Not winning the World Cup remains my only regret: Jhulan Goswami on eve of retirement
India Today
India women's team bowling legend Jhulan Goswami has said that not being able to win the World Cup for India is the only regret she has in an otherwise outstanding career. The 39-year-old is set to retire after playing against England in the third and final ODI of the series.
India women's team bowling legend Jhulan Goswami has said that not being able to win the World Cup for India is the only regret she has in an otherwise outstanding career. The 39-year-old is set to retire after playing England in the third and final ODI of the series. The Indian fast-bowler will be walking away from international cricket as the highest wicket-taker in women's internationals, with over 350 wickets across all formats.
Goswami, speaking on the eve of her final international match, said finishing runner-up in the 2005 and 2017 editions of the World Cup remains the only regret of her career.
"I have played two World Cup finals but couldn't win the trophy. That remains my only regret because you prepare for a World Cup for four years. There is a lot of hard work that goes in. For every cricketer, it is a dream-come-true moment to win a World Cup," said Goswami.
The 39-year-old said she was grateful to be able to compete on the highest level for so long, having come up from a humble background.
"When I started I never thought of playing for such a long time. It was great experience. I am fortunate to play the sport. Honestly, coming from a humble background and a small town like Chakdah (in West Bengal's Nadia district) I didn't know anything about women's cricket," Goswami added.
Goswami said receiving the India cap was the most memorable moment of her career and how the 1997 Women's World Cup final played at the Eden Gardens fuelled her ambitions of becoming a professional cricketer.
"My best memory is when I got the India cap and bowled the first over because I never imagined (that I will play for India). The journey was difficult as I had to travel for two-and-half hours by local train one way every day for training. In 1997, I was a ball girl at the Eden Gardens where I saw my first women's World Cup final. From that day, my dream was to represent India," Goswami said on the eve of her retirement.
