The Aged Lion Conundrum

The lion is young. His bones are hard, claws sharp and teeth that can cut steel. This lion is aggressive and bold, terrifying and petrifying, ruthless and cruel. He devours on every animal that comes in his way. Every resistance that challenges his supremacy and dominance is preyed upon. Spilling enough blood, this lion makes his way to the top. He is now the King of the jungle. For others, he is God.

              Sachin Tendulkar was the new lion in the jungle. This lion covered countries and continents and thrashed bowlers all over the world. If it was Warne in Sharjah (my favourite one) then it was Akhtar in South Africa World Cup. Roger Federer marks the other version of the lion. Though coming from another sport, this lion was no less in terms of dominance. Elegance, style, composure, maturity – you name it and it was there in his game. From Australian to French, from Wimbledon to US, this man had conquered all and demolished every one. 

              Time passed. The lions grew older with each passing day. The very strengths which would intimidate the prey, started fading. The jungle soon showed signs of instability. Other lions were soon seen on the horizon. Alas, the spot for the King was just one. Only one could sit on the throne.

              The Spaniard and the D’Joker arrived. Class soon seemed outclassed. Elegance faded in thin air.  Composure was lost. Feet started moving slowly. Crowds switched side.  Forehand and backhands no longer garnered applause. The finals which were once marked with tears of joy soon were highlighted by dejection and dullness. The other lion, after getting things right for 99 times, could not find it going for 100^th  one. Depression and disappointment marked the battles. Foreign jungles soon seemed to be alien territory. Head went down after every battle. Shots which fetched boundaries, few years ago, went to slips. Fatigue was seen in body language.

              So, what should the old lion do in such a case? Should he give up his power and move to other avenues of life and explore other options? Should he continue to resist and fight till the last drop of blood in his body? Is it worth holding the land, when you have already proved your valor? What if the lion perishes on the battlefield due to his stubbornness? One thing that the lion needs to remember is that the crowd remembers what you did in the recent past. They will never remember your glorious past if you have an inglorious present. History remembers those who went to the top and stayed there. Not those who hit the nadir after reaching the pinnacle.  

              The last battle the old lion has to face is the fight within. He has to find that opportune moment to step down. And no one can know it better than him. Perhaps, he does have one last fight remaining. If this is what echoes within his inner conscience, then it should be seen in the performance on the field. Dropped shoulders, dejected face and slow feet are surely not the signs of it. The poor form does not hurt only the player. It gives excruciating agony to the fans that idolized, worshipped and cherished everything that the player did. Be it good or bad. Soon, as the form keeps dropping, a sense of negativism starts gripping the fans. Fanatics would remain loyal. But, emotional and sane fans will not. Others will soon start hating the person. Sadly, many in India fall in the last category.

The lion is exceptional and no one can ever match him. But the lion needs to be prudent enough to know when it is time. However, no one should coax the lion to retire. After all, he is the lion, the King and the best one. But in order that people remember this lion for the blood that he shed in the battles and the battles that he has won, it is important that the lion ends the story at a winning note. As Harvey Dent rightly puts it in The Dark Knight “You either die as a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become a villain.”