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SIX FLAWS OF has celebrated Sachin Tendulkar’s exploits on the field for 24 years now. As the greying maestro, who is now 40 years old, plays his last innings, it is easy to overlook some aspects of his career in the blinding brilliance of what he has achieved. But from the shadowy margins, we bring out some of the failings of the man they called God.

GREAT PLAYERS DON'T ALWAYS MAKE great captains and when Tendulkar was appointed in 1999, he was The Great WHILE Though he was an Indian Hope. But Tendulkar crumbled under pressure inspirational figure, SOME PLAYERS HAVE and after leading India in 25 Tests and 73 ODIs, he stepped maintained that Tendulkar was, it’s difficult to call any player a down. In the 25 matches he captained, only four resulted in and continues to be, an idol for Tendulkar ‘protege’ , victories. There were 12 draws and 9 defeats, including a 3-0 series them, he never played the role of a defeat against abroad. Compare this with , mentor like Sourav Ganguly did, or MS India’s most inspirational captain, and Tendulkar’s record looks worse. Dhoni. Under Ganguly's captaincy, players Ganguly in 49 Test matches had 21 wins, 13 losses and 15 draws and a like , and AWESOME , winning percentage of 42.85. MS Dhoni has captained in 45 Test matches all flourished as Ganguly backed winning 22, losing 12 and drawing 11 with a win percentage of 48.88. them to the hilt. Even Dhoni has backed the likes of LACKLUSTRE Tendulkar led India in 73 ODIs, out of which only 23 were won. His winning , who after a stutter has made himself percentage is 35. Ganguly captained in 147 ODIs with a winning percentage of an integral part of the Indian team. Or , who CAPTAINCY 53.22. Dhoni’s winning percentage stands at 62 from 147 matches. has always had Dhoni’s support. No young player actually J Y Lele, the BCCI secretary when Tendulkar was captain, in his book fulfilled his potential under Tendulkar. wrote that Tendulkar’s biggest problem as captain was that he “listened That perhaps is because he has been such a to too many people”. Tendulkar’s performance as a batsman didn’t figurehead in Indian cricket, Tendulkar always suffer much as during his captaincy he scored just inspired younger players. But in a 24-year-long 2,000 runs, including seven 100s, at an career, it’s a bit hard to find any cricketer average of 51. But he never managed who can be called a Tendulkar- to inspire the team on the whole protégé. and it left a big question mark over his leadership abilities. NOT QUITE THE BUSINESSMAN TENDULKAR STAR MAKER? IS A SELF-CONFESSED FOODIE AND he translated this love for food into a NOT HE business opportunity. He partnered with Sanjay Narang of the Mars Hotels group to open his flagship Tendulkar’s record restaurant, Tendulkar’s, in Colaba, . The restaurant as captain was had rare photos and memorabilia and served Tendulkar's quite poor and he favourite dishes like fried Bombay and baingan bharta. He struggled to come also opened a “café” called Sachin’s in Mulund, Mumbai. Both the to grips with the job establishments got an initial buzz but soon faded. Sachin's remained in business for around three years and Tendulkar's for about six years. While Tendulkar, not surprisingly, never commented on why the restaurants were shut, Narang did say that the restaurant might open its doors again. So far it hasn’t happened. Perhaps people judge Tendulkar harshly on certain things, but the Ferrari episode does leave a bitter image in the mind. In 2003, Tendulkar SELF-IMPOSED was gifted a Ferrari by Fiat when he equalled ’s tally of 29 ONE centuries. Tendulkar had requested for a customs duty waiver despite OF THE BIGGEST CRITICISMS OF getting it as a gift and not winning it as a prize in a tournament.The Tendulkar has been that he never took a GAG finance ministry exempted Tendulkar from paying around ~1.13 stand on key issues, at least at the time when they crore towards import duty for the vehicle, valued at ~75 lakh. were unfolding. Take the match-fixing scandal which In 2011, Tendulkar however, sold that car to a Surat-based plagued the game through the 1990s. Tendulkar stayed in the businessman. Why sell a “gift”, that too after background and never campaigned against the scourge. In 2000, getting the duty waived off? he gave an interview to a news magazine and said, “I have always been out of this kind of thing. The nation knows I am clean. My whole career has been transparent. I don't have to go out and say anything in my defence. The only reason I did not speak about it is that I didn’t know anything about it. I would have given a statement if I knew something.” A single ABSENTEE comment from Tendulkar would have made a difference, but Tendulkar chose to WHEN keep quiet. Even now, when spot-fixing plagues IPL, Tendulkar hasn’t said much PARLIAMENTARIAN THE CURRENT UPA on the issue. Government nominated Tendulkar as Or even during the MonkeyGate controversy in 2008, former Australian an MP, it did come as a surprise. Tendulkar was captain wrote in his book that Tendulkar changed his stance quite sworn in as a Rajya Sabha member in June 2012. He a bit. Tendulkar, who has always been guarded, didn't publically comment on didn’t attend Parliament even for one day during this year’s the scandal. Tendulkar, has always stayed away from the limelight, but at Budget session. In the Monsoon session of 2013, Tendulkar certain sensitive times, perhaps he could, or should have, taken a stand. TIMING OF marked his attendance once. So a total of two outings in the Upper House is, frankly, abysmal. For someone who has always lived a RETIREMENT private life, Tendulkar's decision to join the Rajya Sabha was a bit puzzling. He refused the official accommodation which is offered to Rajya Sabha MPs and being an active cricketer his absence didn’t come as a IT’S surprise. As often is the case with him, Tendulkar made it clear that cricket A BIT IRONICAL THAT A MAN was the focus with him and he wouldn't have much time for “other things”. blessed with wonderful timing with “I would continue to concentrate on the game and would shift focus to the bat came in for a bit of flak when it Parliament only after I stop playing cricket.I am here because of my came to calling it quits. Murmurs were growing cricketing career. I cannot take any focus away louder that Tendulkar was past his best, something from my cricket. That is where it all started which was backed by numbers. It’s been 21 Tests since for me. I will focus on my cricket and Tendulkar has crossed the three-figure mark. His last as and when I stop playing was on January 2, 2011 . There have been scores of 50- cricket, I don’t know, I will plus but Tendulkar’s contribution in the last two years has been start attending to other minimal. There was a phase when Tendulkar in 10 innings scored things,” was his take just 153 runs. One wonders if his name — and some may say it was before taking oath justified — carried him in the last two years. There were shades of as an MP. brilliance — the 80 against Australia in Sydney — but overall he was on the decline. even said that “none of us want to see Tendulkar embarrass himself with failures.” too said that it would have enhanced Tendulkar's Perhaps Tendulkar could legacy if he had hung up his boots after winning the 2011 Why he joined the have spoken up about World Cup. But Tendulkar maintained that as long as Rajya Sabha is still issues like match-fixing he had the passion and hunger for the game, he not clear. Tendulkar which cropped up many would continue playing. The hunger and was a rare sight in the times during his career passion might have been there, but Upper House the runs certainly weren’t. GRAPHIC: AJAY MOHANTY