Sachin Tendulkar's retirement : As it happened...

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Zee Media Bureau New Delhi: Ending all the speculations, Sachin Tendulkar has officially decided to hang his boots after playing his 200th Test against West Indies in November. Full Coverage on Tendulkar’s retirement» Full text of Tendulkar’s letter to BCCI» A look at top ‘TEN’dulkar moments!» Sachin Tendulkar’s best knocks» Photo gallery on Sachin Tendulkar» A look back at Tendulkar’s glorious career – Part 1» A look back at Tendulkar’s glorious career – Part 2» ==================================================================================== 10:50 pm: Tendulkar’s retirement makes news at ASEAN too Pakistan`s flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi led the tributes for India`s batting maestro, Sachin Tendulkar who announced on Thursday that he would end his Test career after playing in his 200th test. "Tendulkar has always been in a league of his own. I can`t compare anyone with him," Afridi told PTI. Tendulkar, who made his debut at the tender age of 16, is set to retire after he completes a record 200 Tests. He is the leading Test run-scorer with 15,837 runs. 10:20 pm: Sports minister lauds Tendulkar on a brilliant career The union sports minister Jitendra Singh today congratulated legendary Sachin Tendulkar on a wonderful career, which will come to an end after the historic 200th Test match against West Indies in an upcoming home series, terming him an "extraordinary sports icon". According to a press release issued by the ministry, it states,"Shri Jitendra Singh, Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports wishes Shri Sachin Tendulkar, the very best on his retirement from cricket. Shri Sachin Tendulkar is an extra-ordinary sports icon who will continue to inspire Indians and all sports lovers to achieve excellence in sports." 9:18 pm: Tendulkar’s retirement makes news at ASEAN too Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar`s announcement to retire from Test cricket today made news here among world leaders and top officials, who assembled for ASEAN and East Asia summits. While cricket is not a popular sport in Brunei Darussalam, a small country with a population of just about 4 lakh people, still, news of Sachin`s retirement was all over the place with members of the Indian delegation, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also abuzz with it. People from other countries were also seen asking Indian delegates about the announcement. 8:40: Tendulkar rated ahead of Bradman, Lara in an online poll Tendulkar was voted as the greatest batsman of all time, ahead of Don Bradman and Brian Lara, in an online poll conducted by an English newspaper after the news of the Indian batting icon`s retirement from Test cricket broke out on Thursday. `The Telegraph` asked its readers to choose the best ever from among 10 batsmen -- Tendulkar, Bradman, Lara, Vivian Richards, Ricky Ponting, Gary Sobers, Jacques Kallis, Len Hutton, Rahul Dravid and Allan Border. 2108 voted till 8:30pm IST and Tendulkar received 1,146 votes (54.36%), far ahead of Bradman -- who polled 558 (26.47%). Lara and Richards were distant third and fourth, garnering 132 (6.26%) and 118 (5.6%) respectively. 8:00 pm: Dalmiya hopes Sachin will remain associated with cricket Former ICC chairman Jagmohan Dalmiya today hoped that batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar will continue to remain associated with cricket after retirement. Reacting on Tendulkar`s decision to retire after his 200th Test, Dalmiya said, "I wish him all the best in his 200th Test and I hope he will remain closely associated with the game and continue to guide Indian cricket". 7:40 pm: Rajiv Shukla pays tribute to Tendulkar's career Meanwhile BCCI Vice President Rajiv Shukla also joined in and paid glowing tribute to Tendulkar, saying the batting icon`s retirement from Test cricket will leave a great void in the Indian cricket team. "Sachin`s retirement will leave a great void in the Indian cricket team, something that won`t be easy to fill in. He has been the greatest ambassador for sport in our country" Shukla said. 7:00 pm: 40 facts you must know about Tendulkar! You might or might not be a Tendulkar fan, but here are some facts you would want to know about the Little Master! 40 facts you must know about Tendulkar» 6:40 pm: Tendulkar`s retirement has come at the right time, says Ganguly Former Indian skipper and Tendulkar's long-time opening partner Sourav Ganguly said that the batting maestro's decision to retire from Test cricket had come at the right time. “This decision has come at the right time,” said Ganguly, who formed the greatest opening pair in One-Day Internationals with Tendulkar. Ganguly, whose cricketing career coincided with the Mumbaikar, said Tendulkar was a “good human being” whose greatest traits were his commitment to the game and temperament. 6:10 pm: Tendulkar`s retirement marks an end of a golden era: Sharad Pawar Former BCCI President Sharad Pawar on Thursday said that Sachin Tendulkar`s decision to quit Test cricket marks the end of a golden era. "Sachin Tendulkar`s decision to retire from Test cricket marks the end of a golden era for not only Indian cricket but of cricket world over. He strode the arena of cricket like a colossus and in his long innings, established many a milestones for himself and the game," Pawar, who was also the former ICC president, said. 5:00 pm: Cricketers pay tributes to Tendulkar There was an eerie sense of emptiness even as cricketers, past and present, paid rich tributes to Sachin Tendulkar as he decided to call time on his illustrious career after playing in his landmark 200th Test next month. Tributes poured in from across the cricketing world, complementing the batting legend for giving fans many, many cheerful moments. "It has left such a big hole to fill in the Indian Test batting line-up. It wouldn't be easy to replace him. See what happened after Laxman, Ganguly and Dravid retired, it would take time for the middle-order to gel," said former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar. 4:20 pm: Full text of Tendulkar's letter to the BCCI Tendulkar sent a letter to the BCCI where he said it was difficult for him to imagine life without cricket as it was something he had been doing for the last 24 years. Full text of Tendulkar’s letter to BCCI» ==================================================================================== 3:50 pm: Did Tendulkar announce retirement under pressure? Speculations were rife some days back where reports suggested the BCCI might ask Tendulkar to take a call on his Test career. Did Tendulkar announce his retirement under pressure?» ==================================================================================== 3:30 pm: Sachin Tendulkar announces retirement from Test cricket “I look forward to playing my 200th Test Match on home soil, as I call it a day. All my life, I have had a dream of playing cricket. I have been living this dream every day for the last 24 years. It’s hard for me to imagine a life without playing because it’s all I have ever done since I was 11 years old,” Tendulkar said on Thursday. The Indian batting legend said his dream was to play cricket and he has been living it since the past 24 years. “All my life, I have had a dream of playing cricket. I have been living this dream everyday for the last 24 years,” Sachin said. The batting maestro said it was difficult for him to imagine life without cricket. “It’s hard for me to imagine a life without playing because it’s all I have ever done since I was 11 years old,” said the 40-year-old. India will play a two-match Test series against West Indies scheduled to be played from 6th November to 18th November. The Little Master has so far played 198 Test matches where he has scored 15, 837 runs. The reports earlier said that the BCCI might ask Tendulkar to draw curtains to his spectacular Test career after the 200th Test but the 40-year-old himself dismissed them. Tendulkar was a part of the Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians that won their second Champions League title and also the Indian Premier League earlier this year. With PTI inputs