Cricketing legend Sachin retires from ODI format

Sunday, December 23, 2012
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. 
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