New York, May 10: Indian cricketing great Sachin Tendulkar is on the cover for the Time magazine editions in the Indian subcontinent, Singapore and Australia and New Zealand.
The American magazine interviewed the Indian batting star for a profile that will appear in its issue this week. Tendulkar was named in Time's 2010 list of 100 most influential people in the world.
Tendulkar said at the start of his career, he used to "toss and turn" the night before a game.
"Now I know that's normal, so I'll just get up and watch TV or something. I know it's just my subconscious mind getting ready for a game. It's about knowing yourself, and I know myself better now."
Considered one of the greatest batsmen of all time, Tendulkar has smashed several records in his career and is the only cricketer to score 100 international centuries.
He was nominated last month to the Indian Parliament's Upper House, the 'Rajya Sabha. Amid all the adulation he has received and the impact he has had on his countrymen, Tendulkar said he believes in focusing on his cricket and the rest of the things happen on their own.
"Let people talk about it; me, I move forward. Right from my school days, I have done that. I know that certain things I do or say have an impact on people. People appreciate certain things that I do. But any active sportsman has to be very focused; you've got to be in the right frame of mind," he said, pointing out that if a person's energy is diverted in various directions, he does not achieve the results.
"I need to know when to switch on and switch off; and the rest of the things happen around that. Cricket is in the foreground, the rest is in the background."
Tendulkar said it is important for him to enjoy his game and he reminds himself of that theory in tough moments.
"So much happens [on and off the field] that sometimes you forget to enjoy the game. That's when things don't go smoothly. There have been challenges along the way, some tough moments. But I would speak to myself and say 'It doesn't matter what the situation is, enjoy it'."
When asked about his "switch-on/switch-off" process for a game, he said the "switching on" happens automatically for him.
"I know that I am going to be playing in three weeks, so I better start doing something. I get restless. Even if I am holidaying and not doing anything — training, jogging or going for walks — I feel uneasy. It's become part of me now. Whether I am playing or not, I need some activity and that helps me to be normal, otherwise I am a little restless."
Switching off, on the other hand, is not an instant process for him and is only possible when he has time between games.
"When I'm spending time with my children, that's when I actually switch off and I stay away completely from cricket. I do normal things, like any father, any family man."
He further said that he has always wanted to be completely focused on his game and did not want to think about the "commercial" side of it. "I do [advertising] shoots, but not at the cost of compromising on my cricket. At no stage did I feel I would have to make compromises and earn an extra buck," said Tendulkar.
