Hard to imagine life without cricket: Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar is on the verge of history. Not many cricketers can dream of playing two decades in international cricket. Graham Gooch was the last to do so. Now the Mumbai batsman will join that elite list when he completes 20 years of international cricket in November.

Who can forget the baby-faced Tendulkar starting his career as a 16-year-old against the Pakistani pace battery -- comprising the legendary Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis -- and coming out with flying colours.

The ace batsman, who is currently the highest run-getter in Tests (12,773 runs -- 42 hundreds -- in 159 matches) and One-Day Internationals (16,684 runs -- 43 hundreds -- in 425 matches) still vividly remembers what spurred him to such a long career.

"I remember during my first international tour, to Pakistan, Kapil Dev had challenged me to play at least 10 years for the country and I am glad that I have doubled that. I am quite pleased with what I have achieved so far.

"It is a great feeling to complete 20 years in international cricket. It was always a dream to play for the country; didn't think when I started that I would play for so long," said Tendulkar at a function to launch adidas's range of cricketing equipment in India.

Despite giving his all to the sport in the last 20 years, it is hard to see the 36-year-old hanging his gloves anytime soon.

"Cricket is an integral part of my life and it is hard to imagine life without cricket," he asserted.

Tendulkar also admitted that he is very fussy when it comes to the cricketing gear he uses.

"I am very particular about bats, about pads, about gloves and about shoes. I can get fussy to a certain extent because I want to get everything right. Cricket is so important for me that I cannot compromise on anything and this has been my habit right from my early days."

Asked how he decides on which is the best bat for him by just knocking the middle of the blade, he replied: "The bat speaks to me and that is how I can make out whether it is a good bat or not."

Over the years, Tendulkar was laid low many a time with injuries, which some expert believe was due to the weight of the heavy bat he uses. But the batting ace differs, and with good reason at that.

"I have spoken to specialists who believe that if I use a lighter bat it will have more impact on my elbow. I have tried using lighter bats but it didn't work, maybe because it didn't have a similar bat swing," he said.

Adidas has introduced cricket bats, balls, protective gear, including gloves, pads, helmets and other accessories which will be priced between Rs 549 and Rs 13,999. The hardware products have undergone high-performance evaluations with the England and Wales Cricket Board at the Loughborough University's Performance Training Centre.

Tendulkar can continue as long as he wants: Ganguly

Kolkata, Aug 14 (PTI) Age might be catching up with Sachin Tendulkar but former India captain Sourav Ganguly feels the Mumbai veteran is the best cricketer in the world right now and can continue as long as he wants.

The iconic left-hander said his 36-year-old former opening partner is a better batsman than him and can pick the time to call it quits.

"To be honest, he is a bigger player than I am. He deserves to go whenever he wants to. He is probably the best in the world with (the retired) Brian Lara. He can play until anytime he wants and I am sure his performance will remain consistent," Ganguly told PTI in an interview here today.

Ganguly said he enjoyed partnering Tendulkar at the top and doesn't regret quitting earlier than him.

Tendulkar to attend fitness camp in a few days: Kirsten

Mumbai, Aug 11 (PTI) Sachin Tendulkar will attend the pre-season fitness camp in a few days' time as he was unavailable today due to prior commitments as eight players were put through their paces here.

Coach Gary Kirsten, who oversaw the fitness camp at the Mumbai Cricket Association's Indoor Academy in Bandra-Kurla Complex today, said it was not possible to get all the players available for the camp at a short notice.

"Sachin was unavailable today. It was not possible to get everyone available at such a short notice. Sachin would do the test in the next few days," Kirsten said.

The eight players who took part in the fitness camp conducted by Indian team physiotherapist Nitin Patel and trainer Ramji Srinivasan, who is tipped to soon join the national squad, were Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Dinesh Karthick, Pragyan Ojha, Abhishek Nayar, Ravindra Jadeja and S Badrinath.

