There might be intense speculation over Sachin Tendulkar’s imminent retirement, but his one-time India teammate Ravi Shastri feels the champion batsman is not quitting anytime soon and is hopeful that he would play at lord’s ground next year when the national team visits England.
“He (Tendulkar) will not quit the game so soon as you all keep saying. He would continue to play and you will see him at lord’s next year too,” said the 51-year-old Shastri to a question after he delivered the Dilip Sardesai Memorial lecture at the Bombay Gymkhana here on Friday.
There have been suggestions that the 40-year-old Tendulkar, who is two shy of completing 200 Test appearances, would call it a day after reaching that landmark during the hastily arranged two-Test series against West Indies at home by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
But the words of Shastri, considered to be very close to Tendulkar, put to rest the speculation that the senior batsman, who has compiled an incredible 100 international centuries and has retired from ODIs, will quit the game altogether after playing his 200th Test at home.
The former all-rounder also put the blame on the communication gap between the respective cricket boards after the BCCI effectively cut short the Indian team’s scheduled visit to South Africa later this year by pencilling in the short series at home against the West Indies. “The problem was in communication but there will be some cricket played (by India) in South Africa,” said the cricketer-turned-broadcaster.
‘Had I been in Srini’s place,
I wouldn’t have quit’
Shastri came out in defence of an under-fire BCCI President N Srinivasan, stating that had he been in the Tamil Nadu strongman’s position he wouldn’t have resigned just like the former. “A lot of people have asked me that what I would have done had I been in his (Srinivasan) positionIJ I also would not have resigned,” Shastri said.
Elaborating further, Shastri added “What Srinivasan has done (by stepping aside) is that he has taken the responsibility to get the house in order.”
Shastri, who is also in the IPl governing council, termed Srinivasan as a “terrific administrator”. “Srinivasan is a genuine cricket and sports lover who has contributed a lot for the BCCI.”
Shastri also complimented former BCCI president Shashank Manohar as a no nonsense man who used to see things in black and white and never saw any grey areas. “He was a man of few words,” he said.
‘Ashes Bloopers vindicate India’s stand on DRS’
Shastri feels India’s consistent stand against the controversial Decision Review System (DRS) has been vindicated by the spate of wrong decisions during the recent Ashes series in England. “India’s stand on DRS is vindicated. Three years ago when I opposed DRS, it was said I had a contract with the BCCI. I stand by even now what I said then,” Shastri said.
Shastri said he was not opposed to technology, but wanted it to be used sparingly, as it is not perfect. “You can use technology sparingly like in tennis where there are only three referrals. If a player is inconsistent, or an umpire is inconsistent, they are dropped. Why is this not applied to technologyIJ” said the 51-year-old ex-cricketer.
Instead of the host cricket board paying for use of technological instruments like the costly Hotspot and Hawk Eye, the ICC should find sponsors to underwrite their use, he said. “DRS is also against the spirit of the game which teaches the player not to question an umpiring decision. I know what our players think about technology, what works and what doesn’t.”