A week ago, Trinidad and Tobago (TT) spinner Sunil Narine announced his retirement from international cricket in next-generation cricketer style, via an Instagram post. The TT Cricket Board quickly responded by giving the cricketer a commemorative plaque on Wednesday at the semi-final of the CG United Super50 match between the TT Red Force and Guyana's Harpy Eagles.
It was, for Mr Narine, a recognition that came in the space where he had spent much of his career, T20 cricket.
In his retirement post, he acknowledged that he hadn't played with the West Indies team since the India tour in 2019 but he played an astonishing 477 T20 matches after making his debut for TT in 2011.
Mr Narine would spend much of his T20 cricket career playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), helping them to titles in 2012 and 2014 and reaping 519 wickets, 163 of them for the KKR, second only to Dwayne Bravo (619) and Rashid Khan (556) in the tournaments. His most successful year representing the West Indies also came in 2012 as he took them to their first World T20 win. For the ICC T20 World Cup tournament in 2021, Mr Narine did not pass the yo-yo test, an aerobic benchmark used widely for establishing fitness standards for team sports.
Kieron Pollard, captain of that team avoided comment on the exclusion, acknowledging Mr Narine's potent performance with the KKR that year. A capable left-hand batsman, his right-hand off-break bowling established him as a menace on the pitch throughout his career.
Dubbed the mystery spinner for the unpredictability of his deliveries, his bowling action would come under increasing scrutiny later in his career.
In 2015, he was suspended from bowling in international cricket after all variations of his deliveries exceeded the mandatory 15 degree limit, which defines the difference between bowling and throwing a cricket ball. His bowling action would remain under scrutiny for the remainder of his career. Bowling for the KKR in 2020, his action was reviewed by the IPL's Suspect Bowling Action Committee, but was cleared with cautions.
Cricket purists still champion the traditional form of the game - the multi-day test match - but it is the limited overs version of cricket that has broadened appreciation for the game. It's in that form that Mr Narine flourished. He played in 122 international matches of which just six were Tests.
As cricket extends its reach into the realm of globally popular sports, it is the players, along with the allure of the game that will further broaden its appeal.
With his dynamic deliveries, stunning results and signature spiked mohawk hairstyle, Mr Narine was that magical mix of talent and character that stands out in big team sports and lifts both the player and the game.
The post Thank you, Sunil appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.
