"I realized that you also get a sore throat"- Sachin Tendulkar's hilarious response to memories about India-Pakistan encounters
Legendary former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has been a part of five World Cup encounters against Pakistan, with the Men in Blue having won all of them. He agreed that the level of enthusiasm among the crowd and also among the players is a notch higher than other games.
Tendulkar first featured in an India-Pakistan World Cup game down under in 1992 when he was just 19 years of age. The Master Blaster spoke about how the players handle the pressure of such a huge game and also about the build-up to such a match.
In an interaction arranged by Meta (Facebook) at their Mumbai office in BKC, here's what Sachin Tendulkar had to say:
"India-Pakistan matches are always high-pressure encounters. But during my first experience of that during the 1992 World Cup in Sydney, I realized that you also get a sore throat (smiles). The intensity has been on a completely different level. The five matches (World Cup against Pakistan) that I have been a part of, we have won all."
Tendulkar also shed light on the secret of him being such a great cricketer. He spoke about how passionately he played the game ever since he was a youngster and added:
"We live our passion, and that's what I did. Never look at the watch. The biggest clock was my heart. It was all about satisfaction. Try and be what you want to be in life and try and excel there."
Sachin Tendulkar on dealing with criticism
Being arguably one of the biggest cricketers to have ever played the game, Sachin Tendulkar had his share of criticism when he had some tough times on the field. However, the legendary batter explained how important it is for anyone to filter out criticism and recognize the people one can open up to.
On this, Sachin Tendulkar stated:
"(On criticism) You should also look at who is criticizing you and whether it's even important to listen to their criticism. Someone who's wanting to tell you something will always be there by your side through your ups and downs. You need to trust your instincts and then have a small group of people to whom you can speak. I had those around me who I could speak to and then get in a better frame of mind to go out there and do what I expected."
Having carried the burden of expectations of millions of people and having still managed to deliver, Sachin Tendulkar truly remains one of the greatest players of all time.