Sachin Tendulkar is truly inspirational, says Aamir Khan

Mumbai: Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar turns another year older on April 24. On this occasion, one of his best friends, actor Aamir Khan, wishes just one thing for him — that he scores a 100 international centuries in cricket becoming the first ever cricketer in the history of the game to do so. Currently, Sachin has scored 93 international centuries — 47 in Tests and 46 in One Day International’s (ODI).Aamir says, “I am waiting for the day when Sachin will score his 100th century. I know he can. In fact, I have been telling this to him for a long time now that he is heading towards his 100th century. I am hopeful that the landmark is not far away from him.”

Aamir had also wished his fellow Bandra boy when he scored the first double century in a One Day International match against South Africa a few months ago. The actor also reminds us that Sachin is inching towards another landmark —a century of half centuries in One Day International cricket. Even here Sachin is just seven half-centuries short having scored 93 50s.

Aamir feels Sachin has reached such a cult status that his success and failures have started to affect the ‘collective self-esteem’ of the general public. He says, “Sachin is the self-esteem of the collective consciousness of society. You, I or the rickshawdriver who is listening to cricket commentary — we all feel a sense of achievement whenever Sachin does well; he has such an effect on us. He forms our collective self esteem.”

What binds both Sachin and Aamir is the passion for their respective professions. Aamir ends saying, “He is truly inspirational. The passion and the love with which he does what he does best is something that is inspirational.

Why is Sachin Tendulkar not playing the T20 world cup?

My first memories of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar go back to the day when he hit the leg spinner Abdul Qadir for 28 runs (or was it 27?) in a single over at Peshawar.My first memories of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar go back to the day when he hit the leg spinner Abdul Qadir for 28 runs (or was it 27?) in a single over at Peshawar.

Sachin wasn't originally supposed to play the game. But since it rained for the major part of the day, the game was turned into a 20 over exhibition match for the ticket paying public, instead of a full fledged one day international. (Sachin's one day debut was in the next game, where he was out for a duck. The wicket went to Wasim Akram)

Sachin had already hit Muhstaq Ahmed for two sixes in an earlier over. It seems Qadir then came to him and said "Bachchon ko kyon mar rahe ho? Hamein bhi maar dikhao." What followed was something like this: 6,0,4,6,6,6.

Sachin finished with an 18 ball 53, and despite that India lost the match. The main reason for that of course was Krishnamanchari Srikanth, the then captain of the team, and now chairman of Selectors. He had treated the game like an exhibition game, and even allowed Qadir to bowl a maiden over to him.

Sachin had played the test matches(which Doordarshan wasn't showing and all we could do was listen to commentary on Radio Pakistan) with Pakistan before this knock, and even scored a couple of half centuries, but this was the knock that really brought him into the limelight.

Now that was 21 years back and Sachin has played many brilliant knocks since then. To me, there is no better sight in cricket, than watching Sachin hit a straight drive of a fast bowler.

But even with all this awe and respect that I hold Sachin in, I simply can't understand why he is not playing the T20 World Cup scheduled to start in the West Indies in less than 10 days.

He is the leading run scorer in this edition of IPL that we all know. In the recent past he has been in the form of his life. And shouldn't that form be benefiting the Indian cricket team as well other than Mrs Ambani and Mumbai Indians?

There are several reasons that people who follow this game closely, have offered, at Sachin's reluctance to play in T20 cricket for India.

The first reason is that he wants to give youngsters a chance. That is the most specious reason to offer for someone's reluctance to play for his country. India should be putting out the best team possible and not the youngest team possible. The best team possible has to include Sachin, given that he is in the form of his life.

When T20 cricket first made an appearance, cricket analysts went to town pointing out that it's a young man's game. But this year's IPL has proved them clearly wrong. Muttiah Muralidharan in the few matches he has played has done very well for the Chennai Superkings. So has Chaminda Vaas for Deccan Chargers.

Shane Warne still gives it's a good tweak, despite not playing any cricket other than IPL. Andrew Symonds who is 34, is one of the best players for Chargers. Mahila Jayawardhane hasn't done too badly for King XI Punjab. And Anil Kumble has given away the least number of runs per over in the tournament. Jacques Kallis isn't doing too badly, given that he is the second highest run getter and has got wickets as well. And of course, on top of all this, Sachin at 37 (he turns 37 on April 24) has been the best batsman by far. So the argument about T20 being a young man's game doesn't hold at all.

