Tendulkar needs to score in SA to earn respect: Bedi

Former left-arm spinner Bishan Singh Bedi on Saturday said that Sachin Tendulkar should be aware of his prolonged lean patch, and must score during India's Test series against South Africa, if he wanted to retain the respect of the cricket loving public in India and in other parts of the world. 

"It's high time that he (Tendulkar) should get back to runs to get people's respect," said Bedi. 

Bedi said getting 10 wickets in a Test match is like scoring hundreds in each innings. 

"Even a player of Tendulkar's calibre has not done it, so it's an enormous achievement," Bedi said recalling his only 10-wicket haul in Perth. 

The 66-year-old hailed former India captain Sourav Ganguly and said the Bengal cricketer contributed enormously to the rise of the Indian cricket. 

"Like in the present day, we are reading so much about Mahendra Singh Dhoni, but the present day cricket was set up by Sourav Ganguly.

“He has made an enormous contribution to Indian cricket. It has just been taken forward by Dhoni in a calm manner. Calmness is Dhoni's greatest quality. Indian cricket always had ups and downs but now it seems reasonably stable," Bedi said.

Comparing Ganguly with late Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Bedi said, "I honestly feel that Tiger Pataudi was the greatest thing to have happened to the Indian cricket. He brought the sense of Indianness to the dressing room. Winning as a habit was cultivated by Tiger Pataudi. 

"We have seen the result in Ajit Wadekar team winning three match series in 1971. With due respect to Wadekar, I am saying that the seeds were sown by Pataudi," he added

Bedi rated Sir Girfield Sobers as the greatest cricketer along with Sir Donald Bradman. 

"I am fortunate to have bowled to Sir Sobers. He was the ultimate cricketer. Two people -- Sobers and Bradman -- would not emerge in world cricket again." 

Talking on a panel alongside India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, Bedi was all praise for the side especially after their Champions Trophy triumph. 

"It's a great time for Indian cricket. We have good players and spinners like Ashwin. He has everything in him to become the go-to man for the Indian cricket."