Former BCCI chief selector Sandeep Patil revealed that Sachin Tendulkar had been informed about the possibility of him being replaced in the Indian team a year before his retirement.
Sachin Tendulkar is inarguably one of the greatest batters in cricket history. He is the highest-ever run-scorer in both Tests and ODIs, and enjoyed a glittering 24-year-long international career. Tendulkar’s retirement came in 2013 amidst much fanfare. However, it has now been revealed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had been looking to replace him from the Indian team a year before his eventual retirement. Former BCCI chief selector Sandeep Patil revealed a striking conversation he had had with Tendulkar regarding this matter.
2012 was a lean year for Tendulkar. He averaged just 23.80 in nine Tests, without a single hundred. His ODI average wasn’t much better either at 31.50 in 10 games.
In a recent interview, Patil, who was the chairman of the BCCI selection committee at the time, revealed that he had left Tendulkar in shock with the suggestion of replacing him from the Indian team.
“What are your plans?” Patil had asked Tendulkar.
“He said, ‘Why?’ I told him the committee was looking for a replacement. He was shocked. He called me again – are you serious? I said yes,” revealed Patil in an interview with Vickey Lalwani.
Patil then shared that the selection committee do not have the power to force a player into retiring. He revealed that Tendulkar had himself informed him when he had decided to retire.
“Selectors can drop a player. Selectors cannot tell a player his career is over. We asked his plans. He said he wanted to continue. We said okay,” Patil said.
Patil stated that his tenure is often remembered for the departure of Tendulkar rather than the introduction of future India stalwarts like Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane or Mohammed Shami.
