Hi Sachin,
I am not sure I got the salutation right. I debated calling you champ, or Sir or little master or just simply God. I settled on Sachin because Sachin itself is a salutation in its own right.
You do not know me or perhaps you do. I am one among many of your fans, another brick in the proverbial wall or another candle at the alter, if you please. However, this letter is not a treatise on your accomplishments or to congratulate you on your 100th. No doubt it is an accomplishment that is beyond all praise or wreaths. The feat is in every sense monumental. There is nothing I can say that will befit the occasion. Therefore, I refrain.
More than your cricketing achievements, I admire your humility, perseverance and passion for what you do. Once a commentator asked you what kept you going after all these years, you replied "I care about playing for India". I must confess my eyes were almost moist. Whenever your achievements are talked about, your talent is often discussed with much fervour. We have hour length features on prime time about your natural ability, your destiny and your class. However, I feel that it is unfair and perhaps misleading to talk only about your phenomenal talent.
I believe that we ought to discuss the process and the perseverance behind all the achievements. It can not be the case that you got this far only on your talent or your luck. No body is ever that lucky. One hundred hundreds is a bit far-fetched to be explained solely by luck. No doubt you are one of finest batsmen that ever played the game, but your numbers are way ahead of everyone else's and by that metric you are the greatest ever. Therefore, I would argue that talent is only part of the story. We ought to stress more on aspects of your game that have stayed beyond the focus of all cameras. The endless hours toiled at practice, the thought process, the preparation, the humility, the discipline. More than anything else we ought to focus on how you keep the passion going. If there is no passion, then, perhaps there is nothing else that matters enough.
You have inspired me. I wish I could work as hard as you do. I wish I could handle pressure like you have done. You have made me believe that no dream is too big or too far if one keeps at it. It is befitting that you said today . "Chase your dreams because they definitely come true! I had to wait for one for 22 years. We won the World Cup - that was my dream"
Of course, dreams always seem far fetched, improbable and perhaps impossible. But if they are anything less then they are not dreams, just expectations extrapolated into the future. And of course, I, too, have dreams - far fetched, improbable and perhaps impossible. But I will chase them with all I am worth. You also did.
You made me dream, the impossible dream !
In admiration
A.
(Another brick in the proverbial wall)
:)