The second reason offered is that Sachin aims to play for the 50 over world cup in 2011 and also looking to complete 100 hundreds in international cricket (he is currently at 93). So he should be trying to lengthen his test career and one day international career. While this clearly has some logic, but the logic clearly doesn't hold on questioning.

If the idea is to lengthen his career, why is Sachin playing IPL at all? Including the semi final match to be played today evening, Sachin would have played 14 games in under a month.

If the idea is to avoid T 20 cricket to lengthen his career, Sachin shouldn't be playing any T20 cricket. If he can play IPL, which isn't real cricket after all, he surely should represent India in the T20 world cup.

Some people, have had the view that IPL is a big money spinner, and it isn't fair to expect anyone to give it a skip. Fair point. But the question is how much does Sachin earn out of IPL every year? Around a million dollars. In order to earn that kind of money, all he needs to do is to advertise one more brand. I mean, that would be more feasible way of earning money than playing in this heat at the age of 37.

What makes me sad is the fact that none of the so called cricket analysts who appear on television and write for newspaper everyday have raised this question? Guess they are still waiting for that elusive interview that Sachin might give them.

Given these reasons I see no reason why Sachin is not playing in the T20 cricket other than: Has Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar become bigger than Indian cricket?

Sachin is at peace with his batting, says Ravi Shastri - Former India captain on the maestro’s 3 best ODI innings

19 Apr 2010

Calcutta: Few outside Sachin Tendulkar’s family know him better than Ravi Shastri, a former India captain and cricket manager. In town for the IPL matches, he spoke to The Telegraph, listing Sachin’s top three ODI innings — limited overs’ action-time, after all.Calcutta: Few outside Sachin Tendulkar’s family know him better than Ravi Shastri, a former India captain and cricket manager. In town for the IPL matches, he spoke to The Telegraph, listing Sachin’s top three ODI innings — limited overs’ action-time, after all.

The following are excerpts

Q You’ve known Sachin for over 20 years... You’ve played with him, too... He has featured in just one T20 for India, but hundreds of ODIs... Which have been his best 50-over innings?

A The unbeaten 200 (vs South Africa, in Gwalior)... That would be at the top... It was a masterclass, such a clinical execution of plans... Indeed, it was like a surgery. The way he pierced the field, found the gaps... It was brilliant... Then, I’d pick his 134 in the 1998 Sharjah final (against Australia)... After that, I’d go for his 98 in the 2003 World Cup (vs Pakistan, in Centurion).

Some words on Sachin’s innings in Sharjah and in Centurion...

Again, both had class written all over... In Sharjah, there was a little more audacity and daring as compared to the 200 this February. He’d then toyed with the attack in brutal manner... Sachin was younger and stronger then, you know... That 98 was in a pressure match... The quality of stroke-play and the overall quality of batsmanship was in an entirely different league.

How is it all so different for Sachin?

(Laughs) Twenty years in the game and the guy is still greedy! That being so, it’s not a good omen for bowlers around the world... I see Sachin being there for another three years, at least... His appetite has not diminished and I just feel he’s been batting better in the last two-three years... That’s remarkable... He seems to be at peace with himself, is very relaxed... A lot, of course, has to do with the team he’s playing in... Today, he doesn’t have to feel that he’s the only one who has to score... There are other players who get into the act and complement each other... Bottom line, then, is that he’s at peace with his batting and that’s being reflected in his performances.

The dressing room atmosphere created by Team India coach Gary Kirsten appears to have helped in a big way...

Exactly, everyone’s at peace... Sachin wouldn’t be in this state of mind if the surroundings weren’t good... Clearly, there’s nothing which is irritating him... He’s comfortable focusing on his game and looking at the team’s interests.

Should Sachin now actually target Brian Lara’s Test record (400 not out), the only major one not against his name
?

Look, he shouldn’t be bothered about any record and just play his game... He should do so for another three years or so and, if he’s not injured, he’ll continue to give us plenty of enjoyment... In the immediate future, I see him getting past 100 international hundreds... See that happening rather quickly.

