Tendulkar and Zaheer retirement discussion [Poll added]

[rkt.india]

It's not that Tendulkar is getting any preferential treatment from the Indian selectors, it's just that Indian cricket is going through a phase weak enough to justify his continued selection. If the cupboard was brimming with such exceptional talent, why would we keep going back to Suresh Raina and Yuvraj?

http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-england-2012/content/current/story/594391.html That is some rubbish. The issue is not because of lack of options but lakc of gust to try new players. How people expect to get some exceptional talents while exceptional talents are always exceptions. Were Dravid and Ganguly were exceptional talents, no. They did wellin FC cricket and were selecte and we have several players doing well in FC cricket, look at them and select them no is oigng to do wrose than SRT, Raina, or Yuvraj. and SRT was an exceptional talent and he is once in a generation player like an excpetional talent should be.

[rkt.india]

One beautiful line from Monga's cricinfo article today: The elephant that nobody used to speak about is now hiding other people's failures just because he is so big.

but those people have failed in 1-2 match and has been failing for almost 2 years now.

[maniac]

One beautiful line from Monga's cricinfo article today: The elephant that nobody used to speak about is now hiding other people's failures just because he is so big.

:hatsoff:

[Tendulkar_Bhai]

One beautiful line from Monga's cricinfo article today: The elephant that nobody used to speak about is now hiding other people's failures just because he is so big.

Absolutely spot on!

[Yoda-esque]

http://greatbong.net/2012/11/29/retirement/

That chap would be singing a completely different tune had it been his beloved Dada. :giggle:

[vamos_rafa]

Tendulkar must time his retirement right, like Ponting At first there were three and now there's only one. For around a decade Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting were the dominant batsmen in world cricket, but following Ponting's retirement announcement, the Indian maestro will now stand alone. While Tendulkar might still be upright, he's no longer dominating attacks. It'll be interesting to see if Ponting's announcement has any affect on Tendulkar's future. Ponting's decision to retire was like one of his punched on-drives - well timed. He gets the opportunity to have a final fond farewell and the selectors can then introduce a younger player into the batting order to face Sri Lanka's moderate attack. For much of his career Ponting has been a top-class player and the lynchpin of Australia's batting. If he took charge of the opposition bowlers Australia generally won, because he scored heavily and at a quick rate. If the opposition took Ponting's wicket early, they were buoyant and felt like they had a chance to win. In recent times Ponting has remained a danger player for the opposition but the two Michaels, Clarke and Hussey, have surpassed him in the pecking order. Ponting's decline was partly age-related but it was also hastened because he allowed himself to be talked out of batting at No. 3. Some players are born to bat in a prime position and Ponting, from his sprigs to the airhole in his helmet, was a No. 3. The moment he acquiesced to a move down the order, he was admitting there were some doubts creeping into his mind. Though he came into the South Africa series with plenty of runs under his belt, those doubts arose again after a couple of failures. Ponting will be remembered as one of Australia's finest batsmen. He'll also be admired for the way he played the game. He was fiercely combative, and everything he did on the field, whether it was batting or captaining, was done with the purest of aims: to help win the match for his team. Ponting declared before the start of this international season that he would know when the right time to go came. He was true to his word and left before it got to the stage where each new innings had his team-mates on tenterhooks hoping this would be the one where he broke out of a lean trot. On the other hand Tendulkar, almost two years older, has the Indian population waiting with baited breath for him to brush aside a slump. Tendulkar's decline has gathered speed since he began to concern himself more with the statistical side of batting rather than constantly seeking to make match-winning contributions. The accumulation of centuries became his search for the Holy Grail, but it hasn't resulted in anything like the joy provided by Monty Python and the gang. No player is indispensable and the Indian selectors should know better than most. That wonderful servant Rahul Dravid has been adequately replaced at No. 3 by Cheteshwar Pujara. The Indian selectors have no excuse for not hastening the succession process. They have had the choice of a number of ready-made young replacements. Australia would willingly trade one of their prominent young fast bowlers for a choice from the skilful group of batsmen that includes the likes of Rohit Sharma and Unmukt Chand. Part of being a good selector is about giving a young player the best chance to succeed. Promoting him when he's in prime form is an obvious move but other, more subtle, decisions can also lead to a successful conclusion - like selecting the player to debut at a favoured ground or against lesser opposition. When it comes to ageing star players, the selectors can maintain the status quo and know that sooner or later their indecision will be vindicated when the champion finally posts a score. However, in the meantime young players will be denied an opportunity and eventually their "right moment" will pass. India is fortunate to have skilful young replacements but there's more chance the Dalai Lama will be replaced than Tendulkar moved aside. It's up to Tendulkar to replicate Ponting's decision and make sure the timing of his retirement is as exquisite as one of his flowing cover drives.

