Losing 2003 World Cup final is still a regret for Nehra

New Delhi: “If you can, then sprint. If not, then run. Can’t run? Then jog. Won’t jog? Then at least walk!

“Can’t walk? Then crawl but just keep on moving,” says Ashish Nehra as he gets ready to bid adieu to the game that has given him everything in all these years.

A total of 163 international matches across three formats in 20 years is not the greatest piece of statistic but the straight-talking Nehra will remain an enigma for what he could have achieved had he not gone under knife 12 times.

“It’s been a great journey. Maybe one regret. If I could change anything in these 20 years, that afternoon in Johannesburg during the 2003 World Cup final. But nothing else as it’s all about destiny,” he said.

Nehra said he has a huge respect for former India batsman Ajay Jadeja. “For me, Ajay and Mahendra Singh Dhoni are the two shrewdest cricketing brains I have ever interacted with,” he lets one know his favourites and tells that it’s purely his choice. Talk about Virat Kohli and Nehra would say that Ravi Shastri is the ideal foil for Kohli. “Look Virat’s career and captaincy are on auto-pilot mode right now. He knows what he is doing and leads by example.”