Quotes from Sachin Tendulkar

If one man is representing India in cricket, then yes, blame that person when things go wrong.

People throw stones at you and you convert them into milestones.

It's about not accepting every challenge thrown at you. Sometimes you hold back and when it's needed you go for it.

At the start of my career, when I used to toss and turn at night, I was fighting that feeling and wanting to go to sleep. Now I know that's normal, so I'll just get up and watch TV or something. I know it's just my subconscious mind getting ready for a game.

My point of view is that when I am playing cricket I cannot think that this game is less or more important.

As a kid I loved John McEnroe. They called me Mac because, while everyone else liked Borg, I was crazy about McEnroe. I tried wearing headbands and sweatbands, and whooping at people. It didn't quite work.

But eventually it is a game of cricket.

I always had a dream to play for India but I never let it put pressure on me.

I have never thought where I will go, or forced any targets on myself.

Critics haven't taught me my cricket, and they don't know what my body and mind are up to.

My life, between 22 yards for 24 years... It's hard to imagine that this is coming to an end.

I feel it's the conscious mind that messes things up. The conscious mind is constantly telling you, this might happen or that might happen, even before it has happened. Your conscious mind tells you the next ball might be a out-swinger, but when it's coming at you you realize it's an in-swinger... so literally, you've played two balls.

I grew up looking at my father as to how to behave. In watching him I grasped so many things. His own temperament was of a calm person. He was very composed and I never saw anger in him. To me, that was fascinating.

I never played with a runner in my entire life, even in schools, because only I know where the ball is going and how hard, when I hit the ball, something my runner will never know about.

I believe every era has its significance and the same holds true for players and coaches.

I have never tried to compare myself to anyone else.

And that is the reason why this victory is great, because different players have made contributions to the win.

Shoaib Akhtar has been playing for 5, 6 years and is an experienced bowler.

It has been very good here, but the World Cup game was different. It had a different significance to it.

I have never believed in comparisons, whether they are about different eras, players or coaches.

New Zealand's Daniel Vettori is a very good bowler.

Isn't cricket supposed to be a team sport? I feel people should decide first whether cricket is a team game or an individual sport.

Every individual has his own style, his own way of presenting himself on and off the field.

When I was 15, I started playing first class cricket and always dreamt of being a Test cricketer, wanted to do something for the country, married in 1995, have 2 kids it's been great.