Happy Birthday Sachin

The more I see him, the more I want to see him.

I saw him playing on television and was struck by his technique, so I asked my wife to come look at him. Now I never saw myself play, but I feel that this player is playing much the same as I used to play, and she looked at him on Television and said yes, there is a similarity between the two... his compactness, technique, stroke production... it all seemed to gel.
Sir Donald Bradman

In terms of technique and compactness, Tendulkar is the best.
Desmond Haynes

I have watched a lot of Tendulkar and we have spoken to each other a lot. He has it in him to be among the very best.
Sir Garfield Sobers

He is 99.5 per cent perfect. I'd pay to see him.
Viv Richards

Technically he stands out as the best because of his ability to increase the pace at will.
David Boon

There is no shame being beaten by such a great player, Sachin is perhaps only next to the Don.
Steve Waugh

Sachin is cricket’s god.
Barry Richards

India's fortune will depend on how many runs the little champion scores. There is no doubt Tendulkar is the real thing.
Sunil Gavaskar

A complete batsman — he's the best in the business.
Mohinder Amarnath

Sachin is an attacker. He has much more power than Sunny. He wants to be the one to set the pace. He has to be on top. That's the buzz about him.
Jeff Thompson

If I've to bowl to Sachin, I'll bowl with my helmet on. He hits the ball so hard.
Dennis Lillee

You take Don Bradman away and he is next up I reckon.
Steve Waugh

Don't bowl him bad balls, he hits the good ones for fours.
Michael Kasprowicz

Hell, if he had stayed, even at 11 an over he would have got it.
Allan Border (after India won the Coca-Cola cup in Sharjah)

He is a perfectly balanced batsman and knows perfectly well when to attack and when to play defensive cricket. He has developed the ability to treat bowlers all over the world with contempt and can destroy any attack with utmost ease.
Greg Chappell

I'd like to see him go out and bat one day with a stump. I tell you he'd do okay.
Greg Chappell

He's a phenomenon. We have to be switched on when he plays allow him no boundries, for then he doesn't stop.
Mark Taylor

Tendulkar is the most complete batsman I have stood behind. I saw the hundred in Perth on a bouncy pitch with Hughes, McDermott and Whitney gunning for him – he only had 60-odd when No 11 came in. I've seen him against Warne too.
Ian Healy

He has defined cricket in his fabulous, impeccable manner. He is to batting what Shane Warne is to bowling.
Richie Benaud

He's better than Ben Hur.
Paul Wilson

I still think Tendulkar is the best batsmen in the world, ahead of Steve Waugh and Lara.
Glenn McGrath

There's no doubt about it. He is the best.
Tony Grieg

Technically, you can't fault Sachin. Seam or spin, fast or slow – nothing is a problem.
Geoffrey Boycott

Sometime back I had written a piece that said that Sachin's the master and Lara a genius with his head high up somewhere. That's it.
Peter Roebuck

A little genius. Reminds me of Sunny Gavaskar.
Keith Fletcher

He is Sachin Tendulkar. I hope he stays Sachin Tendulkar. We need a new player, a player in his own way. He has a technique which is the hallmark of a great player. Everything indicates that he will be a great player and I am sure he will prove me right. Reminds me of Barry Richards.
Eddie Barlow

Destined to be a great.
Barry Richards

What we (Zimbabwe) need is 10 Tendulkars.
Paul Strang

Cricketers like Sachin come once in a lifetime and I am privileged he played in my time.
Wasim Akram

While I keep hoping he gets out, I must admit that his stroke play is a treat to watch.
Mark Waugh

I have seen God. He bats at number 4 for India.
Mathew Hayden

You have to watch India in India truly to appreciate the pressure that Sachin Tendulkar is under every time he bats. Outside grounds, people wait until he goes in before paying to enter. They seem to want a wicket to fall even though it is their own side that will suffer.
Shane Warne

Much has been made of my personal contest with Tendulkar. Some people have said that my duel with Tendulkar in India in 1997-98 was the most compelling Test cricket they have ever seen, but there is no doubt he enjoyed the better of the exchanges. He has played me better than anybody. Most Indian batsmen pick the length very quickly, even when it is flighted above the eyeline, but Tendulkar moved into position even earlier than the likes of Mohammad Azharuddin and Rahul Dravid. His footwork is immaculate. He would either go right forward or all the way back and he has the confidence to go for his strokes. I suppose I would be confident too if I batted as well as Tendulkar.
Shane Warne

