First to go: Not just another brick in ‘the Wall’

Indian superstar Dravid announces retirement from international cricket.

BANGALORE:

Indian superstar Rahul Dravid announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 39, ending a 16-year career that made him an idol both at home and abroad.

The stylish batsman was the number two run-getter in Test cricket behind compatriot Sachin Tendulkar with 13,288 runs from 164 matches at an average of 52.31 with 36 centuries.

“It’s time to move on and let a new generation of players make their own history,” Dravid told reporters at a crowded news conference in Bangalore alongside Indian cricket board president Narayanaswamy Srinivasan.

“When I started, I could never imagine that this long journey will take me so far. I was fortunate to be part of a wonderful era.

“Many of my teammates have become legends, not just in India but in the wider world. I leave the game with wonderful memories and great friendships.”

The man known as “the Wall” for his immaculate technique, was also one of only 10 batsmen to score more than 10,000 runs in One-Day Internationals, which he quit last year to prolong his Test career.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Srinivasan called Dravid “one of the finest cricketers India has ever produced” and a “great role model”.

Dravid’s retirement puts the focus on India’s other ageing batsmen, Sachin Tendulkar, 39 next month, and Venkatsai Laxman, 37, who are under pressure to consider their future after the team’s just-concluded disastrous tour of Australia.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men, who won the limited-overs World Cup in April last year, crashed to a 4-0 Test defeat against Australia after a similar whitewash in England last year where they also failed to win the ODI series.

Dravid was one of few players to emerge with any credit after the tour of England where he defied the years to crack three centuries in four Tests.

However, Dravid’s unhappy Australia tour will mark his last appearances in an Indian shirt where he managed just 194 runs in eight innings. He was bowled six times, indicating perhaps that his reflexes were slowing down.

“I had thought about retiring even before the tour of Australia,” said the 39-year-old. “I knew in my heart... I knew deep down that the time was right. For the past year, I had assessed my future after every series.

“My approach to cricket has been reasonably simple — it was about giving everything to the team, it was about playing with dignity and upholding the spirit of the game.

“I hope I have done some of that. I have failed at times, but I have never stopped trying. It’s why I leave with sadness, but also with pride.”

Dravid will continue playing in the lucrative Indian Premier League Twenty20 event where he will lead Rajasthan Royals this year after the retirement of Australian spin legend Shane Warne.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2012.