Denmark | Martin Lundgren confirms retirement from international cricket

[Paranoid Kendroid]

Danish Superliga 2003

Round 5
(Apr 18)

vs

Stadium: Vejle Stadion (Vejle)

​

SYDDANMARK VS MIDTJYLLAND at Vejle
20 overs match
Pitch Condition: Normal
 
SYDDANMARK WON THE TOSS AND ELECTED TO BOWL FIRST

MIDTJYLLAND          107/6     20.0 overs
SYDDANMARK           108/2     15.3 overs
 
Syddanmark won by 8 wickets
 
Man of the match: Dennis Balle (SYDDANMARK)

 

[Paranoid Kendroid]

Danish Superliga 2003

Round 5
(Apr 18)

vs

Stadium: Copenhagen Cricket Club (Copenhagen)

​

KØBENHAVN VS SJÆLLAND at Copenhagen
20 overs match
Pitch Condition: Normal
 
SJÆLLAND WON THE TOSS AND ELECTED TO BOWL FIRST

KØBENHAVN            118/9     20.0 overs
SJÆLLAND             121/2     17.4 overs
 
Sjælland won by 8 wickets
 
Man of the match: Mikkel Bentsen (SJÆLLAND)

 

[Paranoid Kendroid]

Points Table [Danish Superliga 2003]
(after Round 5)

​

Team​	-Mat-​	-Win-​	-Loss-​	-Tie-​	-Points-​	-NRR-​
Sjælland​	5​	4​	1​	0​	24​	+0.835​
Nordjylland​	5​	3​	2​	0​	18​	+1.775​
Syddanmark​	5​	3​	2​	0​	18​	-0.230​
København​	5​	2​	3​	0​	12​	-0.651​
Hovedstaden​	5​	2​	3​	0​	12​	+0.049​
Midtjylland​	5​	1​	4​	0​	6​	-1.726​

Sjælland and Nordjylland have qualified for the Final.

Venue randomly chosen for the match is Vejle (Normal).

​

*Teams with better Head-to-Head record are placed above the teams with which they have the same points.

 

[Paranoid Kendroid]

Danish Superliga 2003

Final
(Apr 19)

vs

Stadium: Vejle Stadion (Vejle)

​

SJÆLLAND VS NORDJYLLAND at Vejle
20 overs match
Pitch Condition: Normal
 
NORDJYLLAND WON THE TOSS AND ELECTED TO BAT FIRST

Nordjylland become the first team to win all the domestic championships!

Chris Mattsson etches his name in history with Nordjylland's 5th domestic title under his leadership.
Even today, he led from the front with the bat, scoring a magnificent 56 off 40 balls and used his bowlers
superbly to not give Sjælland any chance at scoring runs.

Sjælland will be proud of their campaign but their performance was below par when it mattered the most.​

NORDJYLLAND          159/4     20.0 overs
SJÆLLAND             114/9     20.0 overs
 
Nordjylland won by 45 runs
 
Man of the match: Chris Mattsson (NORDJYLLAND)

 

[Paranoid Kendroid]

Danish Superliga 2003

Summary
​

Statistics:

(Top-run scorers)



(Top wicket-takers)​

Team of the tournament:

01. Chris Mattsson
02. Arman Ali
03. Mandeep Singh
04. Villy Knudsen
05. Otto Gregersen
06. Ove Bundgaard
07. Bertram Jakobsen
08. Felix Nørregaard
09. Martin Lundgren
10. Bent Hedegaard
11. Josh Sullivan

12th man: Leon Troelsen

*Bold = internationally-capped player

Player of the Tournament: Chris Mattsson (Nordjylland)


Results:

Round 1 (Apr 14)
Nordjylland v Midtjylland at Nykøbing Mors - Nordjylland won by 59 runs
Hovedstaden v Sjælland at Albertslund - Hovedstaden won by 8 wkts
Syddanmark v København at Vejle - Syddanmark won by 3 wkts