[Sachin has reached 93 — 47 in Tests, 46 in ODIs.]

Finally, what can youngsters learn from Sachin?

They should study his entire career... Watch his tapes... Watch the making of history... There’s no end to what youngsters can learn from Sachin.

We'll look for Sachin's mistake if face MI in semis: Dhoni

19 Apr 2010

DHARAMSALA: After guiding Chennai Super Kings to the Indian Premier League semifinal, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Sunday said his side would look for mistakes of Sachin Tendulkar if they face Mumbai Indians in the knock-out stage.DHARAMSALA: After guiding Chennai Super Kings to the Indian Premier League semifinal, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Sunday said his side would look for mistakes of Sachin Tendulkar if they face Mumbai Indians in the knock-out stage.

"If we face Mumbai Indians in the knock-out stage, we have to wait for the mistake of Sachin because little master is in top form right now and they are the hot favorites to win the IPL 3," Dhoni said at the post match press conference.

Speaking about Sunday's match, Dhoni made it clear that he was not satisfied with his bowling department which is still struggling to find rhythm.

"The main strike bowlers are still struggling to find form. They are not even capable of utilising the full quota," he said.

Asked about the last over, in which he hit a hapless Irfan Pathan for 18 runs, Dhoni said: "I am not a top-class technical player and knowing that I used my power to wrap up the show but Pathan bowled well."

Dhoni cracked an unbeaten 54 off just 29 balls to guide his team to a six-wicket victory.

He was also all praise for the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium.

"This is one of the most beautiful cricket stadiums of the world. But to host the international matches the venue has to improve. The wicket also needs improvement," he said.

"The facilities for staying here are not up to the mark and the teams have to travel 18kms and back even for practice. Air facilities also need improvement," he added.

Meet Sachin’s special guest

19 Apr 2010

A youth from Bihar has been Tendulkar’s fan for eight years, following him to all the matches. And guess who gives him the free passes?There are fans, and then there is Sudhir Kumar Gautam who actually gets free passes for all his matches from Sachin Tendulkar himself.

Sudhir Kumar Gautam with Sachin

The 30-year-old fan from Bihar, who has been following Sachin to nearly all his matches for the past eight years, travelled to Bangalore (without a ticket!) for Saturday’s Mumbai Indians versus Royal Challengers at Chinnaswamy Stadium.

He’ll be easy to spot: A thin, wiry man with a haircut that’s shaped like the map of India in tricolour, waving the national flag vigorously.

CRAZY RIDE

Most of the time, Gautam follows Sachin on a cycle. He told Bangalore Mirror, “On November 1, 2003, India took on Australia in Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. I cycled to Mumbai from Muzaffarpur in Bihar and even met him at his house before the match. He treated me very nicely.”

Twice, the Sachin fanatic actually ran into the grounds. “On November 6, 2003, India was playing New Zealand in Cuttack and I jumped onto the field to meet my Sachin. Then again, on November 15, the same year, Sachin hit a century against New Zealand. I ran and fell at Sachin’s feet. That’s when the security came running to take me away but Sachin told them not to hit me,” he reminisced.

That did it. Since then, Gautam has been getting passes for almost all Tendulkar matches from the Master Blaster himself.

SAYING NO TO SACHIN

However, the constant travel with no source of income is beginning to take its toll. “I have been following Mumbai Indians since IPL started. I couldn’t do so in 2009 when the venue shifted to South Africa. This year, I’ve exhausted my money and though I want to watch the match between Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians in Kolkata, I don’t think I have enough time or money to follow the team,” said Gautam.

Though Sachin offered him money, he did not take it. He has no particular reason for refusing except for the fact that he has great respect for the star. “Sachin has been very kind to me. When I went to his house, I even rode with him in his BMW,” he said.

“Money or no money, I will reach Mumbai on April 24. After all, it’s Sachin’s birthday,” he said.

TO HELL WITH THE JOB

Gautam is so obsessed that he even quit his job for Sachin. “In 2006, India was to play Pakistan. I wanted to go and watch Sachin play. I was working with Sudha Diary in Muzaffarpur but they refused to foot my travel expenses and wouldn’t give me leave either. So I just left the job,” said the defiant fan who has a wikipedia site named after him.