Sachin, other Test cricketers back Wadekar for gymkhana post

Mumbai , Aug 11 Sachin Tendulkar and a number of former players have come in support of former India captain Ajit Wadekar in his quest to retain his seat as the President of the famous Shivaji Park Gymkhana in Dadar here.
Supporting Wadekar, who led India to historic back-to- back series wins over the West Indies and England overseas in 1971, Tendulkar, in a letter to the former Test batsman, said the gymkhana, where he learnt his ropes as a young boy, needed Wadekar&aposs leadership qualities it its centenary year.

"I am glad to learn that the Shivaji Park Gymkhana (SPG), which has produced so many cricketers for the state and the country, will be completing 100 years soon,"the champion batsman has said in his letter to Wadekar.

"It is also heartening to see the tremendous progress made by SPG not only in cricket but in other sports like tennis, billiards and lots of indoor games too, especially in the last six years.

"It requires sporting leadership and I hope that you continue to lead SPG as President in the centenary year too", Tendulkar has said in his letter to Wadekar.

Wadekar&aposs former Mumbai and India colleague Bapu Nadkarni, ex- India skipper and selection panel chief Dilip Vengsarkar and flamboyant ex- India batsman Sandeep Patil have also written letters to Wadekar extending their support

Asnodkar misses a good chat with Tendulkar

Coming from the land of beaches - Goa, this small-in-size-yet-dynamic batsman has been the leading run-getter for his Ranji side. And as the inaugural Indian Premier League changed the lives of many young cricketers, his story is no different.

"IPL was a dream come true," says Swapnil Asnodkar, who proudly chose cricket over professional singing as his career and has no regrets whatsoever.

Once considered underdogs, the Rajasthan Royals picked him up for their squad. Hence, he has been lucky enough to get a coach-cum-captain like Shane Warne, who showed immense confidence in his young players. It was a gamble using an inexperienced player like Asnodkar high up in the order alongside South African batsman Graeme Smith, but the youngster proved his mettle and eventually became Warne's blue-eyed boy.

In an exclusive chat with CricketNDTV.com, Asnodkar talks about his dreams, his IPL experience, and like any other emerging Indian batsman, says his idol is none other than Sachin Tendulkar. Excerpts...

Congratulations on your team's recent win in the one-off British Asian Cup T20 match against Middlesex Panthers at Lord's. You played a crucial 41-run innings for the Royals. How was the experience?

It's a great feeling to be part of the Rajasthan Royals. Obviously, it was one of the best moments since the match was played at Lord's. Every cricketer dreams of playing there, and there are many who have played almost on every ground in the world but not at this elite venue. It means a lot to play there. It was fantastic!

On your IPL debut, you blasted 60 runs off 34 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders and the whole world noticed. How important was IPL for you?

It was a stepping-stone for me. I had been playing for so long and there were not many people who knew about me in spite of the fact that I was doing well in domestic cricket. IPL gave me the platform to get noticed and my batting skills got highlighted. Rajasthan Royals made it possible for me.

Shane Warne took a big gamble by sending you to open. What difference did it make to you as a cricketer?

It is his approach towards the game that makes a difference. He's the most dedicated player I have seen on the field. He always motivates every player before the match so that we give our best. I have been fortunate enough to play under him. It's a great feeling. I have grown watching Shane Warne, Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara play. I had never even thought in my dreams that I would get an opportunity like this. It was one of my happiest moments to know that the legendary Shane Warne will be leading Rajasthan Royals.

In the first edition of the IPL, you scored 311 runs in 9 matches that included two fifties while in the 2009 edition, your batting stats were comparatively modest with just 98 runs from 8 matches as RR exited early from the League. What went wrong?

We didn't play good cricket and there's no point giving excuses. We didn't play according to the roles given to us. We won IPL's first edition and in this one we failed as a team, to end up way low in the points table. Speaking of my batting, there are certain aspects of it I am working on and I will make sure I improve and come out as a better batsman.

Which form of cricket is more important to you, Tests or ODIs? What about T20?

I don't discriminate any form of cricket and at the moment I'm enjoying the game in every way. Otherwise, in India particularly, every youngster dreams of becoming a successful Test cricketer and of course, wants to play for India. T20 matches and ODIs are also very important but Test cricket is the ultimate.

