Tendulkar 'shattered' to hear Mascarenhas's death

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday said he was shattered to hear the news of the death of his marketing agent Mark Mascarenhas, whom he described as "more of a family member".

"I am shattered. Our relationship was not of an agent and the client. He was a very, very close friend of mine. He helped me and wished well for me," Tendulkar said.

"He was more of a family member to me. I never looked at him as an agent. He even went out of the way to help me out," the batting maestro said.

Tendulkar added that he last met him during the third one-dayer at Chennai. Mascarenhas, who died in car accident at Kharbi near Nagpur on Sunday, shot into limelight when he signed a multi-million deal with Tendulkar in 1996, making the batsman the highest paid cricketer ever.

The five-year contract between Tendulkar and WorldTel, Mascarenhas company, was renewed late last year for an undisclosed amount, believed to be in excess of Rs 500 million, setting a new benchmark in cricket.

Mascarenhas was also planning to start a global chain of hotels carrying Tendulkar's name.

ALSO READ
Mark Mascarenhas dies in road accident

Mail Cricket Editor