Having opted out of the World Twenty20 in South Africa, Sachin Tendulkar has steadfastly stayed away from this format of the game when it comes to playing for the country.
At a promotional event here on Tuesday, the maestro said he would have loved to play Twenty20 cricket for India but did not wish to upset the team’s calculations.
“I had pulled out of the World T20 because of fitness problem but then the team won. Nothing could have been better than that,” said Tendulkar, who was named the brand ambassador for Jaypee Cements.
On the coming Indian Premier League in South Africa where he will lead Mumbai Indians, Tendulkar said, “it is disappointing that spectators in India can’t witness the matches at home. The BCCI tried its best but the tournament clashed with the elections. The interest among the fans will still be high. Playing in South African conditions will certainly help the youngsters.”
Tendulkar was all praise for skipper M.S. Dhoni. When Rahul Dravid stepped down from captaincy, Tendulkar had suggested Dhoni’s name to the then BCCI President Sharad Pawar.
On this day, Tendulkar described Dhoni as a “balanced guy. I picked up a lot of things when I stood in the slips and interacted with him. I knew he had a sharp brain. He is doing a fantastic job.”
The master blaster said he was happy to play the role of a mentor to some of the youngsters in the team. “I am like an elder brother to players like Harbhajan (Singh) and Yuvraj (Singh). I like to share ideas and information with all members of the team. The atmosphere in the dressing room is terrific. We constantly learn from each other.”
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