Is it a time for Sachin Tendulkar to retire from the first class Cricket or from the national team? If yes, who is replacement for him? Is there anyone better than him as a replacement for him or there is only a substitute for him and not an equivalent? According to me time is still not ripe for him to retire because at this level he has in him plenty of beautiful Cricket to play and to entertain the cricketing world. He may currently not on the level what he was earlier which was the best but surely currently he is on the level of one of the best in the world. Those who expect from him the play of a decade or two back and assuming that he is finished then they are sadly mistaken.
Topmost sportsmen do not finish easily but they diminish easily. Sachin Tendulkar is diminishing at a slower pace compared to what he was but definitely he is still a master entertainer and stroke player. His vast experience is an asset not only for him to play beautifully still but also for his team. If he retires at this stage when he is still ripe, the spectators all around the globe will miss an opportunity to watch an entertaining cricket.
When the world best soccer player Maradona was forced to retire due to drug scandal in 1994 even after playing in 4 World Cups he was still one of the best soccer players in the world and who entertained the soccer spectators world around like a wizard. After he was stripped of his presence in that tournament the beauty of that World Cup was lost though he was not as best as he was earlier; inspite of this there was no player at that time in the world as good as he was though he was aged but fit physically, mentally and skillfully. It was his long years of experience that enabled him to sustain on to that top level by playing skillful soccer. Due to his long years of experience he could play even better.
When Pele retired from the national soccer team he still had vast potential in him to play the best of soccer. When he retired somewhere in 1972 he could run 100 metres in 11 seconds while the same distance with the same timing I was doing when I was 17 in Goa and Pele was doing the same when he was around 34. What a great feat of genius Pele!! Mario Zagallo his coach in 1970 World Cup was surprised when Pele announced his retirement when he was still the best in the world. When he was asked why he was retiring during his peak form, Pele replied saying “I must go when I am the best so that people will remember me as the best and not when I am finished and unwanted by the spectators; adding that I want to go in honour rather than in shame”.
Pele should have retired but not at that ripe time when he could still entertain the soccer world all around the globe with his beautifully artistic soccer. But he was a coward afraid that he may lose his reputation as world best if he had to prolong a while. In his early retirement he gained personally but spectators lost the chance to see the more genius in him.
The great boxer Mohammed Ali made a fool of him by not retiring at the right time but instead prolonged his stay in the Ring for longer period till he was booed out. When he fought his last fight against his once sparring partner during his practice sessions he was the pale shadow of his once top self when he could defeat all the top fighters of his era namely Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Ken Norton and others.
In the history of Boxing he goes as the legend but because of his miserable end during his last fight he lost much of his charm. His last professional fight was a total surrender to his young opponent who even had pity on Ali while Ali was at receiving end. Mohammed Ali came into boxing prominence with the slogan from the spectators “Come Ali Come” and retired from the Ring with the slogan “Go Ali Go” by the same spectators. What a tragedy!!
While the news of Tendulkar’s retirement looming all around, another hot news of him came, that of his nomination in Rajya Sabha. Similar nomination earlier was given to Wrestler Dara Singh. I was surprised to see Tendulkar’s nomination as MP of Upper House when he is still playing. In this case, how he will concentrate on both his jobs? Cricket on top level requires strenuous practice to remain fit and it requires both mental and physical fitness on top level. Will Tendulkar be able to do justice for both the jobs? Did Congress Party dole this job to Tendulkar to rope him to get sympathy and goodwill for it by keeping its eye on the next Lokh Sabha Election after two years?
The Rajya Sabha is like the House of Elders in UK. Normally Rajya Sabha consists of elders and especially the 12 nominated members are selected for their long experience, maturity and wisdom in their respective fields. Tendulkar is still young to fall into the category of elders. Besides he is not having the qualities of a leader and because of this he failed as captain of the national team. He is meant to be a very good soldier but very bad commandeer. In my view, instead of accepting the job in the Rajya Sabha, Tendulkar should have surrendered this job in favour of either Sunil Gavaskar or Kapil Dev both of whom stand much taller than Tendulkar.
Tendukar became great because of the favourable era in which he played Cricket. During Gavaskar and Kapil’s era there were no 50 Over or T20 and IPL tournaments nor frequent series and not as many cricketing countries as they are now. Rajya Sabha is not a Cricketing field but purely a political arena where a member has to be very matured and knowledgeable politically. Is Tendulkar fit into this House? Or in Rajya Sabah he will lose what he gained in Cricket Sabha? Time alone will answer this question.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
