Ashok K.JhaAustralia Should Promote The Tendulkar farewell !
November 27th 2007 02:52
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy resonates with enthusiasts the world over,these days.Indo-Australian cricket celebrates its diamond anniversary and there is a great contest in the offing.Australian media and cricket followers are reminding their Board about the great significance of upcoming tour of India Down Under.They believe that,Cricket Australia,should exploit this priceless opportunity to promote the Tendulkar farewell. It is widely believed that the threat of Australian skipper Ricky Ponting taking over from Tendulkar as the best batsman in the world will also spur the Indian to greater heights on the upcoming tour.Noted cricket writer Mike Coward said: 'The reception accorded to the great Sachin Tendulkar will be a measure of the maturity of the Australian cricket community. Tendulkar can claim to be the greatest batsman since Don Bradman and his visit this summer provides us with a priceless opportunity to pay him homage".Elaborating further he admitted that "historically, Indian teams have not been greeted with the affection and enthusiasm reserved for visits by England and, for a period, the West Indies. However, the sphere of influence in world cricket has changed dramatically in recent years and India is now the game's power broker and demanding the respect and recognition long denied it by the entrenched attitudes of traditionally Anglocentric legislators".
The lack of publicity and promotion leading into the inaugural Warne-Muralidaran Trophy series Recently attracted considerable criticism. Tendulkar is considered as the most self-effacing of men who is always embarrassed when his name is linked with Bradman. When Tendulkar toured Australia in the beginning of his International career, Bradman was so impressed by his batting that the Don is said to have told his wife, Jessie: 'Doesn't he remind you of me when I was young?".In 1998, Tendulkar was flown to Adelaide as a special guest at a major celebration of Bradman's 90th birthday. It is said the two talked more about the evolution of the game than technique.
Statistically, Bradman will always stay way ahead but it also needs to be borne in mind that Bradman in 20 years from 1928 played his 52 Test matches on just 10 grounds in eight cities in Australia and England whereas, Tendulkar now in his 19th year as a Test player and his 141 Tests have been spread over 43 Test match grounds in 13 countries. Tendulkar has gone past Australian Allan Border in terms of total Test runs and is second only to Brian Lara. With 37 hundreds Tendulkar has an average of just under 55 runs an innings. And such is the Indian diaspora that Tendulkar is assured of an emotional farewell from thousands of expatriates who will bring a special vibrancy to the series. And it is to be earnestly hoped the public will be just as loud in their praise of the modern master. For it is a privilege to see him play.
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Comment by Brad Waters
Punters Daily
And He's a Victorian!!! - Victoria's Sporting stars
It can be taken for granted that the Little Master will get the respect he so richly deserves when he gets here. As for the rest of India demanding respect and are one of the world's cricket powerbrokers, well that is a joke for a few reasons.
Firstly, while you play that cheat MS Dhoni in your team, India will not have the respect of the cricket world. His claiming of catches he knew he never caught in England were nothing short of disgusting and a blight on the game.
India's poor record away from home is another reason that they cannot be respected. India might have fluked a draw last time they were here but that was under a very poor captain in Steve Waugh. This Australian side is far superior to the last one that faced India here.
And finally, India supported the changing of the historic rules of the game to allow Murali to keep bowling. Under the rules at the time, he was a chucker and still is. Sri Lanka sooked about it and India supported them in the name of money. India have tarnished the game forever in it's search for a dollar.
But India can be thanked for one development, the neutral umpires. Had Indian umpires not been such blatant cheats, that positive step would never have been taken.
In Australia, sporting respect must be earned. India need to get down here and earn it.