Two reasons why Tendulkar should quit

It’s humanly impossible to capture words that can encapsulate the splendor and the poise associated with batsman-ship when the man in the spotlight happens to be – Sachin Tendulkar; a gentleman who for over twenty years has given the world of cricket and its followers unbridled happiness and joyful memories galore through his unique craft of showmanship, which has been an amalgamation of discipline, passion, dedication and talent. An immensely prized figure in the cricket fraternity across the globe, no player can (or will) be able to match the hysteria linked with Tendulkar because such is the magnitude of the frenzied expectation and potential of the ‘little master’. However, ‘all good things come to an end’ goes the old adage and although Tendulkar has given no hint of calling it quits yet, as a huge fan of the master, I have to sadly admit that two recent discrete occurrences on the field have hopped me to the conclusion that he has to make way….now.

Game 05: Sri Lanka vs. India, Commonwealth Bank Series, Adelaide, February 14 2012

Tendulkar is a decent outfielder which is why MS Dhoni employs him to marshal the boundary lines on a few occasions despite his age. However, the two misfields by Tendulkar during the Sri Lankan innings off consecutive deliveries, fielding at the boundary is one of the reasons I strongly feel he should quit. He had to dive to stop the ball on both occasions but instead, he used his foot unsuccessfully to stop the first one and put in an awkward dive, in vain, to stop the second one. Ricky Ponting & Mike Hussey can stake a claim in the Australian team even when they go through a lull in batting form because they possess such exceptional fielding skills but Tendulkar is nowhere near the class of his Aussie peers when it comes to fielding and is in the team as a specialist batsman.

Game 07: Australia vs. India, Commonwealth Bank Series, Brisbane, February 19 2012

A fired-up Brett Lee ripped in a couple of short deliveries to Tendulkar and in his attempt to play the hook shot to one of them, Tendulkar took a knock on his helmet. Now, I cannot remember the last time I watched him get hit on the helmet so embarrassingly in an ODI due to poor timing! He has been one of the best players of the hook and pull shots over the years and seldom does he miss smacking them. This one moment has convinced me that his reflexes have taken a beating and that they are not as swift as they used to be, especially when you have to take on an express bowler like Lee.

So, there you go : both his batting and fielding levels have taken a plunge and you can’t afford to have such a player in a team even if he happens to be the great Tendulkar. Who knows, he might be a barrier of communication at the moment in Team India (ODI) which is now made up of youngsters and might also be an immovable obstacle to an upcoming player. You can force a Dravid or a Laxman out of the ODI team (as has happened in the past) but not Tendulkar because its different with the ‘little master’; nobody can force him out of the team since only he gets to decide when to quit – that’s just the deplorable mechanics of how the selectors operate in India. We thank you for the memories Mr Tendulkar, but please make way now before you tarnish your reputation even further.