Tendulkar tending to be erratic, takes a defensive posture

The demi god of Indian cricket SACHIN RAMESH TENDULKAR, turned naughty 40 on April 23 and true to that description turned unusually naughty and berated the media at a promotional event in New Delhi. Tagged the 'little master', Tendulkar has never known to lose his cool. He is cool as cucumber in whatever he does. When on the field, batting, bowling or fielding and off the field he has always been an example earning regard and respect. Of late his tremendous batting form has deserted him. That is natural because with age every human's reflexes tend to slow and it is no different with Tendulkar.

Age creeping up

With his form with the bat not being what it should be, and with age creeping up, it is natural for critics to query his form and stay in the game and depriving youngsters of a go.

In his 24-year illustrious career he has become the greatest

run-scorer in Test and one-day cricket. All that is well and good and much appreciated and the record books will register it for posterity.

At the promotional event he said: 'People have been talking about my retirement since 2005, but that does not worry me at all'. Later on he chided reporters saying 'your job is to write, my job is to play. I will stick to my job and you stick to yours'.

Unbecoming of the great batsman

Now those words were unbecoming of Tendulkar. Apparently with his form deserting him which is a sign that age is catching up and his days being numbered for the great man to lose his cool.

He still insists that he has much to offer. But probably while his mind must be willing, it is natural for his body to say no. And his body is giving him the message as shown by his getting run out, not seeing the ball much early like he usually does and his slow movement of feet to the ball.

The media in querying about his retirement was doing the right thing in performing their job. Obviously reporters are doing their job and with his form dwindling and him being persisted with needs querying because it deprives promising youngsters from being considered.

Wrath of his adoring fans

What has happened to Tendulkar is that those who matter fear to tell him and drop him. That is because they will have to earn the wrath of his adoring fans all over India.

Sometime back former Australian captain Ian Chappell, when Tendulkar was dropping form and having a poor run, had the guts to tell Tendulkar that he should drop himself before someone else does it for him.

Stung to the quick by that humiliation, Tendulkar hit form and began to roll out an avalanche of runs which would have made Chappell red in the face and wanting to eat his own words.

Undiminished enthusiasm

But since, much water has flown under the bridge. Tendulkar says that he will approach the game with undiminished enthusiasm, although turning 40 and insists he has much to offer despite slipping from the dizzy heights he reached earlier in his 24-year career.

But Tendulkar must remember that all good things must come to an end some day. When he was on song, he was the ultimate in batting and walked the playing fields all over the world like a colossus.

The cricket world will be watching and he will do well to remember the advice of that great Pakistan captain now turned politician who led Pakistan to their only World Cup triumph in 1992 Imran Khan when he said that one must go when all asking why and why not?

Basketball legend Cosmas Perera in town

In Sri Lanka on a short holiday from California is a star that shone bright in the basketball firmament in the 1960s playing for St. Benedic's College, Old Bens and Sri Lanka COSMAS MAHAGAMA PERERA.

Perera was easily the best all court player of that era. He was quick of feet, could spot the tinest of openings to sling a pass that ended up in points and would drop down judiciously to stall the opponents from scoring and doing some long range accurate shooting.

Perera was an early bird on the court. He believed in the adage that practice makes perfect and would sweat and toil perfecting every technique in the game. His shooting, especially from the deep was spot on.

The coach who made him and several other excellent players at SBC was that coach of all coaches the one and only Ram Suntheralingam.

Suntheralingam stood head and shoulders above all other coaches of that time and churned out champions regularly.

First Ben to captain Sri Lanka

Perera captained SBC and later Sri Lanka and was the first from the Kotahena school to lead any national team. When a team of Peace Corp workers formed a team and played here, they were so impressed by Perera's all court play, that prompted one of their players, if I remember right whose name was Fennel, to say that Perera could easily have played in any NBA team in America. Wasn't that marvellous and great credit to the country.

I was the basketball correspondent for the 'Times of Ceylon' and 'Daily Mirror' at that time and that was the time when the game was at a high standard with players of the calibre of Percy Perera who was the only Lankan player to be adjudged the 'Best Shooter in Asia' at the Asian Games in 1966 in Bangkok in action.

Other players who helped make Bens champions most times were Vijaya and Gamini Silva, Sam Lovell, Milroy de Silva, Malsiri Perera brother of Cosmas, Noel Pereira, Herbert Senadhipathy, Shelton Pietersz, Edward Sumanasekera, Winston Wijenaike and Darrel Arnolda whose names come to mind.

Sri Lankan cricketers sorry figures at IPL

The Sri Lanka cricketers playing in the lucrative Indian Premier League, are cutting sorry figures by not delivering which must be prompting their Franchises to question whether the big money spent on them was worth it.Other than for the Lion Prince of Sri Lanka cricket and former captain Mahela Jayewardene and allrounder Thisara Perera, the rest of the cricketers are just making up the numbers for their Franchises.

Since making their debut in the IPL, this is the first time,that the Sri Lankan cricketers have become top of the flops. Three Sri Lankans have had the honour of captaining three franchises.

Former skippers Mahela Jayewardene is captain Delhi Daredevils, Kumar Sangakkara is leading Sunrisers Hyderabad and new captain Angelo Mathews is steering Pune Warriors. Sangakkara has been forced to drop himself for poor form.The first two play-offs of the Indian Premier League which wasscheduled to be played in Chennai on May 21 and 23 has been moved to New Delhi owing to political tension in Tami Nadu over theparticipation of the Sri Lanka cricketers.

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