Tendulkar “a beacon of greatness representing true spirit of cricket”: Pak editorial

ISLAMABAD - Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, who created history on Sunday by becoming the first player to score 50 centuries in Test cricket, is a “beacon of greatness” representing the true spirit of the game, an editorial in a Pakistani newspaper has said.

“In the ever-changing nature of cricket because of increasing commercialisation, Sachin Tendulkar is a beacon of greatness representing the true spirit of the sport. He is a pleasure to watch for cricket purists. We would like to congratulate him on this milestone and wish him the best for the future,” said the Daily Times editorial.

His latest hundred came under severe pressure, with his team on the brink of losing the first Test match against South Africa in Centurion. Although Tendulkar batted for five hours to reach 107 runs, taking his total tally of runs in Test cricket to 14,509 runs, he was unable to save the match for his country despite his heroics, with the Indian team crumbling around him.

The editorial noted that Tendulkar, who made his Test debut in 1989 as a 16-year-old against Pakistan in Karachi, has been able to score in all parts of the world and in all conditions, and “unlike most modern batsmen, he does not play any predetermined shots, but rather plays every ball on merit.”

“There is no apparent chink in his armour. His concentration is second to none. The two features that set him apart from all other players is his selflessness for the team and his never-ending hunger to score more runs,” it added.

With such a prolific record in Test cricket comes the comparison to the greatest batsman of all time, Don Bradman, who only managed to play 52 matches and scored 29 centuries, the editorial said.

“However, Sir Bradman had an average of 99.94 in Test cricket during his career between 1928-1948. Also during this time, travel would take longer, far less cricket was played and in between World War II interrupted his career. Only God knows what Sir Don Bradman would have achieved if he plied his trade today,” it wondered. (ANI)