Thursday, November 24, 2011

Kambli and his 15 seconds of fame..

Vinod Ganpat Kambli is back!! And how!!

Here is a guy who was considered a great cricketer by his coach, who incidentally also coached Sachin Tendulkar. Even in the cricketing circles, he was treated with respect. A fantastic south-paw. Probable future of Indian cricket. Hell, who knows, he could have been India's cricketing God would have been a left-handed batsman.

Vinod Kambli's latest 15-seconds-of-fame moment happened when he mentioned there was something fishy in the way the 1996 World Cup semi-final turned out. He claimed the pitch was great for batting and we should have batted first instead of chasing!! He also claimed Indian's kept losing wickets without giving a fight. For those still not able to recollect the match, he was the last batsman standing in front of a crowd (Eden Gardens) who didn't even have the courtesy to support their team during a crisis. Still don't remember? Kambli cried that day.. 


Kambli's is a classic case of how success can rub you the wrong way. His Test statistics is still one of the best considering he played only 17 tests (1084 runs @ 54.20). His career included 2 back to back double centuries both of which India won. A talent totally wasted!! 

He had his own personal problems. He apparently didn't gel well the administration. He last played an international match in 2000 and formally retired from all forms of cricket (including first class) in September 2011. In between, he tried (albeit unsuccessfully) to regain his lost popularity by featuring in a movie or two (at best, forgotten), tried Politics (failed again), entered Reality shows like Bigg Boss (Indian version of Big Brother) and Sach ka Saamna (Indian version of The Moment of Truth). He even publicly claimed Sachin didn't support him in his time of need. And now this match-fixing claim. God!! What does a man need to do to become popular??


Kambli has been a fighter. He still is a fighter. The only problem is that he is fighting in a wrong battlefield where he has nothing to win and everything to lose. Sad state of affairs!! I only wish Kambli leaves his antics behind and start afresh. He is 39 now. He can work on coaching assignments, as I am sure he still can contribute in a big way. He should try coaching one of the smaller teams and then move up the ladder. He can also consider commentating in a big way. Cricket has evolved in the last 10 years and there are voids that need to be filled. We need a charismatic commentator - who knows, he can be an ideal candidate.

This post is written by a big fan of Vinod Kambli. Infact I used to be a huge fan of his!! I was one of those who believed we would've won the semi final match and I still believe so. Why? Only because Kambli was still there. Optimist, yes I am. 

9 comments:

  1. I feel we wrote quite right. No doubt he is talented but he needs to focus more on his strengths and capitalize it. He still can do wonders for himself.

    Being optimistic is the right way for life!

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  2. yes, i agree with ur point..he should have done smethng better than indulging into such pointless controversies, esp after 15 long years!

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  3. @Saru: He still can make a (legit) comeback and do wonders for himself and his fans and cricket in particular..

    @AS: Thanks buddy :)

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  4. In a cricket crazy nation, these are some ways to a short lived limelight! Thanks a lot for following my blog.

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  5. May be, just may be, his intentions are right but he doesn't know how and where to utilize his energy....can happen!

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  6. Hmmm.. Now you are making me think again!! :D His intentions are obvious Chintan.. All the youngsters are earning more than him, is more popular than him and has a secured future, unlike Kambli.. He could have had all this and more had he been a little humble and concentrated more on the game!!

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  7. If ever there would be a World XI of under achievers...Kambli would be the captain. :P
    Nice post..Keep it coming!

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  8. I am one of the big fan of Kambli....We really could not in-cash a Hard core Indian who brought the Indian cricket to winning habit...anyway.....he is a man without Godfather...and little bit enthusiastic,thinking with the heart instead of mind.....never thought of personal Currier...... extremely talented cricketer India ever seen....he must contribute in other form to the cricket now...

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All yours..

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