NEHRA FAREWELL

Nehra urges India to move from star-loving to sport-loving

by Kritika Naidu • Last updated on

Despite having had 12 surgeries, Nehra feels fortunate to have stayed in the international game for almost 19 years. © BCCI

In 1997, Ashish Nehra bowled his first over on debut in the Ranji Trophy against Haryana from the pavillion end at the Feroz Shah Kotla. Then, Delhi's skipper was Ajay Sharma, and Raman Lamba was at mid-off. In 2017, Virat Kohli is captain and Nehra bowled his last over in international cricket from the same end that he bowled from in his first-ever, with both ends on the day being renamed the 'Ashish Nehra End'.

Nehra is a simple, yet lucky man. He does not complicate things. He is straightforward and doesn't mince his words. He is content, and chooses to look for the positives, not brood on the negatives. He is realistic. He doesn't believe in stats nor in the opinions that everyone have, but believes you're the only one you need to be honest with when you look at yourself in the mirror. He never asked the selectors or the team management questions when he wasn't considered. He worked hard knowing he would be rewarded for it some day.

Despite having had as many as 12 surgeries, he feels fortunate to have stayed in the international game for almost 19 years. Despite his success and failures, one thing he hasn't forgotten are the blood, sweat and tears of those who had a hand in him getting there. He is emotional at the moment, but knows there is a life beyond this to look forward to.

All of that, self professed, not deduced.

On Wednesday (November 1), after bowling his final four overs in the first of three Twenty20 Internationals against New Zealand on his home ground, Nehra was emotional, yet had the demeanour of a man who had weight lifted off his shoulders. He smiled, acknowledged familiar faces with a small smile and nods, took his cap off and settled into the chair for his final press conference, mentally prepared to have, what turned out to be a 28-minute interaction.

"It was emotional definitely," conceded Nehra. "Virat wanted me to bowl that last over. Even before that, after the 15th or 16th over... as a cricketer you shouldn't say that, but after that point the game was almost over. Miracles do happen, but today we could see that wasn't going to. So I was preparing myself for the last over," he said with an almost apologetic smile.

"I've always believed and consider myself very fortunate that I have got the opportunity to bow out on my home ground. I have said this before that it's better to leave when you're on top. I would have completed 19 years in four months' time. As a fast bowler, I consider myself lucky that at 38 I'm leaving the Indian dressing room in a blue jersey. There can be nothing bigger than that for me," said Nehra.

What was primary to the 38-year-old were those 15 men in the dressing room and what they thought of his decision. It pleased him when he was asked to play the Champions Trophy, but a hamstring pull had quashed those hopes. It pleased him further that Kohli thought he could've played on for a couple of years, or even just the Indian Premier League. Yet, Nehra knew it was time, albeit without a future plan in mind.

"It's very difficult for me to wake up and train just to play for the IPL. Whenever I was training I was training to play for India," said Nehra. "That was maybe my strength that time and time again I was coming back after not playing in between. There were difficult times in between where for six months or nine months in 2007 that I didn't bowl a single ball even in the nets. It wasn't easy.

"In 2009-10-11, I was playing T20s and ODIs. They wanted me to. I did whatever best I could do and I was doing well. Somebody might not pick you for 1-2-3 years but if you are good your chance will come, but you have to be ready for that. I was ready. Now I have been playing last two years, doing well, now getting this kind of farewell so maybe this is God's way of saying you worked hard. There is a saying that mehnat kabhi kharaab nahi jaati [hard work never goes in vain]. You'll get the result in some way or the other."

Nehra played his last Test in 2004, after which he was never seen in whites again, for the country, despite being in the squad in 2005. He was asked by the team management, specifically MS Dhoni and Gary Kirsten to play Tests in 2009-10, but unsure of whether his body would be able to hold up, Nehra overcame the temptation. These were choices he was forced to make given the brittleness of his body. He had to pick his battles between longevity or the long format. But he did play the Ranji Trophy.

"There will be regrets that because of my injuries I couldn't play back then or I couldn't take a decision whether I can play or not but it's how you look at things. I have always believed that do your best at whatever you can do. If you can't play Tests, your body can't take it, then try to play one-day cricket. If you can't do that, then play T20s. If you keep doing kuch na kuch[some or the other] results will come.

"Unfortunately, we see only with relation to playing for India. You can't look at Ishant Sharma and say you aren't playing anymore, but he is playing daily for Delhi. At any given time, only 15 can be part of the Indian team. This team doesn't have R Ashwin or Ravindra Jadeja. Tests, ODIs and T20s put together not more than 20-25 can play. So many people play in the Ranji Trophy (that nobody recognises).

"I believe that, in India, more than the sport, we are star-loving country. It's unfortunate that I'm saying this, but we are not like Australia or South Africa. They are sport-loving countries. We are more star-loving countries. I would like to see when there's a Ranji Trophy game going on, not a packed stadium like this - that doesn't happen even for Tests - but at least some crowds should come. If you see County games.. those things we are lacking."

India could probably be lacking when it came to a sporting culture, but when it came to cricket talent, India trumps most other countries in the world now, thanks to the advent of the IPL ten years ago, which has changed the face of Indian cricket.

"Cricket is a kind of sport where it changes after every 8-10 years. As where we stand goes, the IPL has played a huge role. It's given the boys confidence and apart from these 15 there are at least 15 more who are also really good who would deliver whenever you give them a chance. That's the kind of competition we have. There are so many India A tours these days. That wasn't the case earlier some 15-20 years ago. The game is evolving. Good things are happening. Changes will keep taking place."

Changes are inevitable, but what hasn't changed in the last 25 years has been Nehra's love for cricket - something which has pushed him time and again to overcome hurdles and march on. Never say never was his motto, and he lived by that until his last day in international cricket.

"I knew only one thing: wake up in the morning, go train, play. There were times even at the Sonnet club with my coach Tarak Sinha, that in the summer time nobody will be there. Maybe only 20 kids. But I would be bowling to a single stump. Because mereko cricket khelne ka shauk tha [playing cricket is my passion]. If you like the work you are doing, then you will surely get the result and you will enjoy it too.

"I love cricket, and still do. And I always wanted to retire on a high. So I did whatever I knew how to do. And I believe that if you give time to the game, you will get results sooner or later, in some way or the other. If you devote three-four hours to the game every day, whether training or practice... but I got this realisation a little late. But better late than never. I can say after 2008 that whatever I could do, it's the best I have done. So I have no regrets there. You should regret only those things where you are at fault. I was playing. Not for India, but I was playing in the IPL. And whatever little bit for Delhi in one-dayers or T20s. So that way there is no regret. Nahin hua to nahin hua [if it doesn't happen, it doesn't]. And it's not how you start, it's always how you finish. And I feel I cannot get better than this."

© Cricbuzz

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