Cricket Update: The top ranked player in the ICC test rankings, the only current batsman to find a place in ESPNcricinfo's all-time Test World XI, the first and only batsman to score 14,000 runs in Test cricket, Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar still yearns to reach the 'next level' as a batsman. At 37, his desire to improve remains as strong as it has ever been and still he regards that he has many goals to fulfill.
"I'm really focusing now on how I can get to the next level as a batsman. How can I get even more competitive? How can I get even more consistent? How can I get better?" Tendulkar said, according to the extract of an interview to 'The Guardian'.
The 37-year-old who has had a cracking year of his Test career in 2010 insists rather than thinking about retirement he is focussing only on the game and has many more goals to fulfill.
"Life would be flat without dreams. I think it's really important to dream, and then to chase those dreams. I really believe in this because it's this dreaming that makes me work so hard. I want to continue doing that because I've worked very hard the last couple of years on my batting," he said.
"(Coach) Gary Kirsten has been instrumental in this. Together we've worked hard in the last couple of years to improve my batting. He's given me the freedom to express myself, and to pace my innings as I see fit. I can slow down occasionally. Gary has helped me do this and it's because he's more a friend than a coach," said Tendulkar.
Tendulkar described 2010 as his "sweetest year" as he surpassed many landmarks during this year; he won his first ICC's Player of the Year Award and returned to the top of the test rankings, he took only 8 tests to complete 1000 runs in 2010, the fastest 1000 runs of his career.
He scored a one-day double hundred, a feat which is never achieved by any other cricketer.
The star batsman conceded that his form took a dip a few years ago but it was mainly due to injuries.
"There was a little dip for me, around 2005 and 2006. But I had a lot of injuries then. I had finger and elbow injuries, and then a back injury. All these upper-body injuries may have altered my back-swing a little. But, fortunately, all that is behind me now and I've been able to put in the hours of practice that I need," he said.
Speaking about the biggest tournament, Cricket World Cup, Tendulkar said that given the current form the team is in, the expectations will be very high.
"It's going to be massive. Everyone in India is already looking forward to hosting a mega tournament and although people haven't started talking yet about 1983 (when India won the World Cup) it will happen soon. But, given our recent form, people have a right to be excited and have extremely high hopes for us. There are going to be big expectations."
Tendulkar also spoke about the role of his late father, a novelist and poet, as and his brother, Ajit Tendulkar, in shaping up his life both as a Cricketer and as human being.
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