Kapil Dev terms comments on Tendulkar to be personal opinion

New Zealand Star (ANI) Wednesday 22nd February, 2012

Former Indian skipper Kapil Dev on Wednesday said his recent comments that batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar should retire from international cricket were his personal opinion.

The 1983 world cup-winning captain said he felt the 2011 World Cup was the right time when Tendulkar should have retired.

"I think he (Tendulkar) served the country so well. Nobody has done better than him. Everybody has to call it a day and I felt after the World Cup that was the high everybody was looking for. And at the end of the day, what more can we expect from that little genius," said Dev.

"After the World Cup, he should have said, Ok I have done my bit, I have fulfilled my dream. Let other people play. But that is my opinion. He loved the game what we know very very closely. So certain people can't let it go because they love it," he added.

Dev had recently said in a television interview that Tendulkar should have retired immediately after the World Cup victory last year.

The dismal performance of the Indian cricket team during the tour of England and Australia has put a question mark on the performance of many players, including Tendulkar.

The former cricketer said that the captain and the team should be compatible with each other in order to perform well on the field.

"At the end of the day, the captain is all in all, and one should respect the captain. That is the way a sport is played. It is up to the captain to look after the team also," he said.

Reports of friction between Dhoni and other senior members of the team had surfaced after India lost to Australia in the recent test match series. (ANI)