West Indies cricket legend Viv Richards has backed Sachin Tendulkar to continue despite his poor form, saying the senior Indian batsman is the best person to decide on his retirement and should continue as long as he wants.

"Nobody is qualified enough to tell him (Tendulkar) when they think he should go," Richards told BBC Radio Shropshire.

- Is it time to drop Sachin Tendulkar?

There have been questions raised about the 39-year-old Tendulkar's position in the team as he is averaging just 18.66 in six innings in the ongoing Test series against England.

"When you're retired, you're retired for a very, very long time. It's like being dead to some degree, so while you're alive and still up for it and still enjoying what you're doing, to me that's what it's all about," Richards said.

There have been mixed views on Tendulkar's future with some former Indian cricketers such as Sunil Gavaskar, Mohinder Amarnath, Dilip Vengsarkar and Sourav Ganguly urging him to have a chat with the selectors on his retirement plan.