He then decided to cross the border on his famed bicycle. “I started preparing for the journey in January since I knew it would take time to get my visa, passport and other things in place. On February 12, I crossed the border and stayed at Pakistan Chacha’s house. On February 13, when India played Pakistan, I saw Sachin playing.”

Ooh and aah for Sachin

19 Apr 2010

Bangalore lived up to the spirit of cricket when they braved bombs, crude ones though, and stayed on to watch their boys play the game on Saturday. However, Royal Challengers Bangalore failed to show the derring-do that their fans did and chickened out when faced with a huge total put up by Mumbai Indians.The RCB vs Mumbai Indians match was one of the most crucial matches ever played. For a change, the support off the field was not unanimous. here were a large number of Sachin Tendulkar fans among the crowd.

“While my heart belongs to RCB, my head belongs to Mumbai Indians because we know they’re among the top teams,” said actress Jennifer Kotwal.

Chinnaswamy Stadium was packed but the enthusiasm didn’t reach the expected level. It was clearly the ‘Sachin factor’ that divided the crowd. There were roars and cheering when Sachin hit a six or a four and the disappointment was palpable when Sachin was bowled out by Kallis.

The fact that Sachin hadn’t performed up to people’s expectations left many unhappy. Then came A Rayudu, who hit sixes and fours and drove the team to a neat run rate, while challenging the RCB to get to that level.

RCB, who had won six of their seven matches batting second, performed below expectations. Their net run rate was affected to a considerable extent.
All along, there were Sachin fans wearing t-shirts carrying each letter of his name. Posters too screamed Sachin’s names.

The ‘Sachin mania’ among the audience was just too visible. There were a good number of Mumbai Indians’ fans most of whom came well dressed in Mumbai Indians’ t-shirts, trousers and caps.

But the DJ kept cheering on the RCB whose theme song was played in between. He applauded the Mumbai Indians also when they did well.The people were upbeat. Most of them had come mentally prepared for a fifty-fifty chance of RCB winning.

Mihi Joshi, a student from the US, who was holidaying in the City, said she loved the energy of the crowd, “I like it better when the crowd cheers for only one team. Here you have people hooting every time a six of a four is hit.”

Anindita, who is working with Accenture, said, “It was a nail-biting game and one of the most crucial matches I’ve ever watched. I will always support RCB, come what may.”
N Vinay said while he was a great Sachin fan, “I am here to cheer for RCB. It’s a tough game when the master striker is on the other side. More than the match, I come to IPL for the ambience.”

"India will miss Sachin in World T20"

19 Apr 2010

Five years since he hung up his boots as India's most successful coach, John Wright is still immensely respected in the country. The Kiwi operated silently and effectively - proving to be a perfect foil for then skipper Sourav Ganguly- transforming the side to world beaters in half a decade.Five years since he hung up his boots as India's most successful coach, John Wright is still immensely respected in the country. The Kiwi operated silently and effectively - proving to be a perfect foil for then skipper Sourav Ganguly- transforming the side to world beaters in half a decade.

Back in India for a promotional tour of a scholarship programme in New Zealand, Wright spoke exclusively to espnstar.com on various issues. Excerpts.

Rajarshi Gupta: How are you and Mark Greatbatch planning for the ICC World T20 in the West Indies? Do you think IPL players will have an advantage after IPL?

John Wright: New Zealand is planning on all the tournaments we can win and the ICC World T20 is one of them. The big thing is if people are playing in the IPL- you don't want them to be carrying injuries and you don't want to see too many tired players. However, that is something that has to be managed by the support crew- the physios, fitness trainers etc. and how we structure our practice.

People probably understand T20 better now- not only the players but also the ones watching it. There will be a lot of analysis going on to try and get an edge to what really are the key areas you need to know if you have to win a tournament. So the experience will be very important going into the ICC World T20.

RG: Players like Tendulkar, Dravid and Murli Vijay have broken a myth that only slam-bang cricketers can play T20. Do you think India will miss them at West Indies?

