aryan
01-31-2008, 05:55 PM
While Australia will seek to fight off the loss of undoubtedly the game's greatest wicketkeeper/batsman, Adam Gilchrist is feeling different. And for the first time since he quit, Gilchrist sat down and bared his heart in a tete-a-tete with CNN-IBN's Sports Editor Gaurav Kalra.
Gaurav Kalra: How is the idea of 'former Test cricketer'? We used to say Australian vice-captain after your name. Now it is going to be 'former Test cricketer.'
Adam Gilchrist: Still, a One-Day cricketer, got a little bit more to go. It feels a little odd. I woke up this morning, very happy and totally convinced in my mind that I had done the right thing. It was just time. I am really thrilled the way it has finished and overwhelmed with the acknowledgement I have received from family, friends and supporters.
Gaurav Kalra: You mentioned about being overwhelmed. It's been fairly public. Sometimes sportsmen have to endure that it is very public. The press conference after the game, it's a little difficult to control your emotions. Just talk us through that.
Adam Gilchrist: It's been fairly public but I have really wanted to share it with everybody. It's been a wonderful career that I have loved. The walk away from it has also been difficult but there is nothing in my heart that is tearing me away.
The hardest part was for me realising that during the match that that's what I wanted to do. Then having to get through the match and not doing a song and dance about it until the end. And I just wanted to share it with everybody, the public and the press. There have been so many great fans around the world that I just wanted to express what I was feeling and that's what I'm doing at the moment.
Gaurav Kalra: Adam, since I'm an Indian journalist, and we are obsessed with numbers, I have go to ask you the first thing about this. Why don't you want to play 100 Test matches?
Adam Gilchrist: I think a lot of people have asked that. I guess that's been in the back of my mind because it was getting closer. But I guess it was a part of my decision, the realisation that I have never been one to play for statistics or any particular number, and I can't believe I played one Test, let alone 96.
So, if the fire is not burning, there's no use to dragging on, just to achieve a number or a milestone. And I always looked to Rodney Marsh's stats and he played 96 Tests, and I always thought to myself, 'why didn't he just play one more series or another four games?' But I now know. If your time's up, your time's up.
Gaurav Kalra: It has been 96 straight games since the time you made your debut to the time you played in Adelaide. There was no break. You didn't miss a single Test match due to injury. You are a wicketkeeper. How did that happen?
Adam Gilchrist: That is something I am really proud of. One of the part of my achievements that I will hold dearly. Fortunately, I never played through a great deal of pain or carried an injury.
Gaurav Kalra: The other interesting thing was that you mentioned at the post match conference that the thought came to you at one moment that 'it's over now'. That clarity of thought in the cauldron of Test cricket, just talk us through that particular moment a little bit.
Adam Gilchrist: Very difficult to describe. But maybe it's a bit over the top to say that I absolutely knew at that moment. But certainly I seemed to get clearness in my mind, and unfortunately it was the one I dropped Laxman off Brett Lee in that first innings.
But so quickly in my mind I had thoughts, I had dropped a few catches lately and something didn't feel right in asking myself 'why is that'? And very quickly, after that dropped catch, in the space of a minute, I realised that I just don't have that sort of desperation to keep working hard and keep the standard that I have been able to maintain for 96 Tests and standards my teammates have always produced.
So, why? I guess I'm thinking a bit about family, about just life moving on, and what I can get into after cricket. And yes, it's funny how it comes about, but just that catch, I moved really slow and it almost hit me before I even knew it. So, that gave a really clear mind and that night I made the decision that I think that was the crucial moment in my career that made me realise that I just didn't have that desire any more.
Gaurav Kalra: We love conspiracy theories in India. There is one going around that there are men in Cricket Australia that called up Adam Gilchrist and said 'Mate, your time is up. Do it yourself or we will do it for you.' Is there any truth in that one?
Adam Gilchrist: Absolutely no. They have not got in touch with me. I promise you there is no truth to that. Cricket Australia, the administrators and the chairman of selectors, Andrew Hilditch, I told him. He was the first person I told after I made the decision with my wife and he was stunned. He was talking to me about how to manage my work till the 2009 ashes tour. He was absolutely stunned. There was no tap in the shoulder. And I didn't want it to get to that point where someone had to say that. I am happy when people say 'Why' rather than 'Why not?' So I am very clear on that.
