A Graceful Exit

As the whole Cricketing World seems to be ecstatic over a Pak India Semi final clash..
I am quietly sitting here in my TV lounge, and thinking about a Champion Player who made his final exit from the World Cup today. Ricky Thomas Ponting, one of the last two survivors of the Invincible Australian Team has bowed out of the World Cup Cricket - and it is a tragic, yet I would say, a very Graceful exit.
The Champion batsman fought with valor.. like a lone warrior who gives everything to protect his land and dies fighting..
His ODI form was probably at its lowest ebb before this match, but he lifted his game for this occasion.. responded to the pressure and stood up to the challenge yet again.. like a boxer who stands back up on his feet from a near-knockout situation..
Played a real gem of an innings on a very difficult surface under not-so-favorable circumstances.. a very responsible innings.. held the australian innings together.. but he did not get the support he required.. there were not many skilled warriors by his side this time.. there was no Damien Martyn at the other end to support him.. there were just the failures of Hussey, Clarke and White at the other end.. and as Brian Charles Lara and Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar would probably confirm.. Cricket is mostly about 11 players.. and the heroics of merely 1 player seldom win matches..
Not all the tales have happy endings.. Ponting's World Cup tale has also ended in a dramatic and tragic manner, but still I guess he can hold his head high.. and leave with grace from this World Cup arena.. a grace which he so richly deserves too..

Edited : 25-Mar-2011 8:20 PM
People might hate him for his arrogance or attitude, but I am talking about his batting prowess here, not discussing any other attributes or characterisitics. I even received a comment on fb 'Cricket is a gentleman's game. True, he has great statistics to boast off but unfortunately he wasn't a gentleman' .
So what ? no one is giving him a Character Certificate here, we are talking about his on-field competitiveness. Ultimately, to win matches, you need to score runs with the bat in the field, that's what it is all about.. and that's what he was good at.. that's what should be appreciated.. and enjoyed..
Besides... with pitch digging, ball biting, spot fixing, match fixing etc. going on in the game.. it is hardly a "Gentleman's Game" now.. :-)

Google rankings.. hmmmm

If you happen to google 'a tribute to kamran akmal', this very page comes up in top 5 rankings (at the time of writing this)..
;)

A "Tribute" to Kamran Akmal

A collection of sentiments (in no particular order) of my friends about the Worst Wicketkeeper in the history of Cricket, feel free to add..

"Behind every successful batsman there is ..... Kamran Akmal"

"Why didn't Taliban recruit Kamran Akmal?.... Because he would have dropped the bomb"

"What do Micheal Jackson and Kamran Akmal have in common? .... They both wear gloves for no reason"

"Kamran uckmal to Ijaz Butt, "no one remembered my mother and sister on women's day" Ijaz butt - "beta every time you dropped a catch, the whole nation was remembering them.."

"Firaun, Numrood, Sahir Lodhi, Himesh Reshamiya, Zaid Hamid,Zardari, Kamran Akmal"

"Kamran akmal's work is not done yet, he will sh*t on the pitch and then will surely run someone out.. and only then will he play an irresponsible shot and get out.." Me. (when Akmal came out to bat)

"Darwin's theory of Wicketkeeper: Akmal -> Apes -> Kirmani -> Healy -> Rashid -> Gilchrist "

"If his batting was as good as Don Bradman's,he couldn't score enough runs to make up for what he costs them with his keeping." - Ian Chappell

" Kamran akmal's fav pickup line "Can i drop u somewhere" - Cricinfo

We will fight till the last "Akmal" of our blood - Shahid Afridi

This is how Kamran Akmal's kids will learn A B C D. . A for Akmal, B for Ball, C for Catch, D for Drop !

Kamran Akmal thinks wicketkeeping means 'to let the batsman keep his wickets'

"Can we have some of those Bengalis please who pelted stones at Windies bus ? This is Kamran UCKMAL'S address: 83, Block EE, Defence, Lahore. Do as you please, first come first serve. "