Published: Nov 20, 2013, 09:43 PM (IST)
Edited: Nov 20, 2013, 09:43 PM (IST)
Vinod Kambli (left) said he felt hurt as Sachin Tendulkar did not mention him in his farewell speech, and also for not inviting him in the party © AFP
Nov 20, 2013
Vinod Kambli, the former India batsman has said that it seems as if he has become Sachin Tendulkar’s enemy. Kambli did not feature in Tendulkar’s emotional farewell speech after his last Test and also wasn’t invited for the latter’s retirement party recently.
Kambli and Tendulkar were known to be great friends since their school days and it is said that the former’s appearance in the TV show Sach Ka Saamna created a ripple. In that show, Kambli had said that Tendulkar didn’t help him enough to overcome his self-destructive tendencies.
Speaking to Zee News Kambli said, “I haven’t heard Sachin’s voice for a long time and it hurts me. It’s been seven long years and we haven’t met each other. In between we just shared few text messages and that’s all. It seems as if we have become enemies now.”
When asked about Tendulkar’s farewell speech, Kambli said, “I felt bad. If you see his farewell speech, he thanked everyone. He thanked teammates, family and everybody. But, I think he forgot one person, that is me. I have been close to him and have spent a lot of time with him. I would say he should have remembered. The turning point of his career was the world record partnership of 664.
“If that partnership wouldn’t have happened, people wouldn’t have known who is Vinod Kambli and who is Sachin Tendulkar. Otherwise, we would have continued playing. Mumbai had better cricketers than us. I would say I have a big contribution in that as we actually started our careers there.”
Speaking about the snub from the party, Kambli said, “For the party, he invited his close associates. But, one man was left out, who has been with him through thick and thin. I was even more hurt after neither me or my family was invited. I thought that at least he would have invited me believing that he may have forgotten my name in the speech.”
