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Sachin leaves for Australia

Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar left for Australia early this morning to consult the specialist who treated Shane Warne for his injured back.

Sachin, who pulled out of the Toronto tourney, is accompanied by Dr Anant Joshi. He had injured his back in the first Test against Pakistan in Madras in March. He missed the two triangular one-day series in India and Sharjah when he went to England to consult Dr Kennedy for treatment. He seemed to recover after that and played the World Cup without any problem.

However, the problem surfaced during last month's camp for the triangular series in Sri Lanka and Singapore. He missed one match in Colombo and though he played the Singapore tournament, Sachin decided to take expert help to find a long time solution for his back.

"My back is stiff, and I am not very comfortable, that is why I am going for treatment," Sachin told Star News at Sahar airport this morning. He disclosed that the treatment is being arranged by the MRF Pace Foundation. Sachin endorses the MRF brand.

Bombay team mate Ajit Agarkar, who had suffered a hamstring injury during the Madras camp, also left for Australia with Tendulkar. He will also consult with doctors at the Australian Cricket Academy. He was supposed to submit his fitness certificate on September 15.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India was willing to pay Sachin's medical bills, but MRF will pick up the tab. The BCCI is likely to do the same for Agarkar. Both players are unsure of how long they will stay in Australia.

UNI