Omar Abdullah moved by Sachin's retirement

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said Saturday that seeing legendary cricket superstar Sachin Tendulkar retire brought a lump to his throat.

Omar Abdullah posted his tribute and feelings about Sachin Tendulkar on his micro-blogging twitter site Saturday.

"Haven't been a big cricket fan for a while now but to see Sachin retire today brought a lump to my throat, a true gentleman", Omar said on his social networking site.

In another comment, the 43-year-old chief minister said: "Difficult to imagine Indian cricket without Sachin - the highs, the lows, the celebration & the exasperation that he brought #ThankYouSachin".

The fan following of Sachin Tendulkar has always gone beyond political and religious lines in Jammu and Kashmir.

While people in the Hindu majority Jammu region have treated him as an icon of excellence, people in the Muslim majority Valley have always loved Sachin for his gentlemanly qualities and great prowess as a batsman.

"He is somebody one cannot imagine cricket without, especially if you have grown up seeing him groom as a batting legend," said Pawan Kumar, 35, a resident of Gandhi Nagar area in winter capital Jammu.

"I have had the honour to bowl against him during Ranji matches and his behaviour as a humble and down to earth sportsman is something that will live for many years after those who played with him are gone and forgotten," said Abdul Qayoom Bagow, coach of Jammu and Kashmir's Ranji team and a well known bowler of his time.

Muhammad Ashraf Bhat, member of the Jammu and Kashmir cricket association, also told IANS in Srinagar Saturday: "Sachin's record as a gentleman batsman and a great cricketer is something one can never forget.

"I have watched his career from its very beginning. God has rarely been so kind to any other sportsman of our times, but God's greatest gift to Sachin has been humility and simplicity."