Tendulkar says selectors should focus on players’ ability to handle pressure rather than scorebook
Senior Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar feels selectors should focus on the players’ ability to handle pressure instead of only considering their statistics while picking the national team.
“Selection is not about looking at the scorebook. A selector can pick up players who have scored heavily but that does not work out. I have seen players who are exceptionally good at the domestic level not being able to perform as well in international cricket,” Tendulkar said.
“It’s about vision. When it comes to selection, one has to analyse a player. Even if he fails in a few matches, one needs to see if he has the ability to withstand pressure and execute at the international level,” he explained.
Tendulkar said the changes brought into cricket, including the much-criticised Twenty20 format, has made the sport more exciting and helped getting more results in Tests. “Cricket is the only sport to have three formats and it’s only getting more exciting not only for players but also for spectators. There is creativity and more results are coming by (in longer version of the game). The batsmen are willing to take chances,” he said in an interaction at KSCA’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations here.
Tendulkar said T20 has made the game innovative and asked youngsters to learn a few shots for Tests since it is no more just “block and block, which was the norm earlier”. “T20 matches have brought innovation to the game. When it comes to Test cricket you need to adjust and no two players are similar, technique wise. Players have to stick to their basics, that is important,” he said.
The batting maestro said a player can become an instant hero in Twenty20. “T20 is the only format where you can become a hero in three or four deliveries. You have to learn to play a few shots in Tests these days. You just can’t block and block, which was the norm earlier,” he said.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly said Twenty20 has impacted the longer version of the game as players are becoming aggressive and there have been many results too. “It has brought innovation to the game. When it comes to Test cricket you need to adjust and no two players are similar in technique wise. Players have to stick to their basics, that is important,” he said.
Former Test captain Rahul Dravid said Twenty20 has made cricketers more flexible. “You have to learn to play a few shots. You just can’t block it which I did in Test cricket,” he said.
“Good players learn to adapt and if we look Chris Gayle, Michael Hussey or an AB de Villiers in last IPl, these guys who sort of dominated are all really good Test players. So, we need to have our basics right,” he added.
Talking about adapting to different technologies being used in the sport, Tendulkar said he was astonished to see a laptop in the dressing room for the first time in 2003. “I wondered how technology would help us learn cricket but over a period of time, I figured out it’s importance. It helped us plan our innings,” he said.