Tendulkar: A different view on retirement

Two interesting statements came out yesterday. Shahid Afridi took temporary retirement from test cricket and Indian coach Greg Chappell said Sachin Tendulkar still has a role to play especially as a mentor. This generated a thought in my mind that no one has talked about so far.

Talk of too much burden on player is everyday thing and it’s a fact. Neither this burden is going to reduce in future. The result is retirement from one form of the game by several cricketers. Most famous probably is Shane Warne’s retirement from one day cricket after last world cup in 2003. It came slightly early for him as events turned out after he was handed a year long ban for using drugs just before the tournament started.

Often it is selectors, and not players themselves, who decide if a player won’t play a particular form of the game any more. Steve Waugh and Anil Kumble are two such cases. Only one Indian cricketer so far took retirement in just one form of cricket initially and he was Javagal Srinath who first retired from test cricket only. It’s another matter that he had to come back due to pressure from Captain Saurav Ganguly, selectors and fans.

Just before leaving for London for his shoulder surgery recently, Sachin Tendulkar replied ‘I am not interested in that question’ when a journalist asked him about his retirements plans. He is the best person to judge when to go of course. Every cricket fan would want him to continue playing for years if it was possible but age and amount of workload has taken its toll on him. May be he should consider retiring from one day game after next year’s world cup and there after concentrate only on test cricket. Even his contemporary Brian Lara has cut down on number of ODIs to prolong his test career. Indian team too doing a lot better in shorter form than in tests and this is where Sachin has so much to offer. Physically too demands would be less with no flying around every second or third day for largely meaning less one day series. Bradman never played one day game and now is the time for Sachin to only concentrate on reaching those bradmansque highs he was almost touching in test cricket.

Historically World Cups have been swan song of leading cricketers. Every world cup brings with it last chance to see some of the greatest cricketers of the generation. Sunil Gavaskar retired after 1987 world cup, Imran Khan took final retirement after winning 1992 world cup, 2003 world cup saw curtains on Wasim Akram’s splendid career just to name few. Sanath Jayasuriya has already announced his plan to retire from one day game as well after world cup 2007. All of these great cricketers have won a world cup but Sachin hasn’t even after playing in four world cups so far and despite being the most successful batsman by a distance at sports’ premier stage. So what would be better than Sachin saying goodbye to one day cricket with tag of world champions on 28th April 2007 in Bridgetown, Barbados?