Date:26/04/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/04/26/stories/2006042604491900.htm

Sport - Cricket

Strike a balance: Sachin

Mumbai: After going through the wears and tears of gruelling cricket schedules for the past 17 years, Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday warned that too much cricket will not just lead to player burn-out but also a decline in spectators' interest in the game.

``The important thing for the ICC and the BCCI is to strike a balance in which a player gets enough time not only to get physical rest but also to recharge his mental batteries so that he is fresh when he goes out to play,'' the master blaster said.

``It is also important to see that the spectators do not get turned off by too much cricket, but at the same time there should be enough cricket to keep them interested in the game,'' he added.

Responding to a question on whether Australian captain Ricky Ponting would break his record of 35 Test centuries, Tendulkar said, ``It does not matter now if Ponting or Brian Lara or myself end up as the highest Test century maker. What is more important is setting up a benchmark for the next generation to aim at and try and break it.'' — UNI