Sachin Tendulkar – Why does only he get all the praise?

Sachin Tendulkar is a far more overrated player than his own capabilities. Relax, I had to think a thousand times before adding the aforementioned first line just because firstly, I am writing something that will anger a large number of Sachinists out there. And before you guys begin throwing stones at me, full of criticism with the comments that may read like “I don’t properly know to hold a cricket bat, I don’t have the right to talk anything about the “God Of Cricket”, and “I cannot even run around the ground for 22 minutes when he has been doing the same for over 22 years”, the usual same replies that you give to those who criticize him and his batting.

Before you read this further, let me clarify that I am a big Sachinist myself and am not writing this article to criticise him as a player. Secondly, I am just a fan and I don’t consider myself worthy enough to pick apart a player of Sachin’s stature. Infact, I don’t consider myself to be upstanding enough to comment on even the ‘worst’ international player since he is much more talented than me and we don’t have the right to judge anybody playing at the top level.

Everybody, and I mean it, everybody out there representing their country deserves respect! But as an Indian Cricket buff and a well-wisher of the team, I feel it’s completely natural for a follower to feel disappointed, frustrated and even angry with the performances of some players, but hey excuse Sachin Tendulkar!

You guys may be wondering what’s my purpose behind penning down this article ? How can I call myself a Sachinist if I am talking rubbish about the man himself ? Well, I completely have no problem at all with Sachin. He has been playing International level Cricket since the November of 1989, around 5 years before I was even born. I have been
seeing the game, and witnessing Sachin’s batting perhaps since the last decade or so. Initially, when I started perceiving the lovely game and was learning with the basics – the rules of the game, and enlightening myself about various players, the name ” Sachin Tendulkar” never seemed to be special. He seemed like a small boy- a 5 feet tall lad who carried a ponderous bat. That’s all!

Infact, in those early days when I was perhaps 10 years old or such, Marvan Atapattu of Sri Lanka was my favorite – Credit to the fancy name pronunciation. But even when I saw him for the first time, it was still a joy to watch him bat. The sight of the ball middling his bat resulting in a reverberating sound continuing even after seconds the ball had been whacked over to the boundary by his blade, and above all adaptability to both pace and spin – whether it was a Test or an ODI- The spinning tracks of the subcontinent or the fast and swinging surfaces of Australia or England, whatever the conditions, whichever the opponent – The Little Master had an answer to every situation. It took me some time to get accustomed to his brilliance, when I started watching old cricket matches on the Television and the innings that changed the manner in which I perceived him was the Desert Storm Innings against Australia at Sharjah in 1998. Another great thing about the guy was his honesty and the way he carried himself around – both on and off the field. No matter who you are and what you do, you just cannot stop admiring the little man and the fashion in which he dismisses the deliveries of the best in the business- coming down the wicket and lofting Shane Warne over the deep midwicket boundary for a maximum, playing with the spin and inside out against Muttiah Muralitharan or hiting a square cut past point of Glenn McGrath when he tries to bowl at the Corridor of uncertainty- Sachin had, and still has an answer to everything on the cricket field. For me, my favorite shot was the bullet drive of a full and straight delivery of Brett Lee- going past the wicket of the non-striker at a greater speed than by which the ball was bowled.

But the greater part about him was the fans, the critics and the media who never leave him alone- even forcing him to attach a fake moustache and going to see a movie at the theater only at midnight. The amount of expectations is what makes him a God. Before a World Cup, you would have seen people worshipping his posters on the street – performing Hawans and Pujas for him first- In India, Sachin comes before the Indian Cricket Team!

This is the thing that angers me the most- Why is an Individual above the team? Why is the individual above the Game? He’s called “The God of Cricket” but you, me and all of us here know that Sachin is also a mere mortal like all of us, not any God. Then you may ask- Why is he called God? Sachin’s called God because he is above than each and everyone who has ever played the game- for his Passion, the dedication, the determination, and the Perseverance he has displayed in the difficult stages of his long and illustrious career, whether it was leaving his team in between the 99 World Cup in England to attend the last rites of his dead father in India (and returning soon after, showing that he placed his country even above his family, and to score a Century in the next innings, when he was in pain, showcases what the Champion is made of!) or surviving innumerable career threatening injuries all throughout his playing period, displaying the same childlike enthusiasm even after playing Top-level cricket for more than two decades, when players have debuted and even retired, is enough to make us feel proud and privileged of being born in this era.

Sachin’s also called God because an entire nation – more than a billion people pray for him every time he goes out to play- Anything less than a century is a failure for them. He unites the entire country and no matter how bad anyone’s day went, the news of Sachin’s century is enough to bring a smile to his face and assuring a night of peaceful sleep. Sachin’s no saint out there- Yes, he has had a career elusive of any controversies, but when he calls himself a walker, why didn’t he walk when he clearly edged the ball and was caught behind the wicket in the IPL Final ? He walked back even when the wicketkeeper and the bowler did not appeal in the aforementioned Desert Storm Match at Sharjah because he knew that he had made India qualify for the Sharjah Cup Final. Hows that God-like ? Why would you call Diego Maradona as a soccer god when the whole world knows that he netted the ball with his own hand? Is that fully honest ? Is dishonesty a Godlike quality?

Why did he have to play so many deliveries to get to his 100th hundred against Bangladesh? Perhaps India lost that match because of the bowlers, but even if Sachin was the reason, nobody will question him.  Perhaps I am acting too skeptical figuring out minute flaws and instances. And how is it ever possible for a guy like me, who has not even played a school level Cricket Match to comment about such a guy and how come can I ever understand the pressure that was on his head between the 99th and the 100th Ton. I don’t know that. But what I did saw in that innings was some selfishness, even though I blame the other 10 players much more.  Why does only Sachin enjoy all the praise ? Why didn’t the other legends like Dravid, Ganguly, Kumble, Laxman, or even Kapil Dev and co. earn the praise equivalent to him ? Why is only one guy talked about in this  country playing sports- overshadowing the Cricket Team and other sports persons?

Even, a lot of times, I have felt that Rahul Dravid has been much better because he has delivered in a large number of pressure occasions.. at times when the whole Indian team underperformed, even your God- Sachin! Even after the just concluded New Zealand Series, as I was going through some Sachin Tendulkar Fan pages on Facebook, there were all different  sort of quotes criticising the comments of the past experts that Sachin should retire and stuff. Yes, The Greatest Batsman of all time certainly  will know when to leave the arena, but that does not mean that nobody has the right to express their personal opinions, and especially those  who are Legends themselves. Sachin has every batting record possible in cricket against his name and, at 39, he has nothing more to prove to the World. After all, when he’s going through poor form more often than  his excellence recently, why should the team suffer because of him? Why doesn’t The BCCI drop him the same way that CA dropped Ricky Ponting? Clearly, in Australia, the name doesn’t matter- what matters is your current form. If you are a liability to the team, you must leave. No doubt that they have been such a successful team throughout.

 Sachin has given so much to cricket and he’s achieved everything- name, fame, money and fans- thanks to the game. In return, Cricket has also gained more popularity and status, thanks to him. But Cricket was there  before Sachin arrived. Another quote that angered me was that “Bowled” as a form of dismissal gained more greatness when Sachin consecutively got out thrice against the Kiwis. People have something great to say about him even if he scores a duck, but you are insulting the game  bringing its aspects into the picture. Surely, Sachin is Great but Cricket  is Greater. Guys, please don’t be mad fanatics, don’t be impartial to the team, support everyone in their bad times and hope for a better future for  our Team.