Sachin Tendulkar says his opting out of the inaugural Twenty20 World Championships
does not signal a possible imminent retirement from other forms of the game as
well, at least for the time being.
Ever since India's disastrous World Cup campaign in the Caribbean earlier this
year, there has been calls for Tendulkar to hang up his boots.
With captain Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Anil Kumble
and VVS Laxman also in the mid-30s, critics and former captains have
stressed on the urgent need for blooding youngsters.
And when Tendulkar, 34, along with Dravid and Ganguly, told
the selectors that they should not be considered for the Twenty-20 Championships
in South Africa in September, it prompted the media to debate about the
end of an era.
But the record breaking batsman himself says retirement is the last thing in
his mind at the moment.
"I have kept things very open. I don't want to divide
my energies in various directions. I just want to focus on playing cricket,"
Tendulkar told 'The Sunday Times' here.
|
