From 6 sixes to 5 hundred!

It's been almost 13 years.

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!

Well-deserved and well-done - Congrats to the New # 1

It was indeed a special week, this last one.

I was chuffed to see South Africa finally get a long-due and well-deserved #1 Test ranking. Despite a gritty display from the English on the final day of the last test (and the series), the Proteas managed to come up trumps.

Unless you were a completely jingoistic Englishman or totally anti-South Africa (for any personal reason), you would have no reason to grudge them their victory.

Right since their re-introduction to cricket in 1992, the South Africans have always looked champion-material in whichever format, whichever tournament they have participated in. However, for reasons best known to no one, they have always finished second-best.

Further, more than any team, it is they who seemed to have almost patented the concept of a team having all the ingredients to win anywhere against anyone, but still managing to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory at the most inopportune, crunch moments.
No wonder, the C-word almost stuck to them.

It is because of all these reasons, therefore, that they have remained atleast (if not for most impartial supporters') favorite team to win.
If ever I wanted to see a team win besides my own country, it has been South Africa.

Being popular, long-deserving and also emotional favorites, it was nice to see them on top of a podium finally.
Hopefully, this should also help them realize that they are champions and perhaps they might not inexplicably C (choke) anymore in those big finals when it matters the most!

Guess what, as it turns out, the so-called 'choker' have been able to become No.1 in the world in cricket's toughest and most prized format - that too, by beating the reigning World Champions in their own backyard! Boy, it doesn't get better than this.

Dear England, as I had written earlier, it's much easier winning at home and being # 1.
I did not detest their becoming # 1 (though yes, being Indian, it was disappointing to see India lose. But we got what we deserved, for not playing well, and later in Australia too).
However, the Englishmen thought only Indians have follies, and that they can never play well outside the subcontinent.

Well, dear Englishmen, as things stand, we even stayed # 1 longer than you did (including drawing with the same South Africans in their own den).
And, facts have proved: atleast we do win (convincingly) at home :)
By the way, see you in India next!!

As I said, well-deserved and thank you, South Africa!!