[ravishingravi]

That chap would be singing a completely different tune had it been his beloved Dada. :giggle:

quite right

[ravishingravi]

One beautiful line from Monga's cricinfo article today: The elephant that nobody used to speak about is now hiding other people's failures just because he is so big.

cant disgaree with that

[MechEng]

Ian Chappel at it AGAIN! When will he improve? http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/594635.html

[Number]

:om: :antijinx:

[Stuge]

"there's more chance the Dalai Lama will be replaced than Tendulkar moved aside" :hysterical:

[Trichromatic]

What's wrong with it?

[Stuge]

What's wrong with it?

with what ? that's his opinion which he is entitled to give :)

[ravishingravi]

When will he improve? http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/594635.html

Who ? Sachin or Ian Chappell. Can't see anything wrong here.

[vvvslaxman]

Even though Sachin is very close to taking a permanent break, Ian chappell's wise words might help Sachin finding dramatic form.

[Stuge]

Even though Sachin is very close to taking a permanent break' date=' Ian chappell's wise words might help Sachin finding dramatic form.[/quote'] that will be icing on the cake if that happens .

[SLICKR392]

5 100's in a row and retire :hatsoff:

[cowboysfan]

both Sachin and Ponting rely a lot on their foot work to get into a great position to play shots,old age has made them look look silly in recent times as they just cannot move those legs like they used to in their heyday.

[vamos_rafa]

