It is not easy being Sachin
In the Hindu, Greg Chappell writes: I had the privilege of working with Sachin closely for about two years. In that time, I saw a side of him that few people would have seen
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Feb-2013
In the Hindu, Greg Chappell writes: I had the privilege of working with Sachin closely for about two years. In that time, I saw a side of him that few people would have seen. I saw the sublime artist with bat in hand, I saw the little boy that he once was, I saw his vulnerability and I saw a man that had to compartmentalise himself in a way that would have tested a lesser individual.
Travelling with the Indian cricket team was like travelling with The Beatles. People lined the streets waving and shouting as the team bus drove by and crowds jostled at airports and hotels just to get a glimpse of the members of the band. And, Sachin was the Indian team's John Lennon! Everybody wanted a piece of him; a look, a touch, a photograph or an autograph. Initially I was surprised that Sachin did not acknowledge these crowds. He preferred to sit in the bus with his headphones on, listening to his eclectic music compilation and looking straight ahead as though the crowd did not exist. It took me some time to realise that this was an act of survival. Had he acknowledged even a small percentage of those who demanded something from him, he would have been mentally and physically exhausted by breakfast. He, therefore, chose the only path available.
In Mumbai Mirror, Deepak Narayanan writes that Indian cricket is running out of excuses, and the nightmare isn't going to end anytime soon.
Second, as you scream for Sachin's retirement or demand Sehwag be sacked, and implore selectors to give Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma a chance, do so knowing that the new team will, inevitably, struggle in the short term. As for the board and the selectors, if they're serious about resurrecting this Test side, they really need to sit down and draw up a long-term plan that involves, most importantly, bridging the gap between international and domestic cricket, and creating an environment that throws up better prepared cricketers.This really isn't something a haircut can fix.