Sachin reveals why he used a heavy bat, and it's not what we expect

The master batsman was yesterday asked about his greatest rival Ricky Ponting's call for stricter rules governing the size of bats. Sachin said, "I personally played with a heavy bat. That was because me and my elder brother shared one bat and it was his bat. I had to hold the handle right at the bottom so the weight was not out of control to manage. Players make their own adjustments.

"The size of the bats that I played with and those I see today are different. It is all about developing equipment and the bats have certainly developed a lot,” reported PTI.

Tendulkar also batted for more bowler-friendly wickets in international cricket to negate the huge advantage that batsmen enjoy.

"Wickets need to change. They need to be more helpful for bowlers.

"I see in T20 format the greatest of the fast bowlers are being reverse swept at times. In one-days, a 300 total is no more a competitive total.

“There should be at least one format in cricket where the bowlers have a better chance of executing their skills and it becomes more interesting for spectators as well," he said.

Also read: Mini-IPL | Will it finally kill the golden goose?

The legend was also part of the CAC, including Ganguly, VVS Laxman, and BCCI convenor Sanjay Jagdale that selected Anil Kumble as India's head coach. Speaking about Kumble, Sachin said, "Anil is a fabulous player, a hard competitor who will not make any compromises on the field. He will be out there to win each and every moment. Anil has a lot to share... everything that he has learnt from this wonderful sport having played for almost 20 years.

"It is all about being a tough character and be able to stand back on your feet again and to compete the next day. Every day is a fresh day, new beginning. That is something I feel Anil will teach them (players)," reported PTI.

Sachin urged the players to utilize the opportunity to be coached by a competitor like Kumble and imbibe as much as they can.

"To the players, I would say go out and grasp as much information from him as possible and enjoy cricket above all.

"Let it be competitive, play it in the right spirit and enjoy the game," he said.

He, however, refused to be drawn into the Shastri controversy and said, "whatever we discussed in that meeting room stays confidential information".

"Ravi's contribution has been terrific and he's done a fabulous job. He is someone that I have played cricket with and understood the way he approached cricket," he added.

Also read: Anil Kumble | Can the legendary bowler transform into a great coach?