HYDERABAD, Aug 18:
VVS Laxman, who won many a match for India with his wristy elegance including an epic 281 against Australia in Kolkata, today announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect, bringing down the curtains on a glorious career spanning 16 years.
The 37-year-old Laxman, one of the finest batsmen in contemporary cricket, said that he listened to his “inner voice” while taking the decision to bid adieu to the game which he played with “great pride for the country”.
“I would like to announce my retirement from international cricket with immediate effect. I think it’s right time to move on”, an emotional Laxman told a press conference here.
But what came as a surprise was his decision to quit the game with immediate effect despite being picked in the Indian squad for the two-match Test series against New Zealand beginning here from August 23.
He chose not to take the opportunity to bow out of international cricket in front of his home crowd in Hyderabad, for whom he will continue to play Ranji trophy till the end of the year.
“It was a tough decision to take, I have always listened to my inner conscience. The inner voice is a divine voice, I have always done that right through my career. There was a lot of debate in the last four days. I felt this is the right time to move on”, he said.
Laxman, who earned the sobriquet ‘Very Very Special’ for his style and flair, played 134 Tests, amassing 8,781 runs at an average of 45.97. He scored 17 hundreds and 56 half centuries in the longer format of the game.
‘Very Very Special’ Laxman: India’s ‘Man Friday’
Conjuring up mere statistics will certainly be the worst way to judge and analyse the calibre and utility of VVS Laxman as his contribution to Indian cricket for the past decade and half goes beyond that.
As the ‘Very Very Special’ man walks into the sunset of his illustrious career, it won’t be a ‘wonderful afterlife’ for India’s next batch of Test aspirants as the bar that has been set by the Hyderabadi stylist is pretty high.
The 37-year-old Laxman was never dubbed a genius like Sachin Tendulkar neither did he possess the swagger of Virender Sehwag or the doggedness of a certain Rahul Dravid, yet he will forever remain one of the all-time greats of Indian cricket.
The most endearing sight of that match was an agitated Laxman abusing his statemate Ojha as the latter nearly got run-out trying to steal a non-existent single.
It was something that was not associated with a man like Laxman — who was always grace personified even when off the field as much as he was on it.
The second one was an innings of 96 at Durban, couple of months after the Mohali knock. India were 0-1 down in the Test series and it was a knock played in the third innings of a match.
Again it was 148 for seven, when Zaheer Khan joined Laxman as he took India to a score from where it was difficult.
Running between the wickets was never Laxman’s forte and his fielding was always under scanner even though he was as safe at slips as someone like Dravid.
Excelled in pressure
situations: BCCI
The Indian cricket fraternity today paid glowing tributes to VVS Laxman, who announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect, describing the stylish batsman as an exceptional cricketer who excelled in pressure situations.
Laxman’s teammates such as Sachin Tendulkar they will miss him in the dressing room and said the void left by him will never be fulfilled. Former captains such as Sourav Ganguly and Dilip Vengsarkar also hailed the stylish batsman for his outstanding career.
“When I walk out to play in Hyderabad, I will feel a deep void. A void that can never be fulfilled. My dear friend, VVS Laxman…” Tendulkar tweeted.
Dilip Vengsarkar said that Laxman is a cricketer who emerges once in a generation.
Has sent out a message to the selectors: Ganguly
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly today said that VVS Laxman has sent out a ”loud and clear” message to the selectors by deciding to quit international cricket with immediate effect.
“Srikkanth has a big problem in communicating. A player like Laxman would not train so hard just to keep himself fit for two Tests. If they (selectors) conveyed their opinion to Laxman earlier, this situation would not have surfaced. Why they stretched till August? Probably, the selectors’ judgment has hurt him (Laxman) the most,” Ganguly said. (PTI)
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