All hail the Cricket God !!

If God decides to become a cricketer, He'd want to be like Tendulkar. I'm sure He'd be nearly as good as Tendulkar, but certainly not as good.

28,835 runs and 83 centuries in international cricket (!). And counting. Truly Tendulkarsque figures, these are. And let's not forget the number of matches he has won single-handedly for India. But the thing that I find God-like about Tendulkar is not only the number of runs he has scored but also the way he has gone about his business on the cricket field and off it. This man has his head amongst the stars and his feet firmly on the ground. He has been India's premier batsman in the international cricketing area for 19 years. Yet his will to win and the utmost humility with which he plays the game remains the same even today. Unlike his fellow-geniuses of the modern era, viz. Shane Warne, Brian Lara, Wasim Akram and Ricky Ponting, Tendulkar has miraculuosly managed to remain insulated from controversies throughout his career. He has managed the impossible feat of being the leading (some would say the best) batsman of his generation and at the same time securing the goodwill of one and all. I mean an achiever of Tendulkar's calibre is likely to have a few jealous detractors, but none as far as Tendulkar is concerned. It's more a tribute to his character as a human being than anything else. He is a role model for anyone who decides to pick up a cricket bat (probably even God). They say cricket is a gentleman's game. Sachin Tendulkar, who plays for India, is the ulimate gentleman.