Sachin Tendulkar turns 47 on Friday but has decided against celebrating his birthday because of the existing situation arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic.
On the eve of his birthday, the former India captain and cricket legend spoke to The Telegraph on how coronavirus and the lockdown caused by it will affect sport.
Excerpts:
- The Telegraph: You turn 47 on Friday. Is it a conscious decision not to celebrate your birthday this time?
Sachin Tendulkar: I don’t think it’s the right thing to do at this hour when so many people are going through varied problems. So I decided against doing anything.
- What has the current situation taught you?
The current situation has taught all of us not to take anything for granted — things that we normally do. The freedom to be able to do whatever we want is missing. Just normal things... Simple stuff like picking up your car key and going for a drive or going to a friend’s house for a cup of coffee. Basic things in life... These come as a part of freedom to us. So this has taught us to value whatever we have got now rather than complain about what we don’t have.
- You spoke to the Prime Minister about the importance of mental strength to overcome this crisis. Is this something you realised being in this situation or did you learn it from your playing days?
It is impossible to sustain for a long period of time in your playing career if you are not mentally strong. You have to be ready for challenges. Every time you go out in the middle you are faced with multiple questions. It’s a sort of challenge and you have to find solutions for that. You get a fraction of a second to react... You have to prepare yourself regularly and look at all possible adversities as to what could go wrong. If plan A doesn’t work then there should be plan B or plan C in place. Sometimes you have to work on it spontaneously on the field but to be able to sustain that pressure you have to be mentally tough. That applies in life too.
- How much have you missed sport in general during this period?
I have been watching a lot of sport on TV but there has been no live action. Rightly so, since the government’s interest is the nation. Everyone needs to follow the health ministry’s guidelines. This is about saving lives. It is not only the sport fraternity that is suffering, everyone is facing it in some way or the other. So let’s understand that we can overcome this only if we are together. There are so many people who have no interest in sport, what about them? They too are facing challenges. But we are doing this for each other in the interest of our nation and we have got to be well prepared.
- Cricket Australia has said they want to hold matches in empty stadiums. Do you support this idea?
Personally I feel it’s going to be strange to play in front of empty stands. This is because players draw a lot of energy from the spectators. You hit a cover drive and you wait for the screaming response to it. Ditto for someone who has picked a wicket. That element will be missing even if the players may be willing to go out and play. A different scenario altogether. It will be a totally fresh experience and there will be no energy inside the stadium.
- Will sport lose its charm?
I think it will to a certain extent. Crowd response is vital to sport. Take for example watching Roger Federer versus Rafa Nadal and no spectators in the stands. It’s going to look weird and not going to be pleasing to the eye. It could well look like a practice match even if they are playing, say at Wimbledon or the US Open.
- Do you agree with the theory that fast bowlers will lose momentum once cricket resumes? There is also a fear of injuries...
It will take them some time to get back into rhythm, let’s accept that. Also, no tournament or series is going to resume overnight. It will not happen that way. Associations will have to give players time to prepare before playing at a certain level. I know all players must be training indoors. So to go out and bowl outdoors before they get back into action is going to be critical. That time has to be given to the players to adjust.
- What about the batsmen? Will they take time like the bowlers to get their touch back?
It can. There is no such thing where all batsmen are going to be out of touch. At the same time some batsmen who were out of touch could be back in form and vice versa. That is the beauty of any sport. Nothing is guaranteed. Someone who is going through a bad phase will be looking forward to making a good comeback while someone who was in good touch ideally wouldn’t have wanted this break. So this gap is going to bring in varying elements as far as players are concerned.
- Will cricket in general change?
I don’t think so unless the laws are changed again. Otherwise it won’t change much.
- But there’s a lot of talk about restrictions on bowlers using saliva on the ball and players celebrating after a wicket. How do you change such things?
There will be some changes and players will have to be conscious of these facts... Facts like social distancing and putting saliva to maintain shine on the ball will have to be looked into. From a hygiene point of view, players will be aware of what they want to do as a team and on a personal level. Hygiene is something which should be maintained generally, not just because of coronavirus. One has to be particular about that. This is something I have been stressing on for a number of years.
- Cricket Australia has come out with a recommendation of having five Test matches at one single venue. Your thoughts…
I am not in favour of that... I don’t agree with that concept. A five-Test series at one venue means 25 playing days at the same place... I don’t support.
- That takes the charm away. Right?
Hundred and ten per cent yes. On a lighter note, by the end of the series, you won’t know which is the home side and which is the touring side (laughs).
- Do you think the IPL should be held at some point during the year, especially considering so much is at stake for all concerned?
I am sure they will think of it. There would be some window. There is talk about the World T20 being shifted to India. I am not so familiar with dates or how many days it takes to play a full IPL or T20 World Cup... A shorter version of the IPL is also being talked about and it will take lesser time... I am not so sure but I believe the ICC, BCCI and Cricket Australia will look into this matter and find a solution that is agreeable to all.