The 'Little Master' Retires: Tendulkar Calls Time

                           Mohammed Ali, Pele, Michael Schumacher. All are legends of their respective sports, and all have retired. In each of their cases, their legacies to the sports they represented are secure. As will be the case for Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. The opening batsman, dubbed the 'Little Master', on account of his diminutive size, will go down in history as one of the greatest cricketers ever to have played the game. The holder of numerous records since the batsman made his Test debut in 1989, many of which I suspect will never be beaten. Even as a youngster, Tendulkar was a prodigious talent, but few would have expected him to be as dominant in the game as he has become. His announcement of retirement has come at the right time, as he was beginning to lose his powers, and had recently been going through a period of drought, in terms of both runs and form. After such a distinguished career,it would have been a great shame to see the 'Little Master' peter off into insignificance. As it is, he can hold his head high, after a fantastic career spanning almost quarter of a century, and remains arguably the greatest batsman of all time.

                              Tendulkar's early Test appearances illustrated exactly what he stood for. In his first Test series, against India's fierce rivals Pakistan in 1989, he may not have starred with the bat, but he certainly left his impression on the series, as his gritty determination to take delivery after delivery to his body was evident. In particular, in the 4th Test, he was on the receiving end of a Imran Khan bouncer, causing him to bleed profusely from the nose. Despite this, he showed his class, continuing whilst blood poured down his face. It did not take long for his talent with the bat to show. In a display England fans will remember, the young Tendulkar took apart the England bowling line-up making an impressive 119 not out at Old Trafford, before making a pair of centuries on the tour of Australia before the 1992 World Cup. His maturity at the crease was being illustrated from a very early age, and would only progress as he aged.

                                 During the 1990's, the 'Little Master' grew in stature in the cricketing world, becoming the highest run scorer in the 1996 World Cup, sandwiched around excellent performances for the Test squad. Whilst not yet recognised as one of the best in the world, there were certainly people beginning to sit up and take notice of Sachin. His performances led him to become a folk hero in India, as he was seen as carrying the Indian batting lineup throughout most of the 90s. As cricket fans know, there are not many places more passionate about cricket than India, and when they worship someone, they really go for it. Tendulkar saw himself raised to hero status in the country, with people following his every movement, and his name on cricket shirts all over the country. This hero status would only escalate as Tendulkar was given the highest honour in Indian cricket: the captaincy.

                               Whilst his early career appeared to be a seamless and unstoppable rise, the middle part saw cracks begin to appear in the otherwise unimpeachable record of the 'Little Master'. Towards the end of the 90s, back problems began to plague the batsman, forcing him to miss several series. It would be a problem that haunted the opener for the rest of his career. Also, his time as captain of India was widely regarded as a failure. Despite all the hype after his appointment in 1996, he could not lead India to success, with the team instead producing abject performance after abject performance. Eventually, just one year later, he had to resign with the country on one of its worst runs in living memory. He was given a second opportunity in 1999, but injury, and poor performances, meant that his tenure was once again just one year. Overall, he has an extremely poor record if you look at the statistics. In 25 Tests, a Tendulkar led-India won only 4. losing 9 and drawing 12. His ODI record as captain is not much better. In 73 matches, he won 23, losing 43 and 7 no results. He accepted that leadership was not the role for him, leaving the position to Rahul Dravid and moved back to being simply the outstanding batsman that everyone knew he was.

                                  He reclaimed that exceptional form in the proceeding years, breaking the great Donald Bradman's record of the highest amount of Test centuries (30) in 2002. It would be some time before he would score his last. However, this period seemed to be one of inconsistency, with every century followed with two ducks or single figure scores. Despite this, by 2006 he had added another 10 to his total of Test centuries and had made it to a similar total in ODI centuries. He was by far and away the pace-setter in terms of international centuries, raising questions over whether he should be considered one of the greats of the game, and even if he should be considered the greatest batsman ever to have played the game. As his form declined towards the mid-2000's, there were fears that he was becoming a shadow of his former self, and that he would never reclaim his top form. There were even calls for the 'Little Master' to retire, as he could not keep up with the form of Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting. However, there were more tricks in the locker of Tendulkar.

