Injured Tendulkar misses Super Series

Sachin Tendulkar has been ruled out of the Super Series after his tennis elbow injury failed to heal in time for the ICC's deadline. Tendulkar, a crucial figure for the World XI, was given an extension by the ICC to confirm his availability but Dr Anant Joshi, a sports specialist appointed by the BCCI, said Tendulkar needed to play a domestic match before being passed fit for international cricket.

Meanwhile, whether he plays or not Brand Sachin seems to be growing by the day. Percept D'Mark , the celebrity management firm who are agents for Sourav Ganguly, Kapil Dev, L Balaji and Yuvraj Singh among others, is apparently negotiating a long-term deal with Tendulkar. His five-year deal with WorldTel, amounting to Rs.100 crore, draws to a close coming December.

The new deal is expected to fetch him a sum substantially higher than this and could also involve him in merchandising activities, fan clubs, world-class academies and even some businesses, according to Shailendra Singh, Percept's managing director.

"We are not trying to buy him out of his existing relationship. We are instead trying to partner with him for his future. It makes sense to partner with a large organisation like ours. There is no other integrated company like ours. Our strengths and network will allow us to build a business model for Sachin beyond 2007," Singh told the Hindustan Times newspaper.

On Tendulkar's injury, R S Shetty, the BCCI's executive secretary in-charge, said in Mumbai that Dr Joshi had been supervising Tendulkar's rehabilitation program. "He has advised that Sachin should participate in at least one domestic game to evaluate his recovery before participating in competitive cricket," PTI reported. "Therefore Tendulkar has opted out of the Super Series."

Tendulkar joins Herschelle Gibbs on the injured list for the Super Series, which starts with the first of three one-day matches in Melbourne on October 5.