When the Indian cricket team crashed out of the World Cup, the debate resurfaced: Does cricket deserve the heart and soul of a billion people? A nation enraged and profoundly hurt at the frailty of their heroes, needed answers and explanations.

They wanted people sacked and action that promised a better future for the game. Sachin Tendulkar was irked, not just by the loss in what might just be his last World Cup, but also by an overly denunciating coach.After 17 years' silence, the man spoke in defence of his team and himself. He told the public what he thought was wrong.

It was time for the BCCI to listen to their longest-serving soldier, and they did exactly that, but perhaps he was vociferous. The slight of the board didn’t stop at the despotic dogma of limiting player contracts, it also issued a show-cause notice to Sachin and Yuvraj Singh, the two players who had spoken out against the coach.

'His form over the last year has been good, in 21 ODIs his average topped 41. But that has not been good enough for the critics'


This is exactly what the country needed; players to cut down on endorsements and concentrate on the game. But that is only because the BCCI couldn’t care less, and what better way to redeem itself in the public eye than by doing what the people want. But the people are misled and misinformed.

It is indeed remarkable how a board that earns around 320 million rupees from this very team and their brand value can even talk about commercialisation. They sold everything from the bus used by the team to the hotel they stay in, in the name of generating revenue for the game. Nothing wrong again, but where exactly is the money going?

Talking about endorsement money, one has to look at the flip side before passing judgement on the players. The average shelf life of a cricketer is around 12-15 years. And the way people talk about the money earned makes it feel like an unethical practice. But why is it wrong to earn money through something you are exceptionally good at? The truth is, a player only gets endorsements when he performs. The reason why Tendulkar gets the maximum flak every time the team under-performs is that he is the face of Indian cricket.

Tendulkar has seen it all. After scoring almost 15,000 ODI runs he still has to prove himself every time he takes the field. He is not allowed to fail. In the last year, Tendulkar has endured more criticism than the previous 16 years. He was told to retire and Ian Chappell doubted his integrity and commitment. OK, he had a poor World Cup, but what about the three previous tournaments?

In fact, his form over the last year has been good - in 21 ODIs his average topped 41. But that has not been good enough for the critics. Yes, he is not perfect but to make him the sole target is juvenile. This is a man who has played more ODI games than anyone in the history of the game. He knows when to retire.

We trusted him to fight for a billion people, and he has tirelessly given his all. As India embark on the English Test series and ODIs, now is the time for us to give him and the team our maximum support and respect.