Rahul Dravid launches “SACHIN: Born To Bat – The journey of Cricket’s ultimate centurion”

Written by veteran journalist Khalid A-H Ansari and edited by Clayton Murzello, the book is a unique ode to contemporary cricket’s finest batsman

Mumbai, 22 November 2012: Former India cricket captain Rahul Dravid released “Sachin Born to Bat - The journey of cricket’s ultimate centurion” at a glittering function at the Cricket Club of India on Thursday.

Published by Jaico Books, it is written by veteran journalist Khalid A-H Ansari and edited by MiD DAY's Group Sports Editor Clayton Murzello.

Dravid waxed eloquent on Tendulkar, his former batting partner with whom he has put up many a splendid partnership in Test cricket. Dravid retired from international cricket after the Australia tour earlier this year.

Celebrated commentator Harsha Bhogle was Master of Ceremonies for the evening, remembered being at Old Trafford in the English summer of 1990 where Sachin Tendulkar scored the first of his 100 international centuries.

The book also includes his despatch on that memorable, match-saving hundred for which Sachin Tendulkar received the Man of the Match award.

The book is a compilation of various articles on the cricketing God from 1986 to 2012, covering the commendable journey from his formative years to the times of eternal glory and success.

Sachin Tendulkar has penned the introduction for the book. He writes: "Through this book, it is as if I have lived through the many moments in my life, in words and pictures."

In a special message for the book release, Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar said: "Sachin Tendulkar is a special player and it needs a special writer to do justice to his skills and ability and there is none better than Khalid Ansari to do so. I wish the evening every success and I am sure the book will be avidly read by not just Sachin fans, but all cricket lovers."

About the book:

Sachin: Born to Bat is a unique ode to one of contemporary cricket’s finest batsman – Sachin Tendulkar. In the words of the author: “This is an attempt to impartially probe the crucial mental, physical and emotional ingredients of a cricketing ‘God’. I have tried to turn the laser on the maestro’s persona - innumerable blemishes and all – to prevent the book from degenerating into a shabaash, wah-wah hagiography. For all his splendiferous achievements, Sachin has also shown that he is a mere mortal with feet of clay – witness his run-ins with authority, cricketing and civil.” Some of the world’s most famous names in cricket writing – Ayaz Memon, Harsha Bhogle, Ian Chappell, Mike Coward, Peter Roebuck and other luminaries – grace the pages of this book. Tributes from cricket’s most famous personalities including Tendulkar’s Team India teammates and coaches make this publication invaluable in helping cricket enthusiasts understand what makes Sachin the peerless champion he is. The book also captures critical moments of Tendulkar’s wondrous cricketing career from photographers who have followed him throughout his distinguished career.

About the author:

Until his recent retirement, Padma Shri Khalid A-H Ansari was the guiding force of Mid Day Infomedia Ltd which publishes the newspaper (in two languages from Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore and Pune), the Inquilab Daily and other publications. He was the publisher of the magazine Sportsweek, which he started in 1968 to champion the cause of Indian sport and sportsmen until 1989, when he took up an assignment abroad. The author of three earlier books, he covered the Kargil war in 1999, the NAM conference in Harare and the CHOGM summit in the Bahamas. He was also a member of the Indian delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in 1989 and published the Earth Times, the official paper for the 1994 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. He has the distinction of having covered nine Olympic Games going back to Munich ’72 and is a recipient of several honors and awards.

About the editor:

Clayton Murzello is MiD DAY’s Group Sports Editor and has been a journalist since 1988. He is a recipient of two Sports Journalists Federation of India (SFJI) awards for excellence in journalism. He has co-authored a book on cricket anecdotes with former Test cricketer Sandeep Patil.