The Manjrekar/Tendulkar story

[James]

The Manjrekar/Tendulkar story

 

[SJS]

The Manjrekar/Tendulkar story

Sanjay Manjrekar was once the biggest star in Indian cricket. Yes thats a fact. He was considered technically as good a batsman as anyone else in the world and he scored consistently. He was the new master batsman from Bombay.

The all of a sudden his batting started to come apart and with that his psyche.

Just then a new star emerged on the Indian horizon and so strongly did it start burning that the fading away of the budding giant in Sanjay Manjrekar went, welll not un-noticed but not as lamented as one would have imagined in a country like India. Sanjay just , kind of, 'lapsed' from the Indian fans' collective memory and faded away from the scene despite some desperate efforts to get back.

The impact on Sanjay's psyche was evident when he was trying to make a come back and later this emerged as a latent resentment against the batting stars on the Indian firmament. Anyone who has been following Sanjay's career as a broadcaster would have noticed how Sanjay's strange negativity when commenting on India's test matches. But it is with Tendulkar, the man who quietly replaced him from the pedestal he was so sure belonged to himself.

I am not surprised one tiny little bit by Sanjay's tirade. I am surprised it has taken so long to come out in the open. He is pathalogical in this respect.

 

[Xuhaib]

Sanjay Manjrekar was once the biggest star in Indian cricket. Yes thats a fact. He was considered technically as good a batsman as anyone else in the world and he scored consistently. He was the new master batsman from Bombay.

The all of a sudden his batting started to come apart and with that his psyche.

Just then a new star emerged on the Indian horizon and so strongly did it start burning that the fading away of the budding giant in Sanjay Manjrekar went, welll not un-noticed but not as lamented as one would have imagined in a country like India. Sanjay just , kind of, 'lapsed' from the Indian fans' collective memory and faded away from the scene despite some desperate efforts to get back.

The impact on Sanjay's psyche was evident when he was trying to make a come back and later this emerged as a latent resentment against the batting stars on the Indian firmament. Anyone who has been following Sanjay's career as a broadcaster would have noticed how Sanjay's strange negativity when commenting on India's test matches. But it is with Tendulkar, the man who quietly replaced him from the pedestal he was so sure belonged to himself.

I am not surprised one tiny little bit by Sanjay's tirade. I am surprised it has taken so long to come out in the open. He is pathalogical in this respect.

I dont agree, he has only started criticising Sachin after his slump prolonged. I have heard Sanjay mention quite a number of times that Sachin, Lara and Wasim are his all time favourite players to watch.

 

[alternative]

Pratyush good article mate..

 

[howardj]

Yeah one of the first ever Test matches I saw was Aust v India in November 1991 at the 'Gabba. The buzz leading up to that match was slightly more about Manjrekar, than it was Tendulkar.

 

[Sanz]

I dont agree, he has only started criticising Sachin after his slump prolonged. I have heard Sanjay mention quite a number of times that Sachin, Lara and Wasim are his all time favourite players to watch.

Indeed. Unfortunately Tendulkar Fanatics cant handle slightest bit of criticism. I have heard Manjrekar ,for years, going on and on about Tendulkar and how Good the GOD really is. And the moment he says something -ve about the GOD, the fanatics come out and attack him and accuse him of jealousy.

I totally agree with Manjrekar on this, Tendulkar is too meak to play with injuries and his fanatics always look for excuses every time he fails. I admire his guts that he had the balls to say it against the GOD of Indian cricket. There is a reason this piece is being written about Tendulkar and not about Anil Kumble or Rahul Dravid.

 

[silentstriker]

Indeed. Unfortunately Tendulkar Fanatics cant handle slightest bit of criticism. I have heard Manjrekar ,for years, going on and on about Tendulkar and how Good the GOD really is. And the moment he says something -ve about the GOD, the fanatics come out and attack him and accuse him of jealousy.

I totally agree with Manjrekar on this, Tendulkar is too meak to play with injuries and his fanatics always look for excuses every time he fails. I admire his guts that he had the balls to say it against the GOD of Indian cricket. There is a reason this piece is being written about Tendulkar and not about Anil Kumble or Rahul Dravid.

Yes, you are right. It is so selfish of him not to play in the ICC, and instead risk injury playing there rather than his own country. We know what kind of crap that test match became. I would much rather him play FOR HIS COUNTRY, rather than some made up tournament.

 

[Jono]

So Tendulkar is a ***** Sanz?

Well that was blocked. I'll try again.

So Tendulkar is a female cat Sanz, who doesn't give his all for his country and refuses to play with niggling injuries? The guy played in the WC when his dad died ffs!

 

[silentstriker]

So Tendulkar is a ***** Sanz?

Well that was blocked. I'll try again.

So Tendulkar is a female cat Sanz, who doesn't give his all for his country and refuses to play with niggling injuries? The guy played in the WC when his dad died ffs!

Don't bother Jono, its very convinient to forget that stuff. ICC World XI is what's really important, not minor things like the world cup.

 

[Pratters]

Pratyush good article mate..

Thank you..

 

[Sanz]

So Tendulkar is a ***** Sanz?

Well that was blocked. I'll try again.

So Tendulkar is a female cat Sanz, who doesn't give his all for his country and refuses to play with niggling injuries? The guy played in the WC when his dad died ffs!

Try again Jono. Anyone with a vision should be able to read that Manjrekar is talking about Tendulkar of last few years, not the Tndulkar of pre-2001-02. Here is the GIST incase you missed :-

"The Tendulkar of today gives me the impression that his main focus is not to fail! And he wants to give himself the best shot at that. By competing only when he feel he is in his prime, physically and mentally"

 

[Dasa]

Seriously Sanz, why all the Tendulkar hate?