Gaurav Kalra: Another thing we have seen Adam is that how clearly you have talked about the desire to spend time with family. You have young kids and late at night, you were playing with them yesterday. Suddenly now Dad Adam Gilchrist going to be more important than the cricketer Adam Gilchrist?
Adam Gilchrist: Definitely, my kids are young enough to know me only as Dad. My son is six years old and he knows I play cricket and he is loving it. They are too young to understand but they will have a memory of it. I will still travel and I still will be away from them. There is a whole life to live and I still have a lot to do. I hope to be a major part of the IPL Twenty20. I see that as a major part of cricket history and I hope I will be a part of it. But that will take me away for a few weeks but nowhere near the amount of time I have been away due to international cricket. I hope of taking my family to India during that time.
Gaurav Kalra: Ricky said something interesting in the post-match press conference that 'we never realised the greatness of Warne and McGrath until the time they retired. The same is with Adam.'
Adam Gilchrist: It is wonderful to be talked about in the same lines of Warne and McGrath. One of the highlights of my career have been to have played with great cricketers like Warne and McGrath. You never consider yourself in that company. But it's really nice to have people talking like that.
Gaurav Kalra: I am going to ask a very basic question. Why did you play cricket.
Adam Gilchrist: It was in the family. My Dad played a lot of cricket. He was a very good cricketer, just short of first class standard. And that's all I remember. I am the youngest one in my family and my two elder brothers and my elder sister played cricket and I was always around them. I fell in love with the game very, very young.
Gaurav Kalra: We have spoken so much about entertaining, is that just about fours and sixes or is there a philosophy to it.
Adam Gilchrist: I guess my philosophy is to have fun. That's what kept me in the game for so long and I loved the game so much. It's a team sport, so you have teammates. If you are having fun, you allow yourself to entertain. If you are not, then anyone watching will notice that. They will notice you not having fun and it will not be very entertaining.
Gaurav Kalra: If I talk about all the things you have done in cricket, then we are going to be here all day. So I am not going to do that. So I'll talk about a couple of things. One, hitting 100 sixes in Test cricket. That is a ridiculous number. Six hitting, is that something you enjoy doing?
Adam Gilchrist: That's a part of the entertainment and I was encouraged as a kid by my Dad to hit the ball. And that's what I have done. It has got me out a few times. Sachin hit a huge six at the Adelaide Oval and I must admit that I thought to myself that he must have hit more sixes than me. I know the stat now, somebody pointed out that stat to me. I guessed that's when I realized that it is a big achievement. As I said it is something people love to see, the ball flying away but it has got me out a plenty of times as well.
Gaurav Kalra: And a 100 in 57 balls, you must have surely had Viv Richards in your mind. At ball number 50, somebody must have walked up to you and said you have to get the next runs in the next six balls.
Adam Gilchrist: I had no idea. Before that if somebody would have asked me do you know what is the fastest Test century, I won't have known. Viv Richards would have one of the three guys I would have named. But I had no idea.
Gaurav Kalra: There is a theory that he was very drunk that day when you got your 57-ball hundred.
Adam Gilchrist: I was drunk in emotion after that. More so because we won the Ashes and that was wonderful.
Gaurav Kalra: How do you plan to stay involved in cricket, Adam?
Adam Gilchrist: I haven't had the time to be a 100 per cent sure on that yet. Cricket Australia has already given me some indication that they will like me to be involved in some capacity. There are parts of the media that I enjoy. I enjoy writing. I have done that through out my career. Last few years, I have given it up because I haven't had the time it needed but who knows. I will step away from it for a while and then take a deep breath and see. As I said there is the IPL in India and it is going to be very interesting to see how that unfolds.
Gaurav Kalra: I am going to talk about a couple of things, one is the golden generation of Australian cricket finishing. One of the final pillars going away. Is that something that is crossing your mind now? 'I was a part of such a special cricket team. And it's just starting to disintegrate a little bit.'