You have to decide for yourself whether you're bowling well or not. He's going to hit you for fours and sixes anyway. Kasprowicz has a superior story. During the Bangalore Test, frustrated, he went to Dennis Lillee and asked, 'Mate, do you see any weaknesses?' Lillee replied, 'No Michael, as long as you walk off with your pride, that's all you can do.
Shane Warne

When it comes to judging the best among these fabulous band of batsmen, my vote goes to Tendulkar. He has an uncanny ability to come out on top under different circumstances and under different conditions, whether it is Test cricket or one-day internationals. And more importantly, he has done this so young.
Shane Warne

I'll be going to bed having nightmares of Sachin just running down the wicket and belting me back over the head for six. He was unstoppable. I don't think anyone, apart from Don Bradman, is in the same class as Sachin Tendulkar. He is just an amazing player.
Shane Warne

I have always felt C. K. Nayadu was the best. I now think Sachin has the honour of being the most outstanding batsman of all time.
Cricket Historian Vasant Raiji

His shot selection is superb, he just lines you up and can make you look very silly. Everything is right in his technique and judgment. There isn't a fault there. He is also a lovely guy, and over the years I’ve enjoyed some interesting chats with him.
Allan Donald

First and foremost, Tendulkar is an entertainer and that for me is as important factor as any fact or figure. Too often boring players have been pushed forward as great by figures alone. For sheer entertainment, he will keep cricket alive.
Barry Richards

Sachin is a genius. I’m a mere mortal.
Brian Lara

The thing I admire most about this man is his poise. The way he moves, elegantly without ever looking out of place in any condition or company, suggests his pedigree.
Bishan Singh Bedi

Why I've always liked him is that batsmen tend to be negative at times and I think batting is not about not getting out – it is to play positively. I think you got to take it to the bowlers and Sachin is one such player. When you do so, you change the game, you change bowlers because they suddenly start bowling badly because they are under pressure.
Graeme Pollock

Sachin is an attacker. He has much more power than Sunny. He wants to bet he one to set the pace. He has to be on top. That's the buzz about him.
Jeff Thomson

The more I see him, the more I want to see him.
Mohammad Azharuddin

Playing in the same team as Sachin is a huge honour. His balance of mind, shrewd judgment, modesty and, above all, his technical brilliance make him my all-time hero... You can't get a more complete cricketer than Sachin. He has everything that a cricketer needs to have.
Rahul Dravid

By far the best I have seen or played against.
Allan Donald

His stroke off the backfoot, particularly off the pace bowler, is extraordinary – the next thing you know is that someone is picking the ball up from the gutter.
Richie Benaud

The thing I like the most about Sachin is his intensity. After being in the game for so long, he still has the same desire to do well for India in any international match. I tell you what, this man is a legend.
Sourav Ganguly

I have never seen Bradman but heard people talk about him. But I tell you what, if Bradman could bat like this man does then he was dynamite. Players like Sachin deserve to be preserved in cotton wool.
Viv Richards

To me he is the complete batsman. What has impressed me most about him in his focus and determination to do well. I think the youngsters can learn a lot form just watching him play and emulating his determination. Despite being so immensely gifted, he is still so determined to excel every time he goes out to bat for his country, it is something I have always respected.
Wasim Akram

Was on a flight when the announcement happened. When I landed...saw a lot of tweets/fb comments on Sachin announcing his retirement. For a moment I felt cheated...almost like "How could he do it in my absence?"...felt as bad as getting to know a friend had become a father through the buidling security guard. That's the impact he had...he made me feel like he was my own all these 24 years. When he started Sportstar was Rs.7...and had only B&W snaps...but he had me hooked from the time he hit those 3 sixes of Abdul Qadir. Late into the night..I was tossing around in bed...butterflies in my stomach...feeling bad/sad...like a loved one had passed away!

The duration of every match to this day, to me, depended on how long Tendulkar was in the middle. Others I would read about in the papers...but him I had to see him play. And yes...when he was im his 90s...I didn't budge from my seat...many men have had superstitions when he played...holding their pose....wearing a particular shirt etc. He made boys out of us men. 

100 hundreds IS a big deal...but he also had 296 50's including 28 times getting out in the 90's. But it's not his stats alone that made him great. It is the sheer joy and pride he made us feel every single time he decimated bowling attacks around the world. We had Sachin..no one else did! 

And when he finally walks back to the pavilion for one last time...sport...and not just cricket will be divided into two distinct eras. Before Tendulkar. After Tendulkar.

