Outgoing chairman of selectors Sandeep Patil reveals cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar announced ODI retirement in time for 2012 series against Pakistan
Sandeep Patil
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Cricket selectors dominated the sports news coverage yesterday with the Indian cricket board announcing the national senior and junior selection committees after their Annual General Meeting at the board's headquarters in Wankhede Stadium
More spotlight
Outgoing chairman Sandeep Patil put selectors more in the news towards the evening when ABP Maza TV aired an interview of him. Patil revealed that batting legend Sachin Tendulkar would have been dropped by his selection panel had he not decided to retire from one-day cricket in 2012. Patil recalled that he, alongwith fellow selector Rajinder Singh Hans, met Sachin on the fourth day of the Nagpur Test against England that year and asked him about his future plans.
Legendary Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar in full flight during the 2011 World Cup. Pic/Getty Images
Tendulkar, according to Patil said he had no plans of retirement. While replying to a question asked by the channel's editor as to whether Sachin would have been dropped from the ODI team had he not tendered his resignation Patil replied in the affirmative. "The selection committee unanimously came to a decision to drop Sachin. This is the only thing which I think I had to bear in my life – having to ask a player like Sachin what was is in his mind (about retirement)," said Patil.
The big hint
Patil was also asked whether Sachin got a hint of a possible axing. "Maybe," he said. "Because, prior to the next selection committee meeting, he called the then BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale and myself to tell us that he has decided to retire from ODIs. That was Sachin's decision. He must have discussed it with his brother Ajit and other people lose to him. I think Sachin took a wise decision," said Patil.
The former chairman of selector stressed that he had discussed Tendulkar's future with the great batsman only once and emphasised that the decision to quit after 200 Tests was solely his.
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