One bowler you would never want to face or if I may say so, the toughest bowler you have ever faced?

Umar Gul was hard to play in Indian Premier League first edition. I have played with most of the top-class international bowlers in IPL and I enjoyed a lot. And due to its short format, a bowler is given only 2-3 overs - making it difficult for a batsman to judge a bowler in that particular time period. I try to give my best efforts against every bowler.

Tell us something about yourself that your fans and the media don't know?

(Smiles) I think the media knows quite a lot about me by now, thanks to IPL. I don't think there's anything left to be told.

Talking about cheerleaders, did they distract you?

(Smiles again) No, not at all. They are there to distract the crowd, not the players. Their moves surely entertain people.

If Swapnil Asnodkar were not a cricketer, he would have been...

Either an engineer or a professional singer (smiles).

Your idol?

Sachin Tendulkar. I have not been lucky enough to spend much time with that great man. But I'm really looking forward to an opportunity to spend some wonderful time with him and I know a good conversation with the legendary batsman will inspire me more.

Your most memorable moment?

When I scored 254 (not out) against Railways in first-class cricket and also when I got a call to join the Rajasthan Royals.

Tendulkar targets 15,000 Test runs

Sachin Tendulkar has said he is not satisfied with his achievements and hopes to accumulate 15,000 runs and win the World Cup in 2011.

"I am not pleased yet with what I have done," Tendulkar, who has scored a record 12773 Test runs at an average of 54.58 from 159 matches, said in an interview with the Wisden Cricketer. "Sunil Gavaskar has told me that I have to get to 15,000 runs. He said he would be angry with me and would come and catch me if I didn't. I admire him so much and to score that many would be a terrific achievement, but that is not the only aim." His other big cricketing ambition is to "win the World Cup in 2011".

Tendulkar, 36, also spoke about how he has been consistently playing with pain. "I always play in pain, all the time. I played with a broken finger for the last three months, but you know when pain is manageable or not, and most of the time I can do it," he said. "I can still do what I did when I was 25 but the body is changing, so your thought process has to change too. I have had to change how I think, which is about taking less risk."

Tendulkar also disagreed with John Buchanan, former Australia coach, who felt Tendulkar had become susceptible to the short ball early in his innings because of a lack of footwork. "It is only his opinion; John Buchanan doesn't have to be right all the time. If I couldn't handle short deliveries, then I wouldn't still be scoring runs," he said. "Maybe he needs to change his opinion. There must be something very wrong with all the bowlers around the world that they have allowed me to score so many runs."

	"I would say Virender Sehwag comes closest to my style."

Don Bradman had said Tendulkar reminded him of himself and the Indian batsman was the only modern player in Bradman's all-time XI. Does Tendulkar think the same way about anyone? "I would say Virender Sehwag comes closest to my style."

Tendulkar said he was not thinking about retirement yet but he would know when to quit cricket. "I will know when it is the right time, I won't have to be dragged away. I am the person who will make the decision and I will know whether I still belong."

He admitted life after cricket wouldn't be easy. "It's a scary thought. It has been there for my whole adult life, it will be difficult, I have been around for a long time, I can imagine when I finish I will long to face just 10 more balls but you have to move."

Cricket with Pak? Sachin recalls, Tharoor hopes

A measure of the tension that exists during Indo-Pak cricketing encounters comes through in a remark made by master blaster Sachin Tendulkar during the launch of Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor’s book on Friday.

At the event that marked the launch of Shadow Across the Playing Field, Tendulkar recalled the reaction the Indian team got after it returned having lost a one-day series to Pakistan.

“When we went to Pakistan to play one-dayers’ and we lost. When we came back home - as we lost with Pakistan - everyone was looking at us as if we were criminals. People only talk about highs and lows on the field. These experiences teach you a lot. They help you to lead a balance life,” he said.

He also brought out the other side of reactions. Referring to the 1997 ODI series in Canada, Tendulkar said, "We beat Pakistan 4-1 and the reception we got in Delhi was incredible. About 5000-7000 fans were there to receive us at the airport at two in the morning. They threw garlands and roses at us. We were treated like kings," he recalled.

