Wouldn't dare ask Tendulkar to retire: Richards.......

West Indian batting great Vivian Richards believes it should be Sachin Tendulkar's call on when he wants to call time on his career. 

Tendulkar is in the middle of a poor run of form and ended up with a highest score of 81 against the visiting Australians who played India in a four-Test series while the younger batsmen piled up big scores. Despite the slump, Richards said Tendulkar should be treated with respect after his immense contributions to the game. 

"When Sachin wants to retire is his call. It's completely an individual call. He alone should decide. I would never dare to walk up to Sachin and tell him that 'You go tomorrow'," Richards said. 

Richards, considered to be one of the greatest batsmen ever said Tendulkar can go on for another 10 years if he wanted to because even after 24 years in international cricket, the Little Master did not look out of place. 

"Everyone knows that I am a fan of Sachin. He is still a class-act and doesn't look out of place even in T20s which is a modern day game. Let him go to 50 and I would still like to watch him," Richards, who is in an advisory role with Delhi, told. 

Richards reckoned the younger crop can learn a lot from how Tendulkar prepares himself before a match and pick up things that could remain with them forever. 

"Having Sachin is a wonderful indicator about how one prepares for a match," he said. 

Richards had a word of advice for Virender Sehwag, whose poor form resulted in the selectors dropping him half way through the Test series against Australia. Shikhar Dhawan, who replaced the Delhi veteran, made the most of it, virtually blocking Sehwag out for a while but the former West Indian batsman believed Sehwag could deliver again. 

"We all know that Sehwag is a magnificent player. What has happened to him can happen to the best players but I will always have him in my team," he pointed out. 

"Viru can take a cue from Gayle's approach. When I mean you bluff the opposition, it's about changing your approach a little bit. Gayle loves to hit sixes from the first ball but there are times when he waits for a certain period of time before attacking. 

"I want Viru to do that. Take a few singles and stay there. Because when players like Gayle and Sehwag stay for a longer period of time, the bowling side starts sweating a little," Richards explained. 

"It's like driving. When you see the red light, you have got to stop and wait. Again when you see the green light, you set your foot on the pedal and accelerate", Richards pointed out.