Adam Gilchrist: The first part definitely. It is amazing to have been a part of such a successful era, to have played with those names. And that has been a part of wonderful journey for me. I would not say there is a trouble time for Australia. We have got Brad Haddin, who will replace me. We have got bowlers who have steeped up and try and replace Warne and McGrath. It is a different team and there will always be comparison drawn and it is going to be difficult for that team to live up to it. They need to be directed and they will continue to be every bit competitive.
Gaurav Kalra: Did you really want to be captain of this Australian team? Did you really want it and didn't get it?
Adam Gilchrist: No, there were many stories. One said that when I was not made captain, I was really shattered and it's far from the truth. It became sort of a public debate between Ponting and Gilchrist. When they went with Ponting, there was a split second of disappointment. More so because you think that everyone else is going to think that I failed at something but first and foremost, the right man got the job. I supported that all the way through. Secondly, my work load but that's not why I didn't get it. Ricky Ponting was the best man and I have realised that now. And I'm glad I didn't get after to do it. I would have said yes but I know in my heart it would have been wrong. They went the right way and I was a part of that. I had a couple of wonderful experiences when I was captain for the little while.
Gaurav Kalra: You called your captaining in India your greatest moment in cricket. There have been great moments and great moments. Put that in context for us: 2004, India.
Adam Gilchrist: I guess India has played some great cricket. This series was 2-1, they won at the WACA. Perhaps, the greatest win for India. Just reverse that and that's what was for us to go to India. We just put in so much energy and time and passion to get that victory, to be a part of that group. When you sit down and plan something so thoroughly and it all comes true. India is just an intriguing place. It tests every bit of your physical and mental game, your emotions on and off the field. There are extremes everywhere you look. It's just a wonderful place and I have enjoyed being there but to conquer on that tour was great and there was the temptation to go back there later this year. Most probably, it would have been my 100th Test match, depending on the schedule. But as I said whether it is one per cent or five per cent there was something missing and if I had taken it on not being 100 per cent, it would have got exposed and I didn't want that to happen.
Gaurav Kalra: Some of the things you did, will you like them to be continued in cricket, like walking. You are a nice guy. Everyone says Adam Gilchrist is a nice guy and that is something you do not hear about cricketers too often, they are all super stars. I know you are a super star but when I see across you, I don't feel like you are a super star, you are a nice person. Is that something you will like to be see in the younger generation?
Adam Gilchrist: Believe me there are many, many nice guys in cricket. I can't think of too many whom I thought of as bad guys, team-mates or opponents. We have different opinions on the filed but off the field I can't think of anyone whom I can't sit down with and have a chat. Different guys handle it in their own way. Some guys are comfortable in the spotlight than others and express themselves and some don't.
I'd love to see that sportsman spirit continue, that's the way I have played it and that's the way I think we can help the game improve. I think we can make it a better game. It's an individual decision. I am not going to tell people how to do it and I don't disrespect people for not walking. I said it in a press conference people get selective about it, that gets a bit interesting. i just helped the game to be better but I don't think that's going to happen in this age of professionalism.
Gaurav Kalra: Lots of emotion during the final two days at Adelaide but now there are eleven ODI games coming for you. Is every game going to be an emotional occasion?
Adam Gilchrist: I don't know. May be, I don't want to take anything away from the tournament. It's going to be a tough one. We have a Twenty20 game coming up. We have never beaten India in Twenty20, so it's going to be a challenge. And Sri Lanka play the One-Day format really well, (they are the) World Cup finalists. It's going to be a huge series. So I know I have to push my retirement at the back of my mind because when I played my last Test and I walked out, I was overcome by the emotion and everything I tried to do was too much, you know almost to repay my fans. That's not going to work and I will push my team and get to this day, the day after my career.
Gaurav Kalra: Adam, how will you like to be remembered?
Adam Gilchrist: Hopefully as a true team player. That’s why I got into cricket. It is a team game and you share your highs and lows with each other. Hopefully as a selfless committed team man.
