Calling Sachin Tendulkar selfish is a bit unfair: Rahul Dravid

[velu]

Former India captain Rahul Dravid feels calling Sachin Tendulkar selfish is a bit unfair to the little master and added that the iconic cricketer "defied imagination". "I think it's a little bit unfair. All of us want to score hundreds, all of us want to score runs and the team does benefit when you score runs. When someone's scored a hundred hundreds, if you start nitpicking and looking at each and every innings, sure you'll find enough innings to prove your point, but there are also other innings when those hundreds have been critically important to Indian cricket," Dravid said. "It's hard to begrudge someone the desire to score hundreds. The country's obsession with his hundredth hundred? There's no way that cannot affect you. You have to be human even if you're Tendulkar." Dravid said Tendulkar could not lead India to victory on a few occasions in Tests because of a weak bowling attack. "I still think in ODI cricket he has had quite a few match winning, match defining innings. In one day cricket, even if someone scores 300-350, as a pure batsman you can still control the game. In Test cricket, you have to rely on other people, you have to rely on the bowling attacks. Bowling attacks win you Test matches," Dravid said while speaking on ESPNcricinfo's 'Modern Masters'. "Especially through Sachin's golden period (1998-2002-03), and especially away from home when he got a lot of runs, maybe we didn't have the bowling attack to back him up in those games. I can remember, even as recently as centurion, his last Test hundred was a brilliant Test hundred against Steyn and Morkel. But we couldn't get South Africa out in the fourth innings. The context of those hundreds changes completely if you have the bowling attack to get people out. "If there's one thing he'd like to better about his numbers, though, it'll probably be his fourth innings in overseas Test series." Dravid, who himself is regarded as one of the greats of modern cricket, felt Tendulkar's greatest biggest strength has been his temperament. "For me, Sachin's greatest strength really is his temperament, his ability to handle the pressures that have surrounded him. He's been the focus of attention since he was a 16-year-old kid. And for so many years to be able to handle all of that, and still to be able to perform and not get frustrated by it and not get disillusioned by it shows an incredible mind." Speaking about Tendulkar's technique, Dravid said, "One of the things that has always stood out for me for Sachin has been balance. It's that ability to judge length and to be in that right position for nearly every ball. It's very rare that I've seen Sachin struggle for any particular ball. His judgment of length was a marvel." Sachin Tendulkar produced a fairytale run in the 2003 World Cup, which, in his own words, included the biggest match of his career. But Dravid said Tendulkar didn't faced a single ball in the nets. No cricketer ever has scored more runs than the 673 recorded then by the Indian legend in a single edition of a World Cup. The highlight was the 98-run knock that saw him take on the likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar. "It (his preparation) changes from time to time. In the 2003 World Cup, Sachin Tendulkar didn't bat a single ball in the nets, right through the tournament. He only got throw-downs. He just received hundreds of throw-downs through the whole tournament," Dravid said. "All of us were wondering 'Why is he doing that?' When I asked him, he said, 'I'm feeling good. I don't want to go into the nets and waste the touch. I want to feel good about my batting. If I have that sort of feeling, I will score runs when I go in.' And that's what happened!" Calling the Mumbaikar as the greatest player he has played with, Dravid said Tendulkar changed the landscape of Indian cricket. "He's changed the landscape, both on and off the field, for Indian cricket over the last two decades. It's almost mind-boggling. A whole generation has grown up with Tendulkar. They've seen his ups and downs and lived their lives and dreams through his feats. So many people in India want to be a cricketer," Dravid said. "For the last twenty four years, there's been a whole generation of people who've had this privilege and opportunity of claiming to say 'We were there when Tendulkar was the best batsman in the world." "A legend. The greatest player that I've played with as a batsman. He's been a huge inspiration. To see a 16-year-old boy do what he did was unbelievable. It defied imagination and was a huge inspiration for me. I felt like if he could do it then I should also try to be a Test cricketer," Dravid concluded.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cricketnext/calling-sachin-tendulkar-selfish-is-a-bit-unfair-rahul-dravid/490372-78.html rahul baba took words out of my mouth .. almost all players are selfish to some extent and some are less selfish than others :--D MTC .. you were abusing me for close to half a decade for saying this .. need an apology :obeyme:

[CSK Fan]

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cricketnext/calling-sachin-tendulkar-selfish-is-a-bit-unfair-rahul-dravid/490372-78.html rahul baba took words out of my mouth .. almost all players are selfish to some extent and some are less selfish than others :--D MTC .. you were abusing me for close to half a decade for saying this .. need an apology :obeyme:

