— Photo: AP

AMAZING ABILITY: Greg Chappell is amazed by Sachin Tendulkar's ability to stay focussed.

Sydney: With millions of `rabid' fans following the game with passion, Sachin Tendulkar's ability to accept adulation and still remaining sane has earned him an admirer in coach Greg Chappell.

Herald Sun quoted the Australian batting legend and Team India coach Chappell heaping praise on Tendulkar for the way he handles fame.

``He's a remarkable man. He is the one I admire most, coping 17 years with the pressure of being a superstar in this country, and remaining a sane, sensible human being is just remarkable.''

``He is a wonderful person and he has a huge impact with this group.

They hold him in high esteem. He is very sensible and has a great cricket mind,'' Chappell added.

Plagued by controversies since his sweet-turned-sour relation with deposed skipper Sourav Ganguly, Chappell remains unperturbed by what's going around him.

``I have taken the same approach I took when I played cricket. I could not afford to be diverted by outside comment and opinion. All I can do is focus on the things I feel very strongly in.''

``I have taken the view that I can do the job to the best of my ability and the rest will take care of itself,'' Chappell added.

``I knew the job would be challenging. It's probably the most challenging job in cricket.''

``You have a billion and a bit rabid followers of the cricket who get very, very involved and have high expectations and all of that,'' he said.

Chappell recalls the grand reception Team India had after a one-dayer in Rajkot.

``We finished in the afternoon and we went to the airport to fly to the next venue, and there would have been anywhere between 300,000 and 500,000 people lining the streets to cheer the team.''

``It was like the royal motorcade. It was like the Beatles coming to town. Amazing. Most of those people lead simple and humble lives. Most of them would hardly have had a glimpse of the players,'' he reminisced.

``If I ever wanted to be a pop star, I can't imagine I could have got feted and treated with as much pomp and ceremony as the Indian cricket team does. It's difficult for the players. I admire the way they handle it.''

``They come from a variety of backgrounds. Many of them would not have imagined anything like it in their lives,'' he said.

Opining that the India-Pakistan series would be much more pulsating than the Ashes, Chappell said, ``We have a tour of Pakistan coming up. In terms of the number of people following it, think of an Ashes series and multiply it by 100. It's huge.''

On his experience so far, the Australian said, ``I am enjoying the challenge of the job. It is an exciting place, a demanding place. You can't help but be caught up in the excitement of what is going on with the country at large, the way the economy and the country is opening up.''

``Judy (wife) and I have looked upon it as an adventure and an opportunity to do something very different. And we would try and make the most of it to the best of our ability and, by and large, we have,'' he added. — UNI

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