Ponting, Tendulkar and the fire escape “It was the most difficult thing in the world, when I went to tell the chairman,” said Bill Shankly of his decision to retire as Liverpool’s manager. “It was like walking to the electric chair. That’s the way it felt.” As with most things he said, there was a generous dollop of exaggeration. Then again, it’s impossible to overstate just what sportsmen feel when they walk away from the only kind of life that they’ve known. Now that Ricky Ponting has called time on an unprecedented career – 108 Test wins and three World Cup triumphs are at the front of an immense catalogue of achievement – the debates will intensify over Sachin Tendulkar’s future. One can only hope that the level of discourse goes up several notches from where it has been this week. On Wednesday morning, I read a column that compared Tendulkar to a leech. It also spoke of Bradman comparisons being ridiculous – despite the fact that it was Sir Don himself who first made them. Really, how low can you go? Whether you’re Javier Bardem in front of a camera, Leonard Cohen behind a microphone or Tendulkar with bat in hand, no one is, or should be, immune to criticism. Columnists are paid for their opinions, and have every right to express them. But there’s a thin line between criticism and slander, and that’s been crossed often in the past week. I’ve interviewed Tendulkar half a dozen times. He was always an engaging subject, albeit one deeply reluctant to scratch beneath the surface. What I enjoyed most about those chats were the things left unsaid, what you could read between the lines, what he would hint at without saying it openly. I spoke to Ponting only once, a year before he took over the Test reins from Steve Waugh. With him, everything was out there. Whether it was discussing his problems with spin in India, or his struggles with alcohol in the early days of his career, the words were as forthright as his batsmanship. I often think back to that chat when asked about the nature of cricketing greatness. What makes someone a legend? Nature? Nurture? Grit? Hunger? For me, it comes down to one word: Responsibility. The true greats don’t make excuses. They find a way to get the job done. Contrast Ponting with someone like Vinod Kambli. I spoke to Kambli a few years ago, and the many paths we went down all led to the same destination – it was never his fault. Always the victim. Short of blaming the man on the moon, he attributed his woes to a variety of characters and incidents. There was no sign that he had taken a long hard look at the mirror. Ponting fielded questions about his youthful indiscretions with the straightest of bats. ‘I messed up’ was the gist of it. He gathered himself together and went on to a purple patch that lasted more than half a decade. It took as much courage to stay in charge of a team that was in decline, to accept that the days of taking victory almost for granted were gone. Some will remember him for presiding over three Ashes losses. Others will recall how ferociously he fought to arrest the decline. His match-saving century at Old Trafford in 2005 will go down in the annals and, personally, I’ll never forget the century in Bangalore in 2008, a stroke-filled riposte to suggestions that he wasn’t the same batsman in Asia. What drove him on when there were few peaks left to conquer, and what made him give it away when he did? The best answer comes perhaps from another sporting titan who retired when just 33. “When you do not reach your objectives, you ask yourself questions,” said Zinedine Zidane. “I know I cannot play better than I have up until now.” Ponting won Test matches by the handful in every country, and was part of a one-day side whose excellence and dominance will never be matched. He had no boxes left to tick. With Ed Cowan establishing himself and Shane Watson making his way back, staying in the top order without recent runs behind him was never an option. I believe it’s the absence of a tick that has caused Tendulkar’s current slump. The personal records, some of which will never be surpassed, mean little. He kept going because there were worlds left to conquer. He wanted to be part of a successful Test side, one that climbed to the top of the rankings. Check. And though he rarely spoke of it for fear of jinxing it, he desperately wanted to emulate the heroes of his childhood and win a World Cup. That was achieved just before his 38th birthday. What remained was Australia, a land where he had played some of his finest innings. India nearly won a series there in 2003-04. Nearly, but not quite. The team that left these shores a year ago felt they had a great chance of toppling a side that had lost a home Test to New Zealand. Ponting's retirement has intensified the shrill cries for Sachin Tendulkar's exit – a wholly unwarranted development. © AFP Tendulkar batted with some of his old majesty in Melbourne and Sydney but India lost both games heavily. It isn’t a coincidence that he’s barely scored a run since those dreams of winning in Australia were shattered. Like the 136 in Chennai that still causes him to wince when he recalls it, the lack of a series win in Australia is a wound that won’t heal anytime soon. More than the interviews, though, what I recall most clearly from my interactions with Tendulkar is a chat on a fire escape in Port Elizabeth. The Mumbai Indians had failed to qualify for the semifinals of the IPL (2009), and after the post-match briefing was over, he beckoned me outside. The 15-minute chat that followed was off the record and cannot be reproduced here. But I will say this: He ranted. He swore. He railed about matches that had slipped away, about players who hadn’t taken responsibility. It was astonishing, and the only real glimpse I’ve had of the man behind the mask. It made me think of what Mark Mascarenhas had once told me – “Even if it’s a game of pool at 3 am, Sachin wants to win. Heck, even if it’s tiddlywinks.” I don’t know Tendulkar well. I doubt I ever will. But unlike many that have slated him in the media this week, I have interacted with him enough to at least have some idea of what motivates him. That those who don’t have a clue should pass judgment is just infuriating. Tendulkar won’t play on till his son gets an Indian cap. He won’t play on till he does a Jack Hobbs. Few know the value of an India cap better than he does, and I can’t see him ever taking it for granted. Criticise him all you like, backed by facts and figures. But show him some respect. Like Ponting, he’s earned it.

Source: http://www.wisdenindia.com/cricket-blog/ponting-tendulkar-fire-escape/37804

[coffee_rules]

Chappelnama at it again... http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/594635.html

Ponting's decision to retire was like one of his punched on-drives - well timed.

Only a few days ago he was clamoring for Ponting's retirement/drop indicating he had overstayed.

On the other hand Tendulkar, almost two years older, has the Indian population waiting with bated breath for him to brush aside a slump. Tendulkar's decline has gathered speed since he began to concern himself more with the statistical side of batting rather than constantly seeking to make match-winning contributions. The accumulation of centuries became his search for the Holy Grail, but it hasn't resulted in anything like the joy provided by Monty Python and the gang. No player is indispensable and the Indian selectors should know better than most. That wonderful servant Rahul Dravid has been adequately replaced at No. 3 by Cheteshwar Pujara.

Wow, he knows it very well. What was Ponting searching for when he went to play after getting dropped from the ODI side?

India is fortunate to have skilful young replacements but there's more chance the Dalai Lama will be replaced than Tendulkar moved aside.

:hysterical: This is funny though.