Ashok Dinda hangs his boot from all forms of cricket with 420 first-class wickets to his name. A fine seamer with a good leap, a big heart and a battery to bowl long spells, the Bengal pacer has played 13 ODIs and nine T20Is for India, picking up 12 and 17 scalps respectively.
Widely believed to be a good candidate for Test bowling, Dinda, quite surprisingly, never got to represent the nation in red-ball cricket. Picking up 151 List A wickets during his playing days, Dinda was a workhorse in domestic cricket and troubled batsmen with his pace and bounce.
Having represented Bengal for over a decade, the 36-year old moved to Goa this season to continue the rest of his cricketing career. With 339 wickets to his name, Dinda ranks 6th in the all-time leading wicket-takers for pacers in the Ranji Trophy.
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"I have had my run. I have a few injuries and they have been troubling me. I played three games for Goa this season and picked up five wickets, but I think I have done what I could have as a player. I am almost 37, and I have been playing first-class cricket for 15 years, so it's time to go," Dinda said in a presser.
With regards to his second innings, the paceman has not yet made a decision. "I am a cricketer, so I will stay connected with cricket. I have a few options to stay connected with the game. I haven't thought about what I will do. It's too early. So maybe I will make a decision before the next season, once things get better [in terms of the pandemic]."
The fast bowler, who was also a part of the Indian T20 League for many years, announced in a press conference that he will be retiring.
"Today I am retiring from all formats of cricket. There have been several people, including my parents, who have helped me throughout my career and I would like to thank them.”
Dinda also went on to thank the BCCI and his then captain Sourav Ganguly.
"I would like to say special thanks to Sourav Ganguly, I remember in 2005-06, Sourav Ganguly picked me in the 16-member team, I debuted against Maharashtra. I am forever in the debt to Dada, he always supported me. It is because of him that I got to play for Bengal and when as skipper he stood at mid-off he would always guide and encourage me." Dinda concluded.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Sajjad Hussain