 

[SJS]

The operative word is ..."pathalogical"

 

[Jono]

Seriously Sanz, why all the Tendulkar hate?

Its cool to diss Sachin nowadays. I mean anyone that received an unbelievably amount of worship years back, and now is showing signs of not being the player he was yet still receives that worship is an easy target.

 

[SJS]

Its cool to diss Sachin nowadays. I mean anyone that received an unbelievably amount of worship years back, and now is showing signs of not being the player he was yet still receives that worship is an easy target.

The media deserves "kudos" for that!

Heroes dont sell, Gods do. And next to Gods are Demons as a marketable commodity. Oh yes and failed Gods.

The media found, In Chappell and Tendulkar a Demon and a failed God and quickly discovered that you could sell this particularly since the God wasnt 'Godly' anymore.

It is a soap opera in India and it boosts TRP's for the TV channells.

The moment Sanjay Manjrekar realised that Tendulkar could be 'walloped" in 'public' without any adverse reaction as would have been there when Sachin was the presiding 'deity' he decided to have a go. He may not have counted on the cricketers (past and present) as well as serious cricket followers and writers to agree with him (and they havent) but that doesnt matter.

The media is lapping it up. Its a great story and it sells.

They tried to say earlier (even till last week) that why is Tendulkar being allowed to play when we dont know if he is fully fit hinting , as they have in the past, that Tendulkar was playing even when he knew he was carrying his tennis elbow and other injuries. Now they are going berserk trying to sell that Tendulkar SHOULD HAVE PLAYED more than he did when he was 'injured'

The media knows the public has short memories and will sell anything.

We have the Times of India, who came up with a stinker when they asked the public to send hatemail to Ganguly on their website when he was captain but did not have the public sympathy. Just a few months later they were doing the opposite and portraying the new dispensation as hateful because Ganguly was now martyred.

The problem is, the average Indian fan (and yes I know its a genralisation) or an average Indian rather, needs Gods and Demons whom they can worship or hate. There is no place for an player, average, good or great with all his failings and human frailities who is like everyone of us. Just because we, in our search for false Gods, put him on a pedestal doesnt give us the right to smear him with garbage.

We need to grow up and realise that Sachin was never a God (and Dhoni wont become one) and Chappell is not a Demon (Ganguly and Dalmiya werent too). fanatics are not just those who make Gods out of humans and 'kill' for these 'frail' Gods but also those who make 'Demons' by just dwelling on their pathalogical hatred and will as willingly 'kill' for the same.

I use the word 'kill' as an exaggeration to highlight fanaticism of both kinds.

What the Indian fan needs to understand is get out of the black and white corners and come into the real world of grey shades where everyone, including their Gods and Demons, actually belong.

The media will give you genuine, knowledeable cricketing feedback, information and analysis only if they think you are going to buy it. Till then ex cricketers/and two penny writers will tell you that a Sachin is feigning injury, an Inzemam is pro-Malik and anti anyone-related-to-Miandad, a Chappell has a hidden Aussie agenda, a Wasim Akram is a traitor and so on.

 

[Anil]

Its cool to diss Sachin nowadays. I mean anyone that received an unbelievably amount of worship years back, and now is showing signs of not being the player he was yet still receives that worship is an easy target.

yeah, i've seen a lot of people do that recently just for the sake of doing it....seemingly supposed to show you up as a good, objective analyst or something and everyone who supports him as a blind hero-worshipper....

 

[honestbharani]

I think the problem is everyone wants to see Sachin bat the way he did at his peak, from around 97 to around 2000. Since then, he has produced the odd flash of brilliance in terms of attacking knocks, but generally, he has gone for consistency and reliability more than brilliance and awesomeness, so to speak. And with all the injuries, it is natural that he wants to take on a different role within the side now. Everyone expects to see Sachin dominate the attacks but unfortunately, due to age and injuries and simply because of the amount of cricket he may have played, he is not really the player he was, unlike say a Lara. Plus, Tendulkar's game isn't exactly a force of nature (as one writer for the Hindu called Lara's game).. It is more of a methodical thing built around a very solid (almost copy book like) technique. I think the fault lies with the fans here, rather than Tendulkar himself. And I guess Manjrekar is a bit of a fan of the Tendulkar at his zenith as well. I am sure if Sachin can play the way he used to at his peak, he will. IT is just that he can't and he has accepted that and moved on. Time for us fans to follow suit, I think.

 

[Sanz]

Seriously Sanz, why all the Tendulkar hate?

Hate ?? What are you talking about ? I have defended Tendulkar's batting a lot of time. But anytime some one writes anything remotely -ve about Tendulkar, tendulkar fanatics jump all over and start accusing others of having an agenda.

 

[Sanz]

Yes, you are right. It is so selfish of him not to play in the ICC, and instead risk injury playing there rather than his own country. We know what kind of crap that test match became. I would much rather him play FOR HIS COUNTRY, rather than some made up tournament.

Dude, there was a reason why top 22 players of the world played in that series. Those who were not selected felt insulted by it. It was a privilege and probably once in a life time opportunity for him to be on that team.

Whatever Manjrekar said about him about the Bangladesh Tour, I had said it then itself.

Anyways before attacking Manjrekar at least read the full article. - http://cricket.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1779042.cms.

 

[Sanz]

Its cool to diss Sachin nowadays. I mean anyone that received an unbelievably amount of worship years back, and now is showing signs of not being the player he was yet still receives that worship is an easy target.

What a Martyr.