Gaurav Kalra: Not just as a journalist but as a true fan of Adam Gilchrist, thank you so much for all the pleasure you have given us.
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/no-use-dragging-on-just-for-a-number-gilchrist/57853-5-single.html
Gaurav Kalra: How is the idea of 'former Test cricketer'? We used to say Australian vice-captain after your name. Now it is going to be 'former Test cricketer.'
Adam Gilchrist: Still, a One-Day cricketer, got a little bit more to go. It feels a little odd. I woke up this morning, very happy and totally convinced in my mind that I had done the right thing. It was just time. I am really thrilled the way it has finished and overwhelmed with the acknowledgement I have received from family, friends and supporters.
Gaurav Kalra: You mentioned about being overwhelmed. It's been fairly public. Sometimes sportsmen have to endure that it is very public. The press conference after the game, it's a little difficult to control your emotions. Just talk us through that.
Adam Gilchrist: It's been fairly public but I have really wanted to share it with everybody. It's been a wonderful career that I have loved. The walk away from it has also been difficult but there is nothing in my heart that is tearing me away.
The hardest part was for me realising that during the match that that's what I wanted to do. Then having to get through the match and not doing a song and dance about it until the end. And I just wanted to share it with everybody, the public and the press. There have been so many great fans around the world that I just wanted to express what I was feeling and that's what I'm doing at the moment.
Gaurav Kalra: Adam, since I'm an Indian journalist, and we are obsessed with numbers, I have go to ask you the first thing about this. Why don't you want to play 100 Test matches?
Adam Gilchrist: I think a lot of people have asked that. I guess that's been in the back of my mind because it was getting closer. But I guess it was a part of my decision, the realisation that I have never been one to play for statistics or any particular number, and I can't believe I played one Test, let alone 96.
So, if the fire is not burning, there's no use to dragging on, just to achieve a number or a milestone. And I always looked to Rodney Marsh's stats and he played 96 Tests, and I always thought to myself, 'why didn't he just play one more series or another four games?' But I now know. If your time's up, your time's up.
Gaurav Kalra: It has been 96 straight games since the time you made your debut to the time you played in Adelaide. There was no break. You didn't miss a single Test match due to injury. You are a wicketkeeper. How did that happen?
Adam Gilchrist: That is something I am really proud of. One of the part of my achievements that I will hold dearly. Fortunately, I never played through a great deal of pain or carried an injury.
Gaurav Kalra: The other interesting thing was that you mentioned at the post match conference that the thought came to you at one moment that 'it's over now'. That clarity of thought in the cauldron of Test cricket, just talk us through that particular moment a little bit.
Adam Gilchrist: Very difficult to describe. But maybe it's a bit over the top to say that I absolutely knew at that moment. But certainly I seemed to get clearness in my mind, and unfortunately it was the one I dropped Laxman off Brett Lee in that first innings.
But so quickly in my mind I had thoughts, I had dropped a few catches lately and something didn't feel right in asking myself 'why is that'? And very quickly, after that dropped catch, in the space of a minute, I realised that I just don't have that sort of desperation to keep working hard and keep the standard that I have been able to maintain for 96 Tests and standards my teammates have always produced.
So, why? I guess I'm thinking a bit about family, about just life moving on, and what I can get into after cricket. And yes, it's funny how it comes about, but just that catch, I moved really slow and it almost hit me before I even knew it. So, that gave a really clear mind and that night I made the decision that I think that was the crucial moment in my career that made me realise that I just didn't have that desire any more.
Gaurav Kalra: We love conspiracy theories in India. There is one going around that there are men in Cricket Australia that called up Adam Gilchrist and said 'Mate, your time is up. Do it yourself or we will do it for you.' Is there any truth in that one?
Adam Gilchrist: Absolutely no. They have not got in touch with me. I promise you there is no truth to that. Cricket Australia, the administrators and the chairman of selectors, Andrew Hilditch, I told him. He was the first person I told after I made the decision with my wife and he was stunned. He was talking to me about how to manage my work till the 2009 ashes tour. He was absolutely stunned. There was no tap in the shoulder. And I didn't want it to get to that point where someone had to say that. I am happy when people say 'Why' rather than 'Why not?' So I am very clear on that.