Round 2 (Apr 15)
Sjælland v Nordjylland at Roskilde - Sjælland won by 12 runs
København v Midtjylland at Copenhagen - København won by 5 wkts
Syddanmark v Hovedstaden at Vejle - Syddanmark won by 2 wkts

Round 3 (Apr 16)
Nordjylland v København at Nykøbing Mors - Nordjylland won by 10 wkts
Sjælland v Syddanmark at Roskilde - Sjælland won by 6 wkts
Midtjylland v Hovedstaden at Viborg - Midtjylland won by 6 wkts

Round 4 (Apr 17)
Syddanmark v Nordjylland at Vejle - Nordjylland won by 75 runs
Hovedstaden v København at Albertslund - København won by 9 wkts
Midtjylland v Sjælland at Viborg - Sjælland won by 7 wkts

Round 5 (Apr 18)
Nordjylland v Hovedstaden at Nykøbing Mors - Hovedstaden won by 5 wkts
Syddanmark v Midtjylland at Vejle - Syddanmark won by 8 wkts
København v Sjælland at Copenhagen - Sjælland won by 8 wkts

Final (Apr 19)
Sjælland v Nordjylland at Vejle - Nordjylland won by 45 runs

 

[Paranoid Kendroid]

Domestic Squads for 2004-2007 cycle​

		Aarhus​		Aalborg​		Copenhagen​		Esbjerg​		Farum​		Herning​		Odense​		Vejle​
Top-order (1-3)		Chris Mattsson (L/RS) Hjalte Thuesen (R) Freddy Lind (L)		Niels Hjort (L) Jim Vinther (R/LS) Villy Knudsen (L)		Leon Troelsen (R) Dennis Balle (R) Luka Maguire (L/LM)		Arman Ali (R) Ditlev Michelsen (L/LM) Harry Bundgaard (R)		Mandeep Singh (R) Simon Dahl (L) Mikkel Hjort (R/RM)		Aksel Johansson (R) Martin Holst (L/RM) Gert Albertsen (R)		Danny Bentzen (L) Hans Ditlevsen (R) Viggo Povlsen (L/LM)		Sonny Gram (L) Ib Damsgaard (R) Torkild Isaksen (L/RM)
Middle-order (4-6)		Paul Boesen (R) Julius Brink (L) Elmer Dalsgaard (R/RM)		Jørn Storgaard (R/RM) Tim Magnussen (L) Ivan Gram (L/LM)		Søren Berglund (L) Andreas Jeppesen (L) Bertram Jakobsen (R/RM)		William Gunnarsson (L/RFM) Lars Ottesen (L) Bernt Schmidt (L/LM)		Otto Gregersen (R) Rasmus Lauritsen (R/RM) Ove Bundgaard (L)		Lau Andresen (L) Marcus Ravn (R/LM) Gorm Hald (L/LM)		Axel Danielsson (R) Zeeshan Khan (R/RM) Frode Greve (L)		Mathias Ottesen (L) Henrik Lassen (R) Orla Berthelsen (L/LM)
Lower-order (7-8)		Olav Nørgaard (R/LM) Storm Høj (L/LF)		Lucas Nørregaard (R) Klaus Albertsen (R/RLS)		Laust Toft (L/LFM) Bo Smidt (R/ROS)		Arthur Ludvigsen (L) August Eklund (R/RLS)		Oliver Johansson (L/ROS) Hugo Ali (R/RM)		Martin Adamsen (L) Niklas Erichsen (R/LOS)		Kaj Uldaler (R/RM) Laust Karlsen (R/ROS)		Casper Skou (R/LM) Torsten Svane (R/ROS)
Pacer		Bent Hedegaard (R/RF) Kjeld Brink (L/LFM)		Noah Bendtsen (L/LM) Kristen Nygaard (R/RF)		Martin Lundgren (R/RF) Flemming Aagaard (L/LFM)		Ebbe Daugaard (R/RFM) Carlos Holder (L/LF)		Ronnie Frost (R/RFM) Josh Sullivan (L/LF)		Aage Storgaard (L/LF) Elo Larsen (R/RFM)		Felix Nørregaard (L/LFM) Mikkel Bentsen (R/RF)		Nicolai Lauritsen (R/RFM) Lukas Bendixen (L/LF)
Spinner		Esben Thorsen (R/ROS)		Herman Jacobsen (L/LOS)		Michael Bang (R/RLS)		Karl Pedersen (R/ROS)		Jimmy Beck (L/LOS)		Erik Dinesen (R/RLS)		Peder Skaarup (L/LOS)		Chris Fredriksson (L/LOS)

