4:20 pm: Sachin Tendulkar is set to address the media for the first time since bowing out of Test cricket and we will bring you all the updates along the way. 4:23 pm: Ive faced many challenges in the 24 years of my career. Playing for India has been a dream journey for me. 4:24 pm: Any regrets?: I have no regrets and have chosen the right moment to retire. 4:25 pm: In response to what the future looks like: I have played for 24 years. Let me rest for at least 24 days now. I havent decided what Im going to do in the future. I will be associated with the sport in one way or the other for sure. 4:26 pm: What made you take the decision?: At one point, your body tells you that it cant take any more. I have sustained and recovered from plenty of injuries in my career. But I have realized that I do not have the same amount of fitness to go through rigorous training any more. 4:28 pm: About the farewell Test: Last Test was memorable in many ways. My mothers presence made it very special. 4:30 pm: On future contribution to cricket: In any sport, India comes first. Ive believed in it and followed it throughout my career. Even though I wont be playing, my heart will always be with the Indian team. 4:35 pm: On winning the Bharat Ratna: I dedicated this award to my mother for various reasons. My mother has made several sacrifices for my career. Its also for the millions of mothers across India, who make sacrifices for their children. Im honoured and humbled by this award. The way people have supported and appreciated my performances have played a crucial role in my development as a player. So the award belongs to the whole nation. I would also like to congratulate Dr Rao, who was also honoured with the award. Cricket is talked about everyday and performed in front of the whole nation. His contribution has been equally important and Id like to congratulate him. 4:37 pm: About West Indies poor performance: Cricket is full of ups and downs. You cant judge a team based on a few bad performances. 4:38 pm: About whether he would open a cricket academy: Ive always enjoyed interacting with youngsters and Ill continue to be involved with the next generation and help them in any way I can. 4:40 pm: On paying respect to the Wankhede pitch: Whatever I have is due to that pitch. It struck me yesterday that I wont be going back to it again and I got emotional. 4:42 pm: On Acharekar Sir: Achrekar sir and my brother Ajit have played a huge role in my career in the last 30 years. Its the beauty of my relationship with them. The reason why Achrekar sir never said well played to me is simple. He didnt want me to get complacent. He didnt want the game to go to my head. He called me yesterday and said well done. I was delighted to hear his compliment. 4:45 pm: On injuries: I always dreaded injuries. To overcome them and return to action was never easy. There was always pressure in terms of recovery time and form. Body needs time to recover. And you have to respect nature. It took me four and a half months to recover from my tennis elbow, for instance. These challenges were tough. It often threatened to end my career. During the tennis elbow injury, I couldnt even pick up Arjuns plastic bag. I honestly thought I wouldnt be able to play again. It was a difficult phase in my life and I thank all those who stood by me through those times. 4:46 pm: On motivation through music: Music has been my constant companion. I respect various artists and singers who have created some magical songs. Cant single out one inspirational song, though. 4:48 pm: On brother Ajit: While I was representing the nation, I was also representing Ajit. Words cant describe my relationship with him. He was very emotional yesterday. He went through the same feelings as mine yesterday when he looked at the crowds reactions. He also felt relieved.\ 4:49 pm: On Ashes prediction: Both countries want to prove a point. Australia would like to bounce back. Itll be exciting. 4:49 pm: How was your day today?: I woke up today and realized that I dont need to rush to training any more. Had a cup of tea, had breakfast with my wife and had a relaxed morning. Lots of wishes kept coming in. I thanked my friends and now Im here in front of you. 4:50: Favourite moments against England: 1: First test ton at Old Trafford in 1989. 2: When we beat them in Chennai in 2008 4:51: On Bharat Ratna: Im receiving the award on behalf of the whole nation. We have seen so many talented sportspersons who have contributed so much to the country. I think my award has opened the door for others and Id like to see more sportstars to get this award. 4:53 pm: Dealing with that final feeling: When I went to the pitch yesterday, I got really emotional and couldnt control my tears. I realized it wasnt going to happen again. I couldnt look anyone in the eye. It was difficult. Its hard to express how I feel. In spite of everything, I know the decision was right. 4:55 pm: Which knock has pleased you and your family most?: My family has never lost balance and gotten carried away after a good performance. We simply used to buy sweets and offer them to god and those around us. Thats what Ive learned from my parents. There reaction was never really related to my performance and it has stayed that way. 4:57 pm: About 74 in Mumbai: I was happy that my mother was there for my last innings. I could see the joy in her eyes. It was a controlled reaction, but I could see it in his eyes. 4:59 pm: On Arjuns future: As a father I would request you to not put him under pressure and let him enjoy his cricket. Ive never pressurized him. Hes madly in love with cricket and thats what matters. I wont put pressure on him and neither should you. The rest will be taken care by god. 5:00 pm: Special moments: World Cup has to be the most special moment of my career. And so was yesterday. It was overwhelmed with the peoples reactions. Id like to thank everyone for that. 5:02 pm: About influencing the next generation: I enjoy every young cricketers success. Its a team sport and doesnt matter who performs. Ive thoroughly enjoyed being part of the team of youngsters. Its been a joy. Bhuvneshwar, for instance wasnt even born when I started out. If youre prepared to learn, you can even learn from the youngest squad member and my learning has continued all throughout my career. 5:04 pm: About pushing for cricket to be part of Olympics: Its hardly been 24 hours. Give me some time to breathe and well talk about all these issues. 5:05 pm: On dealing with critics: I look at them till a particular point and at whats being written by whom. After a point, you find out the people who give you constructive criticism. Fortunately for me, my guides and coaches have been my best critics. And none of them had a pen in their hands. I never had to look beyond them for guidance. 5:07 pm: On the reaction My childhood has ended coming from an entire generation: It is said that 40 is the new 20. So Id say continue to be like a 20-year-old. 5:10 pm: On foreign coaches: Its not about an Indian or a foreign coach. Its about whos coaching. A coach who understands a player, who can handle his emotions and back the player is what matters. The coach should be a friend. The player should be able to confide in the coach. Thank you very much! Well, thats it from Sachins first press address since retirement. Just like his farewell speech at the Wankhede yesterday, the Master Blaster touched various topics, thanked everyone for their support in his dream journey of 24 years and said his heart will always keep playing cricket.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Nov 2013 14:07:49 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015