Sachin’s call when to retire: Australian pacer Shaun Tait

Despite several cricketing superstars arguing in favour of Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement from international cricket, Australian pacer Shaun Tait Monday said nobody has the right to dictate a legend like Tendulkar on the issue.

“I personally feel it is not fair to dictate a legend like Sachin on the matter of his retirement. It is absolutely his decision when to retire or not,” Tait told reporters on the sidelines of Blender’s Pride Fashion Tour here.

“He is a god to Indian cricket and has given so much to the game of cricket. It is only a matter of time before he is back among runs.”

Asked about the recent controversy about Tendulkar’s age taking a toll over his performance, Tait said: “Age is just a number. For a cricketer it’s his on-field performance that matters the most. Performance should be the only criteria and not the age.”

Calls for 39-year-old Tendulkar’s retirement from international cricket got stronger after the batting maestro was bowled thrice in a row during the recently concluded Test series against New Zealand.

Tait also hailed Yuvraj Singh’s brilliant comeback to international cricket after emerging victorious in his battle against cancer.

“Yuvi is a brilliant player. He is one of the most dangerous batsmen India currently has. He is a kind of a player whom every bowler is afraid to bowl. He is a match winner. We should never forget the six sixes that he had hit in the 2007 World T20,” he said.