Ayee Mayytee, You'll be missed !

The news has come, a tad too early for my liking. A tad too early for any cricket lover's liking. A tad too early for even the most fiercest enemies of Australia. Yes, Warnie has called it a day. And what a way to leave. Riding on a possible 5-0 whitewash of the English, he leaves the game at an utmost high, something only matched by Steve Waugh maybe in the yesteryears.

The Aussies just have a knack of doing it, dont they. They're timing is so damn perfect. Steve couldn't and didn't find a better way to bow out, and nor has Shane. Ofcourse, he takes with him Glenn Mcgrath maybe, and that relieves a lot of nerves for most other batsmen across the globe. Glenn will always be remembered as this fierce competitor, a guy who hated to lose, a guy who could almost not cope with losing, remember Ramnaresh Sarwan. That to a certain extent dipped his popularity. But then, there was always something about Warne. Something that brought back those crowds throning for the one which pitched out leg stump and took the top of off !! Yeah, the ball of the century. The guy still claims it was a fluke, modesty at its heights you would say.

Warne will always be remembered for being this fantastic and entertaining cricketer, fiercely competitive as well. Someone who rose to the challenges posed his way, someone who had no qualms in accepting his failures or his struggles in public. Remember his infamous quote of the 1998 tour of India, he went back and told a local newspaper, "I still have hounding dreams of Tendulkar hitting me for sixes all over the park !!". One of those many instances where Sachin alongside Lara proved to be his biggest menace. His undoings off the field wont be forgotten so easily either, but then, the magnanimity of what he's achieved on that green turf, and on those 22 yards, is something that is just too big to ignore. For someone who revived the dying art of legspin, for someone whose on the brink of creating history by claiming 700 wickets, there was and there is no better way to go out. Yeah, its true that he would've gone off had Australia not let off the Ashes back in England last year. That makes me wonder, damn, had England retained it this year, maybe we would've seen the genius around for another 18 months. His duels with Tendulkar personally on Indian tracks are stuff that cricketing memories are made off. Tendulkar's alteration in stance to counter Warne's bowling from around the stumps is the definition of "tact" for me !! One of those glorious moments in cricket, where 2 champions respected each other mightily but were out to get the other one, get it the way they want ! Love him or hate him, he leaves a deepening void in the game, something thats going be unmatched. The Aussies may still go on to retain the 2007 World Cup, may still continue on this demolishing spree in their quest to always remain the numero uno team, but there never ever will be another Warne, Shane Warne.

For cricket lovers across the world, its a day or mourning, and a day of celebration too, for what the guy has given us over the last decade and a half. Sportsmen can have long lasting impressions on your character. He's done that to me.

Maybe, there would come that day when I would sit in the corner of room and shed tears upon hearing Tendulkar's exit from the game. Thats the reason I say, this is sport, and these are sportsmen.