From Australia with love

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 26: Sachin Tendulkar of India looks on during his last match at the SCG, the One Day International match between Australia and India at Sydney Cricket Ground on February 26, 2012 in Sydney, Australia.

While the underdogs of the world weep for attention, in fact their nephews do too, legends sweep up all the feathers they can and arrange them daintily in their caps.

Sachin Tendulkar, an icon of epic proportions, has been in the news lately and has even found his way into scheming tabloids. While some talk of his lacklustre performance while he held the bat for the Mumbai Indians, some await – and furthermore demand – his retirement. Despite the hate he has been receiving lately, Sachin has found a reason to smile.

As announced by Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, our very own homegrown superstar Sachin Tendulkar will be conferred the membership of the Order of Australia. To emphasize the magnitude of the event, it is also said that this honour is rarely awarded to non – Australians. The Prime Minister went on to explain the rationale behind this by saying that Sachin was a natural choice considering that there is a strong bond between Australia and India which can be attributed to cricket. She went on to add that the honour was extremely special and Sachin Tendulkar is a very special batsman. This award will be conferred on him by the Australian cabinet minister, Simon Crean when he visits India.

Despite all the criticism that he has been subjected to lately, despite all the hateful memes disregarding his achievements and his contribution to the game of cricket, Sachin Tendulkar remains one of the finest batsman the cricketing world has witnessed. With over fifteen thousand runs in one ninety tests and over eighteen thousand runs in four hundred and sixty three ODIs, there is no sportsperson who can hold a torch to this man. There is no denying the fact that age and time will run their course, there is no doubt that the talent will dim and he might take to the bench but till that day comes, he is a well oiled machine that can intimidate if not destroy. This award is just a proclamation of what we have known all along, if it’s cricket, there’s always a Sachin.