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Gilchrist called up to clarify: Tendulkar

Comments have been taken out of context, says the Australian

— File Photo: PTI

CLEARING THE AIR: Adam Gilchrist has reportedly been in touch with Sachin Tendulkar after comments in his autobiography drew widespread criticism from Indians.

NEW DELHI: Sachin Tendulkar on Friday said Australian star Adam Gilchrist had phoned him to clarify his controversial comments about the batting great in a new book.

The World Cup-winning wicketkeeper-batsman, who had retired from the game earlier this year, said in his autobiography [True Colours] that Tendulkar was “hard to find for a changing room handshake after we have beaten India”.

Gilchrist also questioned Tendulkar’s honesty throughout the acrimonious Harbhajan Singh-Andrew Symonds incident during the Test series between the two cricketing powers in Australia last summer.

Australia claimed Harbhajan called him a monkey during a match but an independent tribunal later cleared the India off-spinner of the racial charge.

As tensions mounted over the book and ahead of the next Test between Australia and India, Tendulkar said the former wicketkeeper-batsman had made contact to explain the comments.

“Gilchrist called me up and clarified this issue,” he told a TV news channel in Pune.

“He said his comments have been taken out of context,” he said without elaborating further.

Marketing gimmick

Former National selector Dilip Vengsarkar branded Gilchrist’s comments a gimmick to sell the book, which is set to be released next week.

“It is very unfortunate that Gilchrist has made such comments,” he said.

“You get a lot of money to write a book in Australia and England. But you have to write something sensational to sell your book. It is a marketing strategy to sell his book,” said the former Test batsman.

The Indian cricket board said Gilchrist’s comments were off the mark.

“Gilchrist should have thought twice before making such comments about Tendulkar, who is a great batsman and widely respected all over the cricketing world,” the board’s media committee chairman, Rajiv Shukla, said.

“If there is any person who will lose respect after this incident it is Gilchrist himself.”

Gilchrist’s autobiography, extracts of which will be printed in this weekend’s press, centres on the hostilities between the two teams in Australia last summer, which saw India threaten to boycott the tour.

The book is bound to ruffle a few feathers with the teams seeking supremacy in the ongoing four-Test series which the Indians lead 1-0.

The series has been peppered with verbal sparring, culminating in Indian paceman Zaheer Khan being fined 80 per cent of his match fee for his reaction to Matthew Hayden’s dismissal in the second Test in Mohali earlier this week.

Intense battle

Hayden said it was intense competition between the two sides that sparked the tension. “We always have some tension,” he told reporters on Thursday.

“That is exactly why we want to see our athletes playing the game. That tension is mounted over five days, mounted over a window of 13 days, in so far as what we have seen in these two Test matches.

“That is why I also, as a spectator, want to see that ability to gnash teeth. I want to see that competitive edge. Two hungry dogs, if you can use the metaphor, that circle each other in a ring.”

Harbhajan furious

India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, furious about Gilchrist’s comment, said the retired Australian has lost his respect. “He should not be talking about Sachin. It is all rubbish,” an angry Harbhajan said.

“We don’t respect him,” the feisty off-spinner was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.

Harbhajan hit back at the Australian for his comments on Tendulkar.

“People say he walks when he nicks, but why did he appeal when batsmen did not nick,” Harbhajan asked.

“He always changes his mind according to the situation. If Australia is close to victory, he is always going up (to appeal) whether it is out or not out,” Harbhajan added. — Agencies

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