Sachin deserves his place at cricket's top table

"Be focused on whatever you do, that's how you make it happen," said Sachin, whose commitment, determination and subsequent achievements with the (cricket) bat have elevated him to a place among world sport's true legends.

In October 2008, he passed Brian Lara's total of 11,953 runs to become the leading Test batsman of all time. He has hit more Test centuries than anyone else (39 and counting) and is the only batsman to pass 13000, 14000, 15000 AND 16000 runs in One-Day Internationals.

And table tennis? "Yes, absolutely, it is the other sport I play a lot. Over the years, I think it has helped improve my reflexes. But I'm also a big fan of tennis and Formula One, which I follow very closely."

Meanwhile, ask Sachin about his sporting heroes and you get a pretty good idea of how he has achieved what he has. Cricketers get a mention: India's Sunil Gavaskar (a role model and inspiration) and West Indian batsman Viv Richards. However, other names provide a deeper insight.

"People I really admire are Michael Schumacher, Pete Sampras, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer… Their focus, determination and the way they prepare themselves for a game; how they execute all their planning.

"I think it's incredible how they consistently perform at a high level, and how they stay calm in tough situations – year after year."

Personal qualities Sachin admires include honesty and transparency. To those, one should add modesty. For, his performances since making his Test debut as a 16-year-old against Pakistan in 1989 have been every bit as consistent as his heroes. Wisden, the ultimate guide for cricket fans, declared him the second greatest Test batsman of all-time (behind Sir Donald Bradman).

Despite his prowess with the bat, Sachin actually had aspirations to become a fast bowler. However, it was as a young batsman that he first made his mark. At 13, he was the best player in the Mumbai schools competition for Under 19s; at 14, he made his first-class debut for the Mumbai cricket team and scored a century on debut. He scored his first international century aged just 17.

He is the only cricketer to receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest sporting honour and the only cricketer to receive the Padma Vibhushan (2008), the second highest civilian honour of India. He has business interests outside the game, but cricket always comes first.

"When I decide to hang up my boots, I will have plenty of time to focus on other things," he said. Few doubt he will make a success of that too. "Life as a cricketer is temporary but the things that are import for me, focus, determination and honesty – my nature – will be with me forever."