Losing my religion, i dare not

To be honest, i don't know what is common between Sourav Ganguly and me. If some body criticizes him, i defend him a way like i am defending myself and this has been the case since 2003. Sourav you taught me a lot and its a sheer agony to live in without your sheer timing. Its been an honour and a priviledge to follow your career from 1996 to 2008. I hoped that you will play atleast a year or so but you as always surprised me.

My hero worship of Sourav started when he played a heroic knock against Pakistan in Dhaka, 1998 when India chased down successfully a massive total and this was the begining of almost a decade of hero worshipping. I dont know why i am not able to write this article. My hands are trembling and so are my head. I promise to myself that i will never make a sportsperson my hero because they retire and leave behind themselves tears and sweet memories. I can not imagine what will happen to me when i see Sachin retiring from the game. They say the game is greater than the players, for me Sachin and Sourav along with Kumble, Dravid and Laxman are far greater than the game. This entire generation almost 10 years older than us almost enthralled us when we were teens and now when we are grown up adults they are chucking us out. This is certainly a bad phase of our age. Just like we can not re-live our teen age, they can not live their game back.

I dont want to lose my religion from the polytheism of Ganguly, Sachin, Kumble, Dravid and Laxman to the polytheism of Sehwag, Dhoni, Yuvraj, Zaheer, Harbhajan, Gambhir and Ishant. I will not be a convert and will rather stop practising the religion of 'cricket' when all my gods will retire.

I faintly remember the days when Australia used to thrash India regularly and India only used to win home matches and Kumble, Sachin were the lone wariors. And then came a fighter, a constructor and an artist (Sourav, Dravid and Laxman) and everything changed. We started winning matches abroad regularly and with the re-inforcements like Yuvraj, Sehwag, Zaheer and Harbhajan we became one of the top three teams in the world. And now these stalwarts are retiring one by one. Kumble gone, Ganguly gone and some time the rest three will also ago. Their memories will remain for ever and i will cherish those for ever. Thank you Sourav. You will remain my hero. Good luck Dhoni, i admire you a lot but sorry to say i wont convert to your religion.