Did trial by media hasten Tendulkar's exit from ODIs? Sunil Gavaskar says yes

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar
has claimed that consistent criticism
might have played a part in
influencing Sachin Tendulkar's
decision to quit One-Day cricket and it
would have been fantastic had he gone
after after completing 50 ODI
centuries.
Tendulkar had been struggling for
runs for quite some time, leading to
debates on whether he should
continue playing international cricket.
"I think he really cares for Indian
cricket. May be whatever he saw, read
and heard might have prompted him
to make a call. But I feel, he knows his
body well," Gavaskar said.
"He is finishing on 49 ODI hundreds. I
would have loved to see him get 50
centuries. That would have been
fantastic," Gavaskar told a television
channel.
On being asked whether quitting ODIs
would give Tendulkar a chance to play
200 Tests, Gavaskar said it should not
be looked that way.
"We are looking too far ahead. If he
plays the next four Tests, that will take
him to 198 and the next two Tests will
be later in the next year. It's almost a
year down the road."
Gavaskar also said that since
Tendulkar had already cut down on
his appearance in ODIs, people are
used to his absence but still losing him
is a big loss. "I think the public, the
team, the captain and the selectors are
used to not seeing Tendulkar around in
ODIs but the fact that he is not there is
a big loss," Gavaskar said.
Asked if it was Tendulkar the batsman
or Tendulkar the fielder who has
taken the retirement call, Gavaskar
said, "I think it's Tendulkar the
cricketer.
"Officially he may have announced it
today but mentally, he might have
done so in March itself after the Asia
Cup."
For Gavaskar, the hurricane knock that
Tendulkar played against Australia in
Sharjah in 1998 was his best. "It has to
be the Sharjah one, when India had to
qualify for the final by not only
winning but also managing a certain
target in fixed overs. That was when
the real pressure was," Gavaskar said.
Tendulkar had made 143 off 131 balls
with nine fours and five sixes in that
match.
Gavaskar also felt that the World Cup
win would be the most cherished by
Tendulkar.
"It's always going to be the World Cup
win. There may be many personal
achievements but it's entirely different
feeling. For me also the 1983 World
Cup win is the greatest moment of my
career. I did not contribute much and
it felt on top of the world and
Tendulkar did contribute. It has to be
right up there," he said.