I will keep trying and the rest is in God's hands, I just want to enjoy the game: Sachin Tendulkar

Lashing out at critics who had been demanding his retirement off late, Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar said that this was a decision which he will be deciding on his own and that he would leave the game just because his critics feel so. “I feel that when I retire, is something for me to decide because, after all, nobody decided when I should start playing cricket. Those who are advising me about retirement were not the ones who brought me into the team,” said Tendulkar, according to a report in the Indian Express. He went on to reiterate his opinion about people retiring at the top of their powers were being selfish. “When you are on top, you should serve the country instead of retiring,” he added.

Tendulkar, who will turn 39 on April 24, did not even rule out playing in the next one-day world cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2015. “When this question was asked in 2007 (about the 2011 world cup), it was tough for me to answer. It's the same situation,” Tendulkar said, according to a report in Hindustan Times. “I don't know what to say about 2015. If people keep praying for me, that would mean a lot to me. I will keep trying and the rest is in God's hands. I just want to enjoy the game,” Tendulkar added.

Tendulkar said he had no unfulfilled dream as a cricketer now that his ambitions of playing for India and being part of a world cup-winning side had come true. But he didn't rule out playing Test cricket four years down the line. “When I started playing cricket, I didn't see myself playing for 22 years either. I don't know what is in store,” he said.

In the prolonged session, Tendulkar spoke on many issues and recalled several interesting anecdotes from his glorious career and early life, some of which were spoken about for the first time, says a report in The Times Of India.

When the Chappell-Ganguly war broke out in Zimbabwe in 2005, Tendulkar had stated that such things shouldn’t come out in the open and the sanctity of the dressing room should be maintained. His opinions haven’t changed after nearly eight years. There was tension in the dressing room during the CB Series as senior pro Virender Sehwag and skipper MS Dhoni didn’t see eye to eye over the controversial rotational policy involving senior players. “I think every individual thinks differently. 10 people will have 10 different opinions. I think team discussions should be within the team,” Tendulkar said, according to a TOI report.

He, interestingly, added, “I did not follow that press conference (by Dhoni and Sehwag). I don't keep in touch with that. I need to know what the intentions were because I wouldn't want to make loose statements. You have to ask the people who made those comments, what their intentions were.”