Responses to Sachin Tendulkar vary from the cogent to the bizarre. There are some who argue that he is “still the best bet”, while others maintain that he should quit. Then there are those like Milind Rege, former cricketer and popular commentator, who maintain that being disrespectful to an older person is alien to our culture.Sporting nations that have been successful have invariably been ruthless about filtering out faltering talent. For instance, in Australian cricket the number of players who have continuously dominated the game for well over a decade in, say, the last forty years, such as the Chappell and Waugh brothers, Border, Warne, Lillee and Thomson, are a minority. Even among these, most retired at 35 or less. Despite his first-class average of 51, Norman O’Neill bowed out after just seven years of competitive cricket at the ripe age of 28. Richie Benaud, arguably an outstanding all-rounder and an adroit captain, bowed out of tests at 34. Lillee quit at 35 as the world’s top wicket taker. They went out not because they were found wanting but because professionally administered sports demand the continuous infusion of new blood. It is this healthy respect for current performance rather than age, fame or past accomplishments, that has kept the Australian cricket juggernaut rolling. Cricket, like all sport, is about toughness and performance. Respect and culture, awe and admiration have little relevance in an environment where the objective is to destroy or be destroyed. Therefore, when it comes to Sachin Tendulkar, the Board for Control of Cricket in India must decide if he — given his current health problems and business interests — can meet the rigours of high level cricket. Incidentally, going by the Bhagwad Gita, Lord Krishna had something to say on the issue. He had advised against emotions playing a role in the discharge of one’s duty. If, after due analysis, the BCCI sees merit in the exit of Sachin Tendulkar, nothing should come in the way of that exit. In fact, such a move could be the first of a series of drastic steps to rejuvenate the game of cricket in India and prove that nobody, including the BCCI, are holy cows anymore.Will the board rise to the occasion? More critically, will the actions of the board be above board?
