"I need mental rest"

Sachin Tendulkar, recuperating from a back injury, has said he needed to rest physically but more important was the 'mental rest' he had received during the current lay-off from cricket. “I could rest mentally only by spending a lot of time with my family and they rallied around me to ensure I got that,” “Of course it has been very hard to stay away from the game and when at home, I keep practising before a mirror with my bat,” Tendulkar, who has skipped the current tri-series , said. “I really do not remember the last time I had such a long-layoff from cricket but this break should do me good. “I have been playing throughout and would have liked to continue doing that but there are times when one would like to relax and spend some time with the family and I do it in the company of my daughter and wife,” he added.

"So all I have to do is to work on my back and keep my fingers crossed. Hopefully things will be right." When asked whether he would be available for the Sharjah he simply said, "We will have to wait and see."

Tendulkar expressed confidence that the Indian team will live up to people's expectations and win the World Cup in England the coming summer. Speaking to reporters after receiving the Padma Shri Award from President K R Narayanan at Rashtrapati Bhavan, he said "well we are going to try our level best. I am sure prayers of all the people in India won't go waste at all. And we will try and live up to their expectations. And we can only do that by getting the cup back home to India," he said.