Sachin would have been axed had he not retired from ODIs: Sandeep Patil

Mumbai: Former chief selector Sandeep Patil revealed that he was involved in Indian cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar’s decision to retire from the sport, four years back.

Speaking to ABP News and Marathi channel ABP Majha, Patil said that he had arranged for the meet, where Sachin’s partial retirement from the sport (from ODI cricket) was decided.

Patil, who was replaced by MSK Prasad as the chief selector on Wednesday, said that the selectors had decided to drop Tendulkar, if he did not retire from ODI cricket.

"On December 12, 2012, we met Sachin and asked him about his future plans. He said he did not have retirement on his mind. But the selection committee had reached a consensus on Sachin... and had informed the board too about it," said Patil.

"Perhaps Sachin understood what was coming because at the time of the next meeting, Sachin called and said he was retiring (from ODIs). If he had not announced his decision to quit then, we would have definitely dropped him."

“It was a good thing to do. It did not happen in one day or one month,” he continued. “Sachin retired in (November) 2013. The meeting in Nagpur was just to ask his plans.”

While Tendulkar was a regular in the Indian Test squad, that was not the case for the ODIs. However, when asked about his plans for the future, Tendulkar said that he wanted to concentrate more on playing Test cricket, according to Patil.

“Sachin wanted to concentrate more on Test cricket.. He called me and Sanjay Jagdale (then BCCI secretary). Then it was collectively decided that he will retire from ODI’s,” said Patil.

However, Patil went on to say that the decision to retire was entirely up to Tendulkar, who he termed as “the God of cricket".

“Sandeep Patil is a man of low stature compared to Sachin Tendulkar. Do you really think I can ask someone who is called the ‘god of cricket’ to leave the game? It was not my decision, Sachin himself decided to bid good-bye,” said Patil. “No doubt I was a part of that decision. It was a right decision taken at a right time. I was disappointed like a million others but you shouldn’t get disturbed when you are at the chief selector’s position.”