As if the current imbroglio over the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal is not enough, the BCCI seems to have invited more trouble. Reports suggest that the board is set to ask the country’s most decorated cricketer Sachin Tendulkar to call it a day after his 200th Test scheduled to be held in November. The newly-appointed Tour, Programme and Fixtures Committee chief Rajiv Shukla has convened a meeting on Thursday to select venues for the two Test matches against the West Indies billed as Sachin’s farewell series. The BCCI’s reported move to prepare the stage for Sachin’s swansong has surprised many and Erapalli Prasanna is one of them. The spin legend says it’s not fair to force someone of Sachin’s calibre to throw in the towel. “If the reports are true, it’s surely not the right way to go about it. Sachin knows when to retire. He took the call on his ODI career when he realised it was time to give way to youngsters,” the former off-spinner told this newspaper. The rumour mill has been busy for quite some time about Sachin’s retirement. Chairman of selectors Sandeep Patil had reportedly spoken to Sachin upon the insistence of a key BCCI official, but it was promptly denied. Then came a report saying BCCI has selected an individual to convey the Board’s message to Sachin. One can only wonder whether it’s BCCI’s ploy to divert the attention from the controversies surrounding its president who is embroiled in court battles. Prasanna says even Sachin’s retirement announcement can’t overshadow the IPL scandals and its ugly aftermath. “Whatever happened in recent times is so devastating that even after 10 years, it will be difficult to erase these incidents from people’s memory,” said Prasanna. Sachin’s old nemesis Shoaib Akhtar says the Master Blaster missed a great opportunity to retire at the end of 2011 World Cup which India won at Mumbai. “But BCCI needs to handle Sachin’s retirement well and give Sachin the send-off he deserves,” Akhtar told a TV channel on Tuesday.
