Rock On2

Job satisfaction key to Sachin's longevity

Pradeep Vijaykar

03 August 2010, 05:27 PM IST [pic][pic][pic]

Sachin Tendulkar becoming the world's most capped  Test player with 169 appearances when the third India-Lanka Test opened on August 3  provokes a clutch of memories and thoughts. Others may surpass that mark but I don't think any player will play international cricket for over 22 years which Sachin threatens to. That's also the view of Dr Ali Irani, the noted ex-physio of the Indian cricket team who knows Sachin's physical capabilities since a long time. Dr Ali says Sachin's longevity stems from his enjoying the sport. He thinks he will quit after the World Cup in India- a dream Sachin harbours to win for his country.

In his pre-Test message, Sachin said dreams do come true and that should be happy augury for India though with the kind of attack we have at the moment there are concerns. The other important thing Sachin said was that he was happy that his passion was his job. That prompts me to say that Sachin's longevity stems from JOB SATISFACTION. This is a factor that contemporary HR will never unravel but exploit. If you enjoy what you are doing then the sky is the limit. When Sachin has not enjoyed it he has asked for a break and got it. Also when he has stepped down from captaincy because of back-biting within the squad that dampened his enjoyment of the game. The BCCI has reaped dividends by granting  his wishes  because he has come back stronger and mightier.

I experienced this a  few months ago when asked to play for our sports journalists all-India tournament in Goa. I am touching 60. I played three T20 games in four days, played table tennis tournament not long after the game and in the evening had to compere symposia on cricket and rugby and of course join my colleagues for the happy hours that would stretch into midnight. I could do this because I was enjoying it. Plus, though on holiday,  I squeezed in a story for the paper  about a...