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'Selectiveness set Sachin apart'

Bishwajit Roy
One may not want to hear stories from a cricketer who was recently disgraced for his involvement in corruption, especially when the stories are about a man whose career, spanning three decades, embodied the virtues of integrity and sincerity. But if you
want unique insights about the cricketing icon named Sachin Tendulkar from a Bangladesh cricketer, only one name crops up: Mohammad Ashraful, who was fortunate enough to spend ample time with the Indian legend.
Cricket may no longer be a pleasant topic for Ashraful but the man who shared a dressing room with Tendulkar for 45 days as a member of IPL team Mumbai Indians in 2009 was more than eager to share his privileged vantage point. "Like millions I will also sit in front of my television set from tomorrow (Thursday) to watch this great man's last appearance. But right now a vivid memory comes to my mind - I can still remember a safari in South Africa during the 2009 IPL," Ashraful started his reminiscence of Sachin.
"We all embarked without any woollen cloth, all except Sachin. We had hardly noticed the cool weather but Sachin was well-informed and prepared accordingly. I spent 45 days in the dressing room and in hotels with him during that tour with the Mumbai Indians and I found him prepared before every move, which was simply a unique experience for me. He is god-gifted but he did everything with a plan," he continued.
It was the human aspect of Sachin which most astonished Ashraful, who idolised the Indian maestro from his younger days. "Primarily, you see a man who always thinks about cricket. Actually he lives in cricket but one can't understand how great he is as a human being until or unless one gets the opportunity to spend enough time with him," said Ashraful.
"He was very selective in the people he let into his inner circle. I can remember he has only four to five friends. We know well how disciplined he is but I personally believe this selectiveness has played a great role behind his outstanding success, which was not the case for me or many other cricketers. As a cricketer he is a champion but I believe he will receive more marks as a good human being than as a cricketer from the people who got the opportunity to spend time with him," Ashraful opined.
"When I met him in 2004 (on Bangladesh's tour of India), he told me to speak Bangla as he said he understood the language because I was struggling to speak English and Hindi. The man was always humble. I am reminded of another interesting thing. Sachin came to my house in 2009 for dinner and we were all surprised to see him taste all the items. Generally, he preferred eating roti but there were times when he didn't follow any particular diet... perhaps the only area where he broke rules," Ashraful recalled.
Sachin was Ashraful's idol. But Sachin's calming influence and mentorship skills did not see Ashraful blossoming to realise his true potential. Therein lies Tendulkar's greatness - many, like Ashraful, are born with talent but Tendulkar's career has been a shining example of how to make the most of it through discipline and hard