Tharoor meanwhile hoped the two countries would be seen facing off on field again provided Pakistan agrees to take action against anti-India forces and clamp down on terror and related activities.

“We will be playing once again provided certain things happen in bilateral relationship, some more progress in action is needed from Pakistan. The issue is to create right environment and it needs to be done . The PM has signaled very clearly that India is ready to do everything , What happened on 26/11 in India is not dealt effectively in Pakistan,” he said.

I can never match Sachin: Sehwag

NEW DELHI: He has been compared to the great Sachin Tendulkar time and again, but swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag is not sure that he can ever match upto his childhood idol.

Sehwag was compared to Tendulkar when he first broke into the Indian side and his explosive batting style coupled with a remarkable physical similiarity with the little master means the duo are indisguishable when they are out in the middle.

Sehwag, however, was keen to assert that he has a long way to go before he can come anywhere near Tendulkar's stature.

''I wanted to become a Tendulkar, but that's not possible because he is a God of cricket. When I was watching him on television, I tried to copy every single shot,'' Sehwag said.

The right-hander is currently battling to be fit for the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa this September after a shoulder surgery ruled him out of the ICC World Twenty20.

But although he is regarded as a dasher, well suited to the shorter forms of the game, the 'Nawab of Najafgarh' revealed that he is motivated to keep proving critics of his aggressive style wrong by continuing to score heavily in Test cricket as well.

''In Test matches I'm very cautious,'' Sehwag told a private news channel.
''I want to score more runs and I want to score big runs and I want to prove everyone wrong because when I came to the Indian team everybody was saying 'he's only a one day player, he cannot bat in Test cricket,'' he added.

Mangalore: Sachin gives slip to Media

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar skipped visits to Kudupu Temple and Sri Kukke Subramanya Temple in DK on "Nagarapanchami" today taking a flight to Mumbai from Bajpe Airport much to the disappointment of the press who had been waiting for him.Tendulkar visited the humble town of Bhatkal on Saturday and emplaned to Mumbai after attending a wedding of his childhood friend Mr. Mohammad Umar a shoe factory owner in Dubai.

The Master Blaster arrived by a Kingfisher aircraft from Mumbai on Saturday and drove to Bhatkal in a convoy of cars and attended the marriage.

Early this morning he left Bhatkal and arrived in Bajpe airport and took a flight and went to Mumbai.

According to the police the Master Blaster was supposed to visit the Kukke Subramanya Temple for a darshan of his favourite diety Lord Subramanya but his hosts had advised him against that visit, today being Nagarapanchami the temple was filled to the brim and they were afraid that his visit could throw in some security problems. The police had deployed extra men at the temple and Mr. Tendulkar could have had leisurely darshan but it was too risky said one of the temple officials.

Somehow, press corps got information that Sachin would visit Kateel Durgaparameshwari Temple at Kateel, near Mulky in the district, after his arrival at Mangalore and later in the night, he would make an halt for visit to Sri Kukke Subramanya Temple. The press corps descended in hordes waiting in advance for the star cricketer at both the places. He also declined to speak to the waiting press people at the airport.

Tendulkar, however, visited the famous Murdeshwar Temple built on a rock near the seashore.

Mr. Tendulkar's friendship with the family of Nayate Irfan (father of the groom) was over 2 decades and had been a good friend of the family said sources close to the Nayate family in Bhatkal.

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Brand Sachin Still Going Strong

Is Boost the real secret behind Sachin Tendulkar’s energy? Or is it the other way round? The SundayET-Synovate Individual-as-a-brand survey hints that the latter might just be true. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg — global warming notwithstanding!

In a quest to zero in on individuals with the biggest borrowed equity (value of an endorser) today, the survey got in touch with 400 respondents belonging to SEC A households from Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad.

They were asked various questions ranging from whether a purchase decision is influenced by the celebrity endorsing a brand to whether brand endorsements should be linked to performance in profession. The answers, to say the least, are eye openers, especially in a scenario where breaking through the clutter has become a challenge for companies.

