Sachin Tendulkar is a great batsman but to suggest he is the best ever is demeaning to those former greats who survived the bodyline series and stood at the crease without any modern-day safety gears, feels former England skipper Mike Atherton.
"To suggest that Tendulkar -- or, indeed, any modern, armoured or, to use (Viv) Richards's phrase, "pampered" player -- is the best ever is demeaning to those former greats who stood at the crease in the knowledge that their next ball could be their last," Artherton wrote in 'The Times'.
Atherton feels modern-day protections have made life easier for current batsmen compared to yesteryears and so it remains to be seen how Tendulkar's career would have shaped up if these gears were not available.
"Images of Tendulkar have adorned newspapers and websites throughout the week. Images, mostly, of the 'Little Master' at the crease, compact and balanced. So compact and balanced, in fact, that Bradman said Tendulkar was the modern player whose method most closely resembled his own.''
"There was, though, one crucial difference, which the image of Tendulkar on these pages on Monday highlighted. Perched on top of Tendulkar's head ... was a bright blue helmet and a grille to protect his features.''
"Tendulkar was batting in a One-day game, but had the image been of him batting in whites, there is a good chance that, along with a helmet, Tendulkar would have been wearing an arm guard and a chest guard, too. He is always amply protected," he wrote.
"Which is not to say that Tendulkar lacks bravery. Indeed, he proved his 'manhood' in his first Test series when Waqar Younis bloodied his nose and Tendulkar refused treatment and carried on batting," Atherton said.
"He wore a grille from then on, though, so that when James Anderson sent a ball crashing into it at Trent Bridge in July 2007, Tendulkar was able to shake his head and carry on as if he had been hit with a wet sponge," he added.
Atherton believes Tendulkar would be inconvenienced if he steps on the field without a helmet.
"Tendulkar's method suggests that he would be little inconvenienced by not wearing a helmet. He does not hook, nor does he plunge on to the front foot. And he watches the ball like a hawk.''
"Nevertheless, would he have lasted as long, would he have scored as many runs, would that blow to his face by Anderson would not have affected his confidence in any way? We cannot know for sure.''
"Bradman's average plummeted in the Bodyline series, when the need for raw courage was added to the equation. A few modern players would suffer, too.
"The ball is no softer now and the bowlers no less quick, but standing at the crease knowing that you can be killed demands a different level of courage from the realisation that you might just get hurt," he added.
Mr.Atherton, Cricket is not a Wrestle Mania or Boxing ring. The bravery shown on the cricket field is not by taking all those body line balls on your nose and testicles! And no cricketer in the world had known for his ability to survive on the field from meteoroid balls. Even Don Bradman who been considered as the best batsman in the world is known for his records as a cricketer in numeric value. Not his bravery to survive body line balling. Just because some player in the past have dodged the bodyline balling doesn’t make them the best, if that is the case every player faced body line bowling would be greats!
For an argument one can say Don Bradman’s career revolved around only against English. The great batsman did not get a chance to play in subcontinents. That doesn’t make Sir Don Bradman less significant!
Mr.Atherton,to show your bravery there are a lot of other sports available widely to chose from, in your opinion you are saying the modern batsman should not wear the helmet and take those full toss balls on your face and those slipped Yorkers on your balls isn’t it? You did play cricket for long time and you are not even closer to Sachin or Ponting, why? Did you bat without helmet and guards?
I think Atherton is pretty tired of seeing too much of “Sachin the Greatest” news all this week. He needs to get a good sleep.
Atherton is an Ankylosing spondylitis patient. Ankylosing spondylitis is a painful, progressive rheumatic disease, mainly of the spine. It can also affect other joints, tendons and ligaments and other areas, such as the eyes and heart. If left untreated, the disease can cause progressive stiffening of the spine, leading to immobility. It is caused by inflammation in the joints between the vertebrae, and of the sacroiliac joints in the pelvis. As a reaction to the inflammation, a small amount of bone erosion occurs.
May be that is the reason why Atherton thought about body line bowling and pain! Not ridiculing him or his ability as a batsman but seriously I think that is the reason or I can’t find any better reason for him to bring this pain issue now.
Atherton is a jealous ass. He cant even get closer to Sachin.
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