Jhulan Goswami bid goodbye to international cricket in style at Lord’s with a historic whitewash against England. While Goswami’s farewell was overshadowed by Deepti Sharma running out Charlie Dean for backing up too much, the legendary bowler has mixed feelings about hanging her boots. In an exclusive interaction with India Today, Goswami talks about the legal run out made controversial, whether she would return for IPL and memorable moments of her two-decade long career.
Here are the excerpts from the interaction.
How do you feel after breaking every record? Tired, happy, or relaxed?
I am not tired but have mixed feelings. I am both happy and sad. I tried contributing from my end and when the time comes, as a sportsperson you have to take a call. I hope I have taken the right call at the right time.
20 years is a long career and a lot of others have played such a long career like Sachin Tendulkar. But what made you take that call? What made you feel that now is the time?
As a medium pacer, you go through a lot, particularly in terms of health. At the latter end of my career, I had a lot of injuries. Every alternate series I was on the receiving end of some or the other injury and that made me realise it was time to step down.
Next year women's IPL is starting and when women's cricket is gaining that much popularity you are leaving. Will you take part in that IPL?
Let us wait for the board to officially announce the tournament and then see what the format is going to be and how the franchises will go about it. But I would contribute from my end but not sure in what capacity.
Is it (women’s cricket) different from where you started all those years ago and now it has grown so much?
When I started right from the facilities to visibilities everything was different and now things have improved. Women's cricket is going in the right direction, particularly after the 2017 World Cup, its popularity has surely grown and social media has contributed a lot to it. Thanks to the social media presence, people keep a track of where you are playing, who you are playing and all the stats associated with it.
Your final match was overshadowed by the controversy during that match. Do you support Deepti and her decision to run her (Charlie Dean) out English cricketers have deemed it as cheating? Was it the right thing she did?
I think that run out was well within the rules of ICC and I feel nothing was wrong with that. We did everything according to the laws and nothing was illegal about it.
Did Deepti warn the batter before running her out?
I think so. I am not sure because I was fielding at short third and it was far from where the discussions were happening. But I would still support her action as she did what was within the rules of ICC. Why should the batter have that advantage?
What has the highest point of your career?
A few things are there but at the top is my debut for India and then the 2006 Test match win against England in England. When Mithali scored that record-breaking innings I was on the non-striker's end. Also, 2017 WC as it changed the face of Indian cricket (women's), particularly Harman (171 not out vs Australia) and Mithali's innings and a lot of bilateral series wins.
There is a movie being made about you. How excited are you about it?
I am excited about it and I am hoping the movie will inspire the younger generation to take up cricket as a sport, especially women. I hope it creates that impact I am hoping for.
Now you are officially retired, how do you feel about it, and what's next for it?
I still haven't got the time to think about it. Bengalis are celebrating Durga Pooja and I am occupied with that. So once the celebrations are done, I will see what's next and how to go about it. But as of now, I am enjoying some me time and family time.