For instance, when asked whether a celebrity brand endorser influences a purchase decision, most respondents answered in the affirmative. And interestingly, 85% of the respondents in Delhi think that celebrity endorsers work.

Among sportspersons a majority of those polled choose Sachin Tendulkar — 75% in Kolkata, which is not shocking considering the city’s craze for cricket; and 68% in Delhi and Mumbai. Likewise, Indian cricket captain MMS Dhoni who is also the skipper of Chennai Super Kings and has a huge fan following in Chennai, according to the survey, came second. Yuvraj Singh also makes an entry here at the third position, which might just put automobile company Fiat at ease since they have just chosen him as the brand ambassador for its new hatchback, the Punto.

But overall cricketers were preferred over other sportspersons such as Saina Nehwal, Abhinav Bindra and Jeev Milkha Singh. The lone contender though is Sania Mirza who came fourth as respondents thought that she adds value to the brand she endorses.

But all is not lost for sportsmen from other fields. In the survey, a lot of respondents felt that sportsmen who are not cricketers but achievers from other sports such as shooting, boxing, golf and hockey, and have bagged important medals for the country, make for good brand ambassadors. And they have Chennai backing them. 100% of the respondents from Chennai felt that these sportspersons should be encouraged to become brand endorsers.

And Chennai again steps in with strong views when it comes to remuneration of endorsers. When asked whether astronomical endorsement remuneration for cricketers and Bollywood stars are justified 95% of respondents from Chennai answered in the negative. Overall too, 52% of respondents felt that celebrity brand endorsers should not be paid exorbitant amounts. The only anomaly was shown by Delhi where 62% respondents felt that the amounts are justified.

When asked to name the top three individuals as brands from any field respondents mostly chose cricket and Bollywood. Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Shahrukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan were a few of the names that came up instinctively. But surprisingly, respondents also thought that social activists too make for good brand endorsers. Unfortunately, business leaders and politicians figured last in the list.

But last and definitely not the least, respondents came up with the top brands endorsed by celebrities — Boost, Lux, Airtel, Nokia and MRF. And the secret behind Boost’s energy is now well known, isn’t it?

Sachin top taxpayer among Men in Blue

NEW DELHI: There has been much talk of late about M S Dhoni being more sought after by advertisers than Sachin Tendulkar.


But if payment of income tax is any indicator, the little master is still way ahead of all other Indian cricket stars when it comes to earnings. Dhoni is a distant second, though catching up, in terms of tax paid, while Virender Sehwag is third.

Data on income tax paid by cricketers shows that Sachin has maintained a steady level of over Rs 8 crore for the last three years, 2006-07 to 2008-09. Behind him, there's been a reshuffle in the batting order.

Dhoni has moved up from third spot in 2006-07 to second last year with a Rs 4.7 crore tax bill. Rahul Dravid, who was Sachin's closest competitor in 2006-07 and a close third behind Dhoni in 2007-08, has dropped to fifth spot.

Heaviest Scorers

(Income tax paid in Rs crore and figures in brackets indicate last year's rankings)

Years 2008-09 2007-08
1. Sachin 8.1 8.7 (1)
2. Dhoni 4.7 3.4 (2)
3. Sehwag 3.1 1.9 (5)
4. Yuvraj 2.6 2.0 (4)
5. Dravid 2.4 3.1 (3)


Source : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4809783.cms

Sachin is unparalleled in T20 too: Amre

Describing John Buchanan's criticism of Sachin Tendulkar's abilities in the T20 format as a mere publicity stunt, Mumbai Indians coach Pravin Amre today said the batting maestro's genius is unrivaled in the shorter versions of the game.

Amre, also the coach of the Mumbai Ranji team, said "It is wrong to question Sachin's abilities in any format of the game. Even at this stage of his career he has played all the IPL matches and demonstrated his commitment to the game. I believe all this criticism is a publicity stunt."

The former Kolkata Knightriders coach John Buchanan recently wrote in his new book 'The future of cricket: the rise of T20' that Tendulkar is not fit to play T20.

"Sachin is not the daring batsman he was before. The T20 format requires batsmen to be fearless and inventive and he lacks those qualities."