Sachin Tendulkar wants Cricket All-Stars cast in Dubai

Joy Chakravarty 05:50 10/10/2015
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  • New projects: Sachin.

    For the passionate cricket fans in the UAE, who still swear by Sachin Tendulkar’s Desert Storm in Sharjah that brought a rampant Australia to their knees in 1998, there is strong hope of a reprise.

    Even though the Indian national team’s visits to the UAE post-2000 have been rare, the now-retired Tendulkar hinted he could be seen in action here as early as next year.

    Speaking to Sport360, Tendulkar said his latest venture along with Shane Warne, Cricket All-Stars, could see them bring the band of 28 retired superstars of the game to the UAE.

    “We don’t mind coming here to Dubai and the UAE. This is where the headquarters of ICC is. For us, it is about creating the festive atmosphere and hopefully, get some new fans to the game.

    “We would like people to talk about these games, even long after we have had the matches,” said Tendulkar, who retired two years ago after smashing 100 international tons in a storied career of 24 years.

    “To be honest, right now we are only focusing on the upcoming series of five matches in the US. We have a few offers for the next year, but we will look at it after we are done for this year’s events.

    “Of course, we’d like to go to places where we are invited to. We are open to ideas and invitations and we will definitely look into it. It will be very nice if we come to the UAE next year because we do want to travel around the globe.

    “Sharjah matches always bring back fond memories, honestly. It was special to come here and play. But it’s never too late. I can come back again, and who knows… very soon perhaps!”

    The UAE has already played host to marquee Twenty20 events like the Indian Premier League last year with the Pakistan Super League and Masters Cricket League lined up in February next year.

    Tendulkar blasted back-to-back centuries (143 and 134) inside three days against Australia in April 1998 to help India win the Coca-Cola Cup.

    Those knocks are still fresh in the memories of cricket fans across the globe, and he wishes to recreate those moments with the All Stars games, with the inaugural series to be played in the US next month.

    “We want fans to relive their memories. The players we are taking to the USA are all superstars. I don’t think any true cricket fan is going to be disappointed to watch their heroes like Brian Lara, Alan Donald, Jonty Rhodes, Kumar Sangakkara, Wasim Akram… they are all legendary names in the game,” added Tendulkar, who holds the record for scoring most runs in both Tests (15,921) and ODIs (18,426).

    “It’s really exciting. The journey started last year on July 5 when we played the Bicentenary Celebration match at Lord’s. After the game, there was a get-together in the Long Room. I was discussing the match with the players and all of them were very excited to get back to playing the game.

    “I realised the passion for cricket was very much alive in all the players despite having retired. We thought why not use this to promote cricket in various parts of the world and globalise the game. I spoke to Shane and he said he was thinking on the same lines. That’s when we decided to do this together.

    “The whole idea is to go to various parts of the world. We have started with America because I have several friends there. They have great passion for cricket, but they cannot go to a stadium, watch live cricket and get that excitement and get engaged to the sport. Just like them, there are so many Asians, Caribbeans and British expats in the US.”

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