We never thought of Tendulkar getting India cap at 16: Ajit
Sachin Tendulkar`s family members had never thought of him representing India so early at the age of 16 and breaking so many cricket records, his elder brother Ajit said on Monday.
|Last Updated: Nov 04, 2013, 11:27 PM IST|Source: PTI
New Delhi: Sachin Tendulkar`s family members had never thought of him representing India so early at the age of 16 and breaking so many cricket records, his elder brother Ajit said on Monday.
In a rare television interview, Ajit said Tendulkar`s decision to quit Test cricket came at a right time as he is bowing out on a high.
"We never thought of Sachin getting the India cap at such a young age of 16. We were thinking of going step by step, from school level to zonal level and then the all India level, from Under 15, Under 19 and to senior level and so on," Ajit said.
"Never ever thought of Tendulkar jumping all these levels and represent India at the age of 16 and go on creating so many records," he told a news channel.
"We were proud and happy when he was selected for the first time for India in the Pakistan tour of 1989 and the family was absolutely delighted at that time," he added.
Ajit said that Tendulkar`s decision to quit from Test cricket did not surprise his family members as he was assessing retirement for some time from series to series.
"At some point of time, he will have to retire. You can`t go on playing forever. For some time, he was assessing every tour. It was not a shock as such to us. All the family members were around and a lot of discussion went into it. Finally it was his own decision," he said.
"The family had a mixed feeling as he has given so much joy to us in the last 24 years. But at the same time, we were happy that he has done the country and the team proud. He has achieved almost every record in world cricket. I think, he has got the timing right as he is bowing out on a high."
Talking about Tendulkar`s character and his passion for the game, Ajit spoke about the time in 1999 when their father passed away.
"I remember father suffered a heart attack and it was on 28th Feb 1995 and Sachin was not going to know that. He was going to bat the next day and that was the last day of the match. Same thing happened during the 1999 World Cup (during which Tendulkar`s father passed away) as well," said Ajit.
"We really did not have to convince him to go back to England to play in the World Cup. He knew his father well. He (father) would have asked him (Sachin) to go back and play.
"Undoubtedly, it was very, very tough. But keeping all the emotions behind, he decided to leave for England and play in the remaining part of the World Cup."
Tendulkar scored a century in his first match after coming back from home against Kenya in the World Cup.
Ajit said that Tendulkar`s trait of putting the team ahead of his personal achievements was an inborn quality.
"We did not inculcate that trait in him. He was born like that. It came naturally to him. In all his 24 years, he was never involved in a controversy and was never self seeking. It (team spirit) was an inborn quality."
Asked about none of the family members watching Tendulkar play live, Ajit said, "It was a sort of `nazar lag jayega` (something bad may happen by watching) which cannot be translated into English as it is a part of Indian culture. We will only see the highlights."
Ajit also narrated how Tendulkar was hit on the nose by a Waqar Younis bouncer in his first Test series in Pakistan.
"He misjudged the bouncer and it hit some part of helmet and I could very clearly hear the noise in the pavilion. Then that ball deflected on his (Tendulkar`s) nose and it started bleeding. His shirt was soaked in blood and he was surrounded by Pakistan players. Even in that situation, words were exchanged just to push Sachin down psychologically," he said.
"Sachin had to take a quick decision whether to go back to the pavillion or stay batting. Sachin usually takes quick decisions and at that instance also, he took a quick decision that he would stay and fight back. He did just that and he remained not out that day and batted on the last day also and saved the Test for India," said Ajit.
"(The then BCCI president) Raj Singh Dungarpur next day called up my father saying that the country was proud of Sachin. The family felt proud of him," said Ajit.
Ajit also said that no one had expected that Tendulkar would destroy legendary spinner Abdul Qadir`s bowling in a 20-over exhibition match during the Pakistan tour.
"He hit four sixes off Qadir and all of them proper cricketing shots. I have seen many batsmen using their whole body while hitting sixes. But Tendulkar`s sixes off Qadir were simple hand-work. His aggression was not brutal."
Ajit said that he was sent to Pakistan by his family to give psychological support to Tendulkar.
"In the third Test (of the 1989 Pakistan tour), Manoj Prabhakar was run out in a mix up and from his body language it seemed that Tendulkar had taken all the blame to himself. Then my elder brother said somebody should go to Pakistan immediately. Father supported the idea and I was at Lahore on the final day of the Test."
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.