'In 2007 when I was contemplating retirement, Sir Viv called...': Sachin Tendulkar recalls career-changing conversation
In 2007, Sachin was contemplating retirement after India's forgettable World Cup campaign where he had failed to achieve those heights as a batter. However, it was a phone call from West Indies great Viv Richards that helped him bounce back
Plethora of runs, laced with a tally of 100 centuries across formats in cricket places batting legend Sachin Tendulkar at the top of all run-scoring charts and records. But his illustrious 24-year-long record too witnessed lots of ups and downs. The most significant of those were in 2007 when Sachin was contemplating retirement after India's forgettable World Cup campaign where he had failed to achieve those heights as a batter. However, it was a phone call from West Indies great Viv Richards that helped him bounce back, as he revealed in his conversation on Saturday during the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2022.
Defeats to to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka had knocked out India out of the 2007 World Cup. Sachin too did not have a memorable campaign as a batter as he managed only 64 runs in three matches. The batting low left him contemplating retirement from cricket until he received a phone call from Antigua.
"In 2007, when I was contemplating retirement, Sir Viv called me from Antigua convincing me that there is a lot of cricket left in him, he said during his conversation with Kunal Pradhan, managing editor, HT.
Sachin went on to play cricket for six more years before retiring at home in 2013 and had even won the World Cup for India in 2011 under the leadership of MS Dhoni.
Speaking about Richards, Sachin also recalled his first ever meeting with the West Indies legend.
“Sir Viv was one of my role models. The other one was Sunil Gavaskar. I loved his style, the way he walked, or batted. That body language attracted me. I was in 1992 in Australia with Manjrekar in Melbourne. I saw some gentleman walking in the hotel. I said I recognised the walk. From an 18-year-old, I became a 12-year-old. I told Sanjay, ‘forget this lunch and shopping’. I have to meet him. I and Sanjay go to his room and that was my first meeting with Sir Viv,” he said.
