Bhaichung Bhutia: "Tendulkar's Contribution to Cricket is Equal to Maradona's Contribution to Football"

Former National Football team Captain, Bhaichung Bhutia, lend his support to the growing appeal to confer India’s ace cricketer Sachin Tendulkar with the prestigious “Bharat Ratna” award but was against campaigning for it.

Tendulkar and Bhutia

“I definitely think he deserves it. But people should not campaign for it. Even Sachin would not like people to campaign. A campaign would not justify the award,” Bhutia said.

“Everyone knows what he has done for the country. His records and achievements speak for itself. So Sachin deserves the greatest of the greatest award,” Bhutia added.

The India International went on to compare Sachin and Maradona saying that Sachin’s contribution to Cricket is equivalent to what Maradona has done for football.

“Unfortunately cricket is not played around the world; else he would have been as popular as Beckham or Ronaldo. By individual talent and contribution to the game, Sachin has contributed as much to cricket as Maradona had to football,” Bhutia said.