Intolerable cruelty of sporting careers

Cricket careers can be cruel. Imagine giving 18 years of your life to the same job and not knowing when your last day of work is. It suddenly happens, without a farewell on a rainy day.

- Abhishek Asthana

Cricket careers can be cruel. Imagine giving 18 years of your life to the same job and not knowing when your last day of work is. It suddenly happens, without a farewell on a rainy day. People have left for their homes, the stadium is empty, and you sit there behind a glass window and quietly share it with a colleague that your time has come with a tear in the eye.

This isn't just the story of Ravichandran Ashwin, but many such great cricketers who faded away, sometimes quite unceremoniously, eventually rehabilitated by their local IPL team. Ashwin had a great run, but every great run comes to an end.

As they say, an athlete dies twice. Once when they retire and again at their death. Roger Federer was quite open about his difficulties in letting go of the court. Olympians who have won multiple gold medals have confessed no one prepared them for life after being an Olympian. It's uncertain, and the transition is tough.

Team sports are even harder. Even if you are in perfect shape and form, you can still be defeated by the conditions. An off-spinner comes pre-rejected to green-top pitches. Instead of bringing your 20 years of experience to the cricket field, you end up bringing water bottles while missing your daughter's first stage performance back home.