Tendulkar dismisses talk of retirement

Soon after pulling out of the West Indies tour due to a shoulder injury, Sachin Tendulkar has dismissed all suggestions of retirement and insists that he will continue playing both forms of the game. Tendulkar opted out of a scheduled fitness test in Mumbai yesterday and informed the selectors that he was not ready to return to international cricket as yet.

"I have not thought of this (retirement). I always believe in putting all my efforts in both forms of the game. One-day games are also equally important as Test matches," he said in an exclusive interview to PTI. "I like the challenges under pressure situations in limited-over games and similarly when you negotiate the good spells of rival bowlers in Test matches."

Tendulkar was quick to attribute India's new resurgence as a one-day side to Greg Chappell, the coach, and his support staff, who have been successful in identifying matchwinning players. "The difference that we see today is that we have more matchwinning players in the team and this should augur well for winning more matches and series, besides tournaments in the near future.

"It is just the fact that we have talented players, besides contributions of the support staff of Greg [Chappell], [Greg] King , John [Gloster], Ian Frazer and others for the success rate of the team." Tendulkar emphasised that Chappell's inputs have added value to each of the players including himself, and attributed this to Chappell's experience as an exceptional player and captain.

"Somebody who has been around for a long long time has to provide value to each and every player in the team. Greg has been in the game as a player, captain and otherwise for 40 years", he said. "He himself was such a top player and the way he approaches the game, his thought process in analysing the game has been remarkable."

He added that interacting with the coach was an experience in itself, citing Chappell's vast knowledge on the mental aspects of the game. "Greg and myself do discuss these things and mental aspects of players. Interaction on such matters with Greg is always good and a positive thing to do. In fact, one does get new ideas talking to a person of Greg's stature and it definitely helps in actual match situations."

When asked whether the functioning of the Indian board (BCCI) played a part in the team's success, Tendulkar stressed that the players and the administrators' jobs are independent of each other. "Hopefully, the board officials know what are the right things to do. We, the players, should worry about what are the right things to do on the field. Interference of any side is not good because administration is a specified job and playing cricket is yet another specified job."