http://www.cricketnext.com/news/tend.../26381-13.html

Tendulkar makes Atherton eat his words


London: Sachin Tendulkar's impressive performances in the ongoing Test series against England has made Michael Atherton eat his words as the former cricketer has expressed "great admiration" for the Indian, admitting he had matured to be player now".

"Watching Tendulkar bat throughout this series has been a curious business; his decline at once obvious and yet, since that decline has been accompanied by two telling innings, there comes with it a greater admiration," Atherton wrote in a British newspaper Daily Telegraph.

"'Decline' is a relative term, of course. It is simply that Tendulkar is now a very fine player rather than a very great one," he said after the Indian scored 217 runs and also picked some crucial wickets in the three-match series.

Atherton had joined the intense debate started by former Australian captain Ian Chappell on whether Tendulkar should call it a day in the aftermath of his poor showing in the World Cup by writing a column in the paper under the headline "Sachin Tendulkar, now just a comic hero".

Atherton had also doubted that if sponsorship deals were among the reasons that was keeping Tendulkar going in cricket.

"The truth is that Tendulkar has been marketed as a brand for some time. There are many interested parties who are keen to see Tendulkar wearing India's colours for a while yet.

"There are only two reasons for carry on playing: if you are good enough, and if you still love the game. Only Tendulkar knows whether that love is alive. Everyone else is painfully aware that, despite his new super-hero status, his powers are very much on the wane," Atherton had said.