EXCLUSIVE: As Sachin Tendulkar turns 50 today, UAE fans reveal how the cricket legend has shaped their lives – News

For the only batsman to score 100 centuries in international cricket, it was a perfect half-century on a 22-yard run

The late Mark Mascarenas congratulated Sachin Tendulkar after his 1998 Coca-Cola Cup final win against Australia in Sharjah. — AFP file

April 24 was a day of celebration for the cricket-obsessed Indian generation who experienced every moment of Sachin Tendulkar’s cricketing journey.

The wonder boy who warmed every mother’s heart with his curly hair and shy smile when he made his international debut in 1989 turns 50 today.

The only man to score 100 centuries in international cricket scored a perfect half-century from 22 yards of life.

But for Sharjah-based pediatrician Dr Mandar V. Bichu, Tendulkar was more than just a record-breaking cricketer.

Sachin’s ethereal batting technique and his impeccable behavior had such an impact that Bichu eventually created a unique online museum on the batting maestro’s 48th birthday in 2021 – TendulkarCricket.Com ( https://tendulkarcricket.com).

“Sachin’s 50th birthday is now a milestone for each of us in some way because he means so much to the country,” said Dr Mandar, who first heard about Sachin from a friend.

“A friend of mine lives in Sachin’s colony in Bandra (Mumbai). He talked about this young boy who has amazing talent. He said the boy will play for India soon.

“Then a few years later, he was drafted into the India team as a 16-year-old boy and went on to play for 24 years, almost becoming an emotion in India.

“Our lives, and all these aspirations, were invested in this guy for over twenty years. When he was there, the whole game was centered around him. That magical era defined our lives.”

Shyam Bhatia is another who has a special connection with Sachin.

Shyam Bhatia and Sachin Tendulkar

The renowned cricket promoter in the UAE and owner of the renowned Shyam Bhatia Cricket Museum in Dubai was also there when Sachin scored the first of his 100 international centuries.

“I was in Manchester (1990) when he scored his first century (119 not out). What an inning it was!” said Bhatia.

“I remember India conceding six wickets on the last day, they were by a wide margin. But he stayed there and showed the extraordinary qualities of a 17-year-old player.

“He had a great partnership with Manoj Prabhakar and the two of them saved the game for India on the last day,” recalls Bhatia.

A few months later, he witnessed Sachin’s first classic Test match in England, and in Dubai, his friend Sunil Gavaskar gave Bhatia a beautiful surprise.

“In 1991, the Indian team was playing a match in Sharjah, and Sunny was on commentary duty. I took him to dinner one night. But to my surprise, he also brought Sachin and Vinod Kambli to our house,” says this said a businessman in his eighties.

“That was the first time I met Sachin. You know, it’s hard to believe that Sachin is 50 now. He still has that boyish charm that I saw at our house for dinner that night.”

Love the fried egg sandwich

Sachin’s fondness for the popular Maharashtra vegetarian snack ‘vada pav’ is well documented.

But few know how Sachin fell in love with the ‘paratha fried egg sandwich’, a popular snack among the Kerala community in the UAE.

It is worth noting that the person who introduced this snack to Sachin was a Pakistani.

Veteran UAE cricket umpire Tariq Butt has been a match official at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium for over 20 years.

“I don’t remember what year it was, but I brought Sachin some fried egg sandwiches to a game in Sharjah. He loved it so much he wanted to have it for breakfast every day,” Butt said.

A former first-class cricketer for Pakistan, Butt has to bring fried egg sandwiches to Tendulkar every time the Indian team plays in Sharjah.

“A few years ago in London, Sachin met a man who used to work at the Sharjah Stadium. The first thing Sachin asked him was: ‘Oh, you are from Sharjah, how is Mr Butt?

“You know, when my friend told me about it, I almost had tears in my eyes. It’s incredible that such a big cricketer can remember someone like me after all these years.”

For someone who fled Pakistan in 1977 in fear of political persecution, Butt went on to forge links with several iconic cricketers during Sharjah cricket’s glory days.

But Sachin still holds a special place in his heart.

“I came to Dubai because my ties to the PJP made me fear for my life in Pakistan. Those were the dark days of Pakistani politics,” Bhat recalls.

“But I was lucky, I started a new life in the UAE and got involved in cricket, which was my first love.

“Meeting Sachin and getting to know the man behind this cricketer is something I will cherish forever in my life.”