If winning award in cricket was as important as it is in movies, then Sachin Tendulkar would have been equated with Meryl Streep for notching up so many accolades. The Master earned three awards, including Cricketer of the Year, Test Cricketer of the Year and a special achievement award for scoring 50 Test hundreds, in this year’s Castrol Awards for cricketing excellence.When speaking to the audience, he was asked whether he has achieved everything he has wanted to. His reply was: “I have achieved a lot, but there is one thing I still want to do…” He may not have stated the obvious but he hinted at what was one of the many overt and covert indications of cricket’s biggest prize being a topic of discussion in the ceremony.
Fitting well within the theme was the life time achievement award going to the star of India’s 1983 triumph Mohinder Amarnath, who was given the award by another World Cup winner Sunil Gavaskar.
The two Indian legends then recalled their playing days and narrated various instances to the audience. Gavaskar showered rich praise on his former teammate for his bravery and fitness standards.
“He faced some of the most ferocious bowlers ever with such ease. He was terrific. He was one of the fittest players I ever played with. Before the Indian side had fitness trainers, it was Jimmy who used to lead us in that department,” Gavaskar recalled.
Amarnath, who won the man of the match award in both semifinals and final of the 1983 World Cup, said that the current team was the best-ever assembled. “We have so much variety and talent in the team that I am sure we can lift the Cup again.”
Virender Sehwag, who won the batsman of the year, spoke about an interesting partnership he shared with Rahul Dravid, who was awarded for taking the highest number of catches in Tests.
Sehwag said, “I like playing with Dravid. When I hit a ball, he says, ‘good shot’ and when he leaves a ball I say, ‘well left’. That’s our only conversation, we keep it simple and I like it that way.
The India World Cup team received a boost when stalwarts Mohinder Amarnath, hero of the 1983 triumph, and Sunil Gavaskar termed MS Dhoni's team the best ever to represent the country.
Tendulkar admitted it would be motivation for his teammates.
"It has been terrific being part of a team which Jimmy paaji and Mr Gavaskar rated as one of the best sides to play for India and it is a big compliment coming from them. The goal was to be No. 1 (Test team) and we are happy to achieve that," he said.
Tendulkar was happy to have proved the critics wrong as few gave India a chance against South Africa on their turf.
"When we got there (No.1) people thought it was just a matter of 30-40 days. After losing the first Test to South Africa in Nagpur (2010), we got to hear a lot that we will lose the No.1 spot but were standing here a year later and we are still No. 1. To get to No.1 is wonderful but to stay there for a year is just fantastic," said Tendulkar, who played a pivotal role in helping India square the Test series 1-1.
Tendulkar said the team faced many challenges after reaching the top and praised the entire team as well as coach Gary Kirsten.
"I feel extremely proud to be part of this team. To get there (to the no 1 spot) was not easy. We had to face a lot of challenges and stood together supporting each other. We had to work hard. Gary brought a remarkable change in the squad. All batsmen have performed well since 2007," Tendulkar said in an indirect dig at former coach Greg Chappell.
In fact, Tendulkar did not even mention Chappell's name when he praised the roles of the coaches and managers he worked with in the past and the list included not only Kirsten but also Chandu Borde, Lalchand Rajput, Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh.
"Kirsten when he took over had a plan and assessed the situation and it was only the process which we had to go through," he said in praise of the South African who is set to leave the job at the end of the forthcoming World Cup.
Tendulkar also conceded that his dip in form prior to what is generally described as his second innings in his remarkable career was due to the change in his back swing due to the spate of injuries for which he needed four surgeries.
"I underwent four surgeries and each one took four to four and a half months to recover which changed my back swing. But since 2007 I am feeling good and not had any major injuries," he said.
Tendulkar said age should not be a factor in determining a player's worth but only performance.
"I don't think age has anything to do with performance. I started at 16 but anybody can start at any age and finish at any age. What matters is your performance," it is about what you bring in as a team member and what you contribute." the champion batsman said.
About completing 50 Test tons, Tendulkar said when he started his career all he heard was the magical figure of 34 Test hundreds by Sunil Gavaskar and that became his goal.
The new star on the cricket horizon, Yusuf Pathan said his strategy is to keep it simple: "If it's in my area, I hit it," said the big-hitting Baroda player, who won the Impact Player Award.
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