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| Sachin announces his retirement from ODIs [gfx©news.BDTV.in] |
Mumbai: All time great in all format of the cricket, Sachin Ramesh
Tendulkar on Sunday announced his retirement from the one-day Internationals (ODIs)
amid speculation he was contemplating retirement from all forms of
international cricket.
Earlier, in the morning, Sachin spoke to Mr. N Srinivasan,
President, BCCI and conveyed his decision to retire from the one day format of
the game.
“I have decided to retire from the One Day format of the
game. I feel blessed to have fulfilled the
dream of being part of a World Cup wining Indian team. The preparatory process to defend the World
Cup in 2015 should begin early and in right earnest.”
“I would like to wish the team all the very best for the
future. I am eternally grateful to all
my well wishers for their unconditional support and love over the years,” he further
says.
Mr. Tendulkar, widely acknowledged as the greatest living
batsman, and second only to Don Bradman is the most capped player in one-day
internationals with 463 games and also the batsman with most runs (18,426) and
centuries (49) in the 50-over format.
He made the announcement as national selectors were in the
process of announcing the team for an upcoming limited-overs home series
against Pakistan.
Though retirement of the Master is consider as the end of an
era in the one—day cricket format yet the Indian cricket board regard the decision
as not surprising.
Ratnakar Shetty, chief administrative officer of the Board
of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said the board respects Tendulkar's
decision.
"Tendulkar's decision is not a shocker for BCCI. He was
waiting for the right time," Shetty told reporters at the Cricket Centre
here.
In his glorious 23-year-old career he rewrote numerous batting
records in the format. Tendulkar made his ODI debut against Pakistan way back in
1989 and interestingly he is quitting the scene just ahead of another series
against the arch-rivals.
The Mumbaikar, who
made himself unavailable for Twenty20 after playing just one game in 2006, will
now remain active in only the Test arena.
The “dream comes true moment” for his ODI career came last year when he
finally became part of a World Cup winning Indian team after five previous
appearances.