                                    Despite the doubts, and the injuries that continued to plague the diminutive Indian, he continued to make runs, claiming another important record by 2008, when he surpassed the great Brian Lara's Test run record, beating 12,000 Test runs in the same year. More records fell, as Tendulkar became the first person to pass 17,000 ODI runs, and the first person in ODI history to make 200 in a single innings, in a 2010 match against South Africa. However, the record that he really craved was moving tantalisingly within reach. On 92 international centuries, there were many that believed that the century of centuries was there for the taking. Little did they know that the 8 centuries required from 2010 would present one of the largest challenges of Tendulkar's distinguished career.

                                      A home World Cup win in India followed, with Sachin himself claiming it as one of his greatest moments. With this came another record, as Tendulkar became the first man to pass 15,000 Test runs, and moved to within 1 century of that elusive hundred. However, it seemingly took an age for that final one to come, with Tendulkar missing chances against England and South Africa to reach the milestone. After a year of trying, and just when it seemed that his best days were behind him, having retired from ODI cricket, he finally did it. Against Bangladesh in Mirpur, the 'Little Master' cemented his place in history, claiming his century of centuries, and ensuring that his name would be considered amongst the greatest ever to have played the game. After his feat, he retired from international cricket, to concentrate on captaining the IPL side, the Mumbai Indians. His powers eventually faded, and he was left to play a bit part of the side's inaugural success in 2013. Deciding to retire seemed like the right thing to do, as attempting to keep his place against far younger men seemed inadvisable, especially with his historical injury problems.

                                       So is he the greatest batsman ever to play the game? Certainly, if we look at the statistics of what he has achieved over his career, and the records he holds. However, many complain that the likes of Don Bradman and Viv Richards were better batsmen, giving statistics of their average scores, which Tendulkar cannot come close to matching. However, I think this comparison is highly unfair for two reasons. One, Tendulkar played many more matches than the aforementioned pair. This has an advantage for the Indian and a disadvantage when considering statistics. It allowed him to score the astonishing amount of international centuries, whilst neither Bradman nor Richards really had the opportunity to match that. This seems to undermine the claim of Tendulkar as best. However, it also undermines the averages that Bradman and Richards boast, as Tendulkar would have had to make continuous centuries and half centuries over a longer period and through more matches. Bradman could simply turn up a couple of times a year and whack the ball out of the park. Finally, the second argument which questions their comparability is the idea that the standard of cricket around the world, and the teams assembled, are of a much higher standard today than they ever were. That is not to say that Bradman is any worse a player than Tendulkar, merely that his opposition was not as strong on a regular basis, allowing him to maintain his average. For these reasons, I think that any attempt at comparison of the batsmen is futile, as there is too much that has changed to accurately suggest which is the better player.

                                         Nevertheless, one thing that is indisputable is that Tendulkar is one of the greatest batsmen ever, and his decision to retire has brought to an end one of the most decorated careers in sporting history. The holder of multiple records, adored the world over, he will never be forgotten in the sport. I suspect that he will remain close to the game, as I am certain that cricket runs through his veins and is ever close to his heart. His batting charisma and intelligence will be missed, but I think that now is the right time for the 'Little Master' to hang up his pads.

                                      
                                     

Sir Alex Ferguson Retires: An End of An Era

             The phrase I use in my title is certainly clichéd, but in this case I think there can be no doubt it is correct. Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the most controversial and successful managers of all time, has announced he is to retire at the end of this season, after a magnificent career spanning nearly 40 years. Such an announcement does not come as a surprise, especially when I heard he was planning to have hip surgery at the end of the season. From the humble beginnings of lowly East Stirling in 1974, Ferguson’s career has been on a seemingly never-ending incline, leading to him being the longest serving top flight manager and most decorated manager in the history of English football. With 38 trophies at Manchester United, a place on the Board of Directors, and a stand at Old Trafford named in his honour, Ferguson’s place in the history of both Manchester United and the English game is assured.

