Cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar on Friday said he was in talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi about a major new proposal that he hopes to put at the heart of his retirement plans. However, he declined to elaborate on the plans.
He made the disclosure at the press conference for the U.K. launch of his long anticipated autobiography “Playing it My Way” at Lord’s Cricket ground in London.
The book has already achieved record hardback sales. The book has sold 150,000 copies out of an initial print run of 200,000 in the first week.
A relaxed Tendulkar, whose wife Anjali was present at the press conference, answered questions on a range of issues relating to his book, which he said was not written to stoke “controversies intentionally”.
“The intention was not to create headlines,” he said but to “pen down what had happened in my life and let people know about it”. With the pressures of his playing years behind him now, it was “only fair” that he gives his perspective on his career, his personal life, and the many ups and downs of his career, the cricketer said.
He warmly acknowledged his English experiences, including playing for Yorkshire as a 19-year-old in the early 1990’s. He also put to rest rumours about his alleged differences with other cricketers, including Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Rahul Dravid.
To a question on who would win the World Cup, Tendulkar named Australia and South Africa. He added that spinners will play a decisive role in the World Cup and the Indian team could “spring a surprise”.
When asked if England stood a chance, he said, “anything is possible in this sport but going on current form I don’t think England will be that competitive”.
(with inputs from PTI)
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