Bowled and not so beautiful: Is age catching up with Sachin Tendulkar?

September 2, 2012

sachin_back_off

Mumbai, September 2: Sachin Tendulkar has been bowled 50 times in his career. There have been times when he has been beaten all ends up and castled by absolutely unplayable deliveries, and there have been times when a minor error led to his exit in this fashion.


However, it is the way he was 'cleaned up' by New Zealand seamer Doug Bracewell on Saturday, the second day of the second Test at Bangalore, that even provoked batting legend Sunil Gavaskar to say on air that "it is a worrying sign." Gavaskar was concerned about the "big gap between the bat and pad" in that dismissal.


Tendulkar was bowled by a beauty by another Kiwi fast bowler, Trent Boult, in the first Test in Hyderabad but the reason Saturday's dismissal is being talked about more is that it was nothing more than an innocuous 'fuller ball' that the maestro succumbed to.

Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar, discussing Tendulkar's dismissal, made a point about the ageing batsmen having a problem against fuller length deliveries.

He cited the example of India devising a tactic to bowl fuller lengths to Javed Miandad to get his scalp early during the Pakistani batting great's last days in international cricket.

"Even the spinners were instructed to bowl full to him," Manjrekar said. Gavaskar agreed with Manjrekar's logic, saying, "With age, the feet don't come to the pitch of the ball ... the eyes don't pick up the ball early."

It does fuel the BIG question though. Is age finally catching up with the 39-year-old Tendulkar? It does happen to the best.


Who can forget 'The Wall ' Rahul Dravid getting bowled repeatedly during his final tour to Australia last winter prompting an Aussie commentator to say : "Even the stumps need pads now."

When asked about Tendulkar's dismissals, former India batsman and NCA batting coach Lalchand Rajput said : "It is just a normal thing.

It's not that his technique has fallen apart. He is getting out to good balls. Once he spends some time in the middle, things will become fine. He will get his rhythm back, it is just a temporary thing."

More assurance for Tendulkar came from across the border. Miandad feels the whole "fuss is understandable" but uncalled for." If he had got out like that in his youth, no one would have asked this question.

Because he is 39, people will say that he got out like that because of the advancing age. It is a case of human error which has become magnified because of his age," Miandad told TOI on Saturday.

"You can't make such big conclusions about someone like Tendulkar after watching just one or two innings. Such class batsmen will make a big score when they get in, but on some days they do get out early," the former Pakistan skipper says.

"There were other batsmen who failed in the Indian innings too. (Gautam Gambhir made two, Virender Sehwag 43, and Cheteshwar Pujara 9, while Tendulkar scored 17). Why are we not talking about their failure?" Miandad questioned.

Miandad also doesn't agree to the theory that Tendulkar could now be more vulnerable to the fuller length ball. "This is a question that he can answer best but against this Kiwi bowling where no one has express pace, I doubt whether this was the reason for Tendulkar's dismissal.


It is purely a case of being out of form, and being rusty. He hasn't played much cricket in the last few months, has he?" Miandad said. Indeed, Tendulkar last played in an ODI against Pakistan on March 18 this year, before playing in IPL.

Did Miandad face a problem with the fuller length ball in the twilight years of a career, which spanned 124 Tests across 17 years? "In my time, the only attack you feared facing was that of the West Indies.

Their fast bowlers troubled you even as a youngster, so an ageing batsman would have more problems. But I don't think Tendulkar can have similar thoughts about this NZ attack!" he said.

The Pakistani batsmen has a word of advice for those who believe Tendulkar's time has come. "Leave Tendulkar alone. He is the best judge to decide when to go." A match-winning knock in the second innings could end this debate.



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News Network
April 8,2020

New Delhi, Apr 8: Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar on Wednesday proposed a three-match ODI series against arch-rivals India to raise funds for the fight against the Covid19 pandemic in both the countries.

The two nations have not played a full-series since 2007 due to the terrorist attacks on India by Pakistan-based outfits and the resultant diplomatic tension. They only play each other in ICC events and Asia Cup.

"In this time of crisis, I want to propose a three-match series in which for the first time, the people of neither country would be upset at the outcome of the games," Akhtar told PTI from Islamabad.

"If Virat (Kohli) scores a hundred, we will be happy, if Babar Azam scores a hundred, you will be happy. Both teams will be winners irrespective of whatever happens on the field," he said.

"You are bound to get massive viewership for the games. For the first time, both countries will play for each other. And whatever funds are generated through this can be donated equally to the government of India and Pakistan to fight this pandemic," added the 44-year-old.

No idea of logistics

With both countries in a lockdown amid the fast-spreading pandemic, the games can only be organised when things improve. However, Akhtar feels the sooner they are held, the better it would be but could not tell how the logistics of such an initiative would be worked out.

