Goodbye Sachin, Bollywood bids a tearful adieu to the little master blaster

Naseeruddin Shah: “It’s sad. But it had to happen. We should be thankful for having him on the field for so long. May the rest of his life bring him the same joy he has given u. I hope he gets a great send-off.” Nawazuddin Siddiqui: “He is a great role-model of the cricket field. And his game inspires generations in every field of life. I love his passion for cricket. Sachin is irreplaceable.” Kabir Bedi: “India’s greatest cricketer retires, but only from the play field. He will remain forever an icon, a legend, a towering figure in cricket.” Shailendra Singh (producer, author and sports enthusiast and commentator whose celebrity-management company has top sportspersons on its roster)— “The end of an innings has always led to the beginning of a new innings. Sachin’s innings on the field has just ended. But his innings off the field has just started. Sachin Tendulkar for India and the world is the ultimate sports icon. He has the power to inspire generations. He connects to three generations of sports and sportspersons. Going forward, he will take a fresh card and begin a new innings. Just like Mr Amitabh Bachchan who even at his age commands the same money and fan base as Shah Rukh Khan, Sachin will continue to be an active sports icon off the field and will command way more money and connectivity than any other sports legend. His confession some time ago on a television channel that he would retire the day he felt he was not useful on the field, says it all. I think he has come to terms with the fact that the time to retire has come. With the explosion of a digital era among youngsters I believe it’s time for a new beginning for Sachin Tendulkar. Times have changed. Imagine what power Brand Sachin would exercise if he remains connected to the youth off the field.” Sonu Sood: “Cricket without Sachin Tendulkar can never be a complete experience. I feel millions of cricket enthusiasts around the world might lose interest in cricket without Sachin. I don’t know if I will watch a match that avidly again.”