As I tried to remember from when I started enjoying cricket with some understanding, I couldn’t pinpoint the exact year but ever since I have started watching cricket consciously I haven’t found a cricketer as fascinating as him.
He was the only reason I started supporting Cricket south africa.
I vividly remember the match against New Zealand in ODI world cup semi. Ab was in a great position, they had 10/12 overs left and just when we all thought the score will be very high for Kiwi to chase down, it started raining and Ab couldn’t hit more and game was then turned into DLS which turned in the favor of NZ and CSA was out of the tournament.
Seeing ABD cry I couldn’t hold my tears back and cried along. How do I express how painful it was to see ABD in tears along with the finest bowlers of that era Mr. Morne Morkel. That is my greatest cricket memory, unfortunately not a ideal one.
From that day It was decided that the only team I ever will call mine is South Africa.
ABD is the only reason I started supporting RCB in IPL. From last year I have almost stopped waiting till 12/1 am to watch live matches, be it cricket be it football.
But but matches I couldn’t miss was RCB against anyone and FCB matches against some major teams. Thinking that he might hit a fantastic fifty/century and I might never get to see him play again used to scare me so much.
Now it’s over. It won’t be surprising if I never watch IPL again from now on. Now I realized, at some point, I have given these games much more time and attention than they deserve which could have been invested in personal growth.
I have enjoyed the game of cricket. I have lived the ABD era. Now cricket isn’t as interesting as it used to be once, at least for me. There is no one who on being OUT will hurt me.
Thank You ABD.
Now I have so many memories to share with my son/grandson or daughters if they happen to be interested in cricket.
And one more day I’m reluctantly waiting for is the retirement of………???
I hoped you guessed it right. MESSI !