*Depending on player unavailability, I might add some random players in the competition. Example - during an international tour.

 

[Paranoid Kendroid]

DCU announces 21-men probables list for World Cup

Chris Mattsson (Nordjylland)
Aksel Johansson (Midtjylland)
Leon Troelsen (Hovedstaden)
Niels Hjort (Sjælland)

Jørn Storgaard (Hovedstaden)
William Gunnarsson (Syddanmark)
Otto Gregersen (Syddanmark)
Paul Boesen (København)
Ove Bundgaard (Sjælland)

Oliver Johansson (Syddanmark)
August Eklund (København)
Klaus Albertsen (Nordjylland)
Olav Nørgaard (Hovedstaden)
Storm Høj (Midtjylland)
Lucas Nørregaard (Nordjylland)

Chris Fredriksson (Nordjylland)
Michael Bang (Hovedstaden)
Martin Lundgren (Hovedstaden)
Felix Nørregaard (Sjælland)
Aage Storgaard (Syddanmark)
Bent Hedegaard (Nordjylland)
​

• The management looks satisfied with the top-order but have picked a plethora of bowlers and all-rounders.
• Lucas Nørregaard, who was absent from Danish cricket since 2000 and made an incredible comeback in 2003, could be picked in the final 18.
• Otto Gregersen is a huge favourite to make the final 18.
• Paul Boesen, Martin Lundgren are under the scanner for their poor performances in recent times but will be given the benefit of doubt.
• In a huge surprise, it seems Noah Bendtsen and Søren Berglund have fallen completely out of the selectors' view.

 

[Paranoid Kendroid]

Preview: The 18-men who can bring glory to Denmark
Part - 1​

Top-order batters:

Chris Mattsson - The experienced southpaw has been in a purple patch in 2003, being Denmark's top ODI run-scorer and also registering the highest individual score by a Danish batter across all formats. The team will be looking forward to him giving brisk starts as he has been doing throughout the year. Did I forget to tell that he can bowl an over or two if the need arises?

ODIs​	Inns​	Runs​	Avg​	SR​	HS​	100s​	50s​
2003​	10​	772​	85.8​	110​	184*​	2​	5​
Overall​	53​	2547​	52.0​	100​	184*​	6​	16​

Aksel Johansson - Danish fans will once again put all their hopes on their most talismanic batter of the 50-over format. He brought the nation international glory with a surprising win in the 2000 Knockout Trophy but back then Denmark wasn't a big cricketing nation. One thing we do know is that this man always ups his level in tournaments.

ODIs​	Inns​	Runs​	Avg​	SR​	HS​	100s​	50s​
2003​	10​	721​	103.0​	103​	146​	4​	2​
Overall​	54​	3560​	80.9​	103​	149*​	11​	25​

Niels Hjort - Even since replacing Niels Håkansson, his namesake has been subjected to criticisms from purists. Then, come 30 June 2001 and he became the nation's most hated cricketer after playing a horribly sedated knock in the Euro 2001 final. Denmark tried other openers but none could perform at a level close to Hjort. Since that time, he has worked on his game and his strike rate has massively improved. A good performance in the World Cup will do massive favours to his "popularity".

