I am not god of cricket: Sachin Tendulkar
He is called as the god of cricket by his worshipers, but Sachin Tendulkar has rejected it saying he is as fallible as any ordinary human being. Speaking in a promotion event in Bangalore, Sachin said that it was not fair to brand him as an equal to god. "I am not God of cricket. I make mistakes, God doesn't," Tendulkar said at a promotional event on Wednesday. The 39 year old master blaster insisted that he grew up idolizing legendary batsmen, Sunil Gavaskar and Vivian Richards and wanted to be a combination of the two batsmen. "I wanted to be like Sunil Gavaskar as a kid. When I grew up and started watching players from outside, someone who attracted me was Vivian Richards. Everything that he did was effortless. I always thought I should be a combination of these two," Tendulkar said, while answering questions from children.
The batsman, considered by many as the most perfect player the cricketing world has ever seen recalled the turbulent period when he was stuck on 99 international centuries. "When I got to my 100th international century, I was not jumping or celebrating. My first question to God was why did it take so long? What did I do wrong? With a billion plus people waiting for this, it shouldn't have taken so long," he said.
"Where did I fall short? I used to practice hard, maybe harder. I got close to getting a hundred in the semifinal against Pakistan (in the 2011 World Cup) but at that stage, everybody's focus was on the World Cup. After that it was a big disappointment. But such is life, it is always better late then never," he said.
Asked what would have he become if not a cricketer, Tendulkar quipped that he did not have much of a chance. "I don't think there were many options for me, in school, the kids better not follow me. It's good to study. I tried maintaining a balance between my studies and cricket but it didn't work. I thought cricket was something which gave me sleepless nights. Such was my love for the game," he said.
"(But) at one stage in my life, I would go to the terrace with a tennis racquet in one hand and a cricket bat in the other. For 20 minutes it would be racquet, the next 20 would be cricket. I enjoy tennis.
"It is difficult for me to imagine a life without cricket. If at all - tennis," said the veteran, who is often seen at the Wimbledon and other Grand Slams.
Tendulkar recalled his initial period of struggle as he aimed to realize his dream of playing for India. "Wearing the India jersey and cap was the ultimate thing for me. After that it didn't matter if I had 10 pairs of jeans or 20 T-shirts. That journey to play for India was incredible. I look back, being pushed around in trains and buses but I would be there well before practice started," he recalled.
Sachin said that he felt that his first Test against Pakistan was going to be his last as he found the pressure unbearable. "The difference between standard of play (in Ranji and Tests) was way too much. I thought this is my first and last Test. When I came back to the dressing room, I was in tears. I thought it was way too good for me. After that I spoke to a few players, they told me not to worry," said the batsman, who got hit by a Waqar Younis bouncer but continued to bat in a bloodied T-shirt. I wonder how did I survive for so long," he added.
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