Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

* ಸೋಮಶೇಖರ್ ಪಡುಕರೆ, ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು
ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೇಲಿಯಾದ ಪ್ರಧಾನಿ ಜೂಲಿಯಾ ಗಿಲಾರ್ಡ್ ಇತ್ತೀಚಿಗೆ ಭಾರತಕ್ಕೆ ನೀಡಿದ ಭೇಟಿಯ ವೇಳೆ ಕ್ರಿಕೆಟ್ ದಿಗಜ್ಜ ಸಚಿನ್ ತೆಂಡೂಲ್ಕರ್‌ಗೆ ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೇಲಿಯಾದ ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠಿತ ನಾಗರಿಕ ಗೌರವ , ದಿ ಆರ್ಡರ್ ಆಫ್ ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೇಲಿಯಾ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ ನೀಡುವುದಾಗಿ ಘೋಷಿಸಿದ್ದರು. ಆದರೆ ಸಚಿನ್ ಈ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿಗೆ ಯೋಗ್ಯರಲ್ಲ ಎಂದು ಆಸೀಸ್ ಮಾಧ್ಯಮಗಳು, ಕ್ರಿಕೆಟ್ ಪಂಡಿತರು ಹಾಗೂ ಸಂಸದರು ವಿರೋಧ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಪಡಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಕ್ರಿಕೆಟ್ ದೇವರು ಎಂದೇ ಕರೆಯಲಾಗುವ ಸಚಿನ್ ಈಗ ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೇಲಿಯಾದ ಗೌರವ ಸ್ವೀಕರಿಸುವ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮತ್ತೊಮ್ಮೆ ಯೋಚಿಸಬೇಕಾದ ಪರಿಸ್ಥಿತಿ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣವಾಗಿದೆ.

ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೇಲಿಯಾದ ಸಂಸದರು, ಅಲ್ಲಿಯ ಪತ್ರಿಕೆಗಳು, ಮಾಜಿ ಕ್ರಿಕೆಟಿಗರು, ಅಂಕಣಗಾರರು ಸಚಿನ್ ತೆಂಡೂಲ್ಕರ್‌ಗೆ ದೇಶದ ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠಿತ ಗೌರವ ನೀಡುವುದಕ್ಕೆ ತೀವ್ರವಾದ ವಿರೋಧ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಪಡಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ನಾನು ಸಚಿನ್ ಅವರನ್ನು ಗೌರವಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ, ಕ್ರಿಕೆಟ್ ಬಗ್ಗೆಯೂ ಪ್ರೀತಿ ಇದೆ, ಆದರೆ ರಾಜತಾಂತ್ರಿಕವಾದ ಮೃದು ಧೋರಣೆ ಸೂಕ್ತವಾದುದಲ್ಲ, ಎಂದು ನ್ಯೂ ಸೌತ್ ವೇಲ್ಸ್‌ನ ಪಕ್ಷೇತರ ಸಂಸದ ರಾಬ್ ಓಕ್‌ಶಾಟ್ ವಿರೋಧ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಪಡಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೇಲಿಯಾದ ಪ್ರಭಾವಿ ಪತ್ರಿಕೆ ಕೂಡ ಸಚಿನ್‌ಗೆ ಈ ಗೌರವ ನೀಡುತ್ತಿರುವುದನ್ನು ಪ್ರಶ್ನಿಸಿದೆ. ಸಚಿನ್, ನಮ್ಮ ದೇಶಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ನೀವೇನು ಮಾಡಿದಿರಿ ?ಎಂಬ ಶಿರೋನಾಮೆ ಹೊಂದಿರುವ ಲೇಖನ ಸಿಡ್ನಿ ಮಾರ್ನಿಂಗ್ ಹೆರಾಲ್ಡ್‌ನಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಕಟವಾಗಿದೆ. ಆರ್ಡರ್ ಆಫ್ ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೇಲಿಯಾ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿಯು, ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯದ ತತ್ತ್ವ ಹಾಗೂ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಪ್ರಭಾವದಿಂದ ಮುಕ್ತವಾಗಿರುವುದ ಕ್ಕೆ ಉತ್ತೇಜನವನ್ನು ನೀಡುತ್ತದೆ , ಆದರೆ ಸಚಿನ್ ತೆಂಡೂಲ್ಕರ್‌ಗೆ ಈ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ ನೀಡುತ್ತಿರುವುದು ಅಚ್ಚರಿಯನ್ನುಂಟು ಮಾಡಿದೆ. ಸಚಿನ್ ತೆಂಡೂಲ್ಕರ್‌ಗೆ ದೇಶದ ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠಿತ ಗೌರವ ನೀಡಿ, ಲೋಡುಗಟ್ಟಲೆ ಯೂರೇನಿಯಂ ಅನ್ನು ಭಾರತಕ್ಕೆ ಕಳುಹಿಸುವ ಲೆಕ್ಕಾಚಾರ ಗಿಲಾರ್ಡ್ ಅವರದ್ದು. ಕ್ರಿಕೆಟ್‌ನ್ನೇ ಹೊದ್ದು ಮಲಗಿರುವ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರ ನಮ್ಮ ರಫ್ತು ಉದ್ಯಮಕ್ಕೆ ಉತ್ತೇಜನ ನೀಡಬಹುದೆಂಬ ಲೆಕ್ಕಾಚಾರದಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ ನೀಡಲಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ ಎಂದು ಪತ್ರಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಕಟವಾಗಿದೆ.

