New Delhi: Former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis feels that form of the Indian team is such that they require the services of Sachin Tendulkar for another year, a feeling that was also echoed by his new ball colleague and another former skipper Wasim Akram.
“The situation in which the Indian team finds itself at the moment…from what we find out from the ongoing England series, I believe that he (Tendulkar) would be needed for another 6-8 months,” Waqar said while answering to a query.
Wasim on his part said,”As a cricketer, he is one of the greatest of all times. I don’t know what he is feeling at the moment but it’s difficult to carry on with the same passion after giving 23 years to the international cricket. If you ask me, he can play for another 6-8 months or a year.”
“I have heard some people saying that he is eyeing 200 Test matches. Whether he plays 200 or 250 Test matches, that will hardly make any difference to me because he has shattered all the records in the cricket book,” Wasim said while addressing the “Agenda-Aaj Tak” programme here organised by TV Today Group.
“What he (Tendulkar) wants to do and how long he wants to play, it’s up to him but the age is not on his side. It does affect your game at the international level,” he further added.
Waqar feels that ability to shut his critics makes Tendulkar special.
“These talks that Sachin should take retirement from cricket have been going on for past 6-7 years. I have always seen that whenever you have criticised him, he has come up with a performance that everyone starts talking about his batting.”
Wasim and Waqar expressed their delight at the resumption of bilateral cricket ties between India and Pakistan and said the two neighbours should play each other regularly. (PTI)