The man has put in 24 years of his life and another 6 before that preparing for and playing cricket. We talk of pressure in our lives...and someone reduce it by comparing our achievements with others who have underperformed. But him...we all always compared him to his best. Imagine that pressure....and from a billion people. Let's not say things like "Finally he os going!!!" and things like that...that would be immense disrespect for a man who gave his all for India. When he says..."I don't know what I will do when I retire...", I do feel deeply for him. Yes...what will he do? Cricket is perhaps the only thing he knows. Wish he remains associated with cricket in some form.

Learnings from him...it's not enough if you have talent....it's what you do with it that matters.

A last thought...Sachin was part of my life and so many others. I cheered him when I was in 7th standard and cheer him now as a VP in a Media company. My life has been linked to his in various ways. Maybe his retirement makes me feel a major part of my life is over. If Sachin has retired...it means I'm old too. Maybe it's a realization that nothig is permanent. Sachin playing for India was always taken for granted...and now when he won't...it's a reminder that all good things will come to an end. 

We will miss you big time Sachin. I'm sure my throat will be choked when you walk out to bat for the last time...maybe I'd even shed a tear or actually cry. But I won't be ashamed of doing it. Anything for the man who gave us such unadulterated joy. 

Salute the legend. Like somebody said...Sachin...Sachin..Sun raha hai na tu? Ro raha hoon main.....

Manoj

Love for Sachin

 I'm

In a Hurry

To Catch up

with My Birthday

 Celebrations with you

 Love and Love Only

Sachin...

Happy Birthday Sachin!

பயணங்கள் முடிவதில்லை VIII

நெடுநாட்கள் கழித்து, அலுவலகத்திற்கு இன்று காலையில் தொடர்வண்டியில் பயணம். எதிர் இருக்கையில் , தொழுநோயால் இரு கைகளும் கால்களும் விரல் இழந்து முடமான ஒரு மூதாட்டி வந்தமர்ந்தார். இவருக்கு அண்மையில் சேமிப்புக் கணக்கு துவக்கிக் கொடுத்து, உடல் ஊனமுற்றவர்களுக்கான உதவித் தொகையையும் வாங்கிக் கொடுத்திருக்கிறேன் என்று நினைவு படுத்தியது மூளை. முதல் முறை சேமிப்புக் கணக்கு தொடங்கும் பொருட்டு, அந்த ஊரின் வணிகத் தொடர்பாளர் என்னுடன் கலந்தாலோசிக்கும் போது, நிலைமையின் தீவிரம் புரியாமல், ஏன் அவர்களால் கையெழுத்திட முடியாது என்றால், கைரேகை கூடவா வைக்க முடியாது என்ற கேள்வி எழுந்ததே உண்மை. அரசு வழங்கும் உதவித் தொகை வேறு ஒருவருக்கு சென்று விடக் கூடாது என்ற தவிப்பு எனக்கு இருந்ததே இதன் காரணம். எங்கே அந்த அம்மாவைக் கூப்பிடுங்கள்! நான் பார்க்க வேண்டும் என்றேன்.

எப்பொழுதும் போல் என் பார்வை வாடிக்கையாளர்களுக்கான இருக்கைகளின் முதல் இரு வரிசைகளில் தேடியது. நான் தேடிய பெண்மணி இருக்கைகளைத் தாண்டி, வாசல் கதவுகளைத் தாண்டி, வெளியில் முக்காடிட்டு நின்றிருந்தார். அவங்க உள்ளே வரமாட்டாங்க மேடம் என்ற அவரின் உறவினரையும், வணிகத் தொடர்பாளரையும் நோக்கி “பரவாயில்லை! அவரை வரச் சொல்லுங்கள்” என்றேன். மிகவும் கூச்சத்துடன் உள்ளே நுழைந்தவரிடம், இருந்த சிக்கல் என்னவென்று நெற்றியில் அடித்தது போல் புரிந்தது.

