He was never a wannabe!!!

About a week ago I made an impulsive decision to abstain from posting cricket related issues in my blog at least for the next few months. (Un)fortunately I am finding it difficult to abide by that rash resolution. There is so much going on in the cricketing world; The Ashes, The West Indies contract dispute, Pakistan’s Test debacle in Lanka. Despite all this, it’s not a cricketer or a cricket match which has made me break the resolve. In fact, it is a reality show in which a publicity craving individual let slip a few choice words for some media attention. Yes of course, Vinod Kambli. The reason for my referring to him as a non-cricketer will now be quite obvious.

The prime quality expected in a cricketer playing for an international team is self-motivation. Cricket was well into its Glitz-ridden era when kambli padded up for India, so he should have known this basic necessity which should stem at the roots of a cricketer. Sadly, kambli didn’t grasp this basic fact which is evident from his career graph. On comparing the kind of starts that Sachin and Kambli had to their respective careers, it becomes quite palpable as to who got a head-start. With 2 consecutive double hundreds under his belt Kambli should have more or less cemented his place in the Indian side for a long, long time. Ganguly’s career can be taken up as a parallel comparison. He got 2 consecutive centuries and completed a successful albeit controversy ridden tenure of more than a decade in international cricket. The main reason for this…self-motivation. What Kambli did have which made up for his lack of self-motivation was talent, in abundance. People used to compare him to Brian lara, in fact he was referred to as the Indian Lara. But talent alone will take you only to the doorstep of success. It is motivation that sustains you there. Kambli’s act of shedding tears in public after the dramatic semi final loss in the ’96 world cup against sri lanka showed that he was a man who wore his heart on his sleeve…another undesirable quality for a cricketer.

Despite kambli’s abysmal decline of form and stature, Sachin made sure that he was given one last opportunity. When Sachin became the captain it was he who stood behind kambli and backed him. This, I feel, is the only move that comes anyway close to unethical in Sachin’s glorious career. But again, Captains with preferences are not uncommon even from olden days. Kambli didn’t show even the slightest amount of fire in his belly during his supposed “resurrection.”

A decade has gone by now where kambli has dabbed his hands in the showbiz and entertainment world. Just when he seemed to have become a ghost to the cricketing world, he has now thrown a sucker punch at his long standing mate via a reality show , revealing that sachin did not encourage or motivate him enough in his career. The irrational, angry part of my mind comes up with 3 words in response to this…”Load of Crap.” The rational part of my mind?? For once it agrees with the irrational part!!!