Cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar is known for words and statements he makes on fellow cricketers. The commentator believes the Indian team during the 1990s was too much dependent on Sachin Tendulkar.
Cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar is known for words and statements he makes on fellow cricketers. The commentator believes the Indian team during the 1990s was too much dependent on Sachin Tendulkar.
While speaking to Ravichandran Ashwin in ‘Reminiscence with Ash’ show on Instagram, Manjrekar said, “Sachin Tendulkar the batsman made his debut in 89. In just about a year, he got an 80 in New Zealand, he got his first hundred in England and by 91/92, the world was looking at him as a world-class player. The age was always a factor, just 17 years old. And the way he was dominating quality attacks. For us in the team, there was no doubt that this guy was in a different league”.
“Unfortunately, by 96/97, the team was really too dependent on Tendulkar. Because, you know, he was damn consistent. And he was India’s first batsman who was able to dominate and hit good balls for runs.
“Until then, India was about defensive batting and putting the bad balls away, like Sunil Gavaskar. A couple of sessions of giving respect to the bowler and then, you know, as they tire out, you get a loose ball and you score off it. Sachin would hit a good ball from a quality bowler on the up for four,” he added.
He also spoke about Tendulkar’s greatness and how his failure with the bat was rare.
“Sachin’s greatness at that time was that his failures were so rare and right through his career. That is a hallmark of a great batsman. Sachin getting out was a very rare thing,” Manjrekar told Ashwin while discussing the 1996 World Cup and India's semi-final defeat to Sri Lanka.
Now after becoming a commentator, Manjrekar said that cricketers on the field are sensitive. He also added that they should ignore the criticism made by the commentators.
“Players are sensitive. I used to be sensitive. When Dilip Vengsarkar criticized me in his column, I slipped a note under his door, trying to counter all his observations. So I don’t hold it against players when
they react. When Sachin Tendulkar reacted to a column I had written as well, I kept quiet,” Manjrekar said.
The former India batsman further said that players should not consider commentators important. “The best way for players to deal with people like us is to look at us as a garnish. We are unimportant. They are the players, their performances are all that matter. Nobody is going to be dropped because Manjrekar said so.”
During the course of the chat, Ashwin even asked Manjrekar: “Is there a possibility that you sometimes see cricketers with a critical eye because of what you expected of yourself as a cricketer and you now want to be the Sachin Tendulkar of broadcasting?”
To which Manjrekar said: “If I did something wrong, it’s because I tried too hard. I try to stay true, there is no agenda (against any player).”
“I know my boundaries. That’s why I’m still around. Otherwise, I would have been finished as a commentator five years ago. But Indian fan following is unique. They love somebody so much that they don’t want someone like me finding flaws with him,” he added.
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