A cute story which will delight the countless fans of Sachin Tendulkar and M S Dhoni as well.
On 14th November 2013, the iconic Wankhede stadium will be choc-a-bloc with cricket enthusiasts for the much-awaited India-West Indies Test match. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar will hang up his boots after playing the 200th Test match of his illustrious career spanning over two decades.
Sachin has down the decades dazzled cricket buffs with his outstanding performance at every cricket ground across the globe. His exquisite craftsmanship has left millions asking for more.
Sachin made his debut in the Test cricket at a tender age of 16, and has never looked back since then. Cricket pundits had then happily predicted an exceptionally bright future for the young cricketer after watching him play for his school and reap a rich harvest of 664 runs with Vinod Kambli as his able partner. Sachin recorded his first century in the Ranji match between Mumbai and Gujarat. He became the second youngest cricketer in the world to score a century in a 1990 Test match. More was to follow.
Sachin’s strength is his perseverance. At a young age he willingly put himself through the grind, devoting five to six hours every day for his game. Rain or sunshine, the teenaged player was out on the maidan, honing his talent, learning his moves.
Success didn’t spoil him, nor did failure dampen his spirit. His feet remained firmly fixed in the ground. While on a Pakistan tour several years ago Sachin didn’t score much. This prompted a leading national daily to denounce him as `Endulkar’. However, Sachin didn’t lose his cool. He can turn adversity into advantage.
Sachin loves to lend a helping hand to fellow-players, especially the juniors, and believes in team spirit. Humility is his middle name. He gave up captaincy to concentrate on his game.
Now, a cute story which will delight the countless fans of Sachin Tendulkar and M S Dhoni as well.
It so happened that a few years ago the Indian cricket team was playing in England. As BCCI chief I too was in London. One day Rahul Dravid came to me with a request that took me by surprise. Dravid said he wanted to give up captaincy as it affected his game. I flatly said no. The T-20 series was to begin soon and the World Cup match was barely a year away. How could Dravid think of giving up captaincy at such a critical juncture? Who would be his successor?
Dravid persisted. He suggested Sachin’s name as the next captain. I talked to Sachin on the issue. He didn’t seem eager to step into Dravid’s shoes. Instead, he suggested Dhoni’s name. This came as a twist in the tale. ``Dhoni is an excellent wicket-keeper. But, will he make a good captain?’’ I asked Sachin. ``You try him out. He will make a great captain. I say this with a sense of responsibility,’’ Sachin replied.
Accordingly, the BCCI’s selection committee chose Dhoni as the team captain. And he did India proud. We won the T-20 World Cup and, later, the 2011 World Cup in Mumbai as well. Handsome praise was heaped on the new captain which he rightly deserved. This happened because of Sachin’s far-sightedness.
Sachin is all set to retire. However, he can’t keep himself away from cricket for too long. I am sure grooming young players will be a part of his post-retirement plans. Best wishes to the Master Blaster.