ODIs​	Inns​	Runs​	Avg​	SR​	HS​	100s​	50s​
2003​	10​	416​	41.6​	98​	94​	0​	3​
Overall​	39​	1511​	38.7​	78​	113​	2​	11​

Leon Troelsen - The domestic numbers may not be eye pleasing but he has shown excellent performances in the Club World Cup. But the selectors have picked him mainly due to his inspiring knock on Test-debut against the eventual Nations League winner, Canada. He has shown the mettle to take on international level bowlers and the management keep a highly opinion of him.

List-A​	Inns​	Runs​	Avg​	SR​	HS​	100s​	50s​
Club World Cup​	3​	190​	63.3​	106.7​	113​	1​	1​
"A" tours​	1​	34​	34.0​	100​	34​	0​	0​
Domestic (overall)​	42​	1289​	31.4​	82​	93​	0​	12​

 

[Paranoid Kendroid]

Preview: The 18-men who can bring glory to Denmark
Part - 2​

Middle-order batters and All-Rounders:

Jørn Storgaard - Earmarked as future Denmark captain since his under-19 days, the 24 year old hasn't set the world on fire this year but that's mostly to the top-order batting for long periods. That strike rate suggests the kind of firepower he possesses and his medium-pace bowling is a useful option to have in times of calamity. Just don't expect him to be a match-winner with the ball.

ODIs​	Inns​	Runs​	Bat Avg​	SR​	HS​	100s​	50s​	|	Overs​	Runs​	Wkts​	Bwl Avg​	Econ​	BBI​
2003​	8​	264​	44.0​	111​	67​	0​	2​	|	1​	6​	0​	infinity​	6.0​	0/06​
Overall​	37​	1471​	61.3​	100​	88*​	0​	14​	|	18​	129​	1​	129.0​	7.2​	1/16​

William Gunnarsson - The red-ball skipper was otherworldly against South Africa with the bat in the 5-match ODI series. He wasn't bad in the Euro Cup by any stretch of imagination but his inability to finish the final has left a blemish on his year. Aksel made it clear in the pre-tournament press conference that Storgaard will be batting at no. 4 meaning Gunnarsson might not get to make impact with the bat as frequently. But his position as the fifth/sixth bowler is vital to the team's balance.

ODIs​	Inns​	Runs​	Avg​	SR​	HS​	100s​	50s​	|	Overs​	Runs​	Wkts​	Bwl Avg​	Econ​	BBI​
2003​	10​	384​	64.0​	108​	102*​	1​	4​	|	63​	344​	5​	68.8​	5.5​	2/26​
Overall​	51​	1894​	51.2​	89​	114*​	2​	18​	|	242​	1333​	25​	53.3​	5.5​	3/29​

Paul Boesen - One man who is in tremendous needs of runs. Boesen has been doing the thankless job of finishing the games decently but this year hasn't been upto the mark. Doesn't help that he was moved to no. 5 this year as the team wanted Storgaard to take on the finisher's role. Unfortunately, his poor run means that his place isn't certain now and the management is looking at different combinations. He might not start every game. His keeping has been fine so that's one thing still going for him.

ODIs​	Inns​	Runs​	Avg​	SR​	HS​	100s​	50s​
2003​	9​	167​	23.9​	98​	40​	0​	0​
Overall​	38​	1051​	55.3​	92​	102*​	1​	3​

Otto Gregersen - Paul Boesen not playing will mean Gregersen is in line to debut. But that would require Lucas Nørregaard to play as the keeper, leaving the team's balance in jeopardy. He has been mighty impressive in the Club World Cup this year and the Morocco "A" List-A series. Uncapped at the international level, the time is right for the 23 year-old Syddanmark batter to make the step up. He hasn't played domestic one-dayers since 2001 so don't give too much importance to those.

