Sachin tendulkar with order of Australia award

India's batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar
received the 'Order of Australia' honour at
a ceremony held in Mumbai. Simon Crean,
an Australian minister, presented the
award.
Tendulkar thanked Crean and spoke highly
of Australia, saying they were fierce
competitors on the field. "They are fierce
competitors and play well and hard. But
they also shower you with praises when
you come out and play well. In fact my
favourite ground away from home is
Sydney," he said.
Tendulkar also fondly recollected his
meeting with Australia legend Don
Bradman, saying it was his most
memorable Australia trip ever.
"The most memorable trip to Australia was
when I was asked to come and wish Sir
Don on his 90th birthday. I was in the
middle of a national camp in Chennai and
the BCCI graciously agreed to send me.
When I asked him (Bradman) why a strike
rate of 99.9, he replied: Son, it is not bad
for a 90-year-old," Tendulkar recollected.
Tendulkar, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP,
said that his first tour of Australia changed
him as a cricketer.
"It (the 1991-92 tour of Australia)
completely changed me as a cricketer. It
was a critical moment of my career. The
three and half months changed me
completely. I thought I was ready to play
against any attack in the world and I can
say that Australia has had some
contribution in that to transform me into a
tougher cricketer," he said.
Sachin also said that his association with
Australia goes a long way back in time
and added that he dreamt of playing day-
night matches in Australia.
"The association with Australia started
long time ago and not in 1991. To me it
started way back in 85 when I was 12
years old watching those fantastic day-
night matches on television. I started
dreaming that one day I want to go there
and play cricket. It turned into a reality in
1991-92,"
Australia's Prime Minister Julian Gillard
has earlier announced their government's
decision to confer Tendulkar with the
award.
"Cricket is of course a very great bond
between Australia and India. We are both
cricket mad nations. So, I am also very
pleased that we are going to confer on
Sachin Tendulkar membership of the Order
of Australia," she had said when she
visited India last month.
Tendulkar is not the first Indian to receive
the award. Former Attorney General Soli
Sorabjee is the only other Indian to have
received the honour (in 2006).
Clive Lloyd, Gary Sobers and Brian Lara
are the other non-Australian cricketers to
have received the 'Order of Australia'
award.