Wasim Jaffer is at an age when most sportspersons are in the process of making an inventory of their past and preparing for an alternate career to keep them going. His rare feat of scoring nearly a triple hundred at the age of 40 is a reminder of his astounding talent that somehow never took off on the international stage. That he still has the passion, desire, ambition, ability and stamina to compete and score big speaks as much of his love for the game as it does of his discipline and commitment.
Indian first-class cricket’s highest run-getter and its longest surviving member must be, at such moments of success, reflecting on his past and wondering why his graduation to the world stage resulted in a failure. Jaffer had almost all the qualities, and much more, to have been among the greats of the game: grace, elegance, hunger for runs and discipline to achieve what he did with such ease at the first-class level.When he looks back while preparing for a new life ahead, he will surely remember his cricketing career with a mix of regret, remorse and obvious satisfaction.
This is a question that must dog us all, regardless of what stage of life we are in and what career options we pursue. For achievers in life, it must be more so. More galling for those who had the opportunity, were provided the platform and yet, somehow, true greatness eluded them. This in some could remain a life-long sore point which even time may not heal.
Jaffer is not the first, nor will he be the last, to have scored runs by the tons with proven skills who failed to succeed when playing for their country. His own Mumbai mate, Amol Muzumdar, is in that long list of players who, for whatever reasons, could not even make it to the Indian team, despite scoring heavily in domestic cricket. If one scrutinises first-class records, it will make you wonder why so many of them, despite high averages, were never selected to play for India or when they were, they failed. Many of them will have a grouse, with valid reasons, that they were always put on trial and never given the free run to succeed as many others were.
All those who have seen Amarjeet Kaypee and Ajay Sharma bat, or Rajinder Goel and Padmakar Shivalkar bowl, could well argue that there is never justice in this world. And this list could be endless, for there is very limited space at the top, just 11 can play for the country at a given time. In a selection process there is always an honest subjective element involved, even if we discount for biases and favours.
That Jaffer can still motivate himself despite knowing there is going to be no India recall, is admirable in itself. What makes his feat even more laudable is that he has been able to stretch his career into an age where sportspersons much younger than him discover their body failing to respond to their proven skills. What in life is the prime for others, for an athlete is the age when his career graph starts declining. It is time for him to look ahead with a positive state of mind, seek alternate means to survive and occupy his mind.
From a fan’s perspective, cricketers like Jaffer are a rarity. For every great of the game, there are many more equally talented who for various reasons may not have the same tag of greatness attached to them. But that is no reason not to celebrate what they have achieved.