Tendulkar award a case of soft diplomacy

As Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced an Order of Australia to be conferred on Sachin Tendulkar, Peter Munro, writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, reasons it could be a tactic for diplomacy. He notes that although Tendulkar is good at playing cricket, he hasn't given an "extraordinary service to Australia or humanity at large" to deserve the honorary award.

Sure, many Australians like cricket and Tendulkar is particularly good at playing it. But beyond giving us something to watch over summer, what has he done to benefit Australia?

Award nominees must be nothing short of extraordinary people, "whose service and contribution have had the effect of making a significant difference to Australian life or, more broadly, to humanity at large".