'His words got everyone to say 'we got to keep going'': Ex-RR star recalls Pravin Tambe's speech after match-fixing saga
The Australian cricket star revealed the “emotional” speech that moved the Rajasthan Royals team ahead of their final league game in 2013 in Hyderabad.
2013 Indian Premier League spot-fixing scandal remains the low point of the cash-rich tournament and especially for Rajasthan Royals as three of their players were arrested on the charges of alleged spot-fixing. Rajasthan were almost at the end of their campaign and were on the verge of making the playoffs when the entire team was jolted by the massive news that tarnished the image of the team and left the players affected. During such tough times, motivation from senior players and and coaching staff often moves the team to regain composure, but it was an uncapped star that left the team saying, "we've go to keep going". Former Australian cricketer Brad Hogg, who was part of 2013 Rajasthan team, recalled Pravin Tambe's speech.
Speaking on his YouTube channel on Tambe's movie, ‘Kaun Pravin Tambe?’, Hogg hailed the star bowler as a “true inspiration” and a “great” of the game in terms of his will power to not give up. He also talked about sharing the dressing room with him before he touched upon the “emotional” speech that moved the Rajasthan team ahead of their final league game in 2013 in Hyderabad.
“There was one time with Rajasthan Royals. We were in Mumbai and we went through the match-fixing saga. I'm not going to mention the players but we got on the bus after playing Mumbai and the next morning to go to Hyderabad. 3-4 players were not on that bus, they'd been arrested. We got to Hyderabad and there were cameras everywhere and we just wanted to get out of the bus and go to our rooms,” he said.
"Then coach called us down to sit around the pool and discuss the situation and asked how everyone was feeling. Everyone was distraught and upset. The actions of few affected everyone else and all those players that were still there all had the value of playing the game in a respectful manner and not think about doing even remotely close to what those four players did. We were so disappointed.
“Then the questions went around and when it came to Pravin he just broke down in tears. The opportunity of playing at the highest level on TV had just been tarnished from the actions of four other players. And that little emotional speech his answer all turned everyone to say that we've got to keep going and we still go it to play for Rajasthan Royals. We still got to play as a group and try and achieve what we set out to achieve.”
Rajasthan did not win against Sunrisers Hyderabad, but managed to make the playoffs and defeated them 5 days later in the Eliminator. The Royals were however stopped by Mumbai Indians in the second qualifier.
