Story
It is that time of the year. It is April 24, yet another birthday for Sachin Tendulkar. This time, our correspondent Abhishek Kumar spoke to Sachin s childhood friend Ricky Couto and his elder brother Marcus, now a well-known umpire in India s domestic cricket circuit. .
Marcus Couto is currently working in Cricket Club of India, while Ricky is employed in a company named KWE as Senior Executive Sales. Ricky credits his boss Allen De Mello and MD Karthi Bhaskar, who gave him the job and have always supported him. They have also given him the liberty to umpire. Both brothers consider themselves lucky one for being friends of Tendulkar and having shared many memorable days..
Marcus, however, is closer to Sachin s elder brother Ajit: I am lucky that he knows me by my name and he knows my family as well. That is a pleasure. Actually my brother Ricky studied with him. I was the elder one. I am more close to Ajit ..
I had to begin with Ricky..
How it all started.
Ricky Couto became friends with Sachin while playing at Shivaji Park during their childhoods. Both boys were soon enrolled in the same school: It s all started at Shivaji Park. I went for practice; then came Sachin Tendulkar came and Vinod Kambli; and all three of us played together. One day [Ramakant] Achrekar-Sir told us that if we want to play cricket then we will have to change our schools. I used to go to St Joseph of Wadala, where there was no cricket. Sachin was in some Bandra school and Kambli was in a school in Marine Lines. We went and sought admission at Sharadashram. Then the first day in the school, I and Sachin sat together and from there on the friendship started, which has lasted till today. .
Being a close friend of Sachin till today, Ricky is like a celebrity to many of his friends. Do they all insist on meeting Tendulkar? Kind of. But many believe and many do not. But whosoever believes, they think I can take them and let them meet Sachin. However, I try my best to take people to meet him, interact with him. A few days back, when the trailer of Sachin s movie came out, a friend of mine from Pune got to meet him. He spent 8 minutes with him. My friend still has not come over it. .
Sachin Tendulkar (from left) with Marcus Couto, Vinod Kambli and Ricky Couto Ricky Couto
Marcus, on the other hand, got to know Sachin while umpiring a match. He declared Sachin that day. He remembers that Sachin was shouted at by Mr Achrekar for not putting a cap on: He was playing a game at Matunga and I was umpiring many years ago. He was probably around nine. That day he scored 40-odd runs before I gave him run out. Marcus added..
But what was wrong about not wearing a cap? Achrekar was really mad at Sachin that day. I asked Sachin why he was not wearing a cap. He responded that it would come across as hero-giri. I asked him what Mr Achrekar was saying. Sachin replied: It has an advantage. You can see the bowler better, which will save you from the direct rays of the sun. From that day he never batted barehead. .
Marcus continued: The next day, my brother and Sachin were together in the Sharadashram classroom. Sachin complained to Ricky that I was standing very far off while umpiring. Actually, the Matunga Gymkhana s 30-yard is like a boundary. It is a very small ground. So he might have felt that I was standing very far off. He didn t complain about the decision. He said Marcus was standing far and gave me run out. And then, I told I saw that innings and many more innings. I told my brother that someday I will come to your school and click photographs with these two kids, Sachin and Kambli. When Ricky said why, I responded that Sachin is going to play at least one Test and Kambli will definitely play for Mumbai. I was confident. .
Remained padded
Because of Sachin, Kambli and players like Amol Mazumdar, Ricky barely used to get to bat and mostly remained padded up, which later made him take up umpiring seriously. Revealing the story of how Sachin and Kambli indirectly helpe
Marcus Couto is currently working in Cricket Club of India, while Ricky is employed in a company named KWE as Senior Executive Sales. Ricky credits his boss Allen De Mello and MD Karthi Bhaskar, who gave him the job and have always supported him. They have also given him the liberty to umpire. Both brothers consider themselves lucky one for being friends of Tendulkar and having shared many memorable days..
Marcus, however, is closer to Sachin s elder brother Ajit: I am lucky that he knows me by my name and he knows my family as well. That is a pleasure. Actually my brother Ricky studied with him. I was the elder one. I am more close to Ajit ..
I had to begin with Ricky..
How it all started.
Ricky Couto became friends with Sachin while playing at Shivaji Park during their childhoods. Both boys were soon enrolled in the same school: It s all started at Shivaji Park. I went for practice; then came Sachin Tendulkar came and Vinod Kambli; and all three of us played together. One day [Ramakant] Achrekar-Sir told us that if we want to play cricket then we will have to change our schools. I used to go to St Joseph of Wadala, where there was no cricket. Sachin was in some Bandra school and Kambli was in a school in Marine Lines. We went and sought admission at Sharadashram. Then the first day in the school, I and Sachin sat together and from there on the friendship started, which has lasted till today. .
Being a close friend of Sachin till today, Ricky is like a celebrity to many of his friends. Do they all insist on meeting Tendulkar? Kind of. But many believe and many do not. But whosoever believes, they think I can take them and let them meet Sachin. However, I try my best to take people to meet him, interact with him. A few days back, when the trailer of Sachin s movie came out, a friend of mine from Pune got to meet him. He spent 8 minutes with him. My friend still has not come over it. .
Sachin Tendulkar (from left) with Marcus Couto, Vinod Kambli and Ricky Couto Ricky Couto
Marcus, on the other hand, got to know Sachin while umpiring a match. He declared Sachin that day. He remembers that Sachin was shouted at by Mr Achrekar for not putting a cap on: He was playing a game at Matunga and I was umpiring many years ago. He was probably around nine. That day he scored 40-odd runs before I gave him run out. Marcus added..
But what was wrong about not wearing a cap? Achrekar was really mad at Sachin that day. I asked Sachin why he was not wearing a cap. He responded that it would come across as hero-giri. I asked him what Mr Achrekar was saying. Sachin replied: It has an advantage. You can see the bowler better, which will save you from the direct rays of the sun. From that day he never batted barehead. .
Marcus continued: The next day, my brother and Sachin were together in the Sharadashram classroom. Sachin complained to Ricky that I was standing very far off while umpiring. Actually, the Matunga Gymkhana s 30-yard is like a boundary. It is a very small ground. So he might have felt that I was standing very far off. He didn t complain about the decision. He said Marcus was standing far and gave me run out. And then, I told I saw that innings and many more innings. I told my brother that someday I will come to your school and click photographs with these two kids, Sachin and Kambli. When Ricky said why, I responded that Sachin is going to play at least one Test and Kambli will definitely play for Mumbai. I was confident. .
Remained padded
Because of Sachin, Kambli and players like Amol Mazumdar, Ricky barely used to get to bat and mostly remained padded up, which later made him take up umpiring seriously. Revealing the story of how Sachin and Kambli indirectly helpe
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