Sandeep Patil quashes reports of 'retirement talks' with Sachin Tendulkar

Speculations were rife that the two-Test series against the West Indies could be the Swan song for Sachin Tendulkar, but chief selector Sandeep Patil on Wednesday said he has not discussed with the senior cricketer about his future plans for close to a year.

"It's always a pleasure to meet Sachin, but I have not met him for the last 10 months. I have not called him, neither has he called me. We have not discussed anything, It's all non-sense," Patil told PTI when queried about a media report quoting an unnamed selector that he (Patil) had recently met and discussed about Tendulkar's future.

The report have said that Patil met Tendulkar after the Cricket Board (BCCI) penciled in an unscheduled tour against the West Indies at home in November comprising a two-Test series and a three-game ODI rubber.

The report also hinted that Patil had told Tendulkar that the selectors will decide the batsman's future after his much-awaited 200th Test appearance, which is expected to happen in the two-match home series against the West Indies.

"Patil spoke to Sachin Tendulkar and made him understand the entire scenario. He even told him about the selectors' plan for the next one year and how they were looking to blood more youngsters," the unnamed selector has been quoted as saying in the report.

"We have got a bunch of youngsters and they all have been performing well. No one can question Sachin Tendulkar. What he has done is remarkable but we also have to look at the future. We have several talented players waiting to get one chance to prove themselves," the selector said, according to the report.

Tendulkar has appeared in 198 Tests, the most by any cricketer in the game's history, notching up a mind-boggling 51 hundreds in the longest form of the game.

Besides he had also raked up 49 ODI centuries, a format from which he has already retired, to make it a century of international hundreds.

The 40-year-old batting great, who has scored close to 16000 runs in Tests, has had a lean run especially as per his standards over the last couple of years.

He has scored only two half centuries in the last 10 Test matches India have played at home, against New Zealand, England and Australia, and his last Test hundred (146) was in an away Test at Cape Town against South Africa in January, 2011, which has led to questions being asked about his future in some quarters.

He is currently gearing up to play in the Champions League T20 League for IPL holders Mumbai Indians with his first game scheduled against hosts Rajasthan Royals at Jaipur on September 21.