BCCI’s Chairman of selectors Krishnamachari Srikkanth today threw his weight behind batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar’s decision to continue playing for India and dismissed suggestions made by former players, including legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev, that the iconic batsman should call it quits. ‘Today is the time to celebrate To score a hundred in a league match is difficult. At any level, a hundred is a hundred and this man has got 100 of them in One-Day Internationals and Tests put together. It is time for the nation to celebrate. It is not just an achievement for him but for every Indian,’ Srikkanth was quoted as saying by a TV channel. ‘To play 23 long years at the highest level and maintain the level at the top is no joke. It is time to appreciate him and congratulate him. Rather than talking negative things. Sachin Tendulkar knows what to do, what not to do,’ he added. The former opener, however, refused to comment on the alleged rift within the Indian team and instead said that controversies are a part and parcel of the game when the team loses.
‘When a team is losing, everything from the outside feels wrong. When the same team was winning matches, nobody questioned. I am not willing to comment on this,’ he said. The chairman, however, accepted the blame for India’s dismal showings and Bishan Singh Bedi critical comments about the selectors in this regard.
‘I respect Mr Bishan Singh Bedi. He is a great cricketer. He has his point of view and I respect everybody’s point of view,’ he said. He said his post gives him the responsibility for India’s performances and he is willing to cop the blame for things not going right.
‘If you think as the chairman of the selection committee, I should take the blame for India’s performance; I am willing to accept it. It is a responsibility given to me by the board and I respect the responsibility,’ he said. ‘It is just a bad season. Cricket is a sport; sometimes you win sometimes you lose. Fair enough; I accept that we have lost. But I think there were a few occasions in both England and the Australia series where we could have capitalised on a few opportunities,’ he added.
UNI