Sachin not playing by his standard: Waugh

Former Australia skipper Steve Waugh on Sunday said it was for Sachin Tendulkar himself to decide whether it was time for him to retire from international cricket but his personal opinion was that the Indian master is not playing upto his previous standards.

‘What is your opinion,’ Waugh, who was here to attend a private function, shot back, when reporters sought to know from him how he rated Tendulkar’s current performance.

‘He is playing better... but he is not playing upto his standards. He himself has to decide (whether it is time to retire or not),’ Waugh said. Waugh said he believed that Test matches are important to maintain quality and standard of cricket though limited over events like IPL are medium for the young players to prove their talent.

‘Tests are important to maintain both quality and talent. That cannot be replaced by limited over matches,’ he said.