"Everyone is sitting at home at the moment, so there will be a massive following for the games. May be not now, when things start improving, the games could be organised at a neutral location like Dubai. Chartered flights could be arranged and the matches could he held.

"The whole world will tune into it, so much money can be raised to deal with this crisis. In difficult times, the character of the nation comes forward."

Start of a new era?

"It could even lead to resumption of bilateral cricketing ties and relations of both countries improve diplomatically. You never know," said the 'Rawalpindi Express'.

In these extraordinary times, Akhtar feels both countries should help each other. "We can only propose the matches. The rest is up to the authorities (to decide)."

India cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh were recently trolled for asking their social media followers to donate to Shahid Afridi's charity foundation which is doing its bit in Pakistan's fight against the deadly virus.

"It was inhuman to criticise them. It is not about countries or religion at the moment, it is about humanity," he opined.

India memories

Akhtar has spent a lot of time in India as a commentator. He fondly recalled his days in Mumbai during the World T20 in 2016, the last time he came to India for work.

"I am forever grateful about the love I have received from the people of India. For the first time I am revealing this, whatever I used to earn from India, I made a significant amount there, thirty percent of it, I used to distribute among the low income staff who used to work with me in the TV," he remembered.

Akhtar used to visit the city's slum areas with his face covered to hand out financial help to elder women there.

"From drivers, runners to my security guys. I took care of a lot of people. I was like if am earning from this country, I have to help my colleagues also.

"I also remember visiting slums of Dharavi and Sion in the wee hours to meet people I worked with," added Akhtar.

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Agencies
June 23,2020

Islamabad, Jun 23: Seven more Pakistan cricketers, including Muhammad Hafeez and Wahab Riaz, selected for the tour of England have tested positive for COVID-19, taking the total to 10, the PCB revealed on Tuesday.

The seven who tested positive on Tuesday are Kashif Bhatti, Muhammad Hasnain, Fakhar Zaman, Muhammad Rizwan, Imran Khan, Hafeez and Riaz. Shadab Khan, Haider Ali and Haris Rauf had returned positive tests on Monday.

“It is not a great situation to be in and what it shows is these are 10 fit and young athletes...if it can happen to players it can happen to anyone,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) CEO, Wasim Khan told a media conference.

He said a support staff member, masseur Malang Ali, had also tested positive for COVID-19.

Khan said that the players and officials would now assemble in Lahore and another round of tests would be carried out on June 25 and a revised squad would be announced the next day.

The squad has to leave on June 28 for the series scheduled to be held next month, he said.

“It is a matter of concern but we shouldn’t panic at this time as we have time on our hands,” Khan said.

He said the players and officials would be retested on reaching England.

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News Network
May 9,2020

May 9: Filipina weightlifting star Hidilyn Diaz noticed live-streamed concerts were collecting money for coronavirus relief and was struck by inspiration: why not raise funds with an online workout?

Since then the Olympic silver-medallist -- and strong contender for her country's first Games gold -- has made enough money to buy food packs for hundreds of hard-hit families in the Philippines.

Diaz has done it all from Malaysia, where she was training to qualify for the now-postponed Tokyo Olympics when much of the world locked down against the virus in March.

"I thought (distribution) would be impossible because I'm not physically present," Diaz, 29, told news agency.

"It's a good thing that I have trusted friends and trusted family members who understand why we need to do a fundraising."

That circle of supporters has handed out the packages, which include vegetables, eggs and rice, to more than 400 families.

The food was bought with donations from about 50 people who joined sessions that lasted up to three hours, and gave them a rare chance to train with an elite athlete.

Diaz rose to fame in 2016 after snagging a surprise silver in the 53 kilogramme category in Rio, becoming the Philippines' first female Olympic medallist and ending the nation's 20-year medal drought at the Games.

Two years later, she won gold at the Asian Games in Indonesia.

However, her quest to qualify for Tokyo is on hold ahead of the Games' rescheduled opening in July 2021.

"I thought all the hard work would soon be over... then it was extended," she said. "But I'm still thankful I can still continue with (the training) I need to do."

Still, the lockdown broke her daily training regimen, keeping her away from weights for 14 days for the first time in her career.

"I felt like I was losing my mind already. I've been carrying the barbell for 18 years and all of a sudden it's gone. Those were the kinds of anxiety that I felt," she said.

But she got access to some equipment, and with her coach's urging, got back to work. She was relieved to find her strength was still there.

Instead of a Tokyo berth, the past months have been about a different kind of accomplishment for Diaz: helping her countrymen get through the coronavirus crisis.

Rosemelyn Francisco's family in Zamboanga City, Diaz's home town, is one of the first to get help from the athlete's initiative, and is deeply grateful.

Her family was not wealthy to begin with, and the pandemic has cost her husband his construction job.

"The food she donated has all everything we need, including eggs," said Francisco, 27.

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