Knowing when your time is up!

Great men have a great sense of timing- they know when to play their trump cards and when to hold back. They also know when to retire. Its graceful and they like to go out into the sunset while people are still clamoring for them to be there.

Nowhere is this more evident than in sport. And it is devastating to see a hero of sport grovelling against weak opposition when all you have in your mind are images of extreme supremacy against the very best in the world. The current Indian captain, Sourav Ganguly is a classic case in point. A classy batsman in his prime, he was feared by bowlers around the world not too far back. Since 2003, the slide in his form and confidence has been cataclysmic. Questions are being raised all around. Can he inspire the team when he can't inspire confidence in his own self? Can he really lead from the front? Is he growing too old and is blocking the passage of youngsters? All valid questions and none would be asked if Ganguly would just let go. And this is where he will lose his chance to be a true great of sport. Gavaskar had excellent timing about his retirement, so did Steve Waugh and will therefore forever be remembered fondly. Not so with Ganguly I suspect. He built a great team, led from the front but has gone on for way too long.

The curtain is coming down soon and the mark of greatness is to act yourself and exit the stage than be forced out. Ganguly, with his poor sense of timing and inappropriate comments about the coach, is likely to be facing the latter.

We shall see what happens but its an important lesson for all of us.