Durrani lambasts Mumbai crowd for jeering Tendulkar

New Delhi, Mar 27 (UNI) Former allrounder Salim Durrani is convinced that a player of Sachin Tendulkar's calibre appears only once in a hundred years and the batting maestro is an automatic choice for India's World Cup 2007 campaign.

Talking to UNI here today, Kabul-born Durrani, a flamboyant allrounder of his era, was annoyed with the Mumbai crowd who booed Tendulkar in the third Test against England.

''Sachin has served the nation for so long. He is a dedicated soul who made the country proud. I have no doubt that a player of his calibre comes once in hundred years and see the way he was treated and that too in his home turf,'' he said.

''We have to understand that he is a human too and now it's being revealed that he has a shoulder tear. It's completely unfair to say that his career is over. He is good enough for a few more years and is an automatic choice for the World Cup team.'' Durrani was happy that, unlike in his era, players are being properly paid now.

''I don't envy them, because I feel the kind of fame I got, most of them would die for. As I entered the ground, 200 people recognised me even though I hung up my boots long ago. I worked as a labourer in a railway station and went on to play for the country and then act in a Bollywood movie. Show me a parallel,'' he said.

Durrani acted in the 1973 movie Charitra, along side Parveen Babi.

''I just worked and worked and that should be your motto. Of course, we were not paid enough. Agar hamein paisa milta to hum subah bhi murgi khaate, shaam ko bhi murgi khaate. Waise ab to murgi khana bhi mana hai (Had we been paid enough, we would have had chicken in lunch and dinner. But these days, even chicken is not safe),'' he quipped.

UNI AY PM BST1622