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Sachin Tendulkar advised Mumbai’s young cricketers not to play flashy twenty20 strokes but rather build an innings for team’s success.
© PTI
He may have scored an unbeaten double century in limited overs cricket, but Sachin Tendulkar is no big fan of cricket’s shortest version – twenty20. Known for his array of strokes and his ability to bludgeon a cricket ball with a heavy bat, Tendulkar is loath to youngsters copying fancy strokes often seen in twenty20. (Virender Sehwag Reveals How Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar Made Him a Destructive Force)
Speaking to Mumbai’s under-16 cricketers – son Arjun is part of the squad – Tendulkar has advised youngsters to stick to copybook cricket and the basics of the game to excel. (Arjun Tendulkar Selected For Mumbai U-16 Team After All-Round Show)
Tendulkar remains a cricket icon and the manner in which his New Year video on Facebook went viral is an indication of his immense popularity. (Sachin Tendulkar Co-Owned Smaaash Signs Cristiano Ronaldo for Football Centre)
Interestingly, Tendulkar has played just one twenty20 international – against South Africa in Johannesburg in December 2006. He scored 10 runs and took a wicket.
At a time when Test and 50-over cricket is up against the growing popularity of twenty20, Tendulkar has advised Mumbai’s juniors to learn to play long innings for the success of the team.
According to a report in the Mid-Day, Tendulkar said flashy strokes (like the Dilscoop, reverse sweep and the switch hit) were dangerous for kids who were still learning the basics of batting.
Meanwhile, Tendulkar summed up his best moments of 2015 in a video posted in Facebook. He remains a great ambassador of the game and his penchant for the Airforce, spending quality time with family and his venture for masters cricket are well depicted in the video.
Tendulkar is part of the Indian cricket board’s heavyweight advisory committee. He hasn’t had much to do in this panel which has largely remained dormant in 2015.
Mumbai’s kids could not have asked for a better mentor than a man who virtually courted all the cricket records under his belt.