List-A​	Inns​	Runs​	Avg​	SR​	HS​	100s​	50s​
Club World Cup​	4​	204​	68.0​	73​	66​	0​	2​
"A" tours​	4​	186​	62.0​	99​	70​	0​	1​
Domestic (Overall)​	19​	570​	38.0​	64​	75*​	0​	1​

 

[Paranoid Kendroid]

Preview: The 18-men who can bring glory to Denmark
Part - 3​

Lower-order batters or All-Rounders:

Oliver Johansson - The best way to describe his ODI career is enigmatic. The numbers are below average for a player who has just under 40 caps but the management's trust in him means he is always there. At times, he can really outshine every other Danish bowler but mostly, he plays a more background role. His batting stats are almost non-existent but Aksel said in the press conference that Oliver will be batting at no. 7 in the tournament, meaning he will really have to pull those stats up. A wildcard move or a huge blunder in making? We will see. He was a beast in this year's Club World Cup so don't think too lowly of him.

ODIs​	Inns​	Runs​	Bat Avg​	Bat SR​	HS​	100s​	50s​	|	Overs​	Runs​	Wkts​	Bwl Avg​	Econ​	BBI​	4w​	5w​
2003​	3​	12​	4.0​	71​	8​	0​	0​	|	67​	400​	8​	50​	6.0​	3/42​	0​	0​
Overall​	15​	100​	7.7​	47​	14​	0​	0​	|	328​	1667​	44​	37.9​	5.1​	4/19​	1​	0​

Olav Nørgaard - August Eklund's diminishing returns meant that Denmark were looking for an alternative who can give 10 overs while also making runs down the order. Their search led them to Olav Nørgaard. The scope of improvement is massive but he has got all the ingredients for being the perfect no. 7 for his country. He will need to improve his pace if he wants to be considered a serious fifth bowling option.

ODIs​	Inns​	Runs​	Avg​	SR​	HS​	100s​	50s​	|	Overs​	Runs​	Wkts​	Bwl Avg​	Econ​	BBI​
2003​	6​	79​	39.5​	66​	30*​	0​	0​	|	76​	424​	7​	60.6​	5.6​	2/59​
Overall​	7​	101​	50.5​	70​	30*​	0​	0​	|	96​	538​	10​	53.8​	5.6​	3/44​

August Eklund - Known as the crisis man in his prime, Eklund's career has been dwindling. If the Oliver Johansson move works well, Eklund might end up as just a backup who won't be needed most of the time. But currently, he is still an important part of the team and everyone knows how good he can be on bowling friendly tracks, rescuing the team from precarious situations and bowling well in tandem with the attack.

ODIs​	Inns​	Runs​	Avg​	SR​	HS​	100s​	50s​	|	Overs​	Runs​	Wkts​	Bwl Avg​	Econ​	BBI​
2003​	DNB​	DNB​	-​	-​	-​	-​	-​	|	19​	87​	1​	87.0​	4.6​	1/47​
Overall​	20​	428​	53.5​	77​	68*​	0​	2​	|	290​	1475​	34​	43.4​	5.1​	3/15​

Klaus Albertsen - It was a straight-up competition between Michael Bang (a classical leg-spinner) and Klaus Albertsen (a bowler with plenty variations). Since the other three spinners are more in the classical mould, the selectors went with Klaus. Listed as an all-rounder, he is definitely a bowler who can maybe add 20-25 runs on a very very good day. Denmark have said that they are open to all sorts of combinations so Klaus should be match-ready when the time comes. He also played in 2000's Club World Cup, taking 1 wicket at 65 average in 2 matches.

