar fans who can still see the master blaster doing what he has been since the past 22 years in international cricket. What is more is that Tendulkar will play in both tests as well as one day internationals and God knows how long. It is an undisputed fact that Tendulkar is not the one who runs behind easy money. Moreover, it is not we who decides when Sachin Tendulkar should retire.
But, one thing as fans of the great legend, it would be nice to see Sachin Tendulkar ending his career on a high like Glenn McGrath did so after winning the Ashes 5-0 and the 2007 world cup 11-0. So was the case with Shane Warne when his last 5 test matches saw him become the 1st bowler to grab 700 wickets in test cricket. But, the Indian speedstar-Javagal Srinath didn't have that sort of retirement when his last one day international saw him get belted by Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn in the finals of the 2003 world cup.
Srinath was belted for 87 runs in that match at Centurion. Javagal Srinath didn't take a wicket in his finals test match against West Indies as well. Similarly, Sachin Tendulkar's West Indian counterpart-Brian Lara had a disappointing end to his international career when his team lost five major games in the super eight stage of the 2007 world cup at home. Lara was a part of the West Indian team that didn't feature in the super sixes of the 1999 and 2003 world cups. I pray God that no legend gets such a bad farewell like Lara which made him hang his boots permanently not even considering the IPL.
Sir Vivian Richards-who was a part of the West Indies team which was a world beating side played his last in 1991 and didn't wait to see his team crash out of the 1992 world cup which didn't even make it to the semi-finals despite the presence of Lara, Ambrose, Walsh, Bishop and Richie Richardson. In case Tendulkar retires after say India lose in the ICC champions trophy, that would be a sad farewell for a deserving cricketer. And in case Tendulkar retires after scoring his 100th ton, the world will see him only as a person who did everything to get into the record books.
Showing posts with label Vivian Richards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vivian Richards. Show all posts
Monday, April 4, 2011
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Oz & WI share lot in common
The only different between Australia and the West Indies is that the former team is filled with white players and the latter with black. Or else, the two teams namely Australia and West Indies share a lot in common. This happens both when it comes to success as well as failures. As everyone is aware of, both Australia and the West Indies are the only teams to have won more than one world cup. Of course, Australia have won 4 world cups which is a different issue here. There are only two captains namely Australia's Ricky Ponting and West Indies' Clive Lloyd who have lifted world cup twice.
Added to that, they have done it consecutively with the West Indian captain lifting it in 1975 and 1979 while Ricky Ponting has done it successively in 2003 and 2007. Australia and the West Indies are the only two teams who have so far won both an ICC Champions Trophy and a world cup. Once again Australia have done it twice with West Indies doing it only once. And, in 2002 the honors were shared between India and Sri Lanka. Both Australia and West Indies have two players who have made it to the Wisden's top five cricketers of the century.
Australian players Shane Warne and Sir Donald Bradman were voted as one among the Wisden's five cricket players and from the West Indies there were Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Garfield Sobers who have made it to the elite list. As a matter of trivia, the only other player who has made it to the Wisden's five cricketers of the century was England's Sir Jack Hobbs. And lastly, both the West Indies and Australia were a world dominating side defeating whom even in an inconsequential match is a clebration. These were the successful instance where Australia and West Indies share similarities.
But, both teams share similarities when it comes to areas where one wants it to the the last thing to happen. In a T20 world cup, Australia and West Indies are the only two test playing nations who had to return back home in the first stage of the tournament when West Indies lost both games in 2007, one each to RSA and Bangladesh while Australia lost both their games in the earlier edition in 2009 when they lost their matches to Sri Lanka and West Indies. Australia in 2007 and West Indies in 2009 not only reached the semis of the world cup but also lost to those teams which went on to become the runners up of that tournament.
Added to that, they have done it consecutively with the West Indian captain lifting it in 1975 and 1979 while Ricky Ponting has done it successively in 2003 and 2007. Australia and the West Indies are the only two teams who have so far won both an ICC Champions Trophy and a world cup. Once again Australia have done it twice with West Indies doing it only once. And, in 2002 the honors were shared between India and Sri Lanka. Both Australia and West Indies have two players who have made it to the Wisden's top five cricketers of the century.
Australian players Shane Warne and Sir Donald Bradman were voted as one among the Wisden's five cricket players and from the West Indies there were Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Garfield Sobers who have made it to the elite list. As a matter of trivia, the only other player who has made it to the Wisden's five cricketers of the century was England's Sir Jack Hobbs. And lastly, both the West Indies and Australia were a world dominating side defeating whom even in an inconsequential match is a clebration. These were the successful instance where Australia and West Indies share similarities.
But, both teams share similarities when it comes to areas where one wants it to the the last thing to happen. In a T20 world cup, Australia and West Indies are the only two test playing nations who had to return back home in the first stage of the tournament when West Indies lost both games in 2007, one each to RSA and Bangladesh while Australia lost both their games in the earlier edition in 2009 when they lost their matches to Sri Lanka and West Indies. Australia in 2007 and West Indies in 2009 not only reached the semis of the world cup but also lost to those teams which went on to become the runners up of that tournament.
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