Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian cricketer known as the 'Master Blaster', the 'Little Master' or simply 'the God of cricket' in his native land, announced on Thursday that he would retire from test cricket after playing in his 200th test against West Indies in India next month.
The news sent shock waves and sparked media frenzy both nationally and internationally. Indian news channels dropped many stories including the impending news of an approaching cyclone in the eastern coast to cover the breaking announcement.
Supporting your country's cricket team for Indians living in the motherland is seen as showcasing your patriotic pride, so you can imagine how the country took a standstill at hearing Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement news.
Former captain Sourav Ganguly told the Telegraph, “His legacy to Indian cricket will be phenomenal. Two hundred games, the amount of runs, the amount of respect is unbelievable. He is not just a name to Indian cricket but to world cricket as well. It’s not just the talent he was born with but what he did with it.”
Shane Warne, considered to be one of his generation's finest spinners said,
“Sachin Tendulkar is, in my time, the best player without a doubt — daylight second, Brian Lara third.”
In a statement, Tendulkar said, “All my life, I have had a dream of playing cricket for India. I have been living this dream every day for the last 24 years. It's hard for me to imagine a life without playing cricket because it's all I have ever done since I was 11 years old. It's been a huge honour to have represented my country and played all over the world. I look forward to playing my 200th Test match on home soil, as I call it a day."
The impossible argument over who is the best of all time usually comes down to the Indian and his contrast image from the pre-WWII generation, Australian Don Bradman.
Bradman spoke admiringly of Tendulkar during his life and concidered him his greatest endorsement. In a biography, Bradman listed his All-Time XI, Tendulkar was the only current player on the list, slotted in at No. 4.
The President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India told BBC,
“He is without doubt the greatest cricketer India has produced. In fact, one should really say he ranks among the top of all-time great sportspersons in the world. No one has served Indian cricket as Sachin has. "He has truly been an ambassador for India and Indian cricket. He has been an inspiration for generations of sportsmen, not just cricketers. We respect his decision to retire, although many of us can't imagine an Indian team without Sachin.”
Tendulkar made his Test debut at the tender age of 16 and became the most prolific batsman in the international cricket history with 15, 837 runs in 198 tests and 18, 426 one-day internationals over a 24-year career. He also holds the record for most centuries in Tests (51) and ODIs (49).
Cricket fans tell us what this news means to you and if you think it will be a loss for India?
Feature Image: AP
Images & Source: the Guardian, Telegraph.co.uk,timesofindia.com, NDTV.com and bbc.co.uk
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