Sunday 15th November 2009
"Sachin has lived up to expectations"
espnstar.com’s Rajarshi Gupta spoke to former India wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani on how he has seen Sachin Tendulkar blossom as a modern day great.
Hailed as perhaps the greatest wicketkeeper India ever produced, Kirmani feels Tendulkar has achieved everything a batsman could have dreamt of in 20 years of international cricket.
"Sachin has lived up to all our expectations. Now, he should play as long as he wishes to. It is entirely up to him how long he wants to continue.
He (Sachin) has said a million times that he will play as long as he wants to. Having him in any sort of team is a great source of inspiration for all players."
Kirmani, who is himself a truly respected and well admired former India player feels Tendulkar could not come this far without the character he has shown over the last two decades.
Images of Sachin Tendulkar
"I suppose it's the character which Sachin possesses and having his head on his shoulders at all times, which reflects the upbringing of his parents.
This is what takes a person to greater heights along with his honesty talent and sincere hard work."
Of course, the man remembered to keep to three of India's finest ever spinners, reiterated that Tendulkar's talent had a major role.
"Anyone going that far has to be gifted and by that I mean natural ability."
Watch MS Dhoni and Ricky Ponting's comments after Sachin crossed the 17,000 run mark in ODIs
There was a buzz towards the end of the 1980's in the Indian cricketing fraternity. A young boy had started to make a lot of noise with the bat and experts and players were watching with keen eyes. Kirmani was no exception.
"I knew something special was on the cards right from the time when Sachin had that partnership with Vinod Kambli (a staggering 664 for Shardashram in the Harry Shield tournament).
When we read about the two guys, we realised the kind of talent they had. It is not easy to score a triple hundred at that tender age."
Kirmani is never of shy speaking his mind out and he admits having picked up Kambli as the more talented of the duo.
In my opinion, whatever little I saw Kambli looked more talented than Sachin and look at where Sachin has reached. I think it is the way you carry yourself and the discipline you imbibe. This is what has taken Sachin to great heights."
Tendulkar never ceased to amaze Kirmani since that famous Harry Shield match, where two teenagers announced their intent early.
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At a time when most boys his age were busy collecting stamps in crowded class-rooms, Tendulkar went about terrorising the bowling fraternity the world over.
"Sachin hammered the daylight out of Abdul Qadir, who was the best leg-spinner in the world then and later Shane Warne, who was following Qadir very close.
"For a teenager to go after a bowler of Qadir's calibre, speaks a lot. Sachin is a great source of inspiration for the cricketing fraternity."
It is not just his talent that endeared the batting maestro to Kirmani, himself a legend. There was more to it.
"Sachin stands out with his respect, which I don't see in other modern day cricketers. He respects former cricketers and recognises the efforts they had put in."
Having rattled close to a hundred international centuries, most of them gems, one wondered if Kirmani could pick up a favourite.
"It is difficult to pick up a single innings. I don't know which one to go for. There have been some superlative knocks which he (Sachin) has played under pressure."
Pressure became a way of life for the little great man of Indian cricket after a baptism by fire. The expectations just keep rising and sure as ever Tendulkar looks geared up to live up to them, some more of them.
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