Mumbai, Nov 17 (IANS) Yet to come to terms with his retirement, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar Sunday said it was the right time to end his 24-year “dream journey” as his body needed the rest.
“It hasn’t struck me that I won’t play cricket again. It has been a dream journey, no regret that I am leaving cricket. This was the right time to stop playing cricket. An enjoyable journey,” Tendulkar said at a conference here.
Tendulkar said it hadn’t been easy to overcome some of the injuries he has had in his long career and felt his body no longer could take the rigours of consistent cricket.
“I was enjoying cricket still. I have always said the day I felt I should stop playing, I would inform you. I got that feeling, because after 24 years, you have to appreciate … had many injuries, not easy to overcome. You reach a stage when your body gives you a message, enough of this physical load. The body requires rest. The body is not able to take more load consistently,” he said.
The master blaster said he had requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to schedule his final match against the West Indies here so that his mother could watch him play an international match live for the first time and probably the last.
“When I requested BCCI to keep the last match in Mumbai, since my mother had never seen me play even one ball live, I wanted it to be a surprise for her that I’m making this arrangement, but thanks to you, she came to know about it in advance,” said the 40-year-old.