Sachin roots for Rajpal &Co

Rated better than even Don Bradman by the likes of Nasser Hussain, Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar today said he does not believe in comparisons and has a lot of respect for all cricketers.

After his historic knock of unbeaten 200 in the Gwalior ODI against South Africa, former England captain Nasser Hussain and a few others had described Tendulkar as the greatest batsman in the history of the game, even better than the iconic Bradman.

Tendulkar, however, refused to be drawn into a comparison. “I never believed in comparisons. I respect every individual off the field too and it’s not about only Sir Don. I respect them all. I’m happy to play for the country and am particularly happy when I do well and the team wins.”

That historic knock also prompted former India captains Ajit Wadekar, Kapil Dev and Dilp Vengsarkar to demand the coveted ‘Bharat Ratna’ for the batting genius .

“It’s a rare honour and whosoever have got it are not only my heroes but the heroes of the entire country. Who would not like to join that list, but my focus is on cricket.”

Tendulkar was delighted at the Indian hockey team’s superb 4-1 victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in the ongoing World Cup in New Delhi and he offered his full support to the team. “I also watched the match. It was an exciting match and the Indian team did very well. In the closing stages like everyone else I was also very tense. I’m very happy the team won.”

Tendulkar wished the the team well for the remainder of the tournament and promised them full support. “On every Indian’s behalf, I would say that we are always with you. Performance keeps fluctuating but our support for them remains consistent.”

“In fact, the support should be stronger in times when the team is going through tough phases. We will support them during that time,” he said. “I’m not a hockey expert but will always support the team. My good wishes are always with them whether they perform or fail to live upto expectations,” Tendulkar said. — PTI