NEW DELHI, September 4: With speculation rife that Sachin Tendulkar may quit the game after playing his 200th Test, the senior India batsman said he was in no rush to announce his retirement.
“I don’t think at this stage I need to do that,” said Tendulkar when asked about his retirement. “I have this formula — don’t jump forward — and this is how I have approached my career.”
Though the Mumbai maestro is revered by billions of fans as the ‘God of cricket’, he humbly said he was just a cricketer who “made mistakes,” unlike the almighty.
“I just play cricket. I make mistakes, we all make mistakes,” said Tendulkar.
About his preparation for a match, he said: “I prepare a bit before my match. Even in general life, mental preparation is required.”
Asked how he managed to hold the people’s trust for so long, despite the game being mired in so many controversies, Tendulkar said he kept his life simple.
“Since my school, we had simple celebrations whenever I achieved anything; sweets were offered to God. My brother always said: ‘let people talk about the match but you move forward.’ I have a balanced life,” said Tendulkar.
When his father Ramesh Tendulkar suddenly passed away in 1999, India was playing in the World Cup in England. He hardly got any time to mourn the loss as he flew back and cracked a century (140) against Kenya to inspire the country to victory, just three days later.
“I do miss my father. I lost him in 1999, it’s been a long time now. So many things have happened since then and I miss him.
“But, I have some wonderful moments which I cherish. There are times when I rewind and remember him, but some things can’t be changed,” said Tendulkar.
Asked about his dream car, Tendulkar said, “When I was young, my dream car was the Maruti 800.”