 

                Sir Alex Ferguson’s career is a long list of honours, both on and off the pitch, and during his 26 years in charge of Manchester United, he has seen many significant high points. Such examples would include the first title for the Red Devils in 26 years, collected in 1993, the first English team to complete the treble, achieved in 1999, and the surpassing of the previously considered unbeatable Liverpool record of 18 top flight titles, back in 2011. As Manchester United manager, he has seen and experienced it all in the English game, and has had many memorable battles along the way. Initially, his lack of success at United that put him on the brink of the sack. A calculated risk by the United board to allow him to continue, and one that has paid off in the most spectacular fashion. His rivalries on the pitch are also well documented, and none you can say with any certainty he has comprehensively lost. Firstly, the battles in the mid-90s with Newcastle United and Kevin Keegan in particular, prompting the famous ‘love it’ lines. Secondly, his late-90s and early 2000’s spats with Arsene Wenger. Whilst Arsenal did win three titles, most famously the ‘Invincibles’ season, United and Ferguson remained top dog around those years. And who was there to end the ‘Invincibles’ winning run? Manchester United of course. Arguably his most famous personal spat was with Rafa Benitez during his stint at Liverpool, whose infamous ‘fact’ rant saw him lose significant credibility. The only battle that could be argued Ferguson has lost during his career is versus Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea. Statistics favour Mourinho in this department, with him winning more games than the Scot when the two have come face-to-face. He also oversaw two relatively runaway back-to-back title victories, a feat which no other manager has achieved against Sir Alex. Nevertheless, once Mourinho departed for Inter Milan, Ferguson reclaimed the top spot. More recently, the threat coming from Roberto Mancini’s Manchester City has forced Ferguson into action once more, and, after narrowly losing the 2012 title, he eased to his 13^th league title this year.

 

                There has also been a more controversial side to Sir Alex during his years in charge. Whilst these may be no more than the jealous mutterings of those fans who have been on the receiving end of his success, they still bear consideration. His all too regular berating of officials has seen him accumulate several FA punishments, fines and bans, and for some, these punishments and charges have not occurred regularly enough. They have also often led to specific referees being given fewer Manchester United matches, leaving favoured refs, such as Howard Webb, to referee the majority of Old Trafford fixtures. This has been argued to go some way to explaining the accumulation of penalty awards in favour of the home side. His infamous 2003 Beckham-boot incident led to subsequent revelations about his temper. This temper has also led him at times to exaggerate and over-dramatise situations when things have failed to go his way. Such examples have occurred this season, both when he claimed Robin van Persie could have been killed after receiving a ball to the head at Swansea, and when he neglected his press duties after defeat in the Champions League to Real Madrid, the latter smacking of ‘control freakery’ when his players seemed to do the same. However, a certain amount of needle is essential in being a successful manager, and his sometimes overdramatic antics simply make for good television. Without him, phrases such as ‘squeaky bum time’ would not have been created, and we wouldn’t get to see his dreadful, strange, double arm waving goal celebrations! Being passionate is not necessarily a bad thing, and whilst some of his actions over the years may have been misguided, they merely go to show that he is, in fact, human.

 

                His retirement undoubtedly leaves a chasm which Manchester United seem unable to adequately fill. Whilst bookmakers have placed Jose Mourinho as firm favourite to succeed Fergie, I have my doubts. His ‘where I am loved’ comments after Madrid’s Champions League semi-final exit last week are more indicative of Chelsea, not United. Hints made by both Mourinho and Chelsea interim manager Rafa Benitez support this conclusion. If not Mourinho, who else? Ferguson’s retirement announcement has come too late to secure the services of Pep Guardiola, who is now contracted to Bayern Munich. Whilst the rumour mill will ensure that many names will be thrown into consideration, serious contenders that have come into the frame are Everton’s David Moyes, and Borussia Dortmund’s Jurgen Klopp. In my opinion, Moyes’s inexperience in guiding a title-challenging club fatally harms his chances. Whilst his knowledge of the English game and his eye for a bargain is unquestionable, he lacks the necessary experience to win titles. Klopp, on paper at least, appears a better fit. However, there is no guarantee that he will have the ability to manage in the English game. There is also no guarantee that anyone who is brought in to replace Ferguson will have his tactical abilities and his ability to gel squads.

 

                Sir Alex Ferguson is the iconic manager when discussing English football, and his achievements, in my opinion, will never be surpassed. Almost certainly, we will never again see a reign at a club as long as his. Manchester United have a herculean task to replace him, and I fear for his successor, as the pressure placed upon him will be almost unbearable. As for the club itself, I believe that this end of an era will take a toll. Whether they can recover sufficiently to challenge for future glory remains to be seen. If they fail to, this merely reinforces my assertion that Sir Alex Ferguson is irreplaceable, and that he is, or was, the driving force behind many of the 13 titles and 38 trophies he won at United.

 

Image from Google Images