Off-spinner with leg-breaks is like a multi-lingual: Tendulkar

While Tendulkar did not take any names, his observation on off-spinners trying to bowl leg-break would certainly be music to Ravichandran Ashwin's ears, as he is trying his hand at wrist spin with an eye on national comeback in the shorter versions.

"I feel it can only help. It's like you know two to three different languages. Now there is no harm in knowing five or six different languages. It can't take away anything from you," Tendulkar, who is celebrating his 45th birthday on Tuesday, said in an interview.

"It's exactly the same when one develops more variation. So it's wrong to say that they (finger spinners) are joining a bandwagon now that they are bowling leg spin. No, they aren't. Rather, we should see that they have put in effort to develop a delivery," he said.

And what does he make of the view that the off-spinners' attempts are futile?

"I think it's wrong thinking of people (that off-spinners can't bowl leg-breaks). I am not blaming the player here. I am blaming the people (perception) here. Leg-break could be just another weapon in your armoury. "People can bowl off-spin but along with that off-spin, if they are capable of bowling leg-spin as a variation, then why not," Tendulkar said.

The legendary batsman feels that if someone can get his leg-breaks right, it should be considered a strength.

"If 'doosra' bowled by an off-spinner is seen as a weapon, then him bowling a leg-break if situation demands, shouldn't be considered his weakness. Rather, it should be considered his strength, when he gets it right." On the younger lot of batsmen failing to read leg-break bowlers' wrists,

Tendulkar feels that the

current crop of bowlers have really made the willow-wielders think.