Sachin Tendulkar: T20 is the most challenging format of the game (Interview)

Sachin Tendulkar: The PM calling me was a pleasant surprise

Mallika Kapur: What did he say the PM? I mean how do you react when the Prime Minister calls you on the phone?

Sachin Tendulkar: Obviously I mean it’s a special moment when the prime minister appreciates your contribution and says that the entire nation is proud of you. I am deeply honored. I think this is a special moment and I told my wife, ‘please stop eating. I want to tell you something.’

Mallika Kapur: How did she react?

Sachin Tendulkar: Yeah, when I told her I have Gods kept in my room and I said please stand there and thank the almighty for what I am going to tell you and when I told her that I had just been told by the Prime Minister that I’ve received Bharat Ratna I didn’t know how to react but she started jumping so it was unbelievable reaction.

Mallika Kapur: Cricket has undergone a face-lift in recent years especially with the Twenty20 format, which is so popular especially in India. What do you think is the future of the Test format is for the game?

Sachin Tendulkar: I think test format has its own place without any doubt, it’s there forever, without any doubt. you ask 10 cricketers which is the most challenging format and I can definitely tell you that 9 would say that test cricket requires more vision, more planning, execution of planning to understand the game–when to speed up the game, when to slow down the game. It’s something that you can manage in test cricket. You cannot do that in a T20 match. You have to go according to the pace of the game. Whereas in test cricket you can control the pace of the game. Bowler is constantly trying to get you out there, t20…feel wow, I’m doing a great job. It hasn’t happened so in test cricket. It’s a different format and I believe it’s the most challenging format. It’s there to say we’ve got two other formats – T20 as well as limited game. Those have also various challenges but I feel as a package test cricket is more challenging and when you perform well in test cricket definitely there is more satisfaction.

Mallika Kapur: When you are Sachin Tendulkar, what do you do to get away from it all?

Sachin Tendulkar: I like driving. I like driving. I enjoy driving cars and that’s something which relaxes me. I also love to listen to music. I love music. It’s difficult to drive cars without music. I think that’s my constant companion. Whether going for a cricket match or going for dinner or whatever, I am constantly listening to music and then it depends on what kind of mood I’m in but music is a constant companion.

Mallika Kapur: From the time you were a sixteen year old who just turned pro to now; how has the sportsman Sachin Tendulkar evolved and changed?

Sachin Tendulkar: over time everything changes and so have I. I would like to believe that when I was a 16 year old maybe I spoke just ten words, now I can speak a little more than that. I was very shy to face the camera. I’m still a little bit shy but I can manage a bit. In cricket definitely, over the years the number of games that I’ve played, it has taught me a lot about the game. I wouldn’t say now I know everything about the game because you are constantly a student of the sport and that’s the beauty of any sport. You are constantly learning and you are met with various challenges at different phases of life. I’ve enjoyed all those challenges and it has definitely made me a stronger person, a better person. If I have to analyze something there is a method to that and that comes with experience. So I think cricket has made me a better person, I would say.

Mallika Kapur: What’s the one thing about professional cricket you won’t miss?

Sachin Tendulkar: I’ve always found it difficult to train. I believed I could just pick up the cricket bat and I should not worry about running laps and all that. I didn’t really enjoy doing all those things but I knew that without all those things there was no survival. I had to do it so that was something which I would definitely not do, just run for the heck of it. I always thought that, you know, if I’m running then I should be scoring runs. If I’m not scoring runs then what’s the point of running? So I thought playing different sports was the best form of training because I like playing tennis, I like playing badminton. I like playing table tennis, a bit of football. You know, all those things and while doing that, if I’m running I don’t mind.

Mallika Kapur: Sachin, what’s next for you?

Sachin Tendulkar: Honestly I will have spent only 24 hours since I’ve retired and my family has waited for 24 years to spend time with me so, you know, that’s something that I want do because they have sacrificed so many things, about various things like I feel terrible that my– I’ve missed out on my daughter’s various birthdays, my son’s birthdays, annual days, sports days– so many things that I mentioned yesterday in my speech and I feel terrible. They’ve been extremely patient, for my daughter now for 16 years and my son for 14 years, so it’s time for me to give them all the attention and be there for all the special occasions.

Mallika Kapur: Any come-back? Any second chance at cricket again?

Sachin Tendulkar: I’m content, I mean, honestly I think this is a perfect decision and I have no regrets. It’s been fantastic.

Mallika Kapur: Thank you very much for your time and Good Luck!

Sachin Tendukar: Thank You so much.

(Interview transcript courtesy CNN’s World Sport)