JW: You need consistency and you need people who have the mental ability to provide that consistency. Tendulkar has had a great IPL as has Vijay. You want to have players who can play 40 or 50 balls and can turn in match-winning performances by scoring at 130 plus. The main players should face a good number of balls upfront.

India will be looking up to Rohit Sharma, Sehwag, Gambhir and Raina to deliver. They are all good players but Tendulkar's absence, given the kind of form he is in, will be a glaring gap in the team. However, since he has already retired from T20 cricket so there is not much you can do about it.

RG: Most teams have large back-up staff. Explain a coach's role in T20 cricket.

JW: I think a coach's job is to manage the players and he needs to have enough people to help him to do that. I don't like a situation where I as a coach have to manage the support staff. Well, every coach is different in that respect. Personally, I like a very, good tight team, where everyone knows exactly what they have to do and there is no clutter.

RG: How difficult it is to coach Team India? Don't you think demigod status to many cricketers can prove counterproductive?

JW: I never saw any of the Indian players as so called stars. They were just cricketers to me. There were simple rules and these applied to everyone from the senior most to the newest member in the side. That was it. It did not matter how many billboards each player had or how big their cheques were - these were the ground rules and everyone had to stick to them.

There were times when you had to manage the growth of a player - from being unknown to becoming superstars. Naturally, people can start to see things differently when they are successful but then that is what man management is about. As a coach you had to make them see things the way it is. Success can be an enemy in India because it sometimes gets out of perspective. But the important thing is I realised what they were worth to the people.

RG: Did you ever feel a personality clash with the skipper when you were the coach?

JW: There were times when I disagreed with the skipper- that happens when you at times just see things differently. Sourav was in charge on the field and I was in charge off it. We respected each other's roles and we had a lot of trust and I am still in touch with him regularly.

Sourav was interesting because his legacy was such. I think history will be very kind to him because he gave the team something that was not appreciated at the time- that robustness, that passion. He did not mind taking his shirt off at Lord's. Sourav started the process of Indian cricket taking the forward step.

RG: Stephen Fleming and Steve Rixon are involved with the Chennai team. Don't you want to be part of IPL action?

JW: You look at the lot of the coaches working here in the IPL and sometimes I think I wouldn't mind being part of it but let's see. Being a part of it is not completely in my hands.

RG: Pink balls, strategy time outs, ball changes, free hits, super over...where do you think cricket is moving? Are you scared for Test cricket?

JW: I hope there is some common sense but that is sometimes pretty uncommon. I think cricket is in a great position and there are now three variations in the game and not many games have those many options. It is all about how you present the game to the market. T20 is a phenomenon and it will be interesting to see where it all settles down.

In perspective of things, Test cricket is the best examination mentally. If you are good in Test cricket, you will be good in other formats but if a player has a specific role in T20 cricket, he may not be able to survive in Test cricket. If a player wants to be a great bowler or batsman- you have to crack the code in Test cricket.

I hope cricket can market its product in a sensible way so that it can appeal to everyone but it is too early to say which way cricket will head.

It will be great to have so many T20 leagues but you still will have the country way of cricket where at the end of the day Indians like cheering for Indians and New Zealanders for New Zealanders. That is where Test cricket will do well.

RG: You have seen Indian cricket from very close. What make Sachin Tendulkar special? What is it that separates him from say a Sehwag?

JW: They are all different but I think Sachin truly loves the game. He has got a real interest for the game and that is in every respect- he understands the game's history and how important that is. He has probably looked at cricket from many more angles that people understand.

Sachin has carried the hopes and love of a nation and that is a big sort of a weight to have on your shoulders. No one understands that feeling- only he can understand that and we can only talk about it. I mean look at him, he still goes out there and scores a double hundred after so many years in international cricket. That is just amazing.

RG: Ganguly, Dravid, Kumble and now Dhoni. Has Dhoni been a worthy successor?

JW: Dhoni definitely is a worthy successor. People listen to what he has got to say and he looks like the kind of guy who is prepared to back his hunches.

Dhoni's challenge is to win a World Cup and we all know what that means. You know Kumble and Dravid didn't have a lot of time while Sourav had a long stint but Dhoni is the first captain in India to be responsible for an IPL team besides the ODI and Test teams and that is a lot of work to handle.