Yes, that famous night of September 2007 of the first-ever T20 World Cup, when a certain Yuvraj Singh in his pomp (and already charged up in the previous over by Andrew Flintoff), smashed a clueless, hapless Stuart Broad for 6 consecutive sixes in an over.
While the entire world quite appropriately celebrated Yuvraj, Stuard Broad was relegated to just be a quiz question, much like Malcolm Nash after what Sir Gary Sobers had done to him - Who was the bowler whom Sobers hit for 6 sixes in an over? So here was Broad, in a rather avoidable league, giving company to Malcolm Nash in international cricket trivia.
Cut to 2011 for the 50-over World Cup in India.
The stage: England Vs Ireland.
You would think that lightning doesn't strike twice.
Yet, here was Broad, his shoulders anything but broad after his crucial 48th over turned out to be disastrous. What's more, his spilled opportunity contributed to England losing to minnows Ireland in that match.
As they say, it doesn't get bigger than this - two world cup occasions. But two huge blunders.
Forget the result, think of the psyche of the person.
Can one even imagine what all he must have gone through?
Yet, Broad did not wilt, did not succumb.
Credit to the England team management too, for handling him remarkably well and for giving him the confidence and assurance that would have surely helped him believe he was still among the best England had. And as they say, after all these years, here we are today, lauding the man for reaching a summit that only 6 other legends have scaled before him, in the history of the game.
Fittingly, the 500 wickets he has taken, have come in the area that let him down, on two of those rare World Cup off-days - in his bowling only.
As cliched as it may sound, this just goes on to only add credence to the fact that we can always achieve great heights, if we remain steadfast, if we keep learning and improving and if we keep persevering, without doubting ourselves.
Well done Broady, and thank you for exemplifying such a pertinent life lesson through your tremendous achievement! Attaboy!