List-A​	Inns​	Overs​	Runs​	Wkts​	Avg​	Econ​	BBI​	4w​	5w​
ODI Career​	4​	27​	130​	4​	32.5​	4.8​	1/21​	0​	0​
"A" tours​	4​	39​	142​	7​	20.3​	3.6​	4/28​	1​	0​
Domestic (Overall)​	28​	187​	835​	32​	26.0​	4.5​	3/14​	0​	0​

Storm Høj - Same case as Klaus Albertsen. Competed with Bent Hedegaard for the fourth pacer's slot. The left-arm quick is uncapped in ODIs but has played Tests. He has 12 wickets in Test matches at an average of 34. But looking at his List-A stats, he looks bang average. Hedegaard has way better numbers but his poor showing in Tests against Canada and Vanuatu led to his non-selection. Some might say that this is unfair and maybe Noah Bendtsen could have been recalled but the management know Høj's abilities and it does help that he is the fastest bowler in Danish circuit. We have been informed that he has working hard at his batting so maybe that also played in his favour?

List-A​	Inns​	Overs​	Runs​	Wkts​	Avg​	Econ​	BBI​	4w​	5w​
"A" tours​	7​	58​	295​	6​	49.2​	5.1​	2/35​	0​	0​
Domestic (Overall)​	39​	353​	1580​	52​	30.4​	4.5​	5/29​	0​	1​

Lucas Nørregaard - Before 2003, he only took part in 1999's domestic season despite being involved with Nordjylland's squad since time immemorial. His small international career only lasted one year (again 1999). He put more focus on his college education but still had a domestic contract. That's how good he is. A traditional wicket-keeper whose glovework overshadows his batting, he made a stellar comeback this year with great FC and List-A seasons. The selectors were so much impressed with him that they decided to ditch Ove Bundgaard, who had been the backup keeper for more than a year, and name him in the World Cup squad. Bundgaard's batting put him second best to Paul Boesen for a keeper but Lucas's glovework is perhaps the best in the nation. The most controversial selection from Denmark, can he prove the doubters wrong?

List-A​	Inns​	Runs​	Avg​	SR​	HS​	100s​	50s​
ODI Career​	2​	4​	2.0​	44​	2​	0​	0​
"A" tours​	1​	8​	8.0​	38​	8​	0​	0​
Domestic (Overall)​	11​	364​	52.0​	63​	77*​	0​	2​

 

[Paranoid Kendroid]

Preview: The 18-men who can bring glory to Denmark
Part - 4​

Bowlers:

Felix Nørregaard - The only Danish bowler who is certain of his position, at least should be. He was the only one who stood up to South Africa's might in the 5 match ODI series, taking 9 wickets while next best Danishman was at 5. Didn't do much in the Euro Cup group stages but led from the front in the final against Guernsey with 3/39. His bowling partner is in a rough spot and all eyes are on him to deliver. Last time, Noah Bendtsen played a huge role in Denmark's only WCC trophy. Felix got injured after 1 game and returned for the final but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. He didn't do much in 2002 Knockout Trophy but the stage is set this time for him.

ODIs​	Mat​	Overs​	Runs​	Wkts​	Avg​	Econ​	BBI​	4w​	5w​
2003​	9​	86​	461​	15​	30.7​	5.4​	3/26​	0​	0​
Overall​	53​	494​	2438​	95​	25.7​	4.9​	6/26​	5​	1​

Martin Lundgren - Played a huge role in Denmark's most successful year of 2000, being a phenomenon in both the European Championship and the Knockout Trophy. The ageing superstar is going through a rough patch at the moment and with this tournament set to be his last, Martin would be eager to give his all to win it. He was dropped after the first game during Euro Cup this year but Aksel has assured that he will be playing against Vanuatu on 17 November. That match could be the final game of Martin's international career but he will, like always, fight for his dream.

ODIs​	Mat​	Overs​	Runs​	Wkts​	Avg​	Econ​	BBI​	4w​	5w​
2003​	6​	54​	299​	3​	99.7​	5.5​	1/25​	0​	0​
Overall​	45​	420​	1988​	68​	29.2​	4.7​	6/36​	2​	1​

Chris Fredriksson - The most "in-form" Danish bowler at the moment. The left-arm spinner got ****ed by the South Africans but made a stellar comeback in the Euro Cup with 3 consecutive 4-fers in the group stage. One of them was against a very good England side. Only black spot to his campaign was a plundering by Norway in the semi-final. He gave 93 runs in his 10 overs and also took 2 wickets but the wickets don't change the fact that he was miserable and should be thankful other bowlers didn't lose their line and length. 1-52 in the final, an average performance, and many people accused him of stat-padding. I think Denmark will take a lil' bit of statpadding at the moment.

