Sachin Tendulkar: I'm a normal human being, not a God
Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has stressed that despite many of his fans and followers calling him a cricketing god, he still considers himself to be a normal person.
"I'm no cricketing god. I've made lots of mistakes on the field. I've loved playing cricket, but I'm normal Sachin and that's how it should be,” the former Indian captain said in an interview to BBC radio.
Tendulkar, who retired last November after playing his 200th Test match against the West Indies, said that he finds life after retirement to be hectic and also said that he is now finding more things about life than he did during his playing days.
"I'm getting to know a different side of life,” he said.
Tendulkar considers himself lucky
He also added that he considered himself lucky to have received the kind of adulation that he did from fans, across the globe.
"I consider myself fortunate that people like me, people love me. It's a special thing. I'm blessed I think. God has been kind to me. I don't want to take anything for granted. I am only thankful to everyone for being so kind to me and it's never enough,” the 41-year-old said.
The Little Master also compared different formats of the game, calling Test cricket “the main course” while the rest were just “starters and desserts.”
He also said it is a misconception to think that today’s cricketers are more keen to play only the shorter versions of the game.
"Out of 10 cricketers, if you asked, I wouldn't be surprised if eight say that Test cricket is the top, then comes the rest,” he added.
Tendulkar glad that he could make people happy
Calling the hundred against England at Chennai in 2008 as the most meaningful one of his career, the Master Blaster said he was happy to bring a smile on people’s faces after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai that year.
“It was a difficult period for all Indians across the globe. I felt really proud that I could do something to allow people to think about something else for a while. It allowed people to smile, which was an even greater satisfaction,” he said.
Here’s a video of that memorable hundred vs England in 2008: