Sachin almighty

Abstract

Sachin Tendulkar is easily the most recognised and feted cricketer of the modern era, going where no cricketer has gone before and no cricketer is likely to go in the foreseeable future. The cliché in India goes: cricket is a religion and Sachin is a god. It's hard to disagree. But in a career spanning over two decades where Tendulkar has hardly put a foot wrong on or off the field, is there no room for cynicism, no reason to believe that he isn't as infallible as he is made out to be? In ‘Sachin Almighty’, we see if, beyond the obvious and unquestionable greatness as a cricketer, there isn't just another mere mortal lurking, one who isn't above criticism.

Notes

 1 ‘Tendulkar Playing for the Wrong Reasons’, Press Trust of India, April 26, 2007.

 2 Chappell, Fierce Focus.

 3 ‘Tendulkar Earns Criticism, Not Praise’, Cricinfo, December 20, 2010.

 4 Greg Chappell quoted in Bhattacharya, Sach.

 5 Bodhisattwa Maity, ‘The Truth About Sachin Tendulkar’, The New Indian Express, August 7, 2011.

 6 Personal interview with Chetan Chauhan, August 7, 2011.

 7 ‘Tendulkar Irked with Chappell's Comments’, The Times of India, April 7, 2007.

 8 ‘Sachin Not a Match-Winner’, Rediff.com , October 7, 2003.

 9 ‘Sachin Fails at Crunch Times’, Cricinfo, July 25, 2007.

10 ‘India Should Win for Country, Not Sachin’, Press Trust of India, February 11, 2011.

11 ‘Sachin Should Win World Cup for Us’, The Times of India, February 15, 2011.

12 ‘Did Sachin Fake His Injuries?’ The Indian Express, September 18, 2009.

13 ‘Shoaib's All-Out Attack’, NewsX, September 25, 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v = aYEVKV_gO1Y

14 Personal interview with an Indian cricketer (on condition of anonymity), October 2010.

15 Personal interview with Javagal Srinath, February 15, 2011.

16 Shamya Dasgupta, ‘Bright Lights Even in Twilight Zone’, Sahara Time, October 23, 2010.

17 Personal interview with Aakash Chopra, February 15, 2011.

18 ‘Did Sachin Fake Injuries?’ The Times of India, February 24, 2008.

19 ‘Did Sachin Fake Injuries?’ The Times of India, February 24, 2008

20 Dasgupta, ‘Bright Lights Even in Twilight Zone’.

21 ‘Does Sachin Fake Injuries?’ The Indian Express, July 22, 2006.

22 ‘Former Cricketers Bat for Tendulkar’, Rediff.com , July 22, 2006.

23 ‘Did Sachin Fake Injuries?’ The Times of India.

24 Gilchrist, True Colours.

25 Gilchrist, True Colours

26 South African Press Association media release, November 20, 2001.

27 Personal interview with Manoj Prabhakar, November 26, 2000. I was working with Prabhakar on the ‘Fallen Heroes: The Inside Story of a Nation Betrayed’ exposé for Tehelka.com.

28 Murali Krishnan, ‘Sachin Knows Everything’, The Outlook, July 3, 2003.

29 Maity, ‘The Truth About Sachin Tendulkar’.

30 George Dobell, ‘It's Not Easy Being Sachin’, Spin: The Cricket Magazine, July 15, 2011.

31 Ezekiel, Sachin.

32 Ezekiel, Sachin

33 Dobell, ‘It's Not Easy Being Sachin’.

34 ‘Tendulkar Tweets, India Responds Overwhelmingly’, Press Trust of India, May 27, 2010.

35 ‘Tendulkar Shuns Liquor Ad, Wins Laurels’, The Indian Express, December 28, 2010.

36 ‘Sachin Invites Wrath of Fans on Social Networking Sites’, The Economic Times, June 25, 2011.

37 Moin Khan, ‘Beginning of the End for Tendulkar’, Rediff.com , January 27, 2006.

38 ‘Endulkar’, The Times of India, February 2, 2006.

39 Suresh Menon, ‘Sachin Endulkar’, The Outlook, October 25, 2004.

40 Courtesy Cricinfo (updated at the time of writing the article).

41 ‘Is Lara Better than Tendulkar?’ Caribbean Cricket, May 21, 2003.

42 ‘Kallis Better than Sachin’, Pune Mirror, May 9, 2011.

43 Personal interview with Wasim Akram, May 18, 2010.

44 ‘Sachin vs Lara, Lara vs Sachin’, Itscricket.com .

45 ‘Is Lara Better than Tendulkar?’ Caribbean Cricket.

46 ‘Is Lara Better than Tendulkar?’ Caribbean Cricket

47 ‘Is Lara Better than Tendulkar?’ Caribbean Cricket

48 Personal interview with Viv Richards, October 6, 2010.

49 Personal interview with Ayaz Memon, August 10, 2011.