Make Sachin Tendulkar Australian PM, says sarcastic Matthew Hayden
Upset at Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar getting the Order of Australia (AM), former batsman Matthew Hayden said the honour should be "exclusive" to his countrymen.
In an Australian radio show, Hayden said Tendulkar didn't deserve the honour. "I think it should be exclusive to Australians... There are things that are sacred amongst our country. I understand the point that he is an iconic figure. If Sachin was living in Australia – give him the Prime Minister's gong I reckon – but the reality of it is he's living in India," he said.
"I kind of understand the point of the fact that he has been such an iconic figure here in Australia and there's an enormous population of Indians that are working here and living here very happily and in harmony with Australia that have naturalised and I think that's a great part of our country, how multi-cultural that we are," he explained.
Hayden was one of the few Australian cricketers to have earned a similar honour, inducted in 2010 for services to cricket and the community. The list includes cricket greats like Sir Donald Bradman, Allan Border, Dennis Lillee, Max Walker, Bob Simpson, Keith Miller and Steve Waugh.
Australian cricket fans have also criticised their Prime Minister's decision citing Tendulkar's role in the monkeygate scandal involving the countries' cricket teams. Tendulkar was a key witness in the Harbhajan Singh-Andrew Symonds racism controversy in 2008.
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Tuesday had announced that the iconic Indian cricketer will be conferred the membership
Simple minded Hayden.
Dreamer | 19-Oct-2012Reply | Forward Hayden tried his hand at a cooking show after he left cricket and was a flop. Australia can make Sachin their prime minister and we will make Hayden a joker in Bollywood movies . Fair exchange Hayden?
joke
jayesh | 21-Oct-2012Reply | Forward Mr Srenivas, what you are upto? Hayden dint say Sachin doesnt deserve it, he saide it shud be exclusibely to australian, this is not the forum for pple like you to criticise Sachin..people like you live and die without doing or getting any honou in life , so u have a negative attitude to people who make an impact in the world..just htink your self " What right miself have to say Sachin doesnt deserve the award"..
