As the maestro bid farewell to the sport he loved, the cricketing fraternity did not hold back with their compliments. He received much adulation even from our noisy neighbours, Pakistan. Fittingly, publications went at great length to pay their tribute to, arguably, the best batsman to have set foot on the 22 yards. But the Taliban, in a video message, have taken offence to the farewell Sachin Tendulkar has received in their country.
The Express Tribune and Daily Times wrote Tendulkar is rightly considered the most complete batsman of his age, possessing every shot in the book and having the ability to both, tear apart bowling attacks and to control his natural aggression to suit the needs of his team.
Insaaf, an Urdu daily, wrote that cricketers like Tendulkar are not born every day, that he is widely loved and respected and that his fans must be sad as “cricket without him is surely the poorer.”
In response to these glowing tributes, Taliban spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid said, “There is this Indian cricket player Sachin Tendulkar. It was unfortunate to see Pakistani media go to great extent to pay tribute to him.”
He goes on to talk about the Pakistan cricket team captain, and the treatment meted out to him by the very same media.
“On the other hand, it was sad to know same Pakistani media badly criticise captain Misbah-ul-Haq. No matter how good Tendulkar is, don’t praise him because he is Indian. No matter how bad Misbah-ul-Haq plays, he should be praised because he is a Pakistani.”
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