S African fans disappointed about Tendulkar retirement

Johannesburg: South African cricket fans are disappointed that they will not witness Sachin Tendulkar`s final game in South Africa, but some are making plans to go to India for his final game.

The Master blaster would have played his 200th and final test in Cape Town if the plans announced by Cricket South Africa (CSA) had gone ahead, but the BCCI made known a different itinerary for the same time that will see Tendulkar play the game against visitors West Indies in November in his hometown of Mumbai. "We are very disappointed that we will not get the chance to see Sachin play his final Test," said Anil Hargovan of Durban, home to about half of South Africa`s 1.4 million Indian origin population. "My extended family of eleven have never missed a single game that India played at Kingsmead (in Durban), always supporting them, even against the Proteas, although we support the Proteas against anyone else," Hargovan added. The ardent fan said he and his two sons had even followed India across the country whenever they played here and they had already booked flights and accommodation for the Cape Town Test announced by CSA to ensure they saw Tendulkar play his 200th game there on New Year`s Day. Karthiegesan Naidoo said he would be joining Hargovan and three or four other friends to go to Mumbai in November to see Tendulkar play, if they could get tickets.