ODIs​	Mat​	Overs​	Runs​	Wkts​	Avg​	Econ​	BBI​	4w​	5w​
2003​	10​	87​	528​	20​	26.4​	6.1​	4/32​	3​	0​
Overall​	42​	368​	1927​	71​	27.1​	5.2​	5/18​	4​	1​

Aage Storgaard - One of the most interesting career so far. Made his ODI debut in the Euro Cup and bowled well to be fair without taking much wickets. On the other hand, had an absolutely terrible Test debut with his match figures reading 45.0-7-198-1. Surprisingly, his FC numbers are pretty good (108 wkts @ 27.64). Lundgren's retirement will most likely open up a permanent spot for him but at the moment, he will need to prove his worth if he wants to play the whole competition.

List-A​	Mat​	Overs​	Runs​	Wkts​	Avg​	Econ​	BBI​	4w​	5w​
ODI Career​	5​	34​	154​	6​	25.7​	4.5​	2/24​	0​	0​
"A" tours​	1​	10​	31​	3​	10.3​	3.1​	3/31​	0​	0​
Domestic (Overall)​	37​	307​	1457​	24​	60.7​	4.8​	3/29​	0​	0​

 

[Paranoid Kendroid]

Lundgren confirms international retirement:
end of a stellar 80-match career
December 25, 2003

Denmark ended their WC campaign with a loss against India in the second semi-final.
​

1633 days. This is how long the right-arm fast bowler's international career lasted.

In this period, Lundgren played in 80 matches out of the 97 played by Denmark.

He picked up a total of 184 wickets, behind only Felix Nørregaard, at a combined average of 28.92.

He featured in every WCC or EUROCON event involving Denmark, emerging victorious in 4 out of 9 tournaments.

He played a vital role in Denmark's only WCC trophy, the 2000 Knockout Trophy, being their second-highest wicket-taker but, more importantly, leading the bowling attack. The tournament was a litmus test for Martin, as he was dropped on the preceding India tour for not performing at an expected level. But a surprise recall and a more motivated and fitter version combined to bring Denmark international glory. They rose from 13th in the ODI team rankings to become the No. 1 side. They also upped their performances in the Test matches, and Lundgren played a major part in that as well.

When you ask Lundgren what would define his legacy as a cricketer, he wouldn't mention wins, losses, wickets, or trophies. It would always be the fans. "Everything else is just a byproduct. For me, being true to my character and putting up the hard work is what my true achievement is. Being loved by the fans all over the country is what keeps me driving but also making my family and hometown proud," added the 39-year-old Herlev resident.

Is there anything he would like to change about his career? "Nope! I always gave my 100% in whatever I did, and even if every result didn't go my way, it's God's will, and I wouldn't change anything about it."

His presence will be missed, and the youngsters will have huge boots to fill. "No one is indispensable, and that should always be the case. I am sure there are bowlers who will go further than me and achieve more success with Denmark. Just do the hard work, keep your head down, and you will see the results. And try to dismiss stress or negative thoughts as much as you can. Those things can't be eliminated, but you can always keep them outside your frame."

Has cricket seen the last of Martin Lundgren? "Nope. I am still playing in the domestic circuit and the Copenhagen team asked me to be their head coach as well. Cricket has given me a lot, and it's time for me to give back. Coaching is a new venture, but I am ready for the challenge. And who knows? I might even return to the international fold in a different capacity. Time will tell, but I am personally grateful for everything until now and whatever the future shapes up to be."