At 14,000 Test runs, Tendulkar yearns for "next level"

Fri, Oct 29 03:54 PM

London, Oct 29 (PTI) He has been hailed as one of the most accomplished players in world cricket but Sachin Tendulkar still yearns to reach the "next level" as a batsman. Tendulkar, who made history earlier this month by becoming the first batsman to score 14,000 runs in Test cricket, says his desire to improve remains as intense as it has ever been.

"I''m really focusing now on how I can get to the next level as a batsman. How can I get even more competitive? How can I get even more consistent? How can I get better?" Tendulkar said, according the extract of an interview to ''The Guardian'' to be published in full tomorrow.

Instead of struggling for form with advancing age, 37-year-old Tendulkar has had the most prolific year of his Test career in 2010 and he insists rather than considering retirement he has many more goals to fulfill. "Life would be flat without dreams.

I think it''s really important to dream - and then to chase those dreams. I really believe in this because it''s this dreaming that makes me work so hard.

I want to continue doing that because I''ve worked very hard the last couple of years on my batting," he said. "(Coach) Gary Kirsten has been instrumental in this.

Together we''ve worked hard in the last couple of years to improve my batting. He''s given me the freedom to express myself, and to pace my innings as I see fit.

I can slow down occasionally. Gary has helped me do this and it''s because he''s more a friend than a coach," said Tendulkar who is just one short of hitting 50 Test centuries.

He described 2010 as his "sweetest year" as he won his first ICC''s Player of the Year Award and returned to the top of the world batting rankings for the first time since 2002. In February, Tendulkar scored centuries in successive Tests against South Africa before becoming the first man to reach 200 in an ODI against the same opponents.