Jumbo.. by name.. by stature.. by character

It did come as a shock.. but deep inside it wasn't so much of a shock..

A man and a cricketer I have always held in the highest esteem.

Anil Kumble has finally called it quits.

It would actually be ironic to use the word "QUITS" for him. Let me rephrase that.

Anil Kumble will compete no more.

Hmm.. that sounds a lot more appropriate.

Many points in his career that I have been lucky to watch live, thanks to those hours spent watching cricket on the tele. Be it the perfect 10 at Kotla, the "Jaws" at Antigua (though it might be named that more for those jaws that dropped open to watch him bowl with a fractured jaw), the poise after the massacre of cricket at Sydney in 2008, or the pain to watch him being hit for a boundary on his last delivery in Test Cricket.

A trier, someone who never quit, a man whose heart and commitment always reflected his nickname - Jumbo.

There might be some Warne who achieved greatness in numbers by their sheer talent.. and then there are those like Jumbo - head and shoulders above - who've achieved greatness not just in numbers, but also in stature. In him, there is also someone who reached magical figures by sheer perseverence.

Rise and applaud - a great man has just left the building.

Goodbye Jumbo.