ಸಚಿನ್ ಪಾದಕ್ಕೆ ಭಾರತೀಯರು ವಂದಿಸಲಿ
ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೇಲಿಯಾದ ಪ್ರಧಾನಿ ಗಿಲಾರ್ಡ್ ಅವರ ನಿಲುವಿಗೆ ಖ್ಯಾತ ಕ್ರಿಕೆಟ್ ಅಂಕಣಗಾರ ರಾಬರ್ಟ್ ಕ್ರಾಡಕ್ ತೀವ್ರ ಅಸಮಾಧಾನ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಪಡಿಸಿದ್ದು, ಸಚಿನ್ ತೆಂಡೂಲ್ಕರ್ ಅವರನ್ನು ಈ ಶತಮಾನದ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ಕ್ರಿಕೆಟಿಗರು ಎಂದು ಗೌರವಿಸಬಹುದು, ಕ್ರಿಕೆಟ್ ದೇವರು ಎಂದು ಭಾರತೀಯರು ಅವರ ಕಾಲಿಗೆ ಬೀಳಬಹುದು, ಆದರೆ ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೇಲಿಯಾದವರಲ್ಲ ಎಂದಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಹರ್‌ಭಜನ್ ಸಿಂಗ್ ಹಾಗೂ ಸೈಮಂಡ್ಸ್ ನಡುವಿನ ವಿವಾದದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಚಿನ್ ಸುಳ್ಳುಗಾರನ ಪಾತ್ರವಹಿಸಿದ್ದರು ಎಂದೂ ಕ್ರಾಡಕ್ ಗೇಲಿ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

ಸಚಿನ್ ತೆಂಡೂಲ್ಕರ್ ಅವರನ್ನು ಬಹಳವಾಗಿ ಪ್ರೀತಿಸುತ್ತೇವೆ, ಆದರೆ ಆರ್ಡರ್ ಆಫ್ ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೇಲಿಯಾ?, ಇದುವರೆಗೂ ಅವರು ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೇಲಿಯಾವನ್ನು ಡಿಸ್‌ಆರ್ಡರ್ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದೇ ಹೆಚ್ಚು, ಎಂದು ಕೆಮರೂನ್ ಹ್ಯಾಮಿಲ್ಟನ್ ಎಂಬುವರು ಟ್ವಿಟರ್‌ನಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇಳಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೇಲಿಯಾದ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಪತ್ರಿಕೆ, ಹೆರಾಲ್ಡ್ ಸನ್ ನಡೆಸಿದ ಸಮೀಕ್ಷೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಶೇ. 56.21ರಷ್ಟು ಮಂದಿ ಸಚಿನ್‌ಗೆ ಈ ಗೌರವ ನೀಡುವುದು ಸೂಕ್ತವಲ್ಲ ಎಂದಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