எந்த புத்தகத்தைப் புரட்டினாலும், எவரைக் கேட்டாலும், கைரேகை, கால் ரேகை என்றனர். நல்ல நேரத்தில், ஒரு மூத்த மேலாளர், மேடம்! நான் கொல்கத்தாவில் பணிபுரிந்த போது, அன்னை தெரசாவின் மிக்ஷினரிஸ் ஆஃப் சாரிட்டி உடன் உள்ளவர்களுக்கு கணக்கு துவக்கிக் கொடுத்துள்ளேன். அவர்களுக்கும் வாழவும், தங்கள் வாழ்க்கைக்காக சேமிக்கவும், செலவழிக்கவும் உரிமை உள்ளது தானே. மைனர்களுக்கு ஒரு பாதுகாவலர் போட்டு, கணக்கைப் பராமரிக்க அனுமதிப்பது போல், அவரின் நம்பிக்கைக்குரிய உறவினர் ஒருவருக்கு அந்த உரிமையை வழங்கலாம். ஆனால் பணம் அவருக்குச் சென்று சேர்வதை உறுதி செய்து கொள்ளுங்கள் என்றார். மிகச் சிறந்த வழிகாட்டுதல் அது.

மேலதிகாரிகளுடன் உடனடியாக கலந்தாலோசித்து விட்டு, அவ்வாறே செய்ய முடிவெடுத்து, செயலில் இறங்கினேன். அந்த பெண்மணியிடம், அவர் சார்பாக கணக்கில் பணப்பரிவர்த்தனை செய்யவிருக்கும் உறவினர் பற்றி விசாரித்துக் கொண்டு, எக்காரணம் கொண்டும் இந்த அம்மா இல்லாத நேரத்தில், எவருக்கும் அவரின் பணத்தைக் கொடுக்கக் கூடாது என்று வணிகத் தொடர்பாளரிடமும் வலியுறுத்தி அனுப்பி வைத்தேன். இன்று கைகளாலோ, கால்களாலோ ரேகையோ கையெழுத்தோ இடமுடியாத இவர், தன் சார்பாக ஒருவரை முன்னிறுத்தி, உடனிருந்து தனக்கான உதவித் தொகையைப் பெற்றுக் கொள்கிறார். தனக்கான உணவுக்கும், மருத்துவ செலவுகளுக்கும் பிறரைச் சார்ந்திருக்கும் நிலை நிச்சயம் இவருக்குக் குறைந்திருக்கும்.

இரண்டு பைகளுடன் இவர் சிரமப்பட்டு தொடர்வண்டியில் ஏறியதே இவருக்கு இன்றைய சாதனையாகத்தான் இருக்கக் கூடும். நாம் சாதாரணமாக, காகிதத்தைத் தூக்கி எறிந்து, நிமிடத்தில் விழுங்கி விடும் மாத்திரைகளை இவர் எவ்வளவு சிரமத்துடன், முழங்கை, வாய், தாடை எனப் பயன்படுத்தி, பிரித்தெடுத்து, வாயில் போட்டு, மீண்டும் தண்ணீருக்காக பிரயத்தனப்பட்டு விழுங்க வேண்டியிருக்கிறது என்பது யோசிக்க வேண்டிய விக்ஷயமாக இருக்கிறது. இவ்வாறிருக்கையில் இவர் எப்படி தன் ரவிக்கையை, புடவையை அணிந்து கொள்கிறார் என்பது வலியும் வேதனையும் மிகுந்த கேள்வியாகி விடுகிறது. இவை யாவும் இவரின் அன்றாட வேலைகள் என்பதையும் கருத்தில் கொள்ள வேண்டியிருக்கிறது. ஆனாலும் வாழ்க்கையை வாழ்ந்து பார்த்துவிட அவர் முகத்தில் இருக்கும் உறுதி, நம்பிக்கை. வாழ்க மானுடம்.!

என்னை எப்படியேனும்

விட்டில் பூச்சியாக்கிவிடும்

விளையாட்டில் விதியும்;

வீழ்ந்து விடலாகாது

என்ற வைராக்கியத்தில்

நானும்!

இன்னும் எத்தனை

தூரம் எனப்

பார்த்து விடலாம்

என்று தான்

இன்று விழித்தெழுந்தேன்

கண்ணீரோடு உறங்கப் போன

இரவின் முடிவில்!

எந்த வெற்றியும்

தற்காலிகமானதே-நான்

அறிந்தே இருக்கிறேன்

என்ற போதும்

தோற்றுப் போவதில்

உடன்பாடில்லை எனக்கு!

பொழியாதென்று அறிந்திருந்தும்

முகில் நோக்கும்

மண் போல

தீராதென்று உணர்ந்திருந்தும்

போராடிக் கொண்டுதான்

இருக்கிறேன் –தினம்

ஒரு போரில்!

நான் தண்டாயுதபானியா

நிராயுதபானியா!