Two decades of being at the top of world cricket - what it means

In the last one month, and much more in the past one week, there has been a huge wave of euphoria in India. And, while the character & origin of the wave is pretty much Indian in all aspects, it touches not just India, but goes well beyond its shores to every single continent – Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, America.

What’s this huge euphoria all about? Don’t ask as if you didn’t know and didn’t experience it firsthand. It’s about an achievement by probably the most celebrated & loved son of the soil, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, completing two decades of domineering batsmanship – a definitely giant landmark, which he reaches tomorrow, on November 15, 2009. A giant effort, by all means, and something that is extremely rare – after all, how many cricketers last that long at the top level? Made even more special by the fact that Sachin is already 36 years of age, an age by when most other top league cricketers have already retired, and are doing other not-so-demanding-duties, either as a cricket administrator, or as a commentator for a TV channel, or as a cricket celebrity with his own television show, or as a sports writer for print media, or as a guest cricketer on a cricket show, or, most arduously, as an umpire in the middle of the field. Isn’t it incredible that Tendulkar has lasted 2 decades at the top, despite an ageing physique? Of course, it is humongous & worthy of all the accolades, and even more. Made me wonder if there were any others who were even half as close, and the researcher in me decided to go to work. Here’s what I learnt.

15, yes, 15 players have played for 20 years or more at the international level, before Sachin. However, none of them is an Indian. So, Sachin has created a record – but, it’s not a world record; it is an Indian record. The earlier record was held by the celebrated Lala Amarnath, who played for exactly 19 years; not a day less, not a day more. The list of 15 contains a few players who we’ve seen playing & probably loved/idolized in our own times. Traicos, who played for Zimbabwe & South Africa; Imran Khan of Pakistan, first of the two Asians in the list; Bob Simpson of Australia; Cowdrey for England; Sir Garfield Sobers of West Indies, and last but not the least Mushtaq Mohammad for Pakistan. Great names, as we all know, who’ve done so much for cricket & became legends in their time. By joining the 20 years’ league, Mr. Tendulkar surely is in august company. The legendary batsman who Sachin is often compared to, Don Bradman, himself lasted 19 years and 262 days, and if we were to include 19 years’ cricketers to this list, it suddenly jumps to 26 including Tendulkar. Other noteworthy players who we’ve seen playing, who join in now are Graham Gooch & Sachin.

Incidentally, at the top of this list sits a certain Wilfred Rhodes of England, who played for 30 years and 315 days, appearing in 58 tests for his country. He started playing at the turn of the 19th century in 1899 and continued till 1930. Not many international matches were played at that time, and just his stamina to last so long, shows his class. Rhodes' achievements can be gleaned from the fact that he was an all-rounder, who made 2,325 test runs with 2 centuries and scalped 127 test wickets during his career. As one looks at his first class record, this becomes even more phenomenal – 39,969 runs and hold your breath, 4,204 wickets! He was, without a doubt, probably the best all-rounder born in the 19th century! Or, is he probably the best cricketer ever in the history of the game?

As I was looking at statistics, my eyes fell on the man at the top of the table of those who completed 18 years, but didn’t reach 19 – W.G. Grace of England. I was immediately reminded of two things I knew about him. He was the first man to scalp 10 wickets in a single innings. But wait, that’s not all. I also knew that he had also hit two triple centuries before donning the whites for England. That much I knew about him, and with that I went to work. The man played for 18 years and 270 days, and what I discovered was mind-boggling.

Grace played 22 tests in the almost 19 years long period. He made 1,098 runs with 2 centuries to his credit, and took 9 wickets. Not mean, you must be wondering. Wait, this is where the fun begins. What do you think he did during those 19 years when tests were not being played? He played first class, of course, scoring a staggering 54,211 runs with 124 centuries, and scalping 2,809 wickets! Whoa. If he had lasted those 30 years that Rhodes did, statistically he would have gone beyond the 4,204 wickets mark, and his runs would have been over 80,000!!! Now, I am seriously beginning to wonder if Rhodes was the best cricketer born ever. Coincidentally, Grace’s last match was Rhodes’ first. So, from where he hung his boots, Rhodes took over.

If one has to look at age-related capability, any comparison with Grace pales. He opened for England at the age of 50! But, let’s leave his cricketing achievements aside, and look at some others things. At the age of 18, he scored 224 not out in a match, and then left halfway through, in order to participate in a 400 meters hurdles championship, which he won! He was a fully qualified, practicing doctor by profession, and a cricketer just for the joy of being one. Though, he was also the most handsomely (and obscenely handsomely) paid cricketer. During his first tour of Australia in 1873-74, he took home 1,500 U.K. pounds as fee, an amount that far exceeds 100,000 U.K. pounds at present value. In Indian Rupee value, he got almost Rs. 1 crore for a single season tour of test cricket, at a time when cricket was in its infancy and definitely not even one-tenth as monetarily rewarding as today. He was, by far, the highest paid cricketer even on his very first tour itself. His career earnings are considered to be over a million U.K. pounds at present value – that’s Indian Rupees 10 crores. Whew, what a man!

When I realized that Grace had played till the age of almost 51, I decided to look up cricketers who played beyond 40. The list is huge, and features 102 cricketers. Grace is 3rd oldest on the list, and surprise, surprise, the top slot goes to by now familiar, Mr. Wilfred Rhodes, who played on till the age of 52 years and 165 days. Old men, should I say? Maybe yes, but old men with awesome abilities. In comparison, Sachin is just 36½, and a kid by that comparison, who’s still got 16 years to go if he wants a shot at that record. In any case, just to reach the top 100 (and be at the bottom of that list at position 100) of oldest players, Sachin will have to play till he is 40 years and 13 days old – into the first week of May, 2013 (another 3½ years from now). Will he last that long? One doesn’t know. He has already done enough and reached more milestones than any single man can dream of holding. However suddenly, in comparison, the 20 years looks like it’s too early to celebrate.