Sachin Tendulkar is finally at peace with himself

Dubai - Indian batting legend says he is able to do all the things now that he was not able to do for 25 years

The most revered cricketer after Don Bradman was putting a nervous reporter at ease with a charming smile, giving a sense of comfort that only a true friend can offer.  
Each word was uttered with such care that it felt he was shielding a clueless tailender from a menacing fast bowler.
Without a bat in hand, Sachin Tendulkar was still magical on a beautiful Friday morning. 
In fact, listening to him was akin to enjoying a glorious sunset in the Mediterranean with a refreshing breeze for company. 
And it left you wondering if it was the same man who breathed pressure for 25 years - the pressure of carrying billion expectations on his shoulders, the pressure of being worshipped like a God and the pressure of having to learn to deal with every crazy thing in his teens.
Tendulkar is 42 now, but for India he is still that 16-year-old kid who got back on his feet after being left with a bloody nose by a Waqar Younis bouncer to mark the start of an epoch-making journey.
Now it's been two years since he quit doing what he loves - fighting for his country on a cricket field. And he is now at peace with himself.  
"Well, now I have done all the things that I was not able to do for 25 years. I have got a chance to look at the other side of the coin," Tendulkar said.
"Various experiences have touched me in the past two years. As a parliamentarian I have adopted a village called Puttamraju Kandriga. So I have been involved with various initiatives -- one such initiative is on spreading happiness and lighting up the houses in the rural areas where they had no access to electricity. So these things have really touched me. It has given me lot of satisfaction."
But does he miss that surreal feeling of walking out to bat for his country?
"Not really," he smiles. "I did that for 25 years. I enjoyed and I felt extremely proud to be able to represent my country. I consider myself fortunate that I was able to do it for such a long time. There is no better feeling than that. 
"When you come back to your hotel room in the evening after doing something special for your country, you are on top of the world. That's the reason I picked up a cricket bat."
Tendulkar says the post-Facebook world has been really exciting for him. 
"I am loving it. It allows me to get closer to my fans and share some nice moments with them. The best thing is that you can share instantly. Yesterday I was at the Indian Air Force parade and within one hour it was out in the Facebook. That's how the world is moving forward now.
"It also gives me a better understanding of how much they followed my career and how they prayed for my success. To be able to personally thank them through social media has given a new meaning to my life. I feel blessed." 
Now after 100 centuries, a World Cup trophy and many epic duels with some of the most feared bowlers ever, Tendulkar is preparing to take America by storm. There was a child-like joy in him when the question of his involvement in a new T20 series called Cricket All-Stars Series came up.
"I am really excited about it. Last year we played an exhibition game at the Lord's and everyone was feeling great. I realised that the passion for cricket was alive in the retired cricketers. 
"That's why we thought to use this passion and high energy to achieve something more. So many of us - the retired cricketers - decided to come together and globalise our sport. 
"Lot of my friends went to America to study and they never came back. They had no idea about baseball or basketball. Their American friends took them to baseball, NBA stadiums and that's how they were introduced to those sports. 
"So it's time to reciprocate that. It's time to get Indians to pull Americans to cricket stadiums and tell them that this is a sport you need to follow as well."
Tendulkar, a big follower of tennis, still cherishes a conversation he had with Roger Federer recently. "We met at the Royal Box at Wimbledon. We sat on the balcony and chatted for a good hour and a half. I asked him if he gets peace in Switzerland. He said it's absolutely fine for him in his country. That he could go for a coffee and hot chocolate and nobody would disturb him," Tendulkar said, offering a wry smile - an obvious hint that he was jealous of Federer who could still indulge in the small joys of life in his country without having to worry about overzealous fans.
"I also had lunch with Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King. I was surprised to know that they follow cricket!"
Tendulkar was also excited about sharing the stage with an old rival - Wasim Akram - for a talk show later on Friday night.
"Today's event would be fantastic," he said. 
"I have never done anything like that with Wasim. We are good friends. We competed hard on the field. There have been some great battles between us but we respect each other and value our friendship."
It was only fitting that our memorable conversation ended with his thoughts on a friendship he shares with his iconic Pakistani on-field rival.  
rituraj@khaleejtimes.com