Sachin targets 15,000 runs and 2011 WC by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Player:

SR Tendulkar

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DateLine: 6th August 2009

 

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar said he is not satisfied with all his achievements and hopes to accumulate 15,000 runs and win the World Cup in 2011 for his country.

 

"I am not pleased yet with what I have done," Tendulkar, who has a record 12773 Test runs to his credit at an average of 54.58 from 159 matches, said in an interview with the Wisden Cricketer.

 

"Sunil Gavaskar has told me that I have to get to 15,000 runs. He said he would be angry with me and would come and catch me if I didn't. I admire him so much and to score that many would be a terrific achievement, but that is not the only aim." The other big cricketing ambition that he harbours is to "win the World Cup in 2011".

 

The 36-year-old champion also spoke of how he has been consistently playing with pain.

 

"I always play in pain, all the time. I played with a broken finger for the last three months, but you know when pain is manageable or not, and most of the time I can do it," he said. "I can still do what I did when I was 25 but the body is changing, so your thought process has to change too. I have had to change how I think, which is about taking less risk."

 

The master blaster also took the occasion to disagree with John Buchanan, who had said that Tendulkar is prone and vulnerable against short ball early in his innings.

 

"It is only his opinion; John Buchanan doesn't have to be right all the time. If I couldn't handle short deliveries, then I wouldn't still be scoring runs," he said. "Maybe he needs to change his opinion. There must be something very wrong with all the bowlers around the world that they have allowed me to score so many runs."

 

Tendulkar denied thinking about retirement at the moment but he said he knows when his time would come.

 

"I will know when it is the right time, I won't have to be dragged away. I am the person who will make the decision and I will know whether I still belong."

 

Sachin also admitted life after cricket wouldn't be easy.

 

"It's a scary thought. It has been there for my whole adult life, it will be difficult, I have been around for a long time, I can imagine when I finish I will long to face just 10 more balls but you have to move."