Title - Yere Goud bids a dignified adieu

For once, Yere Goud went beyond his usual reputation of being a man of few words.During a function that celebrated a quiet achiever’s gentle good-bye, it was a moment that truly reflected the fine first-class cricketer’s genial nature on a Monday evening.Announcing his retirement at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, the former Railways and Karnataka captain reeled out an extensive ‘thank-you’ note to a host of people who have influenced him, and shaped his glittering first-class career; the list included his immediate family, relatives, friends from his home-town of Raichur, fellow cricketers, coaches from his formative years and ground-staff.Every name was spelt out clearly, the emotion behind those utterances truly heart-felt, and it was in sync with what the Karnataka State Cricket Association secretary Javagal Srinath had said just a few minutes ago: “Yere Goud has a soft nature, and he is an extremely humble gentleman.”Having made his first-class debut for Karnataka in 1995, Goud shifted to his employer Railways the same year and played for them till the last season with the exception of his stint with Karnataka during 2006 and 2007.“I made the decision after playing passionately for 18 years. I was part of seven premier first-class championship (triumphs) including two Ranji Trophy titles.

“I enjoyed playing the game, and I will definitely miss taking guard again,” Goud said.

After 134 first-class matches and 7,650 runs that include 16 hundreds and 39 fifties, the 40-year old is not done with cricket yet; he will continue to play in the local league besides looking at coaching and umpiring as future avenues.

“Yere was a complete cricketer — technically well-equipped as a batsman, an exceptional fielder and also a handy bowler. We lured him back to Karnataka briefly by making him the captain. We wish him the best; and we at the KSCA request him to contribute back to the game, especially at a place like Raichur from where he hails,” said Anil Kumble, the KSCA president.

Srinath added: “Yere was the Rahul Dravid of Railways. The statistics and the sheer commitment show that.”

The highpoint of the function was when the KSCA threw a surprise as Prasad Bhandare, who has done a doctorate on Yere Goud at the Gulbarga University, presented his 500-page thesis to the stunned cricketer.