Mussoorie, Jan 2: Sachin Tendulkar might have called time on his limited-overs career but he says his heart is still with the team and exuded confidence that India would bounce back in the ODI series against arch-rivals Pakistan.
“Even though I am not part of the team now, my heart is always with the team. I will support the team all the way. And I have no doubt that the team is going to bounce back in the series,” Tendulkar said during his first interaction with the media after his retirement from ODIs.
“The team needs good wishes and support from all of us. They need good feedback from everybody so that they can play good cricket,” he said, while also offering the countrymen good wishes in the new year.
“Now 2013 has set in and I would like to wish the people of this country happiness and good health,” he added. Tendulkar, who has been holidaying here with his family, thanked fans for the support he got throughout his long career.
“It has been a fantastic journey for the last 23 years and I would like to thank everybody for their support. They have supported me in the ups and downs of my career. It means a lot to me. So, it has been a memorable journey,” he said.
Asked about his holidaying here, Tendulkar said, “For the last 23 years, the cricket schedule has been very tight and I could get just a few occasions to spend time with the family. Here I was able to have long walk and appreciate how beautiful the country is and how fabulous the place is.”
“I have my privacy here and I thanked the media for this. I played badminton, table tennis, tennis ball cricket also and watched cricket on television,” he said when asked how he had spent his time during the holiday.
Tendulkar has been holidaying in this north Indian resort town with wife Anjali, son Arjun and daughter Sara since December 23 just after announcing his ODI retirement.
