When Shah Rukh met Sachin Sachin Tendulkar and Shah Rukh Khan seems to have formed a mutual admiration society. They first met on a flight to Calcutta when the former was flying for the Coca Cola Cup and the latter for a show. So awed were they by each other's presence, that the meeting soon fizzled out into a duck. The irrepressible SRK perhaps, for the first time, experienced a loss of words, while the world's greatest batsman was clearly bowled over by the Khan's charisma. However, Shah Rukh did haltingly manage to ask Tendulkar for an autograph for his son, and the little master shyly obliged. Their second meeting took place recently when the two were scheduled to shoot for the new Pepsi commercial at Film City. And this time it was Tendulkar who returned the compliment. Much to Shah Rukh's surprise and pleasure, Tendulkar was accompanied by his one-year-old daughter Sara, who it seems is a great fan of SRK. Shah Rukh, who needed no prodding, went out of his way to play the perfect charmer for the li'l lady.
When Sachin says "his runs mean nothing if India does not win," it has a ring of authority and pile of evidence. If it was only money that guided Tendulkar he would have accepted the offer of a T.V. channel which wanted to telecast his wedding for fortune. If it was only money, Tendulkar would not have helped countless of those cricketers who came calling to seek his help. If it was only money, Tendulkar would not have minded the fat cheques which had lined up for his daughter's pictures in newspapers,magazines and t.v. channels. One needs to watch Tendulkar in nets, during play and in public functions to realise how humility governs his conduct. Thers is never a gesture out of place,never a refusal to a request for autogragh, never an arrogant splaying of hands or cocking of head. The biggest evidence of his character and dignity is he is a listener. People one-millionth of his achievement rave and rant. But Tendulkar listens. It will be an important self-discovery for all of us if we could show ourselves as capable of listening,and not bargging at real or imagined achievements. Tendulkar does it and truly, humbles you with his conduct.
French news agency AFP's team of cricket writers have put together their favourite world eleven with the onus on established class. Every player has a reserve player nominated, with the exception of Sachin Tendulkar. According to the agency, the little master is "incomparable". The squad:
India's ace cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has been honoured with the release of a special 24-karat gold "Sachin Medallion" in Dubai.
The quarter-ounce coin was issued in the west Asia as a limited edition ahead of the world cup cricket by the French bank Societe Generale with the support of the World Gold Council.
The coin with a profile of the master batsman on one side and a message "Support India 1999" on the other has already generated enthusistic response, according to the retailers Damas Jewellery.
The Indian consul general Asoke Mukerji, who released the Rs 4500 medallion at the Indian sports club here, said it will create better awareness about India.
HOVE: Sachin Tendulkar would be the ideal man to lead an eclectic eleven from players who have appeared in the previous six world cups, according to celebrated English cricket writer John Woodcock.
"What a talent and what a constellation," Woodcock says in admiration of Tendulkar, the only Indian among the eleven of the venerated cricket writer's choice.
"He (Tendulkar) has the game in his bones as incontestably as anyone I ever saw," he says. "He may be the smallest man in the side but in other ways he is the tallest -and he has just turned 25."
In Woodcock's opinion, Tendulkar would bat at number four in his dream World XI behind Sanath Jayasuriya, Gordon Greenidge and Vivian Richards, a choice at variance with Tendulkar's splendid one-day career where most of his 7081 runs and all 21 centuries have been scored as an opener.
"There is no one better than Tendulkar to have at number four, a batsman I dared to describe not long ago as being already as accomplished as Sir Donald Bradman, although not, of course, as prolific," Woodcock says.
"He has infinite concentration, the soundest of methods, great resilience and, for someone so short, extraordinary power," he adds.
Other than Tendulkar, Woodcock's imaginary team comprises Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka), Gordon Greenidge, Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, Joel Garner (all West Indies), Ian Botham and Allan Knott (both England), Imran Khan (Pakistan), Richard Hadlee (New Zealand) and Shane Warne (Australia).
EDGBASTON: Sachin Tendulkar is as omnipotent as Donald Bradman and is assured of a place in the pantheon of cricketing gods --thus spake former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe.
"He (Tendulkar) is at present to one-day international cricket what Bradman was to test cricket -omnipotent," Crowe said, adding "Sachin will evoke the same aura in the years to come".
Tendulkar's technique, determination, manner and humility are a powerful combination to make him an "aristrocrat among cricketers", the former Kiwi star said eulogising the Indian batting maestro.
Tendulkar enjoys a godlike status in India "and in my view it is earned", Crowe said. "... (he) will take his place amongst the gods of the game."
Australian leg-spinning wizard Shane Warne, often at the receiving end of Tendulkar's batsmanship, was equally fulsome in his praise of the master blaster.
"Every time that guy bats against us, it seems to be his testomonial. When he gets set, there's not a chink in his game," he gushed.
Warne rated Tendulkar's sparkling 140 scored in the world cup match against Kenya "as the best in this competition so far, coming so soon after the death of his father."
"I don't think Sachin has any enemies in the game and you can sense a groundswell of sympathy (for him) through the tournament (after his bereavement)," Warne said in a touching compliment.