British media urges Wayne Rooney to learn from Sachin Tendulkar.

Tue, Oct 19 09:39 AM


The British media has lavished praise on iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar and according to a column written by former England cricketer Ed Smith, Manchester United star Wayne Rooney should learn how to turn expectations into inspiration.

In an article headlined 'Sanctuary of crease lets Tendulkar reveal genius,' Smith had written, "Twice last week, sportsmen have proved me spectacularly wrong. First, Sachin Tendulkar reached 14,000 Test-match runs. And that's not the amazing part.


"It took him fewer innings to get from 13,000 to 14,000 than any other 1,000-run chunk of his career. A case could be made that he is at his best now, at 37," the newspaper noted.


The article said Tendulkar and Rooney were destined for rare greatness, even from teenage. Tendulkar has gone on and done it.


A year ago, Rooney looked placed to do the same. But now, as never before, there are real doubts that he will become the player we once assumed he would be.


"Make no mistake, Tendulkar's career has not been as serene as it might look, there have been arguments with coaches and match referees, an unsatisfactory spell as captain and long phases when the muse has deserted him.


"Tendulkar has had countless moments when frustration could have overwhelmed him. He has never blown his top, never lost his dignity. Instead,frustration has inpired him."


"Above all, his career has been played out under the shadow of phenomenal expectation. Footballers in England have to deal with being heroes. In India it is even worse: they are meant to be Gods."


"According to the report 'Tendulkar has come to the conclusion that there is one place where he is free from the hassles of fame. There is one realm where he cannot be pestered. It is called the crease.


"With the bat in his hands, Tendulkar is the conductor of his own life, not just a participant in a soap opera. There, out in the middle, no one can stop him being himself - not a restless media, not overly demanding fans, not intering coaches or greedy agents."


"It is the ultimate irony: the greatest actors are never freer than when they're on the stage. That is the way for Rooney to find the way out of his present difficulties - he must have the bravery to express himself on the pitch, to make it his sanctuary."


"If he allows himself to become embittered and resentful, he will not only become estranged from his fans, but also from his talent. No wonder the ball is bouncing off him at the moment; he probably would like to repel the whole game.


"Instead, he must learn to love it again. Shamed by alleged events off the pitch and embarrassed by events on it, Rooney could be forgiven for feeling sorry for himself," the report said.


"It would be a normal thing to feel. But he doesn't aspire to normality, but to greatness. And greatness, as Tendulkar has showed demands a superhuman degree of resilience and emotional dexterity. Rooney must locate his inner Tendulkar, a genius who got even with his critics by scoring hundreds."


"For Rooney, in every sense, it's time to turn the pressure into goals."

Pak, China two major irritants for India's security:Army Chief


PTI
Friday, October 15, 2010 AT 02:23 PM (IST)

New Delhi - Describing Pakistan and China as "two major irritants" for India's security, Army chief Gen V K Singh today said the armed forces should ensure the country has a "substantial" conventional war capability to fight in a nuclear scenario.


"We have two major irritants. One, there is a problem of governance in Pakistan where terror outfits receive support and where internal situation is not very good. And, therefore, it can have a fallout in terms of how these things impact India.


"Till the time the terrorist infrastructure remains intact on the other side, we have something to worry," he said inaugurating a seminar on 'Indian Army: Emerging Roles and Tasks' here.


He also referred to the threat posed by China which was rising both economically and militarily.


"Although we have a very stable border, yet we have a border dispute.

Hindu terror talk done to appease Muslims: RSS chief

BS Reporter / Mumbai October 18, 2010, 0:46 IST

There is no such thing as ‘saffron terrorism’ and it is an invention of the Congress-led UPA government to appease Muslims, said Mohanrao Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), at its annual Vijayadashmi rally in Nagpur, at the Reshimbagh grounds.


“A handful of Hindus were arrested in some framed-up cases and the whole Hindu community is being tarnished to appease the minority,” was Bhagwat’s dismissal of the cases where police have charged Hindu bodies with planning bomb blasts.

Addressing the annual Dussehra rally at Reshim Bagh ground here, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said, "Terrorism and Hindus are the oxymoron and can never be related to each other. This was an attempt to weaken strength of the Hindus in India and at the same time to appease the Muslims."Nitin Gadkari, national head of the Bharatiya Janata Party, attended the rally, dressed in the RSS uniform of khaki shorts, white shirt and black cap. He spent three hours there. Hridayanath Mangeshkar, brother of playback singer Lata Mangeshkar, was a guest of honour.


A handful of incidents involving Hindus were reported and for that to blame the entire Hindu community was improper and unjust, Bhagwat said.

"Hindus are generally not involved in terrorism," he said.



On Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi equating the RSS with the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), Bhagwat said the RSS needed no certificate. it would, he said, continue its activity of uniting people with nationalist fervour.

He said the Ayodhya verdict of the Allahabad high court, that came just before Dussehra, was an auspicious sign. It is an opportunity provided to every citizen, including Muslims, to make a new beginning for affectionate co-existence. The court, said the RSS chief, had endorsed the Hindu belief that Ayodhya was the birthplace of Rama and a temple should be built there. The agitation in support of construction of a Ram temple there was not against any particular religion, he said.

Bhagwat alleged the central government should have no negotiations with insurgents in Kashmir or their supporters.