Bumrah’s guided missiles take less than a second to reach the batter – in that time the batter has to decide whether to play or leave, defend or look to score. All in the blink of an eye.
But sometimes players have all the time in the world to make the toughest decision in cricket — to decide when to call time on one’s career and retire. To unstrap pads, dump bat in the kitbag, mark the run-up one final time. It’s never easy to retire and slip into an uncertain afterlife.
Recently, Jimmy Anderson and David Warner retired in somewhat similar circumstances. Anderson’s farewell was on a gorgeous sunlit morning at Lord’s. The Test ended before lunch on Day 3 but an almost full house waited respectfully till mid-afternoon to celebrate the extraordinary career (188 Tests, 704 wickets) of England’s greatest. Warner’s last dance was at Sydney, his home ground, ending a spectacular 15-year-old career that brought him 20,000 international runs and 48 hundreds.
Both Anderson and Warner were allowed a grand departure, their final Test appearance announced in advance to give them a dignified exit in front of adoring fans. Yet the emotional moment was not without a touch of sadness – both were told, politely but firmly, that it was time to go.
Thereafter life is a mixed bag. Warner sits in the commentary booth passing judgement on colleagues he shared a dressing room with till yesterday. Anderson has had a more troubled transition – after a brief stint with England’s fast bowling group he surprisingly signed up for IPL auction and, unsurprisingly, went unsold.
What was the 42-year-old retired quick really thinking? In an interview, he explained that he was still passionate about playing, was fit and motivated, bowling as well as ever and could still contribute.
Which could be true but shows how difficult it is for champion athletes to gracefully move on. Somehow, these supremely gifted persons – blessed with skill and loads of self-belief – are convinced they can carry on doing what they have successfully done for so long. Anderson feels he can take more wickets, Warner probably thinks more hundreds await him.
Each player reaches a stage where things are not the same, especially with advancing age. Suddenly, batters realise it is taking longer to judge length, the feet don’t move well, the ball is hitting the bat a shade quicker. Cover drives end up in slip, the flick off the legs results in a leg before decision, and the front foot pull lobs gently to point instead of sailing over midwicket.
Bowlers suffer a similar skill decline. Spinners search for the grip, bite, bounce and turn they had till the other day. Quicks, whose carry once surprised the keeper, now struggle to get the ball stump high and, with nip gone, the leg-cutter poses no threat to the batters.
Often, it’s not a matter of skill but lower motivation. As performance fades and pressure increases the player must ask himself whether he has the hunger and the drive to carry on. Judge if there is fuel left in the tank; whether the battery is still charged.
While making the final call, champion players look to protect their reputations and not allow failure towards the end to tarnish a long career of achievements. Legacy and lasting impact is important, how future fans judge you is a prime consideration.
In India, our greats live on forever – much after retirement – they are lifelong celebrities holding a cricket credit card that provides unlimited benefits of adulation and riches. Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh were outstanding servants of Indian cricket who earned the respect and love of fans.
The current Indian team has superstars no less accomplished, who will soon be challenged by the retirement issue. Virat Kohli and R Ashwin are cricket’s royalty. Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja are among the finest in an exclusive group of only 316 players who have represented India in Tests since 1932. Each will take a calculated call at the appropriate time wanting to leave on a happy note, with dignity, grace and respect. Virat summed this up nicely when he said he is not the type to hang around.
Usually, retirements are not sudden, and it’s possible to see the finish line in a player’s career after a glorious marathon run. Of course, Dhoni defied the trend by rewriting the retirement script but others must listen to their body – and consult their brains – before deciding to hit the pause button. In most cases it is a hard group discussion with self because no outsider can provide a meaningful input.
In a way, compared to the past, retirement is not such a dreaded prospect anymore. Considering cricket’s growing ecosystem, true legends have a job guarantee scheme with multiple options available to them for remaining connected.
Retirement, cricket’s afterlife, is not a dead end – only a fresh innings.
