When our generation thinks of the world best cricketers the first name that undoubtedly comes up is Sachin Tendulkar. From our time the other greats include Viv Richards, Imran Khan, Brian Lara, Wasim Akram, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting, and the list goes on and on.. Please excuse me for not including players like Sobers, Bradman, Worrell as I never had a chance to watch them play and grow as cricketers.
Sachin has been seen by most of us since he made his debut on the Pakistan tour in 1989. None of us will forget his hammering of the great Abdul Qadir for 28 runs in over which included 4 sixes and a four. That was the day we all started looking forward to watching Sachin bat. Over the next few years Sachin was not as aggressive as he became but was always in the runs. Prior to the 1996 WC Sachin decided to take on all the bowlers and this set the stage for Sachin to become one of the most destructive players in the history of the sport.
But what makes this man great? Is it his 99 centuries, his 154 half-centuries, his 32,835 runs in both forms?? For me it is quite simple, it is his thirst, commitment and dedication in a career that has spanned over 21 years. Being at the top of a sport for 3-4 years is tough enough, but for 20 years is close to impossible. While other players have let the fame and fortune get to them, Sachin has been the greatest ambassador to the sport and a perfect platform for all sportsmen to learn from. He is very humble and down to earth and prefers to stay away from controversies both off and on the field. This all stems from his love for the sport. Pakistani cricketing legend Javed Miandad once said, "He (Sachin) loves cricket and with his hard work, focus and commitment he has truly become an outstanding ambassador for the sport at a time when commercialism is so rampant."
His commitment has been second to none and upcoming sportsmen should look at him for inspiration. Being a sportsman is no easy task, be it a cricketer, golfer, racing driver, footballer etc. Being a successful sportsman at the end of the day depends on how much you really want it. The mental and physical aspect here is immense and Sachin is here due to hard work and hunger for success. In a recent interview Indian coach Gary Kirsten said of Sachin, “After all these years, he still has a real desire and motivation to work hard at his game. Whenever Sachin walks out to bat, he treats his batting with absolute humility.”
He has changed his game to whatever the situation requires and will play accordingly. Even the bat he uses will be chosen according to the situation. His decision to stay away from T20 cricket in 2007 was made with the idea of prolonging his career in both ODIs and Tests, easily his favourite format. And it seems to have been a masterstroke as he has enjoyed one of his most successful runs in both forms in the last couple of years. Everything he has been able to achieve he has done with the pressure of a billion people on him. This is what makes him different to any sportsman in the world – the ability to consistently perform with the whole country depending on him. Sporting icons like Muhammad Ali, Ronaldo, Michael Schumacher, Tiger Woods never had to deal with this aspect of the sport.
For a number of years Sachin was criticized for not being a good finisher or not taking his team through. But the memorable 1998 Sharjah finals against Australia, 2008 ODI series win against Australia in Australia and his century in Chennai to beat England couple of years ago proves otherwise. Wasim Akram once said, "I have a quiet laugh when I read or hear some people argue that Sachin has not been a true match winner or good finisher for India. To them, I say grow up! What more can you expect from the man, a great cricketer and the best role model for not just young cricketers but all sportsmen."
Unfortunately at some point in the near future the great man will call it quits, and that time will be a sad time for any cricket fan. Normally people are considered great only after they quit, but with Sachin he was already being called the greatest cricketer midway through his career.
When he does hang up his boots, believe me, cricket is going to lose a lot of fans.