ಈ ನಡುವೆ ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೇಲಿಯಾದ ಪ್ರತಿ ಪಕ್ಷ ನಾಯಕ, ಟಾನಿ ಅಬಾಟ್, ದೇಶದ ಉನ್ನತ ನಾಗರಿಕ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ಸಚಿನ್ ತೆಂಡೂಲ್ಕರ್‌ಗೆ ನೀಡಲು ತೀರ್ಮಾನಿಸುವುದನ್ನು ಸ್ವಾಗತಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

ಬಿಸಿಸಿಐ ತಿರುಗೇಟು
ಸಚಿನ್ ತೆಂಡೂಲ್ಕರ್‌ಗೆ ಆರ್ಡರ್ ಆಫ್ ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೇಲಿಯಾ ಗೌರವ ನೀಡಲು ಪ್ರಧಾನಿ ಗಿಲಾರ್ಡ್ ತೀರ್ಮಾನಿಸಿರುವುದಕ್ಕೆ ಅಲ್ಲಿಯ ಸಂಸದ ರಾಬ್ ಓಕ್‌ಶಾಟ್ ವಿರೋಧ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಪಡಿಸಿರುವುದಕ್ಕೆ ಭಾರತೀಯ ಕ್ರಿಕೆಟ್ ನಿಯಂತ್ರಣ ಮಂಡಳಿ ಆಕ್ರೋಶ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಪಡಿಸಿದೆ.

ಆಸೀಸ್ ಪ್ರಧಾನಿ ಗಿಲಾರ್ಡ್ ಕೈಗೊಂಡಿರುವ ತೀರ್ಮಾನವನ್ನು ಪ್ರಶ್ನಿಸುವುದಕ್ಕೆ ಮೊದಲು ಓಕ್‌ಶಾಟ್ ಅವರು ತಮ್ಮ ಸರಕಾರದ ಸಲಹೆಯನ್ನು ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕಾಗುತ್ತದೆ, ಎಂದು ಬಿಸಿಸಿಐ ಉಪಾಧ್ಯಕ್ಷ ಹಾಗೂ ಸಂಸತ್ ವ್ಯವಹಾರಗಳ ರಾಜ್ಯ ಸಚಿವ ರಾಜೀವ್ ಶುಕ್ಲಾ ಹೇಳಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

ಸಚಿನ್ ಸ್ವೀಕರಿಸಬಾರದು
ಸಚಿನ್ ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೇಲಿಯಾ ಪ್ರಜೆಯಾಗಿದ್ದರೆ ಈ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ ನೀಡಿರುವ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಯಾವುದೇ ತಕರಾರು ಹುಟ್ಟಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಸಚಿನ್ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ಕ್ರಿಕೆಟಿಗರು ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ಒಪ್ಪಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತೇವೆ. ಅವರಿಗೆ ಈ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ನೀಡುವ ಮೂಲಕ ದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ವಿರೋಧ ವ್ಯಕ್ತವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಇಂಥ ಪರಿಸ್ಥಿತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಚಿನ್ ಈ ಗೌರವವನ್ನು ಸ್ವೀಕರಿಸುವುದು ಸೂಕ್ತವಲ್ಲ ಎಂದು ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೇಲಿಯಾ ಕ್ರಿಕೆಟ್ ತಂಡದ ಮಾಜಿ ಆಟಗಾರ ಮ್ಯಾಥ್ಯು ಹೇಡನ್ ಹೇಳಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

ಸಚಿನ್ ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೇಲಿಯಾದ ಪ್ರಜೆಯಾಗಿದ್ದರೆ ಪ್ರಧಾನಿ ಹುದ್ದೆ ಕೊಟ್ಟರೂ ಯಾರ ವಿರೋಧವೂ ಇರುತ್ತಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ, ಆದರೆ ಆರ್ಡರ್ ಆಫ್ ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೇಲಿಯಾ ಮಾತ್ರ ಈ ದೇಶದ ಸಾಧಕರಿಗೆ ಮೀಸಲು, ಎಂದು ಹೇಡನ್ ಸಚಿನ್‌ಗೆ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರದ ಗೌರವ ನೀಡುವುದಕ್ಕೆ ವಿರೋಧ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಪಡಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

