‘Sachin should focus more on Tests’

According to Australian cricketing legend Allan Border, players today are fitter and stronger than their counterparts in the past, which enables them to play more matches, reports Moonmoon Ghosh.

According to Australian cricketing legend Allan Border, players today are fitter and stronger than their counterparts in the past, which enables them to play more matches. "The game today has moved forward. Players have more facilities and technology at their disposal," said the former Aussie captain, presently in the capital as the brand ambassador of the 2009 Airtel Delhi Half Marathon.

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Border said the advent of better training and coaching too have helped the players prolong their career. "If the older teams had been provided the same facilities, we would have been equally competitive," he chuckled. Commenting on Sachin Tendulkar, Border said: "Representing your country for 20 years is something special. If he wants to prolong his career he needs to cut down on one-dayers and concentrate more on Tests." On the current one-day series between India and Australia, Border said he fancied India's chances of winning the series. "India is playing at home while Australia, on the other hand, are in a rebuilding stage," he said.

Talking about marathons, the 54-year-old said that he had run a half-marathon in 1995 after retirement. He clocked a time of 1 hour and 45 minutes in the event. "The 21 kms very nearly finished me off," joked Border.