‘Will Never be Too Far Away From You: Jhulan Goswami’s Heartfelt Note as Legend Announces Her Retirement

On Sunday, Jhulan Goswami took to her social media handles to officially announce her retirement. She meanwhile, posted a long note, dealing with all those people whom she came across during her journey.

She declared the same a day after playing her last international game. The veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami came up with an emotional post to formally announce her retirement from all forms of cricket.

Jhulan, 39 is a legendary fast bowler and ended her 20-year-long prominent career with the most number of international wickets – 355 – in women’s cricket. Previously, last month she announced that the 3rd ODI against England at Lord’s on September 24 will be her last international game.

However, she withdrew figures of 2 for 30 as India successfully upheld a low score of 169 runs. Further, Harmanpreet & Co bundled defeated the hosts by 16 runs to affect a 3-0 whitewash over the hosts.

She captioned, “TO MY CRICKET FAMILY AND BEYOND,

SO, THE DAY HAS FINALLY ARRIVED! LIKE EVERY JOURNEY HAS AN END, MY CRICKET JOURNEY OF OVER 20 YEARS ENDS TODAY AS ANNOUNCE MY RETIREMENT FROM ALL FORMS OF CRICKET. AS ERNEST HEMINGWAY SAID. “IT IS GOOD TO HAVE AN END TO JOURNEY TOWARD, BUT IT IS THE JOURNEY THAT MATTERS IN THE END”. FOR ME, THIS JOURNEY HAS BEEN THE MOST SATISFYING. IT HAS BEEN EXHILARATING, THRILLING TO SAY THE LEAST ADVENTUROUS. HAVE HAD THE HONOUR OF DONNING THE INDIA JERSEY FOR OVER TWO DECADES AND SERVING MY COUNTRY TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITIES. THERE IS A SENSE OF PRIDE EVERY TIME HEAR THE NATIONAL ANTHEM BEFORE A MATCH.

CRICKET HAS GIVEN ME SEVERAL GIFTS OVER THE YEARS, THE GREATEST AND THE BEST, WITHOUT DOUBT, HAVE BEEN THE PEOPLE HAVE MET ALONG THIS JOURNEY. THE FRIENDS MADE, MY COMPETITORS, TEAMMATES, THE JOURNALISTS INTERACTED WITH, MATCH OFFICIALS, BOARD ADMINISTRATORS, AND PEOPLE WHO LOVED WATCHING ME PLAY.

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HONEST AS A CRICKETER AND HOPE, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE GROWTH OF WOMEN’S CRICKET IN INDIA AND THE WORLD, HOPE TO HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF GIRLS TO PLAY THIS BEAUTIFUL GAME. EVER SINCE WATCHING THE WOMEN’S WORLD CUP FINAL AT EDEN GARDENS BACK IN 1997, IT WAS MY DREAM TO PLAY FOR INDIA, AND AM THANKFUL TO THE BCCI (BOARD OF CONTROL FOR CRICKET IN INDIA). CAB (CRICKET ASSOCIATION OF BENGAL), WOMEN’S CRICKET ASSOCIATION OF INDIA (WCA), AND AIR INDIA OFFICIALS FOR REPOSING FAITH IN ME AND ALLOWING ME TO FULFIL MY DREAM.

I WANT TO THANK THE NATIONAL CRICKET ACADEMY (NCA) FOR TAKING CARE OF MY INJURIES AND KEEPING ME FIT AS A FIDDLE OVER THE YEARS. AM GRATEFUL TO ALL THE COACHES, TRAINERS, PHYSIOS, AND GROUND STAFF WHO HAVE BEEN AN INTEGRAL PART OF THIS JOURNEY. A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE CAPTAINS WHO HAVE PLAYED UNDER. THEIR FAITH IN MY ABILITIES HELPED BUILD MY CONFIDENCE.

I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK MY FAMILY (MY PARENTS, AND SIBLINGS) WHO STOOD BY ME IN EVERY SITUATION. NOT TO FORGET MY FRIENDS WHO HAVE BEEN MY BEST CRITICS AND BIGGEST SUPPORTERS. LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST. I WANT TO THANK MY CHILDHOOD COACH FOR HAVING BACKED ME IN MY ENDEAVOUR.

I ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TOWARDS MY FANS, JOURNALISTS, AND BROADCASTERS FOR BACKING ME AND GIVING WINGS TO WOMEN’S CRICKET I HAVE CHERISHED EVERY MOMENT OF THE LAST 20 YEARS OF MY LIFE AS AN INTERNATIONAL CRICKETER WITH MY TEAMMATES ON AND OFF THE FIELD HAVE ALWAYS LOVED YOU CRICKET AND EVEN AS 1 RETIRE AS A PROFESSIONAL PLAYER, I WILL NEVER BE TOO FAR AWAY FROM YOU.

THANK YOU,

JHULAN GOSWAMI.”

Jhulan made her international debut against England at Chennai in 2002, representing India in 12 Tests, 204 ODIs, and 68 T20Is picking 355 wickets across formats, the most by any bowler in women’s international cricket.