End of the greatest era in world cricket

This article isn’t centered around Tendulkar or his scintillating swansong but fiercest individual rivalry, astonishing battles on a cricket pitch, countries filled with match-winners and celebrated cricketers they ever produced have all taken it to the history books yesterday, putting an end to “The Greatest Era(1989-2013) in World cricket”.

From today, we can no more think of cricketers like Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralidharan, Wasim Akram, Anil Kumble, Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Glenn Mcgrath, Courtney Walsh, Brian Lara, Steve Waugh and such lustrous names, who have dished out some delicious cricket during the time span mentioned previously.

Cricket has been breathtaking to watch, provoked passion in even the serenest of individuals, took the game to unprecedented altitudes and plausibly, punched above the standards that were in place until a certain Sachin Tendulkar and Waqar Younis took to the wicket in Karachi on November 15th, 1989. The other conspicuous names of world cricket came in after November 15th, 1989 and made the game compelling than ever before.

November 16th, 2013 marked an end to the greatest era in world cricket because, you can no longer witness an adrenaline pumping battle between Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar, you no longer have the privilege of witnessing the “Sultan of Swing”- Wasim Akram demonstrate the art reverse swing bowling, you can no longer tune into a channel and watch Ricky Ponting play an imperious pull shot of the back foot, you no longer have the option of watching Brian Charles Lara dancing down the track and lofting Muttiah Muralidharan over long-off for half a dozen and such embellishing battles on a cricket pitch are no more to be seen or admired.

If ICC looked around for celebrated names in world cricket for promoting the game, they have no one to turn to and Sachin Tendulkar was the last one to pull the curtains on the greatest era of world cricket. More than their ability to promote the game in whatever way they have, it’s the brand that each one of them have brought to the table which has made cricket what it is today.

Virat Kohli is one of the many upcoming greats, who looked up to Tendulkar and still does, Amit Mishra’s inspiration is the leg-spinning wizard from Australia, Shane Warne, Irfan Pathan has taken lessons from Wasim Akram on how to bring the ball back into the right-hander. I am skeptical about the impact that great cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar, Vivian Richards, Allan Border and Richard Hadlee can make on the next generation of cricketers and remind people of their prowess say, 20 years from today.

In another 20 years, can we look at Virat Kohli as the greatest batsman of all time, Dale Steyn as the next greatest bowling wizard, Alistair Cook as the next highest run-getter, and Michael Clarke as the next great Australian cricketer. Can all these 4 talented cricketers put together re-define another greatest era in world cricket? Albeit I have taken out 4 comprehensive names in modern day cricket, I strongly believe, it wouldn’t raise people’s eyebrows as much as Tendulkar, Shane Warne, Brian Lara, Muttiah Muralidharan, Wasim Akram and Steve Waugh put together would and that’s the defining phrase pertaining to this article.