Sachin Tendulkar, who made history earlier this month by becoming the first batsman to score 14,000 runs in Test cricket, has stressed that his desire to improve remains as intense as it has ever been. In a rare interview, to be published in full in Saturday's newspaper, Tendulkar says: "I'm really focusing now on how I can get to the next level as a batsman. How can I get even more competitive? How can I get even more consistent? How can I get better?"
Tendulkar has had the most prolific year of his Test career, which began in November 1989 when he was just 16, and he has returned to the top of the world batting rankings for the first time since 2002. In February he scored centuries in successive Tests against South Africa before, against the same opponents, becoming the first man to reach 200 in a one-day international. He was the highest run scorer in the IPL and also made a Test double-hundred against Sri Lanka, and two half-centuries, before his remarkable performances against Australia – which saw him reach the 14,000 landmark in the second Test at Bangalore while scoring 214 and an unbeaten 53 to complete India's 2-0 series victory.
Describing 2010 as his "sweetest year", Tendulkar has also won the ICC's Player of the Year and earlier this week in London he was feted with two more prizes at the inaugural Asian Awards. But he insists that, rather than considering retirement at the age of 37, he has many more goals to fulfil. According to Tendulkar: "Life would be flat without dreams. I think it's really important to dream – and then to chase those dreams. I really believe in this because it's this dreaming that makes me work so hard. I want to continue doing that because I've worked very hard the last couple of years on my batting. Gary Kirsten [the former Test opener for South Africa who now coaches India] has been instrumental in this. Together we've worked hard in the last couple of years to improve my batting. He's given me the freedom to express myself, and to pace my innings as I see fit. I can slow down occasionally. Gary has helped me do this and it's because he's more a friend than a coach."
Conceding that his form subsided a few years ago, prompting critics like Australia's Ian Chappell to call for his retirement, Tendulkar says: "There was a little dip for me, around 2005 and 2006. But I had a lot of injuries then. I had finger and elbow injuries, and then a back injury. All these upper-body injuries may have altered my back-swing a little. But, fortunately, all that is behind me now and I've been able to put in the hours of practice that I need."
In a wide-ranging interview, Tendulkar reflects on the influence of his late father, a novelist and poet, as well as his brother, Ajit, who remains his closest cricketing confidante. He relives the "big moment" when he passed the 14,000-run milestone and considers the difficulties of the life he leads as the idol of over a billion people.
India will co-host the 2011 cricket World Cup – with the final to be played on 2 April in Tendulkar's home city of Mumbai. "It's going to be massive," he says. "Everyone in India is already looking forward to hosting a mega tournament and although people haven't started talking yet about 1983 [the last time India won the World Cup] it will happen soon. But, given our recent form, people have a right to be excited and have extremely high hopes for us. There are going to be big expectations."
Tendulkar explains why he favours England over Australia in the Ashes – and identifies Eoin Morgan as potentially the key man of the series. He also reveals the surprise identity of the bowler who has troubled him most in Test cricket and reflects on the day he and Shane Warne visited Don Bradman on his 90th birthday.
Read Donald McRae's full, exclusive interview with Sachin Tendulkar in Saturday's Guardian and on guardian.co.uk/sport
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment