Allan Border : No borders to his accomplishments

It was like reading a book of records, Limca book of Records. But I did find it uncanny that the record holders name was always the same; Allan Border.

Well take a look at some of his achievements -

1. He accumulated over 10,000 runs (only Sunil Gavaskar has done the same), and now sits at the top of the table of run-scorers with 11,174 runs.

2. He scored more fifties (63) and more scores of at least 50 (93) than anybody else.

3. He grabbed 154 catches to sit on top of the table of fielders.

4. He led his team onto the field 93 times - another world record. All these were consecutive games - yet another record.

5. In only his second overseas tour, to Pakistan in 1980, he became the first - and to this day, the only - player to score 150 in both innings of a Test match.

6.During Allan Border's long career, he was one of the most consistent and reliable batsmen in the world. Even when he went through a "lean patch" of 61 innings without a century from October 1988 to September 1992, he still maintained his amazing average of 50.

In fact the list grows even longer with some spicy trivia trinkets. But what is so great about Allan Border? The fact that he scored the highest runs in Test Cricket?

NO. In fact Allan Border was not at all a "Natural Talent", or a "Born cricketer". And this is what makes him special.

Greatness of any individual, in any field, depends upon his talent and hard work.

For Border, the scales were tilted to the Hard work side.

He was talented, no doubt, but not that talented to take him to the position he is now. And this where his perseverance, determination and self-belief came in.

Allan Robert Border, was born on July 7 , 1955 in Sydney. He played for New South wales and Queensland. He was a pretty popular player in the English County Leagues, playing for Gloucestershire and Essex.

He made his Test Debut against England at Melbourne, 3rd Test, 1978/79. Since then He has scored over 11,000 runs in Test Cricket, being the only player to do that.

The greatest moment of his life was winning the World Cup in 1987 at Calcutta.

Allan Border was a great player, in a league of his own. He always believed in the saying "When going gets tough......." and that is how all his team mates still remember him .

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