ಅಂದ ಹಾಗೆ ಭಾರತದ ಅಟಾರ್ನಿ ಜನರಲ್ ಆಗಿದ್ದ ಸೋಲಿ ಸೊರಾಬ್ಜಿ ಅವರು 2006ರಲ್ಲಿ ಆರ್ಡರ್ ಆಫ್ ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೇಲಿಯಾ ಗೌರವಕ್ಕೆ ಪಾತ್ರರಾದ ಮೊದಲ ಭಾರತೀಯರೆನಿಸಿದ್ದರು.

Upset at Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar [ Images ] getting the Order of Australia [ Images ], former batsman Matthew Hayden [ Images ] said the honour should be "exclusive" to his countrymen.


"Now, if Sachin was living in Australia -- give him the Prime Minister's gong I reckon -- but the reality of it is he's living in India [ Images ]," Hayden told a radio show.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard [ Images ] announced the honour for Tendulkar during a recent visit to India.

Hayden, who is also a former recipient of the title, said only Australians should be conferred with such awards as they are about national honour.

"I think it should be exclusive to Australians...I'm not so sure. There's things that are sacred amongst our country," Hayden said.

"I kind of understand the point of the fact that he has been such an iconic figure here in Australia and there's an enormous population of Indians that are working here and living here very happily and in harmony with Australia that have naturalised and I think that's a great part of our country, how multi-cultural that we are," he explained.

Tendulkar is only the second Indian after former attorney general Soli Sorabjee to get the honour.

Tendulkar widely admired in Australia: Aus PM Gillard

Claiming that Sachin Tendulkar [ Images ] is widely admired in her country as in India [ Images ], Australia [ Images ]n Prime Minister Julia Gillard [ Images ] on Wednesday thanked the iconic cricketer for accepting the Membership of the Order of Australia.


Addressing Indian industry chambers at a meeting in New Delhi [ Images ], Gillard said that the Australians admired Tendulkar for his achievements and they had come out in large numbers to see him play for one last time on Australian soil early this year.

"At the start of this year it was my pleasure to host the Australian and Indian cricket teams at my Sydney [ Images ] residence. The summer was a celebration of the game and of the ties it has created between our two peoples," she said.

"And many Australians gathered for what could be their final sight of Sachin Tendulkar in Tests. Tendulkar is almost as widely admired in Australia as he is here in his homeland," Gillard said.

"... we are delighted that he has accepted an honour from the Australian people, Member of the Order of Australia," she added.

Gillard on Tuesday announced while visiting a cricket clinic in New Delhi that Tendulkar would be conferred with the Membership of the Order of Australia, an honour "rarely" bestowed on non-Australians.

The 'Order of Australia' is an order of chivalry to recognise Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service. The 39-year-old Tendulkar will be awarded an AM, which is one of the six grades in the Order of Australia.

Tendulkar, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, will become only the second Indian after former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee and the first sportsperson from the country to get the honour.

Image: Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard (eft) applauds as girls play cricket during a clinic for disadvantaged youth conducted by cricket players from Australia at a park in New Delhi.

Tendulkar to be given Order of Australia honour

Iconic cricketer Sachin Tendulkar [ Images ] is all set to become the first Indian sportsperson to be conferred with the Membership of the Order of Australia [ Images ], an honour "rarely" bestowed on non-Australians.


Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard [ Images ] made the announcement on Tuesday while visiting a cricket clinic in New Delhi [ Images ] and said Tendulkar would receive the honour from Simon Crean, Minister for the Arts and Minister for Regional Australia, when he visits India [ Images ].

The 'Order of Australia' is an order of chivalry to recognise Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service. The 39-year-old Tendulkar will be awarded an AM, which is one of the six grades in the Order of Australia.

"Cricket is of course a great bond between Australia and India. We are both cricket-mad nations. I am very pleased that we are going to confer on Sachin Tendulkar, membership of the order of Australia (AM)," Gillard said.

