NEW DELHI : He revelled in the full-throated chants that accompanied his stay at the crease and Sachin Tendulkar says that’s one reason why the very idea of sport inside an empty stadium disappoints him.
Made for television sport is being given a serious thought owing to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic which has made social distancing a necessity. But sport without fans is not an option for one of India’s greatest sportspersons.
“Empty stadiums would be so disappointing for players who are competing. There are lot of times when players respond to spectators. If I play a good shot and the manner in which crowd responds also brings in that energy,” Tendulkar told PTI during an exclusive interview talking about the implications of the contagion that has infected millions.
Spectators are integral to any sport. Their encouragement, vociferous chants for or against you is a necessity in sport,” said the batting icon, who turns 47 on Friday.
Considered an insightful student of the game, what is his assessment of how the cricket world will cope once normalcy returns? “I think players will be wary for some time when it comes to using saliva (to shine the ball). It will play on their minds. Social distancing measures will be followed till the deadly virus is around.

“High fives and hugging your teammates will be avoided for some time. And this is precisely the reason why he wants complete normalcy before one starts off with sporting activities, something his one-time opening partner and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly endorsed a couple of days back.
“…You would want to play in an environment which is safe and secure. I still believe one has to be careful and be aware of what we have been hit with. ” he said. Tendulkar would obviously love to watch cricket, whatever be the format, but only when the BCCI and the government are fully confident that players and everyone associated with the game are safe. “I have not given too much thought to it — whether the World Cup should be held here or IPL should be held. I don’t know,” he said.
Tendulkar didn’t want to comment on whether the IPL can happen in October 2020 although he did say that he has been hearing about a shortened IPL. “I don’t know how many days in this window are left and whether an IPL can be conducted during that period. I am sure government and the BCCI will take into account how safe spectators will be and how safe the players will be,” he said.

But does he think that winning and losing will have the same kind of impact in an athlete’s mind once the mayhem of this pandemic is over? “Once an athlete goes out to compete, that athlete wants to win. Not winning will still bring disappointment and that will continue I feel. That’s what makes that event a terrific spectacle,” he reasoned.
“If you think that I am playing for fun and losing doesn’t hurt me, then the standard of competition will drop. Athletes will have to go out to win and that element has to stay alive and I know for sure that it will continue to stay alive. Yes, this is a challenge that brings in perspective but it won’t mean that athletes would stop caring less about winning and losing,” he was quote clear.
Life coming to a standstill has been humbling and probably given everyone the time to reflect, feels Tendulkar. “Like freedom, we are so used to it. Probably we had taken it for granted. May be your domestic help. This phase will make us more understanding,” he said.
While, Kolkata Knight Riders(KKR) skipper Dinesh Karthik has no qualms playing top-flight cricket in empty stadiums as a majority of the players “have grown up” turning out in domestic matches with few watching them.
Opinions are divided on whether sporting events, including the Indian Premier League (IPL), should be held behind closed doors once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. “For a lot of us, we have grown up playing domestic cricket without crowds. So it should not be too new to us,” Karthik said during an Instachat with former England medium-pacer turned commentator Isa Guha on Thursday.
(PTI Inputs with Bureau Report).

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