Fallen idols: can they rise from the ashes

By Pradeep Rajan

Fans hold their breath every time their cricket idols walk into the field to bat or bowl.
They pray for yet another century, a flood of fours and a shower of sixers – even a dropped catch, if their heroes happen to be the batsmen.
For bowlers, they would exhort the men, who charge in with the cherry in their hand, to hit the three erect timbers to scare the daylight out of the batsmen.
Expectations are sky-high on these players, who are considered the game’s gods. And all that is required for the cricketing idols to fall from grace is just one defeat or an act of misdemeanour.Cricket is a capricious game and it can be cruel to its demi-gods. The 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean has seen a few reputations being tarnished.
Sachin Tendulkar, the reigning deity of Indian cricket, is one of the biggest idols of the game, who brutally failed to weave his magic in the West Indies by scoring 7, 54 and 0 in three matches.
Short boyish-looking Tendulkar, who got into the Indian team at the age of 16 in 1989, is the only cricketer whom the Australian great, late Sir Don Bradman, compared to himself.If West Indian batting legend Viv Richards talked about his admiration for the batting genius, former ace Australian leg spinner Shane Warne spoke of his nightmarish experience bowling to him.
Tendulkar, who has bound a cricket mad nation, has dominated the sport in a way no other sportsman has done in India's history.In a tribute to his cricketing prowess, The Week magazine once wrote: “Sachin Tendulkar’s persona has an inspiring incandescence: it lends hope and meaning in life for millions of Indians who rejoice in his triumphs and console themselves – whenever he fails - that he would surely do better next time. It is a cathartic experience for them.”
With a string of poor performances in recent times, he is facing a censure from fans, who booed him during a match in his hometown Mumbai last year.
It may be difficult to fathom how fans discount the abilities of a man who has scored more 25,000 runs and hit 59 centuries in both Test and one-day games.
Cricket has been like this: star-value or past laurels don’t count. The edict is simple: Perform or Perish.
In the case of Tendulkar it was his cricketing performance that has brought down his stock value, but another idol and former England captain, Andrew Flintoff, as fallen from repute for his love for the spirit.
Allrounder Flintoff's drunken night out at the World Cup saw Unicef dropping him from a charity visit to school children in St. Lucia in the Caribbean.
Flintoff, who was England’s hero in their Ashes campaign against Australia in 2005, was stripped of his vice-captaincy, dropped from the group stage game against Canada and also fined.
Flintoff later said that his actions were “completely wrong” and will “accept the punishment”.
Considered the talisman of the English team, “Freddie” Flintoff has tossed away that marquee status.
Former England great Bob Willis lashed out at him. “I think Freddie has been making a fool of himself since the celebrations of the 2005 Ashes. This is not the first time it has happened and I fear it might not be the last. He can't behave like that,” warned Willis.
Cricket being the game of “glorious uncertainties”, idols such as Indian wicket-keeper Mahender Singh Dhoni have learnt that stardom cannot guarantee airtight insulation from reality.
Dhoni, who earns more than US$1 million from brand endorsements, had fans destroying his under contruction house after he scored two ducks against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka
With a string of poor performances in recent times, he is facing a censure from fans, who booed him during a match in his hometown Mumbai last year.
It may be difficult to fathom how fans discount the abilities of a man who has scored more 25,000 runs and hit 59 centuries in both Test and one-day games.
Cricket has been like this: star-value or past laurels don’t count. The edict is simple: Perform or Perish.In the case of Tendulkar it was his cricketing performance that has brought down his stock value, but another idol and former England captain, Andrew Flintoff, as fallen from repute for his love for the spirit.
Allrounder Flintoff's drunken night out at the World Cup saw Unicef dropping him from a charity visit to school children in St. Lucia in the Caribbean.
Flintoff, who was England’s hero in their Ashes campaign against Australia in 2005, was stripped of his vice-captaincy, dropped from the group stage game against Canada and also fined.
Flintoff later said that his actions were “completely wrong” and will “accept the punishment”.Considered the talisman of the English team, “Freddie” Flintoff has tossed away that marquee status.Former England great Bob Willis lashed out at him.
“I think Freddie has been making a fool of himself since the celebrations of the 2005 Ashes. This is not the first time it has happened and I fear it might not be the last. He can't behave like that,” warned Willis.
Cricket being the game of “glorious uncertainties”, idols such as Indian wicket-keeper Mahender Singh Dhoni have learnt that stardom cannot guarantee airtight insulation from reality.Dhoni, who earns more than US$1 million from brand endorsements, had fans destroying his under contruction house after he scored two ducks (zeroes) against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Fans also tore and smeared paint on billboards depicting him, forcing advertisers to pull back all their campaigns.
The World Cup in the Caribbean saw Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq end his one-day career quite unceremoniously.
He announced his retirement after Pakistan, like India, crashed out of the tournament in the group stage. The Pakistani run machine’s retirement was overshadowed by coach Bob Woolmer’s death. Also, his retirement didn’t stop the criticism being hurled against him.
Many former Pakistan players said that Inzamam should have quit before the World Cup.
In the run up to the World Cup, the Pakistan team had its share of embarassing controversies.
Dope-tainted Star Fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif were dropped just before the start of the tournament.
In 2003, it was a failed drug test that saw Australia’s bowling genius Warne being sent home in disgrace from the World Cup in Johannesburg.
Warne, after a 12 month ban, however, went on to become the World’s highest wicket taker.
In cricket it is said that form is temporary, while class is permanent. This belief should be enough for some of the idols to rise like a sphinx from the ashes.
Fans also tore and smeared paint on billboards depicting him, forcing advertisers to pull back all their campaigns.
The World Cup in the Caribbean saw Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq end his one-day career quite unceremoniously.
He announced his retirement after Pakistan, like India, crashed out of the tournament in the group stage.
The Pakistani run machine’s retirement was overshadowed by coach Bob Woolmer’s death. Also, his retirement didn’t stop the criticism being hurled against him.
Many former Pakistan players said that Inzamam should have quit before the World Cup.In the run up to the World Cup, the Pakistan team had its share of embarassing controversies.
Dope-tainted Star Fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif were dropped just before the start of the tournament.
In 2003, it was a failed drug test that saw Australia’s bowling genius Warne being sent home in disgrace from the World Cup in Johannesburg.
Warne, after a 12 month ban, however, went on to become the World’s highest wicket taker.
In cricket it is said that form is temporary, while class is permanent.
This belief should be enough for some of the idols to rise like a sphinx from the ashes.