"This is a very special honour very rarely awarded to someone who is not an Australian citizen or an Australian national. He is away playing cricket -- surprise, surprise but the award will be conferred on him by minister Crean when he visits India," she said.

"So, a special honour and a very special recognition of such a great batsman. The honour is very special and Sachin is a very special cricketer."

Tendulkar, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, will become only the second Indian after former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee to get the honour.

Sorabjee was made an Honorary Member of the Order of Australia (AM) "for service to Australia-India bilateral legal relations" in 2006.

Tendulkar is not the first cricketer to be made an Order of Australia AM -- in 2009, West Indies [ Images ] legend Brian Lara [ Images ] was also made an honorary member.

Another West Indies legend, Clive Lloyd [ Images ], is an Honorary Officer in the Order of Australia, having been conferred with the award way back in 1985.

The right-handed Tendulkar, considered the finest batsman in contemporary cricket, has 15,533 runs in 190 Tests besides a mammoth 18,426 runs in 463 ODIs.

Sachin Tendulkar: An unsurpassable record?
By Suresh Menon
Sports Writer

Sachin Tendulkar is an Indian icon
Continue reading the main story
How Sachin became the Little Master
The moment Tendulkar made history Listen
Sachin Tendulkar's career in pictures
Tendulkar ends wait to thrill Dhaka crowd

Around 1900, it was widely believed that physics had reached the end of the road and that everything had been discovered. Only minor details needed to be filled in, the science was complete.

Almost on cue, along came quantum physics and Mr Einstein's theories of relativity.

Sporting records are a bit like that.

Pundits decide things can't get better, and they do.

When Bob Beamon leaped to his magical 8.90 metres in the rarefied atmosphere of Mexico, many believed the record would stand forever. It didn't last a quarter of a century.

Among cricketing records, two have always had the stamp of permanence upon them: Don Bradman's career Test average of 99.94 and Jim Laker's match figures of 19 for 90.

Recently a third was added - Muthiah Muralitharan's 800 Test wickets.

Now a fourth has joined that group - Sachin Tendulkar's 100 international centuries.

Tendulkar began his career when he was 16

You only have to look at the second-best to see this - Ricky Ponting's 71.

The best after Tendulkar's 51 Test centuries is Jacques Kallis on 42; after his 49 one-day centuries is Ricky Ponting's 30. Not in the same ball park, not in the same city, country or planet.

When Tendulkar began his career as a 16-year-old, satisfaction meant 35 Test centuries, perhaps another 25 in one-dayers for a grand total of 60 international centuries.

It seemed his fans were more obsessed with his ambitions than he was. After each achievement, he was issued with new targets.

Now, with the future of Test cricket under discussion, including a possible reduction in the number of matches, the cliche that records are there to be broken may not hold.

Batsmen, like detectives in a murder mystery, must have means, motives and opportunities.

Then there is the question of age. The spirit may be willing, but perhaps not the flesh at 40.

It is easy to see why beating a career Test average of 99.94 is out of reach. The next best after Bradman (among those who have played more than 50 Tests) is Herbert Sutcliffe's 60.73.

As for Laker, only two wickets have to fall to a second bowler or a run out and his record is safe. To take 10 wickets twice in a match is as close to an impossibility in sport as you can get. The best after Laker's 19 is nearly a century old: Sid Barnes's 17 for 159.
Moveable feast

Tendulkar is a modest man who, like Alexander the Great, has no more worlds to conquer.

But for someone to score 100 international centuries he would need to begin his career early and play through two decades averaging five per year. That's as tall as orders get.

Indian cricket is based on passion, on easily-stirred emotions; players are worshipped for what they do, romance trumps realism, sentiment pushes out logic and reason.

A Tendulkar ton in defeat is feted more heartily than a 40 in victory.

That is why few are concerned that only 53 of Tendulkar's first 99 international centuries were in winning causes.

Yet today, it is somehow different.

To adapt Hemingway, if you are lucky enough to have followed Tendulkar's career, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, he stays with you. For Tendulkar is a moveable feast.

Suresh Menon edited an anthology of writings on Sachin Tendulkar. His latest book, Bishan, is a biography of the Indian spin bowling legend Bishan Singh Bedi

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