Tendulkar still striving to 'live up to own expectations'

Maintaining his standard and living up to his own expectations still give Sachin Tendulkar "sleepless nights" and it is this restlessness that has brought the best out of him.

"I don't think I woke up one morning and felt that there was this responsibility on me and that I needed to live up to that expectation. Something which still gives me sleepless nights is, 'How will I go out and keep that standard, and live up to my own expectations," Tendulkar said in an interview published in Time magazine.

"How am I going to go out and perform? That restlessness brings the best out of me, it's a healthy sign," he said.

Tendulkar said he refrains from planning too far ahead on his future.

"My planning is only done match by match. I don't plan too far ahead, I've never done that. At most, I plan for the next tournament or series. I believe in approaching my targets step by step, and don't look at the larger picture.

The American publication interviewed the Indian batting star for a profile that will appear in its issue this week. Tendulkar was named in TIME's 2010 list of 100 most influential people in the world.

Tendulkar said at the start of his career, he used to "toss and turn" at night before a game.

"Now I know that's normal, so I'll just get up and watch TV or something. I know it's just my subconscious mind getting ready for a game. It's about knowing yourself, and I know myself better now."

Considered one of the greatest batsmen of all time, Tendulkar has smashed several records in his cricketing career and is the only cricketer to score 100 international centuries.

Amid all the adulation he has received and the impact he has had on his countrymen, Tendulkar said he believes in focussing on his cricket.

"Let people talk about it; me, I move forward. Right from my school days, I have done that. I know that certain things I do or say have an impact on people. People appreciate certain things that I do.

"But any active sportsman has to be very focused; you've got to be in the right frame of mind," he said adding that if a person's energy is diverted in various directions, he does not achieve the results.

"I need to know when to switch on and switch off: and the rest of the things happen around that. Cricket is in the foreground, the rest is in the background", he said.

Tendulkar said it is important for him to enjoy his game and he reminds himself of that theory in tough moments.

"So much happens (on and off the field) that sometimes you forget to enjoy the game. That's when things don't go smoothly. There have been challenges along the way, some tough moments. But I would speak to myself and say 'It doesn't matter what the situation is, enjoy it'."

On how he handles the media hype around him and his game, Tendulkar said when he is on the field, he has "0.5 seconds" or less "to react to a ball" and he "cannot be thinking of what XYZ has said about me. If I get to hear casually about something someone's said about me, or see something in the papers, that's fine. I don't go looking for things. In the last few years, the hype has grown because there is such fierce competition in the media."

"Earlier, you played 10 shots, and maybe a couple of comments were made; today you play one shot and there are 500 comments. The ball is in the player's court, whether you want to follow every little thing or you want to keep your mind blank and trust your judgement, trust your instincts and take decisions," he said.

On field, Tendulkar surrenders himself to his natural instincts and his subconscious mind knows what to do.

When asked about his "switch-on/switch-off" process for a game, he said the "switching on" happens automatically for him.

"I know that I am going to be playing in three weeks, so I better start doing something. I get restless. Even if I am holidaying and not doing anything -- training, jogging or going for walks -- I feel uneasy. It's become part of me now. Whether I am playing or not, I need some activity and that helps me to be normal, otherwise I am a little restless.

Switching off on the other hand is not an instant process for him and is only possible when he has time between games.

"When I'm spending time with my children, that's when I actually switch off and I stay away completely from cricket. I do normal things, like any father, any family man."

He further said he has always wanted to be completely focussed on his game and did not want to think about the "commercial" side of it.

Tendulkar also said his 11-year old son Arjun is in "love" with cricket, which 'starts from heart and then travel up to brain when you grow up'.

Tendulkar said it was his son's own choice to start playing cricket and nobody forced him into the game. He wants Arjun to enjoy being on the field instead of thinking about the number of hours he has practised.

"As long as he is in love with cricket, it's fine. Then you don't look at your watch or count the number of hours you've practiced. It's the sheer joy and satisfaction of being on the field. And that's what I want [for him].

Tendulkar said it is "unfortunate" that he cannot take his kids out for normal things like evening walks, so he looks forward to holidays with his family.

"In Mumbai, if I had to go out and be a normal father, it's not possible. We go on holidays and that is the time when I look to spend as much time with them as possible."

He said he plays with his son in Mumbai in a "controlled environment."

Tendulkar said he has passed on to his children the advice his father gave him that 'while cricket would be temporary in their lives, they should always try and be good people. So try and be a good person'. People will appreciate that even after you've stopped playing. I try and tell my children the same thing."