NEW DELHI: Indian batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar said Monday he had no plans to retire after his World Cup triumph, but said the team would miss outgoing coach Gary Kirsten. India regained the World Cup after 28 years under former South African batsman Kirsten. “Personally, I would say Gary (Kirsten) should continue but he has family commitments,” Tendulkar said. “I respect his decision. We will miss him a lot. It's been a pleasure to work with him. He's probably worked harder than anyone else.” India not only secured the No. 1 ranking in Tests and No. 2 in ODIs under Kirsten, but also became a formidable force both at home and away. Tendulkar, the world's leading run scorer in both Tests (14,692) and one-day internationals (18,111), became a World Cup winner for the first time on his sixth and probably last appearance in the tournament. He said winning the World Cup was his biggest cricketing moment and wished he could have shared it with his father. “I miss my father. He would be proud. My kids being there for the victory lap made it even more special,” said Tendulkar, whose father died during the 1999 World Cup, adding that he had no plans to retire. “I can't believe we're the world champions. I am enjoying cricket too much to retire from any form of the game,” said Tendulkar, who will turn 38 this month. The master batsman rated Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the “best captain” for leading the team shrewdly in the high-pressure tournament. Afridi ready for Windies tour Pakistan's limited overs cricket captain Shahid Afridi has made himself available for the tour of West Indies after previously planning on missing the series. “I had decided to skip the tour because I wanted to take a break from the game, but some former players and my family and friends told me to change my decision at this crucial time for Pakistan cricket,” Afridi said Monday. Afridi, 31, who has played 320 ODIs, led Pakistan to the semifinals of the recent World Cup where they lost to eventual winner India. “One of the main reasons I wanted to take a break was because I wanted to be with my father who is not keeping well. But my father insisted that I carry on with the Pakistan team,” Afridi said. He said he wanted a break from cricket but the upcoming tour was an ideal opportunity to groom two or three new players.