Did you even read the article, he is saying the opposite of what you are claiming. According to him Tendulkar was affected by the country's obsession for his 100th 100, not his own selfishness

[Temujin Khaghan]

thatswhy Rohit Sharma > Sachin Tendulkar, becoz he doesnt give a **** what the indian public thinks. :finger:

[velu]

Did you even read the article' date=' he is saying the opposite of what you are claiming. According to him Tendulkar was affected by the country's obsession for his 100th 100, not his own selfishness[/quote'] probably you have to remove your sachinsta glass.. first thing i never claimed that peoples expectations didnt affect sachin .. second thing , atleast read a bit b4 commenting,

[velu]

and there wont be any smoke without fire :fishing:

[CSK Fan]

probably you have to remove your sachinsta glass.. first thing i never claimed that peoples expectations didnt affect sachin .. second thing , atleast read a bit b4 commenting,

How does it prove that Sachin is any more selfish than any other player? He is saying just because Sachin score more 100s, he will have more innings to nit pick, just as you will have more innings to praise, law of averages. He is claiming the opposite of what you are stating.

[velu]

How does it prove that Sachin is any more selfish than any other player? He is saying just because Sachin score more 100s' date=' he will have more innings to nit pick, just as you will have more innings to praise, law of averages. He is claiming the opposite of what you are stating.[/quote'] who is more selfish is up for a debate and i dont want to have it :winky: i am not arguing that sachin is the only selfish guy and rahul himself said everyone is desried to get 100s.. and check the words .. read in between the lines .. "bit unfair" is not same as "totally unfair: :--D

[SLICKR392]

Velu, stop making Dravid look bad with your obsessed agenda towards Sachin. :headshake:

"I think it's a little bit unfair. All of us want to score hundreds, all of us want to score runs and the team does benefit when you score runs. When someone's scored a hundred hundreds, if you start nitpicking and looking at each and every innings, sure you'll find enough innings to prove your point, but there are also other innings when those hundreds have been critically important to Indian cricket," Dravid said.

He's generalizing here, not just picking on one batsman. Take Dravid out of your stupid MSD-SRT convos. :finger:

[velu]

Velu' date=' stop making [b']Dravid look bad with your obsessed agenda towards Sachin. :headshake: He's generalizing here, not just picking on one batsman. Take Dravid out of your stupid MSD-SRT convos. :finger:

i am not picking any batsmen .. IMHO all guys r selfish except 1 or 2 :beee: and dravid himself sort of agrees that it ok to be selfish :giggle: why i posted this is bcoz for saying the similar thing ( with little bit of additional masala ) , guys like MTC called me paki :sniffle:

[Old guy]

A bit

[SLICKR392]

A bit

People are fuming on FB for that part 'a bit'.

[gattaca]

A low self esteem fan posts stuff to defend his clubs captain who is sell out and fixer. /Thread

[velu]

People are fuming on FB for that part 'a bit'.

check maria sharapovas FB .. looks like bhaktas shows no signs of stopping :hysterical:

[velu]

A low self esteem fan posts stuff to defend his clubs captain who is sell out and fixer. /Thread

oh .. bhakra no #2 is here :hysterical:

[Old guy]

People are fuming on FB for that part 'a bit'.

I am sure most of them are from near you :phehehe:

[Marco Polo]

Seems like dravid is still upset with sachin's unnecessary outburst in the press when Dravid declared the innings when sachin was stuck at 194 against Pakistan. Sachin was selfish and he did considered himself bigger than the team.

[putrevus]

a bit unfair and not totally unfair. does it mean Dravid also thinks to some extent Sachin did not show up when his team needed him? Dravid again pointed out what is wrong with Indian batsmen.They expect bowlers who were always on their first or second trips to take wickets when they scored 100s where as it should have been other way around. Greatness of batsmen also lies to score runs when his team needs it. Great example is last test yes bowlers stunk but all the batsmen in first innings had a chance to score big and make a 500 plus total and make the test a boring draw but most of them got starts but none of scored enough. Ten years from now it will looks as if bowlers got pounded so poor batsmen did not stand a chance to save the test which is so far from truth.

[SLICKR392]

I am sure most of them are from near you :phehehe:

This time its Dravid, not some Sharapova. I'll fight back :ohyeah:

[Old guy]

This time its Dravid' date=' not some Sharapova. I'll fight back :ohyeah:[/quote'] I am with you :weights:

[Sachin=GOD]