Indian cricket could learn a lot from this touching letter written by Sir Don Bradman to the Australian captain

The 2015 ICC World Cup will miss five men who were part of the 2011World Cup-winning Indian team and who have served Indian cricket with distinction.

Topping the list is Yuvraj Singh, the man who battled cancer through the 2011 edition and played an all-round role in India winning the cup. The man of the tournament award he won in that tournament exemplifies his contribution in India’s triumph.

Also missing are Gautam Gambhir, the man who turned defeat into victory by scoring 97 against compelling odds in the final against Sri Lanka. Virender Sehwag, the man who changed the mind of batsmanship in the modern era with minimal footwork and maximum self-belief. A man destroyed good balls with disdain and reputations of the best of bowlers.

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Finding himself in the sidelines is also Zaheer Khan, the greatest fast bowler in Indian cricket since Kapil Dev. And the final stalwart to be sidelined is Harbhajan Singh, a man who has captured almost 700 wickets for India across formats.

The five are some of the biggest names in Indian cricket. Yes, they have been out of the India reckoning for a while now as young, fitter and more consistent players have emerged. But almost all of them would have hoped that they would have been named in the shortlist announced on Thursday.  The exclusions almost certainly mean an end to their great careers.

One does not know if selection committee chairman Sandeep Patil or any of his fellow-selectors spoke to all or any of these players after they picked the probables for the forthcoming World Cup. Had the selectors done that, it would have been a marked change in Indian cricket which once dropped S Venkataraghavan after he was the captain in the previous Test. Worst, on another occasion, Venkat learnt he was sacked as captain by the captain of a flight he was travelling in!

Compare this with the heart shown by Sir Don Bradman who wrote a mail to Brian Booth, captain of the Australia team in the first two Tests of the 1965-66 Ashes series, after he was dropped for the third Test. Cricket writer Clayton Murzello’s had shared this on his Facebook wall.

Dear Brian,

Never before have I written to a player to express my regret at his omission from the Australian XI. In your case I’m making an exception because I want you to know how much my colleagues and I disliked having to make this move.

Captain one match and out of the side the next looks like ingratitude, but you understand the circumstances and will be the first to admit that your form has not been good.

I sincerely hope that your form will return quickly and in any event assure you of the highest personal regard in which you are held by us all and our appreciation of the way you have always tried to do everything in your power to uphold the good name and prestige of Australia.

Your sincerely

Don Bradman

We at CricLife salute Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Gautam Gambhir for their yeomen service to the nation.

Thanks for the memories, guys. The nation is proud of you.