Nobody can tell me when to quit: Tendulkar

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Mohali: Part of the 'Fab Five' on whom demands have been made for quitting the game, Sachin Tendulkar on Friday made it clear that no one can dictate to him as to when he should stop playing.

"Nobody need to tell me how long I should play. I will play as long as I want. I don't need X, Y or Z to tell me when I should stop playing", an unusually combative Tendulkar told reporters shortly after he became the world's highest run-getter in Test cricket.

"When I started playing nobody told me I should play." he said in remarks often punctuated by barbs at commentators.

Tendulkar said he does not need to prove anything to anyone. "All this 19 years I didn't have to prove anything to anyone. I don't need to prove anything to anyone. What I have to do is to contribute to whatever my team's requirements are.

"I don't have to answer to what X, Y or Z writes. They are only views, they are not correct always. They are only opinions. I don't have to worry about whatever is said in the opinions. I just focus on the game. So many things are said, it is not necessary that they are always right. They are only opinions".

In an apparent reference to reports in the media of late that senior cricketers like Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and himself should quit, Tendulkar said to him what he thought was important.

Taking a dig at columnists, he said "I don't know how they know what is in my mind. In fact, I myself don't know".