South African greats Shaun Pollock and Jonty Rhodes are in awe of Sachin Tendulkar and said despite his wealth of experience, the Mumbai Indians skipper is a keen learner.
Pollock and Rhodes, coaches of Mumbai Indians, got to observe Tendulkar up close and personal and the South Africans were amazed at how the champion batsman tries to assimilate new ideas.
"Sachin is open to ideas and thoughts. He has got a curious mind and is always willing to get known to new things. I think that has been one of the secrets for his success for such a long period. He always encourages healthy cricketing discussions. And at times it is a learning process for me too," Pollock said.
Pollock smiled when asked whether he advises the Mumbai Indians captain on batting.
"Well, he is just another player. Obviously, he is the master. If you are to give information to him then you must understand the game better than most cricketing brains around.
"If he doesn't adapt to the conditions then I tell him 'If you don't change this technique then I can get you out like this'," said the Mumbai Indians head coach and mentor.
Pollock said Tendulkar can even predict what one will bowl to him in the next delivery.
"He (Tendulkar) does that very often. He has the ability to think like a bowler. Amazing isn't it?" said Pollock.
Fielding great Rhodes was surprised at the fact that Tendulkar was still a cricket enthusiast after two decades of international career.
"If you tell him anything about fielding drills and stuff, he listens carefully as if he is a young bloke and a legendary coach is speaking to him. This is an amazing thing about Tendulkar. Even after so many years of international cricket, he is still a cricket enthusiast," said the Mumbai Indians fielding coach.
"He understands the game better than most of us but respects everyone's thoughts and tries to add to it by using all his rich experience. He is not only a great batsman but also a great human being. He respects other's views and is always ready to lend his ear to their thoughts and ideas," he added.
"I show him new ways of fielding and he tries to emulate the action. He never complains. Whenever I come up with an idea, he is more than ready to listen to it. If I tell him something he comes up with better innovations but when I pinpoint few things he takes them with open mind."
