Tendulkar’s flamboyance is history, says Viv Richards](http://sg.sports.yahoo.com/050422/1/3s36q.html)
The ageing Sachin Tendulkar will never be the flamboyant batsman he was, but he remains vital to India’s cricketing ambitions, West Indian great Vivian Richards has said.
Tendulkar, who turns 32 on Sunday, has been criticised by an unforgiving media and fans alike for not batting in the aggressive manner he did at the start of his career 16 years ago.
But Richards, arguably the most destructive batsman in history, defended Tendulkar’s changed approach.
“When you are 21, you are the best, with a perfect sight and good hand-eye co-ordination,” the former West Indian captain told reporters during a personal visit here on Friday.
"At 26, you get a lot wiser. Tendulkar is now a very mature player.
"He is now more into a fortifying role and not flamboyant. But you must respect that he has grown older.
"He cannot always fulfil the things that are expected of him.
“He may be looking to play the way he started his career, but that is not always possible.”
Tendulkar, one of modern cricket’s most prolific batsmen, enjoyed mixed success in the recent home contests against Pakistan.
Needing one more Test century to break compatriot Sunil Gavaskar’s world record tally of 34, Tendulkar hit three half-centuries in five innings but could not prevent Pakistan from gaining a series-levelling win in the third and final Test at Bangalore.
In the six-match one-day series, which Pakistan won 4-2 after being 0-2 down, Tendulkar had scores of four, two, six, 123, one and nine.
The Bombay batsman is the fourth-highest scorer in Test cricket with 10,134 runs, behind Australians Steve Waugh and Allan Border and West Indian Brian Lara.
Tendulkar remains the most successful one-day batsman with 13,642 runs and 38 centuries.
“If Tendulkar left cricket right now, he will still be a legend,” Richards added.
"He carried India’s mantle for a long period. He has done his job and done it well.
Richards, who scored 8,540 runs in 121 Tests, dismissed suggestions that his aggressive style was being copied by batsmen like India’s Virender Sehwag and Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi.
“Viv Richards is Viv Richards. I will not compare myself with anyone,” he said.
“When I was playing I took inspiration from others, but never aped anyone. Each player has his own style.”