Gaurav Kalra: Another thing we have seen Adam is that how clearly you have talked about the desire to spend time with family. You have young kids and late at night, you were playing with them yesterday. Suddenly now Dad Adam Gilchrist going to be more important than the cricketer Adam Gilchrist?
Adam Gilchrist: Definitely, my kids are young enough to know me only as Dad. My son is six years old and he knows I play cricket and he is loving it. They are too young to understand but they will have a memory of it. I will still travel and I still will be away from them. There is a whole life to live and I still have a lot to do. I hope to be a major part of the IPL Twenty20. I see that as a major part of cricket history and I hope I will be a part of it. But that will take me away for a few weeks but nowhere near the amount of time I have been away due to international cricket. I hope of taking my family to India during that time.
Gaurav Kalra: Ricky said something interesting in the post-match press conference that 'we never realised the greatness of Warne and McGrath until the time they retired. The same is with Adam.'
Adam Gilchrist: It is wonderful to be talked about in the same lines of Warne and McGrath. One of the highlights of my career have been to have played with great cricketers like Warne and McGrath. You never consider yourself in that company. But it's really nice to have people talking like that.
Gaurav Kalra: I am going to ask a very basic question. Why did you play cricket.
Adam Gilchrist: It was in the family. My Dad played a lot of cricket. He was a very good cricketer, just short of first class standard. And that's all I remember. I am the youngest one in my family and my two elder brothers and my elder sister played cricket and I was always around them. I fell in love with the game very, very young.
Gaurav Kalra: We have spoken so much about entertaining, is that just about fours and sixes or is there a philosophy to it.
Adam Gilchrist: I guess my philosophy is to have fun. That's what kept me in the game for so long and I loved the game so much. It's a team sport, so you have teammates. If you are having fun, you allow yourself to entertain. If you are not, then anyone watching will notice that. They will notice you not having fun and it will not be very entertaining.
Gaurav Kalra: If I talk about all the things you have done in cricket, then we are going to be here all day. So I am not going to do that. So I'll talk about a couple of things. One, hitting 100 sixes in Test cricket. That is a ridiculous number. Six hitting, is that something you enjoy doing?
Adam Gilchrist: That's a part of the entertainment and I was encouraged as a kid by my Dad to hit the ball. And that's what I have done. It has got me out a few times. Sachin hit a huge six at the Adelaide Oval and I must admit that I thought to myself that he must have hit more sixes than me. I know the stat now, somebody pointed out that stat to me. I guessed that's when I realized that it is a big achievement. As I said it is something people love to see, the ball flying away but it has got me out a plenty of times as well.
Gaurav Kalra: And a 100 in 57 balls, you must have surely had Viv Richards in your mind. At ball number 50, somebody must have walked up to you and said you have to get the next runs in the next six balls.
Adam Gilchrist: I had no idea. Before that if somebody would have asked me do you know what is the fastest Test century, I won't have known. Viv Richards would have one of the three guys I would have named. But I had no idea.
Gaurav Kalra: There is a theory that he was very drunk that day when you got your 57-ball hundred.
Adam Gilchrist: I was drunk in emotion after that. More so because we won the Ashes and that was wonderful.
Gaurav Kalra: How do you plan to stay involved in cricket, Adam?
Adam Gilchrist: I haven't had the time to be a 100 per cent sure on that yet. Cricket Australia has already given me some indication that they will like me to be involved in some capacity. There are parts of the media that I enjoy. I enjoy writing. I have done that through out my career. Last few years, I have given it up because I haven't had the time it needed but who knows. I will step away from it for a while and then take a deep breath and see. As I said there is the IPL in India and it is going to be very interesting to see how that unfolds.
Gaurav Kalra: I am going to talk about a couple of things, one is the golden generation of Australian cricket finishing. One of the final pillars going away. Is that something that is crossing your mind now? 'I was a part of such a special cricket team. And it's just starting to disintegrate a little bit.'
