End may be nigh, but he’s not yet Dhoni and dusted
For a sportsperson, the end of his/her career is like facing death. At their peak, they never fear that the end will come — as it does to all — regardless of the great skills they may possess.
Immortality lives in tales, not in a person. If there is anything certain in a person’s life, it is imminent demise. Whatever they may have done or not, achievements and failures are recounted only in history books.
Unlike in life, a sportsperson can choose the time and place to quit. When the body and mind are unwilling, there is little point in living in the past, and not the present.
Today, we may be talking about the future of MS Dhoni — among the finest cricketers the world has seen — like we have done in the past about other such great cricketers. When Sachin Tendulkar was not be spared, how can anyone else escape this fate?
The dilemma of a sportsperson is understandable. As time passes and the body ages, the natural law of impermanence comes into play. The body responds late, concentration levels drop, and reflexes slow down. The mind may still be keen and willing, but the body is not.
It is a reality that most of us are not willing to accept easily. No, it can’t happen to me. “I” who has conquered the world, played like a God, cannot be cowed down by external forces.
When the world is at your feet and adulation is kissing the very spot you stand on, it is impossible to visualise a future without a crown. Letting go can be so difficult that the very thought of it can have depressing consequences on mental equilibrium.
Sunday | PTI
If one maps out the career of some of the greatest players we have known, one common thing stands out, especially in India: most of them never quit willingly. They were either coaxed, cajoled, or literally forced to do so. Some of them carried on and on; even continuous failures and criticism not forcing them to change their minds.
In India, this latching on is perhaps more prevalent than in other countries. It may have to do with many reasons. Selectors in the first place may not have the courage to sack a player because of stupendous achievements and iconic status. Who could have told a Tendulkar that he may be overstaying? Another reason may be that the kind of fame, money,and followingg such players enjoy makes them so fearful of its end that they refuse to willfully embrace what they are eventually forced to do. Most of them had to finally go. Not because they made a happy choice or were asked to quit, but their injured bodies and failures became too embarrassing for their own egos to handle.
In Dhoni’s case, the situation has not reached that stage. He may not be the player he once was, but he is still an asset; more valuable to the team than those who want him to quit believe. An important question to be raised is that given his age, will he last till the 2019 World Cup? This is a pondering which no one can answer, neither the selectors nor the player himself. For the moment, he cannot and should not be dropped. There is possibly no replacement for the wicketkeeper-batsman’s job he performs.
Add to it his role on the field — where he is the alter ego of skipper Virat Kohli, guiding him at crucial moments of the game — and it is understandable why both the captain and coach Ravi Shastri get so touchy when this issue is raised.
However, India has to keep an alternative ready for Dhoni, just in case something goes wrong, as a year or so can be a long time for a career that is already nearing its end. The larger question, though, remains, and Dhoni will sooner than later have to confront it. Will he break the mould, like Sunil Gavaskar did by quitting when his place was not in doubt? He still has time to make that choice.