Ashish Nehra spent more time with physio than his wife, says Sourav Ganguly

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly joined the party to celebrate Ashish Nehra’s retirement from all forms of cricket. The former skipper heaped praise on the left-arm pacer who enjoyed some of the best years of his career under Ganguly’s leadership.

He also talked about Nehra’s never-give-up attitude that made him come back to the team despite 11 surgeries throughout his career. The 38-year-old who enjoyed a successful return to the shortest format of the game in the last part of his career took a call on his 18-year long career at his home ground Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi on a winning note against New Zealand.

“I think his best friend was the physio. I think he probably spent more time with the physio than his wife,” Ganguly told ‘India Today’.

An extremely gifted fast bowler

Ganguly added: “His [Nehra’s] body didn’t hold up for most part of his career. But he was extremely gifted that he continued even after all these injuries. He is very competitive, he never gave up. He might have been fragile, he had injuries. Fielding was not a part of his repertoire. When it came to bowling, when he got the white ball, he looked a different cricketer,”

“It [the farewell] is fantastic. Not many have the luck to finish on their home ground. Sachin Tendulkar had it and now Ashish Nehra. Good to see selectors showing faith in him. Even in his last game, he bowled well. It’s difficult to bowl in Kotla, but he did well,” Dada added.

Nehra will always be in the heart of fans for his 6 for 23 against England at Kingsmead in Durban in 2003 World Cup which made him an overnight hero. He himself believed he might be remembered for his 235 wickets in 164 matches across the formats. But, his ability to bounce back from crisis situations will always be an inspiration for budding bowlers.

Ganguly also talked about the famous spell against England in Durban. “Nehra is someone who just remains happy whether he plays or not. That’s the best thing. He always is smiling. I dealt with him when he was young. Every time when I had to leave him out, every time I told Nehra ‘Ashu you’re not part of the game’, I knew the doorbell would ring after the game,” the former skipper said.

“He wouldn’t say anything before or during the game, but exactly at 11pm, when you reach the hotel, the doorbell would ring. And Ashish walks in, in his shorts and slippers, with his fragile legs and with hands inside his T-shirt, rubbing his belly he would ask ‘why did I not get picked,” he stated.