Adam Gilchrist: The first part definitely. It is amazing to have been a part of such a successful era, to have played with those names. And that has been a part of wonderful journey for me. I would not say there is a trouble time for Australia. We have got Brad Haddin, who will replace me. We have got bowlers who have steeped up and try and replace Warne and McGrath. It is a different team and there will always be comparison drawn and it is going to be difficult for that team to live up to it. They need to be directed and they will continue to be every bit competitive.
Gaurav Kalra: Did you really want to be captain of this Australian team? Did you really want it and didn't get it?
Adam Gilchrist: No, there were many stories. One said that when I was not made captain, I was really shattered and it's far from the truth. It became sort of a public debate between Ponting and Gilchrist. When they went with Ponting, there was a split second of disappointment. More so because you think that everyone else is going to think that I failed at something but first and foremost, the right man got the job. I supported that all the way through. Secondly, my work load but that's not why I didn't get it. Ricky Ponting was the best man and I have realised that now. And I'm glad I didn't get after to do it. I would have said yes but I know in my heart it would have been wrong. They went the right way and I was a part of that. I had a couple of wonderful experiences when I was captain for the little while.
Gaurav Kalra: You called your captaining in India your greatest moment in cricket. There have been great moments and great moments. Put that in context for us: 2004, India.
Adam Gilchrist: I guess India has played some great cricket. This series was 2-1, they won at the WACA. Perhaps, the greatest win for India. Just reverse that and that's what was for us to go to India. We just put in so much energy and time and passion to get that victory, to be a part of that group. When you sit down and plan something so thoroughly and it all comes true. India is just an intriguing place. It tests every bit of your physical and mental game, your emotions on and off the field. There are extremes everywhere you look. It's just a wonderful place and I have enjoyed being there but to conquer on that tour was great and there was the temptation to go back there later this year. Most probably, it would have been my 100th Test match, depending on the schedule. But as I said whether it is one per cent or five per cent there was something missing and if I had taken it on not being 100 per cent, it would have got exposed and I didn't want that to happen.
Gaurav Kalra: Some of the things you did, will you like them to be continued in cricket, like walking. You are a nice guy. Everyone says Adam Gilchrist is a nice guy and that is something you do not hear about cricketers too often, they are all super stars. I know you are a super star but when I see across you, I don't feel like you are a super star, you are a nice person. Is that something you will like to be see in the younger generation?
Adam Gilchrist: Believe me there are many, many nice guys in cricket. I can't think of too many whom I thought of as bad guys, team-mates or opponents. We have different opinions on the filed but off the field I can't think of anyone whom I can't sit down with and have a chat. Different guys handle it in their own way. Some guys are comfortable in the spotlight than others and express themselves and some don't.
I'd love to see that sportsman spirit continue, that's the way I have played it and that's the way I think we can help the game improve. I think we can make it a better game. It's an individual decision. I am not going to tell people how to do it and I don't disrespect people for not walking. I said it in a press conference people get selective about it, that gets a bit interesting. i just helped the game to be better but I don't think that's going to happen in this age of professionalism.
Gaurav Kalra: Lots of emotion during the final two days at Adelaide but now there are eleven ODI games coming for you. Is every game going to be an emotional occasion?
Adam Gilchrist: I don't know. May be, I don't want to take anything away from the tournament. It's going to be a tough one. We have a Twenty20 game coming up. We have never beaten India in Twenty20, so it's going to be a challenge. And Sri Lanka play the One-Day format really well, (they are the) World Cup finalists. It's going to be a huge series. So I know I have to push my retirement at the back of my mind because when I played my last Test and I walked out, I was overcome by the emotion and everything I tried to do was too much, you know almost to repay my fans. That's not going to work and I will push my team and get to this day, the day after my career.
Gaurav Kalra: Adam, how will you like to be remembered?
Adam Gilchrist: Hopefully as a true team player. That’s why I got into cricket. It is a team game and you share your highs and lows with each other. Hopefully as a selfless committed team man.
Gaurav Kalra: Not just as a journalist but as a true fan of Adam Gilchrist, thank you so much for all the pleasure you have given us.
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/no-use-dragging-on-just-for-a-number-gilchrist/57853-5-single.html