BHUBANESWAR: Ace cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle on Monday said, the fear of failure is the biggest hurdle to winning. Speaking on “The Winning Ways” at the 30th anniversary function of Odia news daily ‘Sambad’, Bhogle said, winning always is not about doing the spectacular but doing the small things well.
“Is it better to lose a limited over game by 20 runs without really trying to win than losing it by 60 runs in pursuit of victory?” he asked the audience. “Unfortunately, in India, even a four-year old is made to understand what failure is while seeking admission to a nursery school,” he said.
Complacency, he said, is the nemesis of long term success. One has to constantly strive to better oneself. “If you are not better today than you were yesterday, you are finished,” he said.
He also quoted a column by legendary Australian cricketer Steve Waugh shortly after Michael Clarke was dropped from the team terming it as the ‘best thing’ that could have happened to his ambition of leading the team Down Under.
Chairman of Eastern Media Limited (EML) and Editor of ‘Sambad’ Soumya Ranjan Patnaik described Bhogle as the ‘high priest’ of Indian cricket. “If cricket is religion and Sachin Tendulkar is the God, then Harsha Bhogle is the high priest of cricket,” Patnaik said.
He said, Bhogle was a cricket star without ever playing the game.
IPL Chairman Ranjib Biswal described Bhogle as the ‘voice’ of Indian cricket. Monica Nayar Patnaik, the Joint Managing Director (JMD) of EML also spoke. Employees of ‘Sambad’ who completed 30 years in service were felicitated.