I don't need responsibility to speak out: Tendulkar

Kolkata, Sep 18 (UNI) Keeping all queries about captaincy at arm's length, India's cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar today said he has always been there to guide the juniors or make his suggestions heard with or without a consigned responsibility.

Tendulkar, who was in the city to promote Sunfeast Open, when quizzed on how he liked Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the Twenty20 captain said almost nothing before the moderator stepped in.

At an interaction where questions on captaincy were a taboo, he said, ''Its for the selectors to decide.'' Later when asked how he cope up with the burdened of responsibility of being a senior cricketer in the absence of a coach in England, Sachin said, ''To tell the truth, with or without the coach, I have always expressed my views if I had to say something. It could come in the form of a suggestion or a tactical point that I wanted to share. I have always guided the youngest member of the team and England was no exception.

''More importantly the junior cricketers know they can walk up to me anytime with any thing they wanted to ask. I am always open to it. I don't need any responsibility delegated to me separately for that,'' he added.

On India's prospects in the Twenty20 World Cup, he said, ''India has done well in the tournament. The last result was something that I could not like all other Indians. But they have my good wishes like all other Indians. The tournament is still wide open and hopefully India will come up on top.'' On the issue of injury, he said, ''Injury management is a very important part of sports today. There are going to be injuries. Its about how quickly you recover and how good is the rehab package.'' ''These times of injury are very depressing. So one needs a lot of determination and more importantly support of the family. So that at the end of it all you come out a better player, a better cricketer,'' Sachin added.

On how does he handle pressure in a country like India , where being a hero and villain is just a match away, he said, ''Its not easy at all. But you have to block it all away. Both the praises and criticism and play as well as you can to keep the tricolour flying.'' Sachin will be involved in a match of fun tennis that will feature Mahesh Bhupathi and Maria Kirilenko also.

UNI