Sachin Tendulkar: I am not God of cricket

April 4, 2013

Sachin_tendulkar

Bangalore: Apr 4: He might be revered by billions of fans but Sachin Tendulkar insists he is “not god of cricket” as many would like to call him as he does “make mistakes” unlike the almighty.

“I am not God of cricket. I make mistakes, God doesn’t,” Tendulkar said at a promotional event on Wednesday.

The 39-year-old cricketer, who has almost all the batting records that are there to be taken under his belt, said growing up he wanted to be a combination of Sunil Gavaskar and Vivian Richards.

“I wanted to be like Sunil Gavaskar as a kid. When I grew up and started watching players from outside, someone who attracted me was Vivian Richards. Everything that he did was effortless. I always thought I should be a combination of these two,” Tendulkar said, while answering questions from children.

The diminutive Mumbaikar, considered the most complete batsman in modern cricket, recalled the agonising wait he endured before getting to his 100th international hundred last year during the Asia Cup.

“When I got to my 100th international century, I was not jumping or celebrating. My first question to God was why did it take so long? What did I do wrong? With a billion plus people waiting for this, it shouldn’t have taken so long,” he said.

“Where did I fall short? I used to practice hard, maybe harder. I got close to getting a hundred in the semifinal against Pakistan (in the 2011 World Cup) but at that stage, everybody’s focus was on the World Cup. After that it was a big disappointment. But such is life, it is always better late then never,” he said.

Asked what he would have been had it not been a cricketer, Tendulkar quipped he didn’t really have much of a choice.

“I don’t think there were many options for me, In school, the kids better not follow me. It’s good to study. I tried maintaining a balance between my studies and cricket but it didn’t work. I thought cricket was something which gave me sleepless nights. Such was my love for the game,” he said.

“(But) at one stage in my life, I would go to the terrace with a tennis racquet in one hand and a cricket bat in the other. For 20 minutes it would be racquet, the next 20 would be cricket. I enjoy tennis.

“It is difficult for me to imagine a life without cricket. If at all -- tennis,” said the veteran, who is often seen at the Wimbledon and other Grand Slams.

On wearing the national jersey and the effort he put in to earn it, Tendulkar said, “Wearing the India jersey and cap was the ultimate thing for me. After that it didn’t matter if I had 10 pairs of jeans or 20 T-shirts. That journey to play for India was incredible.

“I look back, being pushed around in trains and buses but I would be there well before practice started,” he recalled.

Going down memory lane, Tendulkar said he thought his first Test, against Pakistan, would be his last as he found it hard to deal with the pressure.

“The difference between standard of play (in Ranji and Tests) was way too much. I thought this is my first and last Test. When I came back to the dressing room, I was in tears. I thought it was way too good for me. After that I spoke to a few players, they told me not to worry,” said the batsman, who got hit by a Waqar Younis bouncer but continued to bat in a bloodied T-shirt.

“I wonder how did I survive for so long,” he added.

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News Network
June 9,2020

Jun 9: Former West Indies skipper Darren Sammy has released a video, alleging racism within the SunRisers Hyderabad camp. Last week, Sammy had lost his cool after learning the meaning of the word "Kalu", which he alleged was directed at him during his Indian Premier League (IPL) stint with the SunRisers Hyderabad. The T20 World Cup-winning Windies skipper had said that he along with Sri Lanka player Thisara Perera were sometimes called that word when they played for SunRisers Hyderabad. However, Sammy did not specify as to who directed these slurs at him, but now the player has released a video, saying he will message all those who called him that word.

"I have played all over the world and I have been loved by many people, I have embraced all dressing rooms where I have played, so I was listening to Hasan Minhaj as to how some of the people in his culture describe black people," Sammy said in a video posted on his Instagram account.

"This does not apply to all people, so after I found out a meaning of a certain word, I had said I was angry on finding out the meaning and it was degrading, instantly I remembered when I played for SunRisers Hyderabad, I was being called exactly the same word which is degrading to us black people," he added.

Sammy said that at the time when he was being called with the word, he didn''t know the meaning, and his team-mates used to laugh every time after calling him by that name.

"I will be messaging those people, you guys know who you are, I must admit at that time when I was being called as that word I thought the word meant strong stallion or whatever it is, I did not know what it meant, every time I was called with that word, there was laughter at that moment, I thought teammates are laughing so it must be something funny," Sammy said.

"Now, I realise it was degrading, I will be texting you guys and I will ask you as to when you called me with that name, did you all mean it in any bad way or form? I have had great memories in all my dressing rooms, so all those who used to you call me with that word, think about it, let's have a conversation, if it was in a bad way then I would be really disappointed," he added.

The former Windies skipper has been a vocal supporter of the protests that are currently going on in the United States over the death of an African-American man named George Floyd.

Sammy had also made an appeal to the ICC and other cricket boards to support the fight against social injustice and racism.

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News Network
June 20,2020

Melbourne, Jun 20: If 15 teams can be allowed to enter Australia for the T20 World Cup then fans will not be stopped from watching live action from the stadiums, Cricket Australia's interim CEO Nick Hockley said on Saturday.

Hockley replaced under-fire Kevin Roberts, who recently got the boot from Cricket Australia, which is grappling with financial woes.

Different possibilities are being worked out for the T20 World to go ahead as scheduled later this year and one of them is to host the tournament before empty stands in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

However, Hockley said crowds will be allowed, though, hosting 15 teams with players, officials and support staff is "complex" as of now, hinting that probably the ICC flagship event could be pushed back.

"The reality is, and we've got much more understanding about this in recent weeks, is crowds are most likely to come back before international travel. Our biggest challenge is getting 15 teams into the country," Hockley told cricket.com.au when asked if he would like to see the World Cup proceed without fans.

"If I compare it with the prospect of a bilateral tour, you're talking about bringing one team in and then playing individual matches. But the prospect of bringing 15 teams in and having six or seven teams in one city at the same time, it's a much more complex exercise."

When specifically asked whether crowds would be permitted by the time borders have opened to the point that 15 teams will be allowed to travel to Australia, Hockley replied in an affirmative.

"That's the current thinking, yes."

Hockley said it came as a shock when he was asked by Cricket Australia to replace Roberts.

"I've had very mixed emotions. I was very shocked to be asked. I didn't see it coming at all, so I probably haven't had time yet to process it. I feel very sad for Kev (Roberts). On the other hand, I feel this is a massive privilege to be asked, it's a massive responsibility and a massive opportunity even if it's only for the next few months," he said.

Hockey did not commit when asked if he would like to assume the role full time, but he did say that he would quit as CEO of the T20 World Cup Organising Committee.

"My approach throughout my entire career has been to focus on doing the best job I can with what I've been tasked with, and the future will look after itself. And I'll continue the same approach.

"That's (T20 World Cup) been a real priority over the last 48 hours. We're reasonably well progressed and we will be appointing an interim because you just can't do both," he said.

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News Network
February 4,2020

Feb 4: India captain Virat Kohli on Tuesday said the death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash has impacted his outlook towards life, which he feels, is sometimes taken for granted in pursuit of control over the future.

Bryant, a two-time Olympic gold-medallist and one of the most decorated basketball players of all time, died in a helicopter crash last month along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, who was also a budding hoopster.

"Firstly, it was a shock to everyone. I grew up watching those NBA games in the morning and watching what he did on court. But when someone that you have looked up to in some ways, passes away like that, it does put things in perspective," Kohli said on the eve of the first ODI against New Zealand here.

"...at the end of the day, life can be so fickle. It's so unpredictable. I think a lot of the times we get too caught up in the pressures of what we have to do tomorrow...we really forget living life and enjoying life and just appreciating and being grateful for the life we have," he added.

Kohli said a tragedy like this makes one realise that nothing can be more important than enjoying every moment of existence.

"...it did put things in perspective for me massively. It just makes you feel like not wanting to have control of things in front of you all the time, and just embracing life and appreciating it.

"You start looking at things from a different point of view suddenly and you want to enjoy every moment you're going through. You realise that what you're doing at the end of the day is not the most important thing. The